INDIEPENDENCE HIGHLIGHTS: FIVE OF THE BEST
When your introduction to the world is a single of such cheek and impudence as ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’, an ironic list song that makes a duck shoot out of such sacred musical cows as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead, you’d have to be mindful to bow out while you’re still at top.
And so after seven years and three albums of sharply observed street poetry and slamming electronic beats Le Sac and Pip have decided, in the latter’s words, “to go out on a high rather than kind of half-heartedly.”
With this their only Irish festival date this year and possible final ever appearance on these shores together, expect the bearded duo to go out all guns blazing.
You’ll have to be prepared for all sorts of weather at festivals, a fact illustrated on the Friday of this year’s Glastonbury festival when an electrical storm forced the organisers to cut the power on all the stages before 6pm.
Irish folk pop duo Hudson Taylor were on the Avalon Stage at the time, but rather than kick their heels backstage brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor showed all the skills honed from busking in Dublin and ventured into the audience to perform an acoustic set during the 40-minute interruption. It helps that the pair have the big sing-along numbers in songs like ‘Battles’ and ‘Chasing Rubies’ to make it a winning one.
When White Lies were nominated as runners up in the BBC’s Sound of 2009 poll they did so amongst a heady mix of innovative pop acts such as Florence + The Machine, Empire of the Sun, La Roux, Lady Gaga and victor Little Boots. Many of these have achieved much success, but it’s arguable the London indie rock trio have shown the greatest durability.
Debut album To Lose My Life exceeded all expectations, and remarkably for a record containing such brooding tracks as ‘Death’ and the title track took them straight in at the top of the UK album chart.
Their third album Big TV has seen them adopt a more expansive sound.
A true musical maverick and tastemaker, DJ David Holmer’s career has spanned the heady days of acid house, where he rubbed shoulders with Ashley Beedle and Andy Weatherall, through to the more cinematic excursions of his debut album This Film’s Crap Let’s Slash the Seats, to the more cool lounge, funk and jazz stylings found on 1997’s My Mate Paul.
He enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with film director Steven Soderbergh, soundtracking his Ocean’s series and Out of Sight.
Holmes also produced the film Good Vibrations and made his directorial debut with a short at the recent Galway Film Fleadh.
A year ago, it was more a case of ‘Who-zier?’. With little fanfare the Wicklow musician had just released his debut EP, but a Stephen Fry retweet two months later of the video for its lead track Take Me to Church, a pointed comment on homophobia in Russia, and Andrew Hozier-Byrne went global.
Along with 2014’s From Eden EP, both showcased a range stretching from the gospel melodrama of Take Me to Church to the raw stripped-down blues of To Be Alone. The music is powerful, the lyrics thoughtful.
America is taking to him. His eponymous debut album, due September 19, should seal the deal.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
