We love to focus our attention on musicians and bands from Northern Ireland, we receive submissions from all over the world. Our No Fixed Abode feature shines a light on artists and bands from further afield that we think you should hear.
NINA x Radio Wolf – Bluesbreaker
A collaboration between German NINA and Canadian Radio Wolf delivers a pulsating result. ‘Bluesbreaker’ is dark and punchy. Led by some interesting and hypnotic SFX and a memorable riff, the vocals bring things home perfectly. There is a lot of energy here and felt on the scale of later Muse efforts. Stay till the end for the appearance of a bluesy harmonica.
Puzzled Panther – Smoke and the Mirrors we broke
Puzzled Panther features some heavy hitters stepping away from their main projects (Gogol Bordello, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and we are glad they did. If you’re looking for your next indie dancefloor anthem look no further. Everything feels sharp and snappy whether it’s the guitar or drums. The track feels effortlessly cool and is one we’ll definitely be revisiting.
The Dreaded Laramie – Break Up Songs
Fans of Cherym would do well to check out The Dreaded Laramie. Sugary sweet power pop with some grittier indie rock notions make for a great new discovery. ‘Break Up Songs’ is the first release under Smartpunk Records and unsurprisingly charts their journey through a bad break up. The sound is bubbly and full of hooks which may be due to getting producer/mixer/engineer Dave Schiffman (PUP, Weezer, Vampire Weekend) on board.
Matched – Give In
Husband and wife duo Ben Parks and Emily Townsend Hall are Matched and offer up insightful indie pop. ‘Give In’ chronicles their struggles with perfectionism and trying to stand out. There’s a melancholy to the lyrics but the track sounds quite big and expansive with the use of the bells being particularly distinctive and charming even before we gush over the beautiful vocals.
The Marra – Masterpiece
A local act has snuck in here which is unusual but we missed it for Fresh NI first time round and didn’t want to not shout about it. The second single from Derry outfit The Marra is a strong indie rock effort with shades of Brit pop throughout. The riff around the 3 minute mark is one to hang around for and we look forward to catching the young band live soon.
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