Day 488
Fortitude Valley: Fika Recordings will be releasing on September 29 the self-titled album by this combo from Durham that has Brisbane’s Laura Kovic on vocals. I believe Fortitude Valley is a place in her home city, right? Anyhow, this new album will be released on CD and vinyl and right now we can preview three tracks, “Baby, I’m Afraid”, “Wreck” and “Cassini”, this last one even has a video!
The Reds, Pinks & Purples: two new songs by the prolific Glenn Donaldson. Check out “I’d Rather Astral Project” and “Work it Out While You Can”, two lovely jangly songs that we hope get releeased someday!
Fenix: I’ve always enjoyed the synthpop by Eskilstuna, Sweden, band Fenix! It took a few months since their previous release, but glad that the band has just released “Sommarregn (Edit)”. Catchy and classy, it is a great new track by the duo formed by Stefan Eriksson and Louise Marchione.
Marinita Precaria: this is the latest discovery from Elefant Records. Behind Marinita Precaria is Marina Gómez Marín who after being laid off in June 2020 started making songs in her bedroom. Two of these songs are now being released as a digital single, “Siento Todavía” and “Tú Pa Qué” and immediately one gets hooked to them. They are beautiful! We need a proper record now! And Elefant will deliver sometime in 2022 a mini-LP. Great news!
The Halamays: and we finish today’s recommendations with the duo formed by Katie and Patrick from Columbus, Ohio. Their latest track is called “Wasted Time” and it is a classic indiepop song. Just as how we like them, one that could have fitted perfectly in the legendary comp “Pop American Style”!
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Who remembers the indiepop/powerpop band Dorian Mood? I know very little about them, maybe you can help me fill in the blanks?
The band hailed from Ireland, from the town of Drogheda.
Drogheda, meaning “bridge at the ford”) is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland
According to the Irishrock.org website the band was active between 1985 and 1990 and was formed by Roland Hoek on vocals and guitar, John White on keyboards, Eamon Foley on bass and Graham Hoek on drums. That was the band’s first lineup.
This lineup would release the “It’s a Funny Thing” 7″ in 1986 on the label One by One (1×3). The songs on this record were the title song and “Brand New Dream” on the B side. The songs were recorded at TMW Studios and were produced by Keith McCormick. They were engineered by Barry and Mike. The design of the sleeve is credited to Micko.
In 1989 the band lineup had changed a bit. Roland and Graham Hoek and John White continued in the band but we see Paul McQuillan joining the band to play guitar and vocals and Gavan Kierans on bass. Kierans had been actually their manager previously. Their new manager became Eoin Holmes.
This lineup released the album “Can’t Stand Still” in 1989 on Big Mood Records (BMR 1). The songs on it were recorded at R’N’R Studios in Drogheda in April 1089. This 7-track record included “The Tide”, “Can’t Stand Still” and “Annie Baby” on A side. The B side had “Didn’t See It”, “Late for a Day”, “Thumbnail Express” and “Just Do it”.
On Discogs we don’t see any other releases nor compilation appearances. So I go back to Irishrock.org. There I learn that the band made their Dublin debut at the Underground on February 15, 1986. That same year they appeared on TV as well.
The band recorded many tracks for the Dave Fanning Show. Songs recorded for this show included “Fallen Deep Inside”, “It’s a Funny Thing”, “What You Want”, “Sleazy Attic”, “Vigilance”.
There is also a 1985 demo tape recorded at Slane Studios that included four songs, “Tomorrow”, “I Will Help”, “Inspiration” and “A.O.?”
Another great find online is that of a live performance at RTE’s “Visual Eyes” in 1986. There they played the song “Tomorrow“.
When it comes to other projects members had been involved there’s little info. Paul McQuillan seems to have worked with Hope Sandoval and the band Accidents and Gavin Kierans was later in the band Sharpesville.
I find some gig mentions like the one from July 25, 1985, at The Dome ifor the Funanza Festival, the April 18, 1987 gig playing with the band In a Lifetime and on April 30, 1988 with the band The Dangerous Brothers.
Then another good find. Three songs on Soundcloud that I have never heard before, “Slowly Sinking”, “In the Morning” and “Thumb Nail Express”. There’s no info about them, but they sound great. It seems they were taken from tapes.
My last find is a press clipping from Drogheda Magazine in 1985 written by Enda Murray were it mentions another song by the band, “Isolation”.
Not much more on the web. But this was a good introduction for me to the band. I hope to find out more soon!
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