At one time, it was almost possible to know what you were getting from singer-songwriter Denny Smith from the get-go. If he’d written a bunch of songs with alternative rock leanings, then chances are they’d be released by his rock band fORMER; if the music took a more retro/acoustic groove, it would go onto the pile designated for The Great Affairs. Obviously, things weren’t quite as simple as that, but there was always a clear divide between projects and styles. After The Great Affairs released their ‘Happy Ender’ EP and Smith considered resting that band, things got more complicated: fORMER released a selection of unheard material (‘The Kids Deserve Cable’) and The Great Affairs were reborn. On the ‘4’ EP, The Great Affairs mixed up styles more than ever – alongside the Tom Petty/Black Crowes styled tunes, new drummer Kenny Wright (formerly of Bonepony and various other acts) penned ‘Fists and Guitars’, a thunderous rock ‘n’ roller fairly far removed from the quieter shades of most Great Affairs material. With fORMER dead and the revitalised Great Affairs tackling whatever came naturally, it seemed the gloves were off.
SHERBERT – 2013 Never Happened
Following a couple of digital downloads, Nashville alt-pop band Sherbert released a five song EP ‘This Never Happened’ in the summer of 2013. With a host of influences taken from the Boston “scene” of the late 80s/early 90s, its shimmering pop qualities meshed with a grubby edge in a way that would surely please the younger Tanya Donelly. A few months later, they dropped a second EP ‘Stupid Hat’, largely constructed of more of the same…choosing not to tinker with what seems, essentially, a perfectly good musical formula.
THE END MEN – Odds & Ends
With heavy blues grooves and a hoarse vocal, The End Men made a huge impression on their second release ‘Play With Your Toys’. Uncompromising, loud and brash on the surface, yet home of a carnival of characters, the band pushed the limits of the two-musician format. Their follow up ‘Odds & Ends’ does exactly what it says on the rusted tin gathering together some unheard gems, plus providing a proper home for 2013’s two track release ‘Work’/’Ratking’.
Elastic Sleep live shows
On the back of their debut EP, Cork dreampop outfit Elastic Sleep will be playing live at these shows:
Fahran: Upcoming tour dates
Hard at work on their second album, UK rockers Fahran have a bunch of confirmed live dates just over the horizon and going deep into the summer.
Alongside three appearances at the Isle of Man TT Races, there are opportunities to catch the band somewhere near you: