Two very different acts join forces on this 7" for Popical Island. Surf-pop/slacker-rock trio Squarehead and the gothic-synth-pop-leaning Patrick Kelleher have both released acclaimed albums this year, the former with Yeah Nothing and the latter with Golden Syrup (along with a similarly excellent splitEP with School Tour). Here they've teamed up and carried out a very cool idea with aplomb: each writing a song in the style of the other and then collaborating on both. Roy Duffy pens the inspired 'Attention to Detail', which matches his band's breezy garage-pop sensibility with a reverbed 80's-referencing arrangement; Kelleher's contribution combines his distinctive vocal croon with doo-wop-type harmonies and jangly guitar flourishes.
The 7" can be streamed from Bandcamp and is available to buy from selected record stores including Tower, RAGE and HMV Grafton St. in Dublin, Plugd in Cork and Wing Nut in Galway.
Is there such a thing as a difficult second compilation? If so, the Popical Island collective had a lot to live up to after the roaring success of last year's release. A loose grouping of like-minded bands and musicians based in Dublin, their key characteristics were laid out on Popical Island #1: a commitment to DIY principles and largely lo-fi production, clever pop songcraft, devastatingly catchy hooks and C86-style energy.
While the sequel naturally doesn't have the same surprise element to it, in every other respect it's the match of its predecessor. It kicks off with Ginnels, who didn't appear on the first compilation - the project of Grand Pocket Orchestra's Mark Chester, Ginnels have already released one of the best domestic albums so far this year with a self-titled debut, and this continues in a similar vein: that is, charmingly shambolic and lo-fi indie. That's followed by Pantone247's 'Hello', a fantastic tune that recalls Honey's Dead-era Jesus and Mary Chain with its scuzzy guitars and vintage early-90's vibe.
As with its predecessor, what impresses about the compilation is that despite all the contributors sharing such common ground, they still manage to hold your attention throughout with a wide and diverse range of sounds. Standouts include the warmly classical jangle-pop sound of Goodly Thousands' 'Kiss Me Upside-Down', the garage-pop earworm of Squarehead's 'Candle', the chiming, hypnotically off-kilter sound of Hello Moon's 'Barefoot' and the exuberant rush of Grand Pocket Orchestra's 'Mr. Imaginative'. The curveball award goes to Tieranniesaur's 'Here Be Monsters', a simmering funk workout with an air of menace: sounding a bit like Remain In Light-era Talking Heads as refracted through the Popical lens, it gives way to a thrilling climax/coda that should be a highlight of their live shows.
Considering the way words like 'twee-pop' get bandied around in reference to Popical Island, you'd expect that 18 tracks would get a bit wearying, so it's no mean feat to create a compilation that keeps you guessing and (more than) satisfied throughout: the fact is there is no one reliable way to describe the Popical Island collective - other than, well, excellent.
The Richter Collective Christmas party fell victim to the weather, but it's been rescheduled (a post-Christmas party now) for January 14th at The Button Factory. It features the stonking bill of BATS, Not Squares, Herv, Enemies, Jogging, Logikparty and The Continuous Battle Of Order. Speaking of Logikparty, they recently made an outtake from the High Risk Narcissist sessions available for free download:
This week sees a couple of big 'uns: Popicalia #5 takes place in Shebeen Chic this Friday night with sets from Pantone247, We Are Losers and Hello Moon.
Really loved the lo-fi Wavves vibes of the We Are Losers EP from last year, especially the closing track which is outstanding.
On the same night, Joker will be bringing his dazzling purple sound to the Twisted Pepper, with assistance from MC Nomad and support from Weapon Of Choice and Cloyment. The producer recently signed to Universal after a string of excellent 12" releases in the last few years. He has been working on a debut LP, with a possible release date early in the year.
On January 15th, And So I Watch You From Afar, Codes, Dark Room Notes and Le Galaxie will join forces for a gig in The Button Factory in support of Amnesty International Ireland and See Change. It's part of First Fortnight, an arts-based mental health awareness project that runs in the first two weeks of every year. Quite a varied line-up; And So I Watch You From Afar were in fine form when i saw them in Roisin Dubh on New Year's Eve-eve. Recent track 'Straight Through The Sun' is a bit of a departure for them too:
Owensie recently signed to the very excellent label Out On A Limb Records, who will be releasing his debut album Aliens on February 4th. You can stream it right now, however: just head over to Nialler9: http://www.nialler9.com/2010/12/irish/stream-owensie-aliens/. The album launch takes place on 21st January in La Catedral Studios, Dublin, with support from Amber Wilson and Eoin Whitfield.
Dublin band Groom recently featured on the excellent Popical Island compilation. Their new album Marriage is now available to stream on Bandcamp. It's physically released on August 21st, but can also be downloaded right now from the same site. Check it out:
The album launch takes place August 21st in The Lower Deck, Portobello, with support from fellow Popical Island acts Land Lovers and Yeh Deadlies. Admission of ten euro includes a copy of the album. Bargain!
Popical Island is a record label/collective of Irish acts who share a certain lo-fi/ramshackle charm. A 15-track compilation is now available for download and free streaming on http://popicalisland.bandcamp.com/, and is well worth checking out. It features the much-touted likes of Feed The Bears (who have just sadly split), Yeh Deadlies, Squarehead and So Cow.
Road Records have called the compilation "Irelands very own 2010 version of the legendary C86 cassette." Yikes, high praise!
