Features
Faces of 2012: The Notas
A six member band from North Co. Dublin, The Notas play expansive indie rock in the key of Wu Lyf with dash of Foals. Cranking up the reverb on guitar and deploying electronics the band keep the subtleties in the rhythm section on songs informed by their varying cultural backgrounds – French, Indian, Nigerian, Zimbabwean…
READ »
Faces of 2012: Simon Bird
Originally from West Somerset, England but now Dublin-based, Simon Bird produced five EPs in total last year hitting off hip-hop, noise, post-rock and electronica along the way. His amazing V… EP captured all these beneath a sheen of ambient drone, while is live show is as engaging as it is experimental. It’s impossible to predict
READ »
Faces of 2012: Cfit
Initially a solo project for Noel Duplaa, Cfit have developed from a one man band to a trio and now a five piece, with all three incarnations delivering a lush collection of woozy, melancholic anthems.
How did you all meet?…
As a lifelong lover of doing things backwards, I recorded a weird complicated multi-instrumental album
Faces of 2012: Elaine Mai
From behind a looping station and an acoustic guitar, Elaine Mai sings with a voice that is striking with a nuanced accent and ringing clarity. Delivered with certainty, Mai’s songs have layers of vocal harmony and direct lyrics. She played a series of support slots in 2011, including a stunning set in Dublin’s Unitarian Church…
READ »
The Score: Contemporary and classical news
2012 looks set to be a busy year for contemporary music in Ireland, and January to be a busy month for Dublin, and the National Concert Hall in particular. The month sees four events in the National Symphony Orchestra’s Horizons Contemporary Music Series, each featuring a different Irish composer. Each is a free afternoon concert,…
READ »
Faces of 2012: Lecs Luther
Lecs Luther is a contentious addition to the Irish rap scene for those engaged with it. Arguments against him boil down to the fact that there’s not much of an Irish identity to him. His debut music video was shot in Brighton and he doesn’t rap in a discernible Irish accent, favouring the voices of…
READ »
Faces of 2012: Wonder Villains
Derry pop punks propelled by the exuberence of youth, State fell in love with Wonder Villains the moment we saw them dancing to their own record with glee in a Belfast club.
Describe yourselves and your music?…
We are Wonder Villains. Eimear, Cheylene, Ryan & Kieran. We write songs about the things we love –
Faces of 2012: Lemonada
Lemonada makes instrumental beat tapes when studying music production in a Dublin college. His first collection entitled Kelly Green Volume 1…, released in August of 2011 was an impressive introduction to his Cassette Boy meets cut and paste sample-heavy style and remixes for The Cyclist, Nouveaunoise and Gorgeous Colours along with a couple of
READ »
Faces of 2012: Daithí
It’s a long way from a TV talent show to becoming one of the most talked about new artists of the year, but for the Galwegian it seems to be nothing but a small step. Using his fiddle as a starting point, Daithí pushes things forward with a bank of Kaoss pads, loopstations and electronics…
READ »
Faces of 2012: MMOTHS
While many of the choices on the Faces of 2012 list are in their early phases of their creative careers, Jack Colleran has already had an unexpected year that has seen him become one of the most promising new electronic artists, not just in Ireland, but worldwide. In little over a year, Newbridge, Kildare-born Colleran…
READ »
Faces of 2012: Come On Live Long
State has been choosing its favourite new Irish acts for three years now, delving into every corner of the land – both geographical and musical – to bring you what we consider the most exciting artists for the coming twelve months. Ever since we put Villagers on the cover of the first digital Faces magazine,…
READ »
New Music: The Twoks
Welcome to the sound of The Twoks.
Xani Kolac juggles playing the electric violin, singing and tapping synths barefoot while, Mark Leahy unleashes an arsenal of rhythms on percussion. The pair manage to squeeze gypsy rock, classic violin, jazz and tribal beats into their live performances. Using layers of string, drum and vocal samples as…
The Rubberbandits: Getting Serious, Man
A fair while in the making, Serious About Men… neatly ties together nine years’ worth of pranking, hip-hop and social commentary from the manic bag-wearing anti-heroes that are The Rubberbandits. Their comic caricatures have become a controversial yet well-loved reflection of many aspects of Irish society over their last few successful years, showing a grotty
READ »
State’s Top 20 Songs of 2011
Following this week’s poll of the albums of 2011, the State team has also been voting for their favourite tracks of the year.
Some of these artists will have featured already in the long players list, but many others prove that the power of the song and single is still very much alive…
20. Ry…
