Limerick Post looks back and celebrates another productive and exciting year in music.
MynameisjOhn & God Knows feat. MuRli ‘Rusangano / Family’
THE debut album ‘Rusangano / Family’ more than delivers on the immense promise shown on previous collaborations on ‘The Struggle EP’ and ‘The Focusing Effect EP’. Fusing soul, grime, hip hop and Afrobeat with MC, God Knows flows about being a black man growing up in Shannon. It is an astoundingly good record.
Live on stage ‘Rusangano / Family’ is delivered harder and faster in a rush of frenetic noisy soul with contributions from fellow Random Acts of Kindness member MuRli that draws the audience along with music. God Knows stated to Limerick Post: “We strongly believe in togetherness and family. We have a welcoming atmosphere. It comes from the soul saying ‘let’s go crazy together and bring the racket’.”
‘Rusangano / Family’ is a serious contender for a Choice Music Prize 2015.
Various Artists ‘The Pigtown Fling’
AS part of Limerick City of Culture 2014 over 60 Limerick musicians, producers, engineers and documentary makers collaborated to produce The Pigtown Fling’.
The Pigtown Fling was a mammoth production involving 47 performers contributing to 17 original songs.
This is a musical legacy project that has seen the city’s creative community work together on an original musical body of work released on CD in September.
Despite the large cast of creatives and musicians involved, the album is a cohesive collection of reflective songs and pieces of music. Standout tracks from Brendan Markham and Ross Brennan (‘In My House’) and God Knows, Jo Slade & Kathleen Turner (‘Tired So Tired’).
MOSCOW METRO ‘Spirit of a City’
LIMERICK band Moscow Metro released their EP ‘Spirit Of A City’ in March. The four piece toured Ireland and Germany joining The National and Warpaint at The Maifeld Derby Festival in Mannheim in May.
WINDINGS ‘Neverwood’,
LIMERICK label Out On A Limb Records teamed up with Dublin based label Popical Island to release music from Limerick band Windings and Dublin’s Land Lovers. Lead single from the LP was ‘Neverwood’, a rampant indie rush of crashing guitars coloured with wailing 1950’s B-Movie theremin sounds. The new single needed a video and bass player Gary Carroll created a terrific video using a band of very cute psychedelic guinea pigs.
NEW BLUE SIOUX – ‘Eat This’
LIMERICK’S New Blue Sioux are Mike Ryan (former Tuesday Blue frontman) and Geri Doyle Ryan. Together for over 15 years, they demo’d the track ‘Eat This’, online. ‘Eat This’ has engaging evocative lyrical imagery played over a languid electronic beat. As Ryan muses “I was born in a minor key, I can still remember the first words my mother said to me”.
Peter O’Malley
‘Night Time in Montreal’
LIMERICK singer/songwriter Peter O’Malley released his new EP ‘Night Time in Montreal’. His song of Irish immigration in February is accompanied by a beautiful video shot by Simon Donnelly and Jacob Stack.
Foxjaw ‘Falling Debris’
‘Falling Debris’ was the third single from the Foxjaw sophomore album, ‘Ghost’s Parade’ which came out in September. The video, directed and edited by Shane Serrano, features lots of cameo appearances of well known Limerick faces. The album also featured strong singles in ‘Kerosene’ and ‘Hijack’.
Sisters ‘February’
INDIE band Sisters are originally hail from the city and its environs but are based in London. The band’s singles ‘Hush Hush’ and ‘February’ on Just Off Pop rightly received lots of positive attention on music blogs and press for their soaring grunge pop fuzz.
dREA ‘Animal’
MUSICIAN/SONGWRITER dREA (Damien Drea) scored a hit in the Irish charts with his debut album, ‘Bravest of All’. The album and its heartfelt lead single ‘Animal’ received a very warm welcome from the critics. The Sunday Times Culture Section reviewed dREA’s album as “a mash-up of all that is right with zen indie rock.”
NUBUS – Memory Season EP
RUNNING 15 minutes over four instrumental tracks that are performed, recorded and mixed by Nubus, showing the musician/ DJ growing in confidence. It boasts a broad musical palette from the oriental sun-soaked ‘Missing Xylophone’ to the old school jungle coda of ‘Memory Season’.
GOING 90 – ‘Slow’
Slow’ is a recent offering from Limerick Indie Rockers Going 90. The band have grown since the release of their second EP ‘Kings Among Men’ and their subsequent Irish tour last March.
‘Slow’ is a testament to all the hard work. Rapid fire delivery, fuzzy guitars and a big hooky chorus, this track literally goes at 90.
Urban Dreamers ‘Our Light EP’
LIMERICK Hip Hop/ RnB group Urban Dreamers was assembled by ex-Blizzards frontman Bressie for RTÉ’s Bressie’s Teenage Kicks reality show. Featuring Nathan and Calvin (Moyross), Damien (Rhebogue), Kelsey (St Mary’s Park) and Sherisse (Southill) the debut EP ‘Our Light’ went into the iTunes Top Ten on release. Bressie remarked, “We created something that I am very proud of. We put them together and we pushed them to the limit and they pushed me to the limit.”
