Band of the Week: Cry Monster Cry

 



Cry Monster Cry is a folk rock duo out of Dublin, Ireland. The band features the brothers' beautiful harmonies packed with emotion and lyrics full of shared experiences. Cry Monster Cry was formed by brothers Richie and Jamie Martin in late 2010.  The brothers have been involved in music together for many years before the band's formation, but it is now a central focus for them. In 2012 Cry Monster Cry recorded their first EP, "The Fallen." Upon the release of their debut EP, "The Fallen" went straight to #1 on the Irish iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and was promptly followed by a sold out launch Upstairs in Whelan’s. The band's music was also recently featured in Tourism Ireland's Jump Into Ireland online. Since the success of the EP realease, Cry Monster Cry has been touring Ireland with their original material. Over the past few months of touring, the band has played gigs with artists such as Sea of Bees, Wallis Bird, Hudson Taylor and Jape.

In between touring, Cry Monster Cry has managed to begin work on their debut album. Jamie  commented on the upcoming album, "We're working with the same producer from the EP, Keith Lawless. We are trying to hone our skills and deliver something well thought out and mature. We were very pleased with the EP, the trick now is to do better this time round and to mature as song writers." The band should have show dates once the album completed and released.

 Below is a track from "The Fallen" EP. If you like what you hear, follow the link for a free download of the song. The full EP can be found on iTunes. If you're interested in following Cry Monster Cry, they can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and on Youtube.
 

Band of the Week: Wise Children

After a long stretch of no posts (which we sincerely apologize for), we're finally getting back up and running. So, without further delay, this week's featured "Band of the Week" is Wise Children.

Wise Children is an alternative folk-pop band from the South Coast of England. The band was originally a three-piece band, but now primarily consists of just its founder, Robin Warren-Adamson. "I started the project at uni with a line-up of 3, and then over the years people have come and gone. Sometimes I perform by myself, sometimes with others. It's mainly based on where abouts I'm living at the time and who is around. At the moment there are three of us in London," says Robin.

The band has released three albums over the past four years. The first is a self tiled EP, released in 2008. Wise Children produced Absence & Reunion just 2 years later (2010), with their most recent, The Woods, to follow the year after (2011). Robin describes his music as "delicate, atmospheric pop songs." He pulls from a variety of different influences to achieve his incredibly unique sound. "I listen to a lot of electronic music and experimental classical music. This influences the kinds of atmospheres I try to create. On top of that, Sigur Ros, Frightened Rabbit, Nick Drake amongst many others." The combination of Robin's hauntingly beautiful vocals and lyrics often filled with heartache make Wise Children's music more than memorable.

After taking a break for the summer, Robin says that he's really excited to get back to writing a recording. Plans for the band are small for now. Ryan told us, "I don't have any grand dreams for it [Wise Children]. It's just on-going and adapts to particular times. I really like how it doesn't ask too much of me." Wise Children's next show will be October 7th at the Notting Hill Arts Club in London. They will be performing with six other London-local artists that night and the event is expected to be a sell-out. The band prefers smaller, informal venues (especially house parties), but they would love to play at Union Chapel in the near future.

 

Here are a few of our favorite Wise Children songs. Enjoy!

 

"Absence" - Absence & Reunion (2010)

 

"Compost" - The Woods (2011)



 

"A Heart You Can't Find" - The Woods (2011)

 

"You Were a Single Red Blood Cell But I Lost

You in This Knot of Capillaries" - Wise Childern EP (2008)

 

"Artichoke" - Absense & Reunion (2010)

 

If you would like to hear more music by Wise Children, look them up on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube. Also, check out their website for a free download of their EP, The Woods.