The O Marleys
Exeter, England, United Kingdom | SELF
Music
Press
The Rising of the The O Marleys.
From the off, the dark mood of “Rising of the Moon” sets the tone of mystery and surprise. The band set sail like experienced pirates, ruthlessly plundering the treasures of reggae, ska and dub, grafting the remains onto traditional tunes. Gathering the worlds music into their chest, they remix it until the gold is melded down into swirling heady whirl of Romany fiddle, cross beat reggae and tunes as green as the island that made them. The opening title track, “The Rising of the Moon”, menacing and slippery, glides under the doorway and waits. “Galway Races” welds a simply drop beat with a Hendrix wah wah wailing away under Nangle’s gruff vocal. Now just where did they get the idea to do that? We are only just recovering from the shock when Moulton lets fly with the fiddle on “Swallowtail Jig”. Now the thunder . This is not just a dinner party album. If that’s what you thought, get under the table and hide. Calm waters arrive with “Red is the Rose” which captures the emotion of the song without leaning into the past. A good track to grab a last sip of wine before the landlady brings out the hard stuff.
The party begins. “Whisky in the Jar” should be an impossible task. How can anyone do anything new to this? But away with the doubters, The O Marleys produce another triumph with Jackdaw calling and wild fiddle sawing through the song. “P stands for Paddy” follows and is the closest they come to a traditional version of a traditional song. The bodhran licks from King are dynamite. “Spancil Hill” retains its polka feel but adds the drop beat – a clever device made even stranger by the dub echo under the vocal.
“King of the Faries” sees Mouton setting fire to the fiddle and racking the party up towards midnight. It is quickly followed but the best track on the album – “The Rocky Road to Dublin” – recorded live. This is an incredible interpretation of the song, driven along with insane lunacy by king and Fitzsimons on the guitars topped off with Nangle’s dramatic vocal.
It all ends with a magical dub reggae track that wanders down many roads, winding down the album to a conclusion somewhere out in the Caribbean sea. When it ends you want to hear it again - Immediately – to check you didn’t dream it.
The album is Available on i tunes/ Amazon and Tesco online from September 2010.
- Flying Post
Discography
Second album released September 2010: "The Rising of the Moon", available on i tunes, amazon and tesco online. The O Marleys. Radio play on BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Derry, BBC Radio Brighton, Gemini FM and several internet radio stations.
1st album released January 2009. "Thats the way to do it"
Photos
Bio
Biography THE O MARLEYS
CONTACT:
theomarleys@hotmail.co.uk
Band Members: John Fitzsimons (Guitar Vocals elec percussion) James King (Bass & Bodhran) Mike Nangle (lead Vocals bodhran mouth organ) Mac Moulton (Fiddle/ banjo/ melodian)
Formed: Jan 2007.
Influences: Just about everyone but hey the Dubliners, the Chieftains, Lee Scratch Perry and the Upsetters, Bob Marley, The Clash, The Papers, the Mighty Plod,Thin lizzy...and a myriad of others. Something went right when we met. It sure did... you know.... every moment creates the next. That's how it happens. Ever heard The Rising of the Moon in dub? No? Well that would be because youve never heard The O Marleys. Originally from Derry and Donegal, The O Marleys are a fusion of rock, jazz, Irish folk and reggae. They use traditional Irish songs as the basis of much of their eclectic set, but adapt them into other forms along the way. The Rocky Road to Dublin and Tell me Ma keep a traditional frantic pace, but swing towards the kind of rock/reggae rhythm that is reminiscent of the later stages of The Clash or The Police.
In the rhythm section there is the wild yet subtle Bodhran playing of Mike Nangle and the heavy relentless electric bass of James King, complimented with electric percussion. On the top line is premier fiddle player Mac Moulton who plunges from Irish set dances into the jazz style of Stephan Grappelli with surprising ease. At the centre of the band is the rather mysterious 12 string guitarist, John Fitzsimons. His playing is a startling combination of cross rhythms/ jazz chords and counter melodies that produce completely original arrangements of the songs. With a background on the London music scene he brings many diverse influences to the band. Lead singer Mike Nangle hails from the theatrical tradition and adds rasping drama to the songs. Three members of the band sing (and make strange noises), creating rich vocal patterns and harmonies.
Their new album, The Rising of the Moon, (their second) is out in September on Idleday Records. It is available for download from i tunes, amazon and Tesco online.
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/theomarley39s#ixzz0w7b9Mb8Z
You tube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHmQSFLosV0
Links
