Moo

Connecting with the crowd was something Moo’s Claudio Mercante and Darren Flynn had no problem with. Their banter was witty and their odd rockabilly songs had a likeability about them. The rapport between the band members was just as entertaining, especially before their song Eli Jones. If you are looking for an Irish version of Calexico and John Spencer, look no further than Moo and make it your business to catch them at a gig soon. - Goldenplec.com

Moo have recently released their latest EP, Tall Tales. Recorded in the brilliantly named Punkahontas Studios in Dublin, this six track offering showcases a very unique combination of everything from rockabilly to bluegrass, whilst still remaining intrinsically rock and roll.

Moo are a three-piece band comprising of Claudio Mercante on guitar, Darren Flynn on bass and Mark Finlay on drums, with all three sharing vocal duties.

Opening with the gritty Eli Jones, I’d be shocked if your initial reaction is anything other than wanting to get up and dance! This is rock and roll music in its purest form; it’s fun, melodious and full of sweet, disorderly rhythms. The Little Boat and Long Way Down continue in that same rootsy vein, whilst taking a somewhat more acoustic approach; the latter employing violins to really drive home that Southern, Americana vibe.

Man Of Habit is a straightforward yet effective honky-tonk rocker—it’s easy to see why this was chosen as the lead single, here we have a total sing-along tune with a superb chorus. These final three tracks are where Moo’s rockabilly sensibilities really come to the fore. Although Restless Blues is a somewhat more sombre affair, it definitely maintains the band’s characteristic swing, whilst also practising their intricate songwriting skills. The closing track, Running Fool, picks the pace up once more with a crescendo of guitars, tambourines and everything in between; a rather fitting end to a record which wastes absolutely no time holding back.

Have a listen to Tall Tales below, and if you like what you hear, you can download it now from both iTunes and AmazonMP3.

You can catch Moo live at Vantastival on May 4th! For other dates and more general news, keep up with the band on Facebook and Twitter.
- Roqueandrolle.com

Moo have recently released their latest EP, Tall Tales. Recorded in the brilliantly named Punkahontas Studios in Dublin, this six track offering showcases a very unique combination of everything from rockabilly to bluegrass, whilst still remaining intrinsically rock and roll.

Moo are a three-piece band comprising of Claudio Mercante on guitar, Darren Flynn on bass and Mark Finlay on drums, with all three sharing vocal duties.

Opening with the gritty Eli Jones, I’d be shocked if your initial reaction is anything other than wanting to get up and dance! This is rock and roll music in its purest form; it’s fun, melodious and full of sweet, disorderly rhythms. The Little Boat and Long Way Down continue in that same rootsy vein, whilst taking a somewhat more acoustic approach; the latter employing violins to really drive home that Southern, Americana vibe.

Man Of Habit is a straightforward yet effective honky-tonk rocker—it’s easy to see why this was chosen as the lead single, here we have a total sing-along tune with a superb chorus. These final three tracks are where Moo’s rockabilly sensibilities really come to the fore. Although Restless Blues is a somewhat more sombre affair, it definitely maintains the band’s characteristic swing, whilst also practising their intricate songwriting skills. The closing track, Running Fool, picks the pace up once more with a crescendo of guitars, tambourines and everything in between; a rather fitting end to a record which wastes absolutely no time holding back.

Have a listen to Tall Tales below, and if you like what you hear, you can download it now from both iTunes and AmazonMP3.

You can catch Moo live at Vantastival on May 4th! For other dates and more general news, keep up with the band on Facebook and Twitter.
- Roqueandrolle.com

Respected Irish Music Blogger 2 U I Bestow placed us in the top 10 acts to see at the festival this year! - 2 U I Bestow

I thought I had come across in one way or another almost all of the relevant bands in Ireland producing americana and alt-country music. Yet I still am surprised by the fact that there are bands out there that are making great music that I never heard of. And with a name like Moo! I know I would have remembered these lads if I came across them.


Moo! are a three piece Italian/Irish collective consisting of Claudio Mercante (guitar), Mark Finlay (drums) and Darren Flynn (bass) with all three performing vocals. The band describe their own sound as the middle of a Venn diagram consisting of Rockabilly, Old-style Rock n’ Roll and country with some Ennio Morricone influences thrown in as well. I think that perfectly sums them up. It's likeable, high energy music.

The band released their début album ("Wanted") in 2011. Containing mostly covers, the album has two originals on it. Of these the single "2000 Horses" is a blistering rockabilly ride of rock never letting go once it has you caught in its headlights. It also happens to convert to quite an amusing video.


The band have been regularly gigging round Dublin for the last year and have now come to release a e.p. of original tracks. Called "Tall Tales", it is a collection of 6 tracks of revisionist rockabilly. The band remind me a lot of the American group "Low Cut Connie". A lot of musicians try to make music where the message is more important that the melody. Instead of music being about big themes; Moo! make great old-style melodic music to dance to and there is too little of that around.


That's not to say that their songs are affecting or constantly stuck in the same rpm. "Long Way Down" and especially "Restless Blues" are evidence that the band are talented songwriters and song-arrangers at any pace.


The lead single off the e.p. "Man of Habit" is a little gem of a pop honky-tonk tune. Beginning as a steady melody, the song then breaks out into heavy and dissonant riffs but always manages to stay on the right side of accessible with its sing-along chorus.


You can purchase the e.p. and the début album on iTunes and Amazon. As for physical purchases, you'll have to check out their website mooband.com for details. - Eirecana

I thought I had come across in one way or another almost all of the relevant bands in Ireland producing americana and alt-country music. Yet I still am surprised by the fact that there are bands out there that are making great music that I never heard of. And with a name like Moo! I know I would have remembered these lads if I came across them.


Moo! are a three piece Italian/Irish collective consisting of Claudio Mercante (guitar), Mark Finlay (drums) and Darren Flynn (bass) with all three performing vocals. The band describe their own sound as the middle of a Venn diagram consisting of Rockabilly, Old-style Rock n’ Roll and country with some Ennio Morricone influences thrown in as well. I think that perfectly sums them up. It's likeable, high energy music.

The band released their début album ("Wanted") in 2011. Containing mostly covers, the album has two originals on it. Of these the single "2000 Horses" is a blistering rockabilly ride of rock never letting go once it has you caught in its headlights. It also happens to convert to quite an amusing video.


The band have been regularly gigging round Dublin for the last year and have now come to release a e.p. of original tracks. Called "Tall Tales", it is a collection of 6 tracks of revisionist rockabilly. The band remind me a lot of the American group "Low Cut Connie". A lot of musicians try to make music where the message is more important that the melody. Instead of music being about big themes; Moo! make great old-style melodic music to dance to and there is too little of that around.


That's not to say that their songs are affecting or constantly stuck in the same rpm. "Long Way Down" and especially "Restless Blues" are evidence that the band are talented songwriters and song-arrangers at any pace.


The lead single off the e.p. "Man of Habit" is a little gem of a pop honky-tonk tune. Beginning as a steady melody, the song then breaks out into heavy and dissonant riffs but always manages to stay on the right side of accessible with its sing-along chorus.


You can purchase the e.p. and the début album on iTunes and Amazon. As for physical purchases, you'll have to check out their website mooband.com for details. - Eirecana

Thank God for Moo!; a band so far ahead of many of their peers that they’re likely to lap them some time this year. If you like great music and energy that borders on menacing then this is the band for you. Combining a rootsy, rockabilly music with a rather abrasive vocal delivery and lyrics that absolutely insist on further listening, this band were unlike much else on display at this years showcase. Like Primus playing at the Grand Ole Opry, these Dubliners injected just the right amount of sleaze into their music to tip their humour onto the edgy side of modesty. And they looked great on stage, too. As a three-piece there is much more air and light between them on-stage than many bands with a sound this big and this adds to the spectacle. They might not do a whole lot of moving around but they somehow fill the space. Tight, energetic and confident, these boys were definitely serious about their craft but manage to carry it off without appearing introverted or contrived, two words you probably won’t see in many reviews of Moo! anyway. Excellent stuff. (SD) - State.ie

2000 Horses is a standout track on the album- raw, wild and raucous-- a certain single for sure- Kirsty Lee, American Music Show- Dublin City FM - Kirsty Lee - Dublin City FM

2000 Horses is a standout track on the album- raw, wild and raucous-- a certain single for sure- Kirsty Lee, American Music Show- Dublin City FM - Kirsty Lee - Dublin City FM

Friday, September 30th 2011
If the wild West produced all the music in the world, the charts might sound like moo's debut album Wanted. The band give a desert twist to classics like The Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop and The Zutons/Amy Winehouse's Valerie.
The winning formula has already earned the Dublin-based trio residencies in venues like The Globe and The Village in the capital.
To mark their release, they'll be going further afield - catch them in a saloon near you soon. - Irish Daily Star

Friday, September 30th 2011
If the wild West produced all the music in the world, the charts might sound like moo's debut album Wanted. The band give a desert twist to classics like The Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop and The Zutons/Amy Winehouse's Valerie.
The winning formula has already earned the Dublin-based trio residencies in venues like The Globe and The Village in the capital.
To mark their release, they'll be going further afield - catch them in a saloon near you soon. - Irish Daily Star

[He] could learn a lot from the self-deprecating Moo who blend elements of rock n’ roll, rockabilly, country, Nouvelle Vague, the Alabama 3, and Hayseed Dixie to make a fine hillbilly stew. Their debut album Wanted: Moo is on its way. The exuberant ’2000 Horses’ is a rough, ready and raucous stomp that will challenge the most stationery toe. Then they give The Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ a complete makeover that proves that even punks can write melodies. Love the fiddle too. ‘La Citta e Pulecenella’ explores their Italian side but also has a Carribean lilt. It gladdens the heart to hear a band thinking outside the penalty area. - Jackie Hayden - October 19, 2011 - HotPress

[He] could learn a lot from the self-deprecating Moo who blend elements of rock n’ roll, rockabilly, country, Nouvelle Vague, the Alabama 3, and Hayseed Dixie to make a fine hillbilly stew. Their debut album Wanted: Moo is on its way. The exuberant ’2000 Horses’ is a rough, ready and raucous stomp that will challenge the most stationery toe. Then they give The Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ a complete makeover that proves that even punks can write melodies. Love the fiddle too. ‘La Citta e Pulecenella’ explores their Italian side but also has a Carribean lilt. It gladdens the heart to hear a band thinking outside the penalty area. - Jackie Hayden - October 19, 2011 - HotPress

Quote from a review of the album "Wanted" the show ALT Eire on Raidio Na Life (a Dublin City Radio station dedicated to the Irish language). lit. "I was very taken with the album".
Other quotes: "Go hiontach" ("Brilliant")
"ana diffriuil" ("very different"), "an suimiul ar fad" ("very interesting altogether") - Raidio na Life

Quote from a review of the album "Wanted" the show ALT Eire on Raidio Na Life (a Dublin City Radio station dedicated to the Irish language). lit. "I was very taken with the album".
Other quotes: "Go hiontach" ("Brilliant")
"ana diffriuil" ("very different"), "an suimiul ar fad" ("very interesting altogether") - Raidio na Life

We found ourselves tucked into a corner of The Crane Lane Theatre a few weeks back, during the decades festival in Cork, surrounded by girls in full skirts and pop socks, and boys wearing braces and snazzy hats. The decade celebrated was the 1950s, the jinks were high and the music was pure shoulder-shimmying compulsion, and it occurred to me, somewhere between my seventh bourbon and the floor, that music isn’t something that has to keep swelling towards the future to be fresh and fun. The sound was smokey, rockabilly and Americana, and my compadres were thrilled as canaries. MOAR ROCK N’ ROLL, they bellowed, as the doors were closing. And just in time, Moo rode into town.

Moo are three lads with impressive musical pedigrees and no fear of hard work; as well as touring regularly, they have residencies in The Village on Wexford St, The Globe on Georges St and The Mezz in Temple Bar. They deal out equal measures of Rock N’ Roll and Western, and their debut album, Wanted, is released tomorrow.
Wanted is very much an album of two halves; Moo taking on established rock n’ roll anthems and belting them out with beans and chutzpah, and Moo covering conventional pop songs and putting a Western slant on them. They succeed beautifully with the former, but aren’t as convincing when reimagining pop hits. Opener Ready Or Not (which most readers will recognise as a Fugees hook; the original is by The Delfonics) is the weakest track on the album, and its Western slant comes across as rather gimmicky, a bit too close to the Blues Brothers taken aback in a hick bar. Likewise, Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy and The Zutons’ Valerie are too samey; no doubt they would be contagious in a live setting, but on a solo, iPod session, they seem little more than novelties.
Blips in the mood, then, but not insurmountable blips. Where Moo excel is in the kind of fare you’d presume inevitable for a band of their proclivities. The second track on Wanted, a cover of Johnny Cash’s Get Rhythm, is super. Less predictably, they have a fantastic take on the Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop and Radiohead’s Lucky, which closes the album on a tough, atmospheric peak, hinting at greater possibilities for the lads. It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that the best of the lot is 2000 Horses, the band’soriginal song, unapologetic rock and roll that lords it over everything else on the album.
2000 HORSES by Moo – Western/Rockabilly
It might seem handy to label Moo as a novelty covers act, good for giving rootin’, tootin’ singalongs to countried-up pop staples. Though the band cite Hayseed Dixie and Novelle Vague as inspirations, 2000 Horses proves that they have a few more strings to their bow than just reimagining classics. I’ll be sure to be at the Cork gig at the end of the month; this is music you have to listen to with a posse.
Wanted is released tomorrow (CD and iTunes), 17th September, in The Mercantile on Dame St, and Moo then head off on a nationwide tour to promote it. Catch them at the following venues:
SEPT 16th – Tower Records Dublin
SEPT 17th – The Mercantile Dublin
SEPT 23rd – Mason’s Derry
SEPT 29th – Crane Lane Cork
OCT 7th – The Globe Dublin
OCT 8th – Muddy Mahers Galway - Culch.ie

We found ourselves tucked into a corner of The Crane Lane Theatre a few weeks back, during the decades festival in Cork, surrounded by girls in full skirts and pop socks, and boys wearing braces and snazzy hats. The decade celebrated was the 1950s, the jinks were high and the music was pure shoulder-shimmying compulsion, and it occurred to me, somewhere between my seventh bourbon and the floor, that music isn’t something that has to keep swelling towards the future to be fresh and fun. The sound was smokey, rockabilly and Americana, and my compadres were thrilled as canaries. MOAR ROCK N’ ROLL, they bellowed, as the doors were closing. And just in time, Moo rode into town.

Moo are three lads with impressive musical pedigrees and no fear of hard work; as well as touring regularly, they have residencies in The Village on Wexford St, The Globe on Georges St and The Mezz in Temple Bar. They deal out equal measures of Rock N’ Roll and Western, and their debut album, Wanted, is released tomorrow.
Wanted is very much an album of two halves; Moo taking on established rock n’ roll anthems and belting them out with beans and chutzpah, and Moo covering conventional pop songs and putting a Western slant on them. They succeed beautifully with the former, but aren’t as convincing when reimagining pop hits. Opener Ready Or Not (which most readers will recognise as a Fugees hook; the original is by The Delfonics) is the weakest track on the album, and its Western slant comes across as rather gimmicky, a bit too close to the Blues Brothers taken aback in a hick bar. Likewise, Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy and The Zutons’ Valerie are too samey; no doubt they would be contagious in a live setting, but on a solo, iPod session, they seem little more than novelties.
Blips in the mood, then, but not insurmountable blips. Where Moo excel is in the kind of fare you’d presume inevitable for a band of their proclivities. The second track on Wanted, a cover of Johnny Cash’s Get Rhythm, is super. Less predictably, they have a fantastic take on the Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop and Radiohead’s Lucky, which closes the album on a tough, atmospheric peak, hinting at greater possibilities for the lads. It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that the best of the lot is 2000 Horses, the band’soriginal song, unapologetic rock and roll that lords it over everything else on the album.
2000 HORSES by Moo – Western/Rockabilly
It might seem handy to label Moo as a novelty covers act, good for giving rootin’, tootin’ singalongs to countried-up pop staples. Though the band cite Hayseed Dixie and Novelle Vague as inspirations, 2000 Horses proves that they have a few more strings to their bow than just reimagining classics. I’ll be sure to be at the Cork gig at the end of the month; this is music you have to listen to with a posse.
Wanted is released tomorrow (CD and iTunes), 17th September, in The Mercantile on Dame St, and Moo then head off on a nationwide tour to promote it. Catch them at the following venues:
SEPT 16th – Tower Records Dublin
SEPT 17th – The Mercantile Dublin
SEPT 23rd – Mason’s Derry
SEPT 29th – Crane Lane Cork
OCT 7th – The Globe Dublin
OCT 8th – Muddy Mahers Galway - Culch.ie

Taken from the Sean Moncrieff Show on Newstalk FM ( a national radio station in Ireland), Wednesday 21st September 2011 - Newstalk Radio

Taken from the Sean Moncrieff Show on Newstalk FM ( a national radio station in Ireland), Wednesday 21st September 2011 - Newstalk Radio

Quote from Ian Dempsey on his national morning radio show on Today FM (Ireland) after playing "2000 Horses". - Today FM

Quote from Ian Dempsey on his national morning radio show on Today FM (Ireland) after playing "2000 Horses". - Today FM

Taken from northern Irish country music maven Ralph McLean's Radio Show on Friday 23rd September. Another quote:
"A fabulous rendition of Get Rhythm, the Johnny Cash Sun Records Standard" - BBC Radio Northern Ireland

Taken from northern Irish country music maven Ralph McLean's Radio Show on Friday 23rd September. Another quote:
"A fabulous rendition of Get Rhythm, the Johnny Cash Sun Records Standard" - BBC Radio Northern Ireland

King Kong Club Finalists 2010 MOO opened their set with a cover of THE FUGEES “Ready Or Not” which had their own signature on it, they followed that up without skipping a beat by going straight into “Get Rhythm”. A remarkably catchy song too that is really moving into something that is very catchy indeed. Then “La Citta”, with its bass line that hooks you from the minute it plays, was next. A really great song complimented by the rhythm. Some more madness from this band with a cover of “Rawhide” from “The Blues Brothers”. But there is a method to the madness. This performance was all about keeping the good vibe going on the night and mixing it up for the audience at the same time.
The band followed that up with their version of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” that the audience simply went crazy for too. Then “2000 Horses” was next from the band. A high octane song with a really good vibe behind it that draws a comparison with the 5,6,7,8s when you hear it. Then the very uplifting “Blitzkrieg Bop” was next. A cover of THE RAMONES’ song, but it goes the whole nine yards with it too. Then the band closed off with one of the earliest bluegrass songs “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” bringing to a close a very good set overall from the band. Jocularly incorporating the theme tune from “The Benny Hill Show”, it was a good one to close off with.
- musicreviewunsigned.com