The House Presents

The House Presents

Friday, 5 October 2018, 8.30pm

SELK (Anna Jordan and Dennis Cassidy) formed in 2012 with the intention of creating a stripped back vocal and drum ensemble, and have been garnering much attention on the back of their live performances, but with long-player Beast under the SELK moniker, a creative identity to be reckoned with has been copper-fastened. With Cassidy the anchor man and drummer of Dublin’s jazz and hip-hop collective Mixtapes from the Underground, Jordan a unique vocalist and composer, and the recent addition of guitarist Barry Brady and Bassist Dave Redmond, SELK possess an inherent power that proves mesmerising in a live environment.

Following on from Anna Jordan’s 2013 EP Dust SELK’s debut album Beast was released via Alternative Media Services distribution on Silent Sea Records in 2016 to much acclaim. The Outmost described Beast as "…a moody and expansive work that melds indie-pop choruses with bold soundscapes and intricate production.” In the Hot Press Album Review it was described as "…an atmospheric, evocative, and at times, sinister collection.” And Cormac Larkin from The Irish Times says "Drawing on jazz, electronica, ambient rock, avant-folk and much else, SELK’s otherworldly sound juxtaposes Jordan’s stark, emotionally raw lyrics and hypnotic acoustic with percussive grooves from Cassidy."

2018 has seen the band active on the live circuit, playing at Vantastival, Vicar Spraoi in Vicar Street, AMS label launch in the Sugar Club, and two headline shows in The Grand Social and Bello Bar.
They have recently signed to AMS Records, and will be releasing new material through the label in the coming months.

The last time SELK played for us at The House Presents, it was truly mesmerising. They also sold the highest number of CDs ever in the history of The House Presents. Bring enough money to buy one - you will most definitely want one.

Zoë Comyns is a multi-award winning independent radio producer. She has written a number of radio plays for Newstalk and RTE Radio 1. In documentary she has delved into her own childhood on radio in *Scene from a Distance* where she took her family back to the house they abandoned 35 years before and has made several programme on arts, culture, history and writing including a recent documentary on the Irish abortion referendum for BBC World Service.

Zoë has been published in The Lifted Brow, Gorse and long-listed for the Bristol Short Story Prize 2018. She is currently working on programmes for BBC Radio 4 and World Service, Lyric FM and her company produces *The Book Show* for RTÉ Radio 1.

Most recently she wrote and performed 'Owing to the failure of', a new spoken word/audio piece at Dublin Fringe Festival.

Like priceless flotsam washed up on the beach of the electric music ocean of your dreams, Strand play a salty cocktail of psyched-up pub-rock-Americanarchaic (not a typo) music for the mind and body. Niall Toner jr's songs, Les Keye's "ballsy, tight" production and the trap drums of Kevin Malone are at the beating heart of new long-playing record Can't Trust The Rain, on your turntables real soon.
The album features contributions from and array of talented musicians, such as the great Ger Kiely on guitars, Daragh O'Kelly (Mixtapes from the Undergroud, Republic of Loose and many more) on keyboards and Duncan Maitland (Pugwash, Future Harmonies and many more) on guitars and backing vocals.

Niall and Les previously collaborated on the critically well-recieved 2012 album The Lofires and toured under the name. Les has recently produced records by indie darlings Squarehead and R n'B sensation NC Grey.

Niall cites everything from Samuel Beckett to Tony Joe White to The Seeds to The Byrds to Willie Nelson's beard To Michelangelo Antonioni as an influences on his songwriting and has had a long and speckled career in the music business, like a cheap Shure microphone, one of those ones with the switch on it that doesn't always work.

Baby Witch

Baby Witch has a new spell - It's so new, all we know, for now, is that you are part of it. She wants to cast her new spell on you on the fifth day of October. Its effect can only be known on the night - How will you be transformed? What will you be changed into?

We have however, managed to find out some other ingredients - Style (in great quantities) French (a generous handful), piano, drums (for to beguile you), surrealism (light sprinkling) Melancholy (optional - depends on your mood) ...

Her previous spells have enchanted audiences with avant-garde flair and hypnotic lyrics...

Beware:
‘The sound and style is rich and detailed, taking in everything from wonky pop to melancholic bluesy jazz’ (Jim Carroll Irish Times)

'Edith Piaf meets Grace Slick' (Maija Sofia)

You have been warned ...

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Published by TheHousePresents on 5 September 2018

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