Melodica Deathship

Irish hip hop is a pretty small market, and I often feel that those who become  hip-hop musicians/rappers are particularly brave souls.  When you think of hip hop, you don’t often picture an Irish guy or girl at the mic, but thankfully there are people brave and talented enough to break into this niche area.

The latest group that has been getting massive praise is Melodica Deathship.  If, like me, you’re a fan of Anticon bands Subtle and Clouddead, you’ll find much to love here. This isn’t a standard one-man-at-the-mic joint, it’s sea shanties and folk tales, all delivered in a hearty Irish accent.

The Melodica Deathship LP (brilliant to see them releasing it on vinyl) is out now – there are more details on their blog.

According to founder Exile Eye (who has a number of releases under his belt), the band take much inspiration from their hometown of Bayside in Dublin.

Tapping into a seemingly bottomless well of ideas
surrounding the darkness of the sea, the Deathship vision
utilises Ireland’s colonial past, stirs in some tales of piracy,
and the weird fiction of HP Lovecraft, and underpins
the whole with an anarchistic worldview and a singular
musical vision.

You can’t argue with that!

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Randolph’s Leap

This 6-piece Scottish band has released its debut EP ‘Battleships & Kettle Chips’ on the fledgling Olive Grove Records, a DIY label run by the folk behind the Peenko! blog.

If you’re a fan of charming folk songs and old-time acapella harmonising, you’ll dig Randolph’s Leap. Lovely thoughtful songs for a mournful autumn day.

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Neosupervital

He’s back! And hopefully with extra keytars.

I’m loving the sound of the latest album from Neosupervital (click on that link to listen to some of the new tunes), aka multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Donovan.  Called ‘Battery Power’, it’s full of synth-tastic gems that make me want to shake my booty on a dancefloor.

Ridiculously catchy, in the best way possible. You can pick it up this record (which is his second full-length release) now in your local record store or buy the digital version online via iTunes.

Say hi to him on Twitter.

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VisionAir

The side project of Richie Egan from Jape and his Redneck Manifesto bandmate Niall Byrne, this EP is four tracks of synth-heavy instrumental music that’s a captivating departure from their usual musical pursuits.

You can download the EP here or stream here.

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Colin J Morris

Inspired by the legendary Hemingway novella, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, Colin J Morris (whose music you have probably heard on soundtracks, ads and many other productions, and who is currently working behind the scenes on Under Ether as well as composing music alone and with Miriam Ingram as Toot Sweet) has created this absolutely wonderful piece of music.

Close your eyes and you are standing on the bow of a boat, waves crashing, seagulls squawking, as time moves slowly and nature unfolds around you.  A truly captivating piece of music.