ODES OF FEAR & WONDER FROM IRISH AMERICANA TROUBADOR

NORTHERN Ireland songwriter Marty Thompson has released his debut EP and debut music video.

Marty has been building up a reputation as a versatile troubadour over the past four years since he first took to the stage during an interval at a friend’s gig.

His debut EP ‘Escape From Nowhere’ is out now and documents the method singer’s fear and wonder on four tracks of infectious Americana music.

Each of the tracks bring something different to the table and through his vocal-splice of indie sneer and country twang you can tell the man has lived every word he sings.

He told Circle Magazine how he first got hooked on music.

Marty said: “I knew music would play a big part in my life after visiting my uncle’s house when I was little and my uncle was watching Live Aid 1985 video, and Neil Young was playing when I walked in and thought he was unbelievable.

“I started playing guitar in the nineties when the whole Indie boom kicked off and that influenced me a lot.”

As well as Oasis, Marty said his other influences include Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles.

Marty has just released his debut music video for the first track on his EP ‘Dancing In The Rain’ which can be viewed here: Dancing in the Rain

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DARK HORSES BRING NEW SINGLE INTO THE LIGHT

Brighton’s Dark Horses are going to be releasing their next single on the 11th February, an entrancing double A side single featuring ‘Boxing Day’ and ‘Traps’.

Their sound, a mash of scuzzy indie with a potent dash of dance, is set to send you right off. 

Both tracks are taken from their debut album ‘Black Music’ which was produced by Death in Vegas’ Richard Fearless and…they manage to illuminate the night, conjuring fugitive atmospheres of irresistible melancholy.

Shockingly Dark Horses were only formed a mere year and a half ago, but the band’s history is now wrapped in mythology which suits them well. They have become renowned for their live shows, and the group’s flare for fashion sees them wearing  leather jackets with capes to create an assemble that would leave even Noel Fielding feeling like a wallflower.

Putting a twist on a Jean Cocteau quote to describe their music, Dark Horses have said their music comes "from that beautiful night from which emerge all true works. It touches the quick of the world and this is very rare’".

Dark Horses may wallow in their pretty surfaces but their musical merits can’t be denied. Prepare to be swept off your feet by your new favourite band.

darkhorsesmusic.com

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CIRCLE PRESENTS: DEAD WOLF CLUB, A HYBRID OF "LOUDNESS, QUIETNESS, DARKNESS AND LIGHT"

Pop-punk outfit Dead Wolf Club are set to unleash their contradictory hybrid of “loudness, quietness, darkness and light” upon the world next month with the release of their self-titled debut.

Drawing their inspiration from unorthodox sources like knitting, tea, comics, cardigans, Nintendo consoles and London, Dead Wolf Club met on a flight and have built up a reputation as an eletric live band with pop melodies pitted against an aggressive backdrop.

In celebration of the album’s release, Dead Wolf Club are touring the UK throughout February including gigs in Leicester, Inverness, Manchester and Leeds.

The band are giving away free track ‘Radar’:

deadwolfclub.com
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CIRCLE PRESENTS: BLOOD RED SHOES, “HOW CAN TWO PEOPLE MAKE SO MUCH NOISE?"

With their new EP, ‘Water’ ready to drop on 21st January, Blood Red Shoes share the video for explosive new track ‘Red River’.

These days, it is almost as if Blood Red Shoes see the reoccurring “how can two people make so much noise?” comment as a challenge – their latest offering, ‘Water’, is the noisiest the duo have ever sounded, putting an even further distance between them and their earlier material and taking a further step into the distorted, messy territory explored on last year’s ‘In Time To Voices’.

Consisting of just three songs, the EP comes across as just a taster of things to come in 2013, with the seemingly gearing up for a full scale attack on the grunge revival scene. Their sound no longer comprises of energetic and bouncy indie, instead replacing commerciality for abundant levels of instrumentation often deliberately placed at contradictory angles. The final track on the EP, ‘Idle Hands’, provides a shining example of how mismatched layers can result in a wall of noise that somehow retains its coherence. It is a technique that flows through the veins of the EP, with each track allowing distortion to overrule melody, while simultaneously allowing just enough of the tune to reach the surface in order to infiltrate the overall sound.

‘Black Distraction’ and ‘Idle Hands’ place Steven Ansell at the helm – not unsurprising in itself, zx the male vocals sit more comfortably against the musical direction. Where Laura-Mary Carter takes charge on the opening track (‘Red River’) the band veer closer to their previous sound, though the cleanliness of the vocals that led the likes of ‘Don’t Ask’ and ‘You Bring Me Down’ from their first two albums has been permanently replaced. Both Ansell and Carter sound deeper, darker and raspier. Their obvious leanings towards grunge and stoner rock that started to bubble some time ago are now the driving force behind the sound.

Blood Red Shoes never did quite fit in the box they inhabited from 2008. From their debut release onwards there has been an evident shift in style; slowly introducing heavier and sludgy guitars – taking influence from down-tempo rock from the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, and from the post-grunge movement. If anything, ‘Water’ marks their final transformation. Not that the duo could ever be described as pop, yet ‘Water’ sees their comparably upbeat history washed away.

BEN TIPPLE

SOUTH KOREAN POPSTAR RAIN FACES MILITARY QUESTIONING

South Korean pop star Rain is to face military questioning over his relationship with Japanese actress Kim Tae-Hee.

Rain (real name Jeong Ji-Hoon), is South Korea's biggest pop star but is currently doing his compulsory military service.

The pop idol has been photographed with the actress while in his uniform, which according to military guidelines in South Korea is punishable.

Under South Korean law all able-bodied men must serve two years in the military. Gangnam Style star Psy has already completed his time in the military.

Rain is considered 'an entertainment soldier'. His job is to appear in advertisements for the military on radio and TV to boost morale.

Rain is one of the countries biggest international stars. He is a household name across most of Asia and has toured the USA.

2013: THE YEAR OF METAL

Distorted guitars and hoarse vocals will be the soundtrack for 2013 as heavy rock has its biggest resurgence since the 1990s, claims The Times newspaper.

If 2012 allowed Britain to define itself as a wholesome nation devoted to its sportsmen and its Queen, then this year is going to come as quite a shock.

Predictions by music industry experts suggest that the soundtrack for 2013 will be distorted guitars and hoarse vocals as heavy metal and rock music make their biggest resurgence since the wave of nu-metal bands in the late 1990s.

Read full article HERE

CIRCLE PRESENTS: I.R.O.K , DIY PSYCHOTROPIC AFRO-PUNK

I.R.O.K.- The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo, is the state where we meet in sweat, blood and joy.

The band’s super-eclectic full length The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo, out January 14th on Acid Bath Records.

Through word of mouth alone they’ve played shows with Azealia Banks, Death Grips, Kavinsky, The Prodigy and just came back from playing a series of shows in New York.

I.R.O.K – The Intergalactic Republic Of Kongo, formed in London in 2010, it is Morocco that serves as their spiritual home.

Because far from flirting with it’s imagery and sound from the safety of the city, much of I.R.O.K’s career to date has been spent journeying down the coastline, across the mountain ranges and into the Sahara.

Singer Mike Title was born and raised in East London, but his mother’s family are from Berber, from the southern regions of North Africa.

Rather than touring the toilet circuit of Britain, I.R.O.K have looked to more tropical climates in which to cut their teeth. A typical tour involves arriving in Morocco with some instruments and a few local contacts.

A venue is found, a sound system erected, the word spread and within hours the impromptu party begins. This is true DIY guerrilla punk in ethos.

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