D to the X . . .Drop-D Dublin #1

Posted on July 25, 2006 by Contributor

Artist: Cowboy X" New York Fashion Week and The Eclectic
Author: Dave Scanlon

Ah" I love it when a plan comes together" So Drop"D finally dropped on Dublin 2 weeks ago" spearheaded by the diverse talents of Cowboy X" New York Fashion Week and The Eclectic. We"ve been running them on a monthly basis down in Cork for the past year or so" giving a platform to some of the most exciting up and coming Irish bands" and it was about time we"d gotten our act together up Leinster way. The plan" as in Cork" is to get some of these bands we keep raving about up on stage" and to get their music heard" rather than us just talking about it.

There was already a pretty decent crowd gathering in the classy little venue that is Radio City by the time The Eclectic took to the stage. They boasted a whole bunch of flashy"looking gear" with three guitars" as many keyboards" and even a xylophone manned expertly by this Dublin 5"piece. We were treated to some beautifully crafted alt"rock songs" with nifty interlocking melodies on synths and geetar. They"ve a really nice style about them" part Turin Brakes" part Radiohead" with just a hint of Muse"y progressions thrown in for good measure. The thing that most impressed me about them was the overall soundscape they created" with texture playing every bit as important a part as melody in each song. It"s rare to see that kind of care taken in crafting rock songs these days "it"s generally just" "here are the chords mate" and you play the root on bass" " and that attention to detail will hopefully take them far. One crit I would have is that the vocals were a little anonymous at times by comparison to some of the other melody lines. Vocals should be front and centre at all times in my eyes" but on occasion they seemed to get lost in the overall swirl. The band are obviously talented enough to address this though" so I"d hope for a few hum"along choruses in the near future. Best bit by a mile " the two intertwining guitar lines on "potholes." Just gorgeous.

There was a definite buzz going around by the time New York Fashion Week took to the stage" and this was wholly justified" as they are undoubtedly one of the best heavy bands I"ve seen knocking around this neck of the woods. Kind of like a smarter Greenday" "or Kerbdog for the 00"s"" New York Fashion Week have enough bite to appease hard"core rockers" and enough bounce to appeal to those with slightly "poppier" sensibilities. I find that many heavy acts seem to forget about a little thing called melody while concentrating on making sure their amps are set to 11" so it was refreshing to see an act that you could mosh" or sing along to" depending on your disposition. "Mind you" there were enough time changes scattered throughout the set to confuse even the most seasoned mosher." The 3"piece gave easily the most energetic performance of the night" their drummer and some of the harmonies impressing in particular. "And yes" I know Kerbdog are still about in the 00"s" NYFW are supporting them next month in Dublin. Sounds like a great gig to me . . ."

If you"re a regular Drop"D reader" you may have gathered that I"m quite a fan of Cowboy X "check out their album review somewhere on the main page. And then check out their album". So it mightn"t come as a surprise to you that I greatly enjoyed their set" as did the vast majority of the crowd" even including some of the "rawkers" there for NYFW. Cowboy X are unshamedly poppy" with their Garbage"meets"Dubstar blend of 90"s synth"pop sounding exciting and fresh to my ears. "Which are thoroughly jaded by feckin" Tony Fenton"s pop records". There was even a PJ Harvey cover thrown in there tonight" which I almost didn"t recognise. Most bands form and start gigging immediately" getting into a studio later when they get a chance" but Cowboy X actually originated in studio surroundings" getting out on the road some time later. As such" rather unusually" some of the songs lose a little of their vitality due to some unfamiliarity with the live situation. I"m sure that"ll soon be ironed out as they get more gigs under their belt" as they"ve certainly got the songs "including recent radio hit "Gabbi"" and the musicianship to back them up. A really enjoyable performance from them nonetheless.

Well the night certainly went down well with the punters" and gave me the confidence to go back for seconds" So" the next Drop"D Dublin gig will be in late September in Radio City again. Obsolete and Skylight are confirmed" headliners to be announced soon. Stay tuned . . .

www.myspace.com/cowboyxmusic
www.myspace.com/newyorkfashionweek
www.myspace.com/theeclecticsound

Photo of New York Fashion Week by Terry Warren
Terrywarren85"yahoo.ie

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