Ladydoll

Ladydoll took to the stage next with a sublime dose of noir rock from their excellent The Knife Thrower And His Wife album, which saw them emerge as the night's victors. Finn Sedas' commanding vocal veers from Frank Black howl to Brian Molko whine as he stares out at the audience from behind his piano.
Their alt-rock stylings incorporate grunge, folk and gypsy elements and frequently doffs a cap to Nick Cave and his ilk. Inspired composition and accomplished playing make the live show an unmissable experience.
- Hotpress Magazine

Eerily brilliant.. - Hotpress Magazine

The Knife Thrower And His Wife delivers on Ladydoll’s live promise. Tracks like ‘Punchbag’ and ‘Eisenhower’ are amongst the best songs by an Irish band I’ve heard this year and a welcome relief from all the electro synth acts currently taking over. This is a very strong debut album that reinforces all the good things being said about Ladydoll.
- Goldenplec Magazine

Holy mother of mercy – if you want to know how to grab an audience, grab a stage, watch and learn, children, watch and learn. Ladydoll have it down. Bass and drum hunched over the drum kit and singer with his own drum at the front of the stage beating the living daylights out of them (rhythmically, naturally, but still…) – it made us stand up and take notice, believe you me.

Opening with ‘Good Times’ and moving through a set including new and old material, the development of the group from white noise to intelligent, constructed rock was apparent.

The current line-up (Ms King is Bass no.2) has been together just over a year and originated in CSN – long live the School of Rock. Their name, the roll-it-around-your-tongue-simply-because-it-feels-nice ‘Ladydoll’ came about because Mr Sedas liked the way the letters looked next to eachother. Seriously.

Talking of Mr Sedas, he is an interesting front man, speaking like Marlon Brando, singing like Placebo and wearing a tailcoat on-stage. He is the start-point of the band and is the lyrical brain. He also appeared to be having least fun on stage.

Not being able to see the drummer as he was lurking in shadow throughout, I can’t comment on him but Ms King & Mr Shaw seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The whole mood, however, lightened visibly during the encore with the pressure of impressing the audience having passed and now it was play-time.

There were some real gems poking through the clutter last night – ‘Charm Alarm’, ‘Punchbag’, ‘Roulette’, Genetics’ and the encore ‘ Give it up’ were all crafted, individual, memorable – some of it headbanging (‘Charm Alarm’), some of it in a more hurdy-gurdy vein (‘Genetics’).

It is very bass-driven music, and not just the bass guitar but the whole range is leaning towards the blood, vibrating through your bones. Despite the heavy influence of early-90s American alternative, their sound, with Mr Sedas’ vocals cutting through like an angle-grinder, is shaping up to be their own.

- Redtrack Music Ireland

I love the term "Alternative rock" because a) it must be the largest catchment of bands there is, and b) it has to be satisfying as songwriters, not to popped into a convenient industry genre.
Alternative or alt.rock is a badge worn with honour by Ladydoll, as they forge their own path of guitar driven, catchy, indie rock songs. The thing that makes me grin into my cappuccino is that even I am struggling to find bands to use as comparisons to illustrate their style - so for a cynical and addled reviewer like me, thats pretty cool, and a good indicator of innovative song writing. So, what you have is some cleverly thought out and colourful sounding guitars that drive all the songs along, which combine great sing-a-long pop song sensibility and credible indie act in equal measure. The guitars are definitely key, and are either quirky staccato riffs or driving Foo Fighter chord play that lead the songs from the front, but they also have the added bonus of some clever use of word-play, vocals and bang on backing vocals to make a well rounded package. The whole band are tight and even when the riffs go a little 'off-piste' from the more grand pop hooks they operate as a unit and sound like a proper "band" playing for the songs, from the head nodding and Feeder-like 'You know best' to the quirky Strokes-like goodness of 'Charm Alarm'.


One anomaly on the whole deal is Fin Sedas's vocals, which, don't get me wrong, are well sung but are delivered in an unapologetically, West Coast American accent, despite hailing from Cork, but it doesn't seem to detract in any way from the songs to me, in fact it gives them a very Wheatus or Fountains of Wayne feel. Personally - that could have been a bit of a gamble, but I like it and it sits well in the context of the songs although he can explain himself to his Mum...
I see that Ladydoll are in the finals of the National Student Music Awards in April ('08) and good luck to them. Any band that can make fantastically catchy and well executed songs that instantly live in the memory, and yet remain refreshingly original would get my vote. Don't believe me? Kudos just has to go out to anyone who can make the line "This upright posture's damaging me" into an anthem.
Review by Drumhead
- Drumhead

A short note on Wax Lyrical by Ladydoll.

I’m listening to Ladydoll’s E.P. Wax Lyrical and it’s turning out to be a little gem of a CD. It’s a grower. The opener, Charm Alarm, is an attention grabber. On the other hand, the rest takes a bit of listening to but it’s addictive stuff. Man, I’m turning into a bit of a groupie here. (A groupie? At my age? Bah and Humbug!) First the gig, then the CD … what next?

There is some wobbly intonation in the backing vocals towards the end of Preacher Man, which also sounds a bit thin (the backing vocals, not the track) and probably could have been smoothed out and fattened up a bit by an engineer (but what do I know? I studied geology in college…and I don’t remember much of that anymore). So this was more than likely deliberate. (Again – geology.)

Look it, this is a sexy little window into Ladydoll and you will find yourself putting it on repeat. And repeat. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. The tracks included are: Charm Alarm Button Preacher Man Wax Lyrical - Anne-Marie Curtin @ This Reviewer