The Best Irish Bands to Watch Out For This Year
February 23, 2017 (No Comments) by Alannah Kenny

When it comes to the world of modern music, we certainly aren’t short of a diverse selection of tunes. Yet in terms of supporting Irish talent representing our own tiny nation, our selection is stripped back to say the least. Ireland does however produce some seriously world-class bands. This year we have some great newcomers to look forward to and fresh suggestions for Irish bands whose gigs you need to go and see!

5) Young Earth

If four young lads from Dublin with a flair for indie-pop appeals to your tastes then you are in the right place. Mark, Ben, Alex and Dylan are friends who formed a band in the contemporary music college BIMM Dublin in 2015 to take a swing at the modern music industry. In 2016 the band had a busy year as they officially launched themselves to the public with their first live performance and have since continued to gig at more popular venues.

Highlights for the band include headlining at Whelan’s to promote the release of their debut hit single ‘Maggie’ and making it to the Whelan’s Summer Watch 16 list, headlining at Ruby Sessions and the Le Cheile festival also. The band’s style of music has often been likened to that of The Beach Boys incorporated with the likes of The Black Keys due to the mix of 50’s vintage rock and 90’s Britpop often heard in their various tracks.

young-earth

The boys are still making their mark on the music scene so if you want to support them you can see them next in Whelan’s, Co. Dublin on March 11th 2017. The band’s latest single Got a Secret will also be released on March 10th this year.

4) Brave Giant

A big title for a couple of small town lads no doubt. This five piece indie/folk band was established in 2011 as a simple duo between guitarists and vocalists, Mark Prunty and Podge Gill. After performing at a number of venues, the pair were later joined over time by Ross McNerny (banjo/mandolin), David Kilbride (bass) and Emmett Collum (drums). Each member brought something unique to the table so the quintet became complete and were ready to burst onto the scene in 2015.

After some of their content went viral, they were immediately turning heads and compared to the likes of Mumford & Sons and The Frames. Last year was a real breakthrough for the band who won the ‘Le Crunch Apple of My Eye Song Contest’, also giving a great performance at Electric Picnic and releasing their debut single, Lordy Lordy, which peaked at number 2 on the iTunes charts behind Beyoncé.

brave-giant

If you are curious to check out their style, you can catch their next gig at Whelan’s, Co. Dublin on April 22nd. Their album, The Lordy Lordy, is also out now.

3) Pleasure Beach

Whilst it is not quite the amusement park in Blackpool, the 70’s Psychedelic, Rock ‘n’ Roll style of this five piece will likely leave your spine tingling and soul lifting just the same as any monster rollercoaster. Rachel, Lisa, Kat, Alan and Richard were once established musicians in their own right who met whilst working in various coffee shops in Belfast. It was in 2015 that over their love of coffee, the five friends began to discuss and experiment with their music, combining their own individual input to see what the result would be.

They decided to plunge deeper by adopting a distinct, psychedelic style and soon after, their deep and raw debut single Go was born. They have been compared in sound to the likes of Arcade Fire and Bell X1 and were also nominated for a Choice Music Prize ‘Song of the Year’ award in an impressively short space of time. They have since appeared at numerous music festivals including Sea Sessions in 2016.

pleasure-beach

If you want to feel that groove as if you’re at the beach, you can see this quintet perform next on February 23rd in Whelan’s, Co. Dublin and in Cyprus Avenue, Co. Cork on Thursday March 2nd.  The band’s hot new single Burning Up is also available now.

2) Girl Band

Whilst the name sounds unoriginal, the concept is anything but. Girl Band is a four piece indie-rock band from Dublin which presents contrary to the name, all male members. The band was formed in 2011 and it combined the talents of all four artists with Dara Kiely as the lead vocalist of the group, Alan Duggan as the guitarist, Daniel Fox as the bassist and Adam Faulkner as the drummer. Their debut single ‘In My Head’ was released in 2012 and they were eventually signed by record label Rough Trade Records in 2014.

Since then, they have been working hard trying to break into the current music scene and are finally gaining momentum. Their style carries sincere messaging through their edgy, indie vibes and they have often been compared to the likes of The Chemical Brothers and Liars. For all who are interested, they are not a bad looking bunch either!

girl-band

You can see Girl Band strike out with their tunes this year on Friday, April 7th at Garbo’s in Castlebar, Co. Mayo and again on Saturday April 8th they will be performing at Dolan’s Warehouse in Co. Limerick. Their debut album Holding Hands With Jamie is out now.

1) The Riptide Movement

Certainly one upcoming Irish band heating things up right now is The Riptide Movement. The band specialises in rock but likes to dabble in blues as well as folk and their sound has been compared to that of The Doors and The Strypes. The quartet was first established in Dublin in 2006. The four members include vocalist and guitarist Mal Tuohy, guitarist John Dalton, bassist and harmonica player Ger Mc Garry and drummer Gar Byrne.

The lads didn’t launch their career as a group officially until 2009, during which time they decided to head to London and seek recognition there. They eventually found it in the form of the renowned producer Tony Colton, who later had a hand in producing their debut album, What About The Tip Jars? which took over two years to produce and perfect. From 2011 onwards, the band was ready to start promoting themselves and get their name out there. They hit the ground running after signing onto Universal Music in 2014 and have been successfully building up a fan base. With recent national television exposure on The Late Late Show also, this band looks set to make some real waves for years to come.

the-riptide-movement

Don’t miss your chance to view the lads in action as they will be performing in the Olympia Theatre on Friday 17th of March, what a Paddy’s night that could be! Their latest album Ghosts is available now.

Supporting Irish on the music scene this year is what it’s all about so hopefully one of these bands will be tailor-made just for you and our little nation continues to churn out top class talent.

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The Best Irish Bands to Watch Out For This Year
February 23, 2017 (No Comments) by Alannah Kenny

When it comes to the world of modern music, we certainly aren’t short of a diverse selection of tunes. Yet in terms of supporting Irish talent representing our own tiny nation, our selection is stripped back to say the least. Ireland does however produce some seriously world-class bands. This year we have some great newcomers to look forward to and fresh suggestions for Irish bands whose gigs you need to go and see!

5) Young Earth

If four young lads from Dublin with a flair for indie-pop appeals to your tastes then you are in the right place. Mark, Ben, Alex and Dylan are friends who formed a band in the contemporary music college BIMM Dublin in 2015 to take a swing at the modern music industry. In 2016 the band had a busy year as they officially launched themselves to the public with their first live performance and have since continued to gig at more popular venues.

Highlights for the band include headlining at Whelan’s to promote the release of their debut hit single ‘Maggie’ and making it to the Whelan’s Summer Watch 16 list, headlining at Ruby Sessions and the Le Cheile festival also. The band’s style of music has often been likened to that of The Beach Boys incorporated with the likes of The Black Keys due to the mix of 50’s vintage rock and 90’s Britpop often heard in their various tracks.

young-earth

The boys are still making their mark on the music scene so if you want to support them you can see them next in Whelan’s, Co. Dublin on March 11th 2017. The band’s latest single Got a Secret will also be released on March 10th this year.

4) Brave Giant

A big title for a couple of small town lads no doubt. This five piece indie/folk band was established in 2011 as a simple duo between guitarists and vocalists, Mark Prunty and Podge Gill. After performing at a number of venues, the pair were later joined over time by Ross McNerny (banjo/mandolin), David Kilbride (bass) and Emmett Collum (drums). Each member brought something unique to the table so the quintet became complete and were ready to burst onto the scene in 2015.

After some of their content went viral, they were immediately turning heads and compared to the likes of Mumford & Sons and The Frames. Last year was a real breakthrough for the band who won the ‘Le Crunch Apple of My Eye Song Contest’, also giving a great performance at Electric Picnic and releasing their debut single, Lordy Lordy, which peaked at number 2 on the iTunes charts behind Beyoncé.

brave-giant

If you are curious to check out their style, you can catch their next gig at Whelan’s, Co. Dublin on April 22nd. Their album, The Lordy Lordy, is also out now.

3) Pleasure Beach

Whilst it is not quite the amusement park in Blackpool, the 70’s Psychedelic, Rock ‘n’ Roll style of this five piece will likely leave your spine tingling and soul lifting just the same as any monster rollercoaster. Rachel, Lisa, Kat, Alan and Richard were once established musicians in their own right who met whilst working in various coffee shops in Belfast. It was in 2015 that over their love of coffee, the five friends began to discuss and experiment with their music, combining their own individual input to see what the result would be.

They decided to plunge deeper by adopting a distinct, psychedelic style and soon after, their deep and raw debut single Go was born. They have been compared in sound to the likes of Arcade Fire and Bell X1 and were also nominated for a Choice Music Prize ‘Song of the Year’ award in an impressively short space of time. They have since appeared at numerous music festivals including Sea Sessions in 2016.

pleasure-beach

If you want to feel that groove as if you’re at the beach, you can see this quintet perform next on February 23rd in Whelan’s, Co. Dublin and in Cyprus Avenue, Co. Cork on Thursday March 2nd.  The band’s hot new single Burning Up is also available now.

2) Girl Band

Whilst the name sounds unoriginal, the concept is anything but. Girl Band is a four piece indie-rock band from Dublin which presents contrary to the name, all male members. The band was formed in 2011 and it combined the talents of all four artists with Dara Kiely as the lead vocalist of the group, Alan Duggan as the guitarist, Daniel Fox as the bassist and Adam Faulkner as the drummer. Their debut single ‘In My Head’ was released in 2012 and they were eventually signed by record label Rough Trade Records in 2014.

Since then, they have been working hard trying to break into the current music scene and are finally gaining momentum. Their style carries sincere messaging through their edgy, indie vibes and they have often been compared to the likes of The Chemical Brothers and Liars. For all who are interested, they are not a bad looking bunch either!

girl-band

You can see Girl Band strike out with their tunes this year on Friday, April 7th at Garbo’s in Castlebar, Co. Mayo and again on Saturday April 8th they will be performing at Dolan’s Warehouse in Co. Limerick. Their debut album Holding Hands With Jamie is out now.

1) The Riptide Movement

Certainly one upcoming Irish band heating things up right now is The Riptide Movement. The band specialises in rock but likes to dabble in blues as well as folk and their sound has been compared to that of The Doors and The Strypes. The quartet was first established in Dublin in 2006. The four members include vocalist and guitarist Mal Tuohy, guitarist John Dalton, bassist and harmonica player Ger Mc Garry and drummer Gar Byrne.

The lads didn’t launch their career as a group officially until 2009, during which time they decided to head to London and seek recognition there. They eventually found it in the form of the renowned producer Tony Colton, who later had a hand in producing their debut album, What About The Tip Jars? which took over two years to produce and perfect. From 2011 onwards, the band was ready to start promoting themselves and get their name out there. They hit the ground running after signing onto Universal Music in 2014 and have been successfully building up a fan base. With recent national television exposure on The Late Late Show also, this band looks set to make some real waves for years to come.

the-riptide-movement

Don’t miss your chance to view the lads in action as they will be performing in the Olympia Theatre on Friday 17th of March, what a Paddy’s night that could be! Their latest album Ghosts is available now.

Supporting Irish on the music scene this year is what it’s all about so hopefully one of these bands will be tailor-made just for you and our little nation continues to churn out top class talent.



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