It might be the week in which the entire world seems to turn green and get gee-eyed to some diddly-eye, but Irish music is constantly evolving. It's worth reminding people, in this week of all weeks, that Ireland has more than U2 to offer, whether it's Hozier, Ham Sandwich or Hystereo who are the new exponents of a nation.
SXSW
Doing their bit in Austin, Texas this week will be 14 Irish bands including Girl Band, SOAK, All Tvvins, Le Galaxie, James Vincent McMorrow, Meltybrains?, The Lost Brothers and Orla Gartland and Walking On Cars. They join thousands of acts in Austin aiming high in the hopes of advancing their own careers and the reputation of Irish music as an indirect result. For more, see musicfromireland.org
New blood
(now there's an ungoogleable band name!) are singer-songwriter Marc O'Reilly, his brother Pierre (a film composer) and Konstantine Pope (one half of dubstep duo Standard & Push) and their second single
Bubble Gum Geisha
is a classy slice of electro-pop. The London-based band have received good support from BBC 6 Music, so it's worth keeping an eye out - if you can find them.
Rave inspiration
Taking their moniker from a building on Dublin's quays that was used in the 1990s for raves, Bray duo Columbia Mills don't make music to take yokes to, but there's clearly an influence of the Screamadelica-era and the 1980s sonic rock of The Jesus And Mary Chain. Hear their Factory Settings EP on Soundcloud or check them out in another building on the quays – The Workman's Club – this Saturday.
Laid-back? I'll give you laid back
For laid-back vibes, look no further than the country pedal-steel surprise of young Dublin band Tandem Felix's new song Nothing I Do Will Ever Be Good Enough.
Speaking of country, Twisted Arrow, the new song from Belfast singer-songwriter Arborist, only has Kim Deal (formerly of Pixies, The Breeders on backing vocals. Yes, sometimes you can email your heroes and get a response and a song out of it. Sometimes you can just channel your heroes too. Take a listen over at thelineofbestfit.com
If you like the sound of Bono fronting LCD Soundsystem then you may enjoy the debut single from the mysterious Dublin band Discopunks - Tie Me Up. Or if you're a fan of PJ Harvey, you may find Naoise Roo, a Dublin musician who sounds a bit like the English singer, appealing. Her latest single For You is an ember atmospheric folk track.
New label
There are new beginnings too, in the label landscape. Over the past decade, Dublin duo Hystereo have established themselves as festival slot mainstays, and their latest release marks a new beginning for a new record label The Pig's Ear, run by the music, design, DJ and fashion-loving Dublin brand This Greedy Pig. Aquarium/Outbound to Wonderland are the two tracks on the label's first release and they are two house-music dancefloor weapons for clubs: both at home and abroad.
The returned
The past week has also seen some heroes returning. Young Wonder, the Cork electronic duo of Ian Ring and singer Rachel Koeman, are to release their debut album this year. Below is teaser Enchanted, an anthemic-leaning song with a magical spark.
Conor O'Brien also teased a second track from his upcoming, stripped-back Villagers album Darling Arithmetic, an "intimate album entirely about love and relationships," they say. Hot Scary Summer has O'Brien finding poetry in small moments, painting a picture of a breakup surrounded by "all the pretty young homophobes looking out for a fight".
