8BALL

Experimental Dublin band 8Ball play Galway this weekend. Having been likened to bands such as The
 Avalanches, Spiritualized, The Beta Band, Broken Social Scene and Animal Collective, 8ball's second album 'With All Your Friends' is due out at the end of April.
Recorded in the UK and co-produced by Ian Caple (Tindersticks, Tricky), the new album sees 8Ball experimenting in new musical directions.

Formed in 2001, the six-piece have an impressive ever-expanding backline (includes drums, bass, 
electric guitars, acoustics, pianos, old synths, turntables, laptops, 
customised software, melodicas, harmonicas, kids toys and six vocals) and they've evolved a lot since their well-received eponymously titled 2006 debut album.

"We've gone through a lot of change in every way. Music-wise and equipment wise, what we're doing with the equipment and also the kind of show we're now putting together," says Sarah Jade.

Having showcased abroad (London, Manchester, Berlin), played Electric Picnic and Castlepalooza and supported the likes of Elbow, Supergrass, Aimee Mann, Simple Kid and Jim Noir, the band are now looking forward to touring their new material and coming to Galway.

- Galway Independent

8 Ball - '8Ball' ****
Lakota - 2005 - 53 minutes

How fitting that summer should end with a record that will always remind people of it. With seven members and a sound that features everything from turntables to acoustic guitars and five different vocalists, 8 Ball are one of those rare big bands who succeed with the 'more is more' approach. Here they map out their own special space and turn in a hazy, beguiling debut which is a contender for Irish album of the year.

Both bluster and filler-free, it's one of those long records that turns out to be too short, where each track is as strong as what went before and the quality of the songwriting hooks from the outset.

Fans of the low-key jam will rub their headphones with glee throughout, but 8 Ball also show their talent with laidback pop on the likes on 'Dudley Street' and 'Been and Gone'.

There's no doubt bigger things lie ahead; better will be a very tall order.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: Fear I'm Falling - Dudley Street - Been and Gone - Strange Boy - How Many Times - Bird - In Theory - Which Ways Down - End Up - If U Must - The Whoop Whoop Song - [ ]

- RTE.IE

15 March 2007
8Ball - The Whoop Whoop Song

A riff played backwards the likes of which you’d only find on a Stone Roses debut, a vocal that could have just crept off the tape for the Orb’s ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ and an atmosphere that David Lynch craved for his head wrecking ‘Twin Peaks’ drama. Yep, ‘Fear Im Falling’ ain’t your average piece of electronica but it is in good company on 8Ball’s (or 8 Ball depending on your mood) debut. The notably reticent band of seven are an unusual yet thrilling live prospect, putting the long lost performance back into live music. ‘The Whoop Whoop Song’ probably could win title of the year but the magic doesn’t end there because the tune behind the headline is as wanderly as a puppet propelled wagon. Anything goes, ideas appear and are replaced like a juggernaut Death in Vegas or a Clinic were they to focus on what them special. This pots the black after several nifty side cushions and a elaborate swerve. KD

- MP3Hugger.com

8 Ball - The Big Blue

8 Ball are one of the more interesting acts to emerge from Dublin in recent times. Their stage shows askew the standard indie prototype in favour of an updated Altern8 psycho’s in white masks routine among others. Bursting with 7 members their music is invigoratingly experimental, sometimes a little difficult to absorb but repeated plays reveal a giant labyrinth of satisfying detours. Take ‘The Big Blue’ with its creeping Sound Team rhythms and a singer with an uncanny vocal resemblance to Kele Okereke and you’ll see why 8 Ball are revelling in a magical corner of the musical spectrum. They even have a song called ‘The Whoop Whoop Song’, a line that could perfectly footnote much of what they produce. 8 Ball are due to play the Hard Working Class Heroes showcase next weekend and will doubtlessly be plugging their debut album which is on release through Lakota Records. KD

- MP3Hugger.com

"In Theory rejoices in jazz runs and turntablism, Been and Gone is Bowie at his star (man)-struck cosmic best, and the Whoop Whoop song belies it's title with a lovely melifluousness and faintly heardfemale/male vocals that may be the closest anyone will come to seeing into the heart of 8Ball's many mysteries. A great opening break."

8 ball really are the sort of band you have to hear to understand. If you really want to ram them into a category, you'd have to stretch the definitions of folk, indie, jazz, hip-hop and electronica.

Irish Times - The Irish Times

Having been dubbed as Irish album of the year , even before it's release , 8ball are officially the hottest Irish act around .With a genre-conflating style , the seven piece use multi instrumentation to apowerful level that's led baffled critics into comparisons with Crosby , Stills , Nash and Young to DJ Shadow in the same review !!(i-D). The only real way to know is to get yournads on this incredible release now.

PU - Hotpress 2006

This catchy electronic quirkfest from 8ball deserves to be on soundtracks and pop charts . It's got the deadpan vocals of Eels ( the band rather than the endangered but surprisingly tasty creatures ) and arrangements of a Sega mega drive game , filtered through the DIY ethics of a ramshackle folk mass.That's a really good thing by the way. I like this very much.

Hotpress - Hotpress