The Green Revolution
Hmmm... 2011, the year of global economic crisis and a punishing domestic budget. But it seems the old adage of creativity flourishing in times of recession is true, as we added a plethora of top long-players to our iPods, and basked in the glow of a dizzying array of exquisite live performances. Long live the downturn!
Roisin Dwyer, 11 Jan 2012
ur indie labels continued to thrive. Popical Island released its second collection and unleashed the second album from lauded Dublin outfit Land Lovers and the scintillating debut by Tieranniesaur.
The Richter Collective brought us the epic Yeah Nothing from Squarehead, while Osaka Records were behind the brilliant confection from Patrick Kelleher And His Cold Dead Hands.
Delphi’s output during the year included releases from Waterford’s Deaf Joe and the ever mesmeric Sacred Animals. But the jewel in its crown was one of the year’s top albums, Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards by Dublin duo We Cut Corners, from whom we expect great things in 2012 (no pressure guys!).
Rubyworks provided one of the other stellar releases of 2011 in the form of The Minutes’ Marcata. The trio have continued their upward trajectory since the record’s release earlier in the summer, playing to packed-out venues and closing the year with a European tour supporting Flogging Molly in the fine company of The Mighty Stef.
Stef’s manager Frank Murray is the guiding force behind Lost Brothers Oisin Leech and Mark McCausland, who brought us another must-hear opus in the form of So Long John Fante. The band kickstart next year as part of The Certain Three Tour playing at a venue near you in January. DO NOT miss an opportunity to see their beguiling live show.
In May of this year Villager Conor O’Brien (formerly of The Immediate) brought home an Ivor Novello. Villagers’ Marlay Park date this summer was a wonderful live celebration of the feat.
In other ‘formerly of’ happenings, ex-Jubilee Allstar man Barry McCormack furnished us with another instalment of his enchanting musical musings on Dublin in the form of the sublime Small Mercies and two one-time Ten Speed Racer gents were also in album release mode; Joe Chester unleashed the magical She Darks Me and ex-pat Dermot Barrett (now resident in Norway) returned home for a victory lap to celebrate the rave reviews received for The Illusion Of Grandeur, his debut under the moniker Maskedman. Unencumbered by his Thrills bandmates, Ben Carrigan proved himself a solo artist of significance with Greatest Narrators.
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