Hiva Oa – mk II (part 1)

Jon Doyle — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 14:50:23 +0000

We first wrote about Irish duo Hiva Oa back in 2013 when the then Edinburgh-based trio put out their debut album, The Awkward Hello, Handshake, Kiss, with Mini 50 Records. As we described in our review, the album “[smouldered] with a brooding intensity,” with guitars and cello joining a variety of drums “to create an organic piece of art which billows and swirls and seems to seep through your headphones.” Having switched up their line-up (the band are now primarily a duo of Stephen Houlihan and Christine Tubridy) and relocated to their native Ireland, Hiva Oa are set to release a new EP, mk II (part 1).

‘A Great Height’ opens the release with insistent drums and sinuous baseline, with numerous types of percussion joining the simple beat as if in thumping chorus. The repetition builds into a near atavistic frenzy, carving out a depth within which you could become lost. Second track ‘Seskinore’ begins with another prominent baseline, this time backed with pretty ambient flourishes which shimmer and glitch behind vocals reminiscent of Thom Yorke. Again the instrumentation gathers in intensity, swelling outwards before being joined by more scattered drums and Tubridy’s vocals following a similar pattern, remaining even for a long while before eventually getting swept up in the energy too.

‘Christine’ is airy and slightly ominous, the ambient drone lethargic and strange like some slow-motion dream world. The vocals take centre stage, rising from the fog with unerring clarity, playing like the confessions of a man as spoken within his head. Closer ‘Johnny Brazil’ feels like several songs coalescing into one, a magic formula emerging by chance from a radio set between stations. There’s post-rock thump, dream pop drone and indie rock vocals shrouded in gauzy ambience as the track gathers around itself, the various elements complementing one another to build into a squally climax.

“Chrisine, oh Christine,
I’ve shot another one”

mk II (part 1) is set for release on the 16th of September and you can pre-order it now from the Hiva Oa Bandcamp page.

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Favourite Free Music of 2015: A – C

Liam Doyle — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 13:47:10 +0000

It has become a yearly tradition for us to make a big list of all our favourite the ‘name your price’ music on Bandcamp (or free ones elsewhere), and 2015 certainly didn’t disappoint. Over the next week we’ll be sharing the list in all it’s glory, starting with artists beginning with letters A-C.

Remember, while it’s always tempting to put a big fat zero for ‘name your price’ releases, you can give a little something. Bands need to eat too, and would doubtless appreciate even the smallest donation for their efforts. You’ll want them to appear in your Bandcamp collection anyway, so you’ll have to give something.

Alanna McArdle – Reticular (REVIEW) / Bedroom/Balloons (REVIEW)
(RIYL: folk, bedroom pop, sad, Sarah Winchester)

Ama Moii – Flown (REVIEW)
(RIYL: bedroom, ambient, lo-fi, soft music)

Andrew Weathers – I Am Happy When I Am Moving
(RIYL: experimental, cosmic Appalachian mountain tunes)

Animal Camera – Aniimal Crackers
(RIYL: noise pop, psychedelic ARMS)

Beverly Tender – Lord Mayor Makes 1000 Speeches
(RIYL: bedroom pop, lo-fi, Baby Mollusk, Whatever Dad)

The Bombshells – Bake Sale Hotties
(RIYL: riot grrl, The Runaways, Le Tigre)

Big Eater – In Between
(RIYL: laidback indie pop, Yo La Tengo, Mac DeMarco)

Blue Smiley – OK
(RIYL: lo-fi, fuzz rock, Alex G)

Bobby’s Oar – The Weeds in Your Garden
(RIYL: folk-punk, Among Giants, The Front Bottoms)

Boosegumps – / B-Sides (REVIEW 1 | REVIEW 2 | INTERVIEW)
(RIYL: bedroom pop, acoustic, Free Cake For Every Creature)

Brightside – The World Reversed
(RIYL: indie pop, pop-punk, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die)

Brittle Brian – Verisune
(RIYL: bedroom pop, Frankie Cosmos, Bellows)

Broken Beak – Curse Burner
(RIYL: bedroom pop, Modern Baseball)

Bryant Eugene Vazquez – Blue Hours
(RIYL: folk, lo-fi, Wes Tirey, M. Ward)

Captain Samurai – Hey Thanks Goodbye
(RIYL: indie rock, soft punk, LVL UP)

CATAPHANT – Half Dead EP
(RIYL: hip hop, experimental, pop)

Cat Be Damned – Six Songs
(RIYL: ambient, Ricky Eat Acid, the sounds of space)

Catholic Easter Colours – Not the Silence That Was There Before
(RIYL: indie pop, cinematic rock, ambient)

Cemeteries – Barrow
(RIYL: ambient, experimental, dream pop)

Clams – PDA Queen
(RIYL: lo-fi, indie pop, bedroom pop)

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Coffee Pot – &
(RIYL: fuzz rock, psych, lo-fi)

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Colour Me Brittle – The First Bad Man
(RIYL: lo-fi, jangle pop, twee indie)

Coping Skills – Everything is stupid + I Hate it
(RIYL: riot grrrls, bummer pop, Cyberbully Mom Club)

Cuddle Formation – ⊙﹏⊙ ♫･*:.｡. .｡.:*･ (demos)
(RIYL: bedroom pop, guitar loops, devotional)

We’ll be sharing a new section of the list every day this week, so be sure to check back for the complete collection. If you find something you like, or think we missed something life-changing, then why not let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or good old email.

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Hiva Oa – mk II (part 1)

Favourite Free Music of 2015: A – C