Our second instalment of our Soundwave: Battle of the Tunes series sees Danny O'Reilly and Graham Knox, two members of The Coronas, go head to head in a battle of musical tastes as judged by our music editor John Balfe.
Last week's Battle paired up Leinster duo Cian Healy and Luke Fitzgerald, with Fitzgerald taking the honours by a score of 36 to 32. Can the Coronas duo do better than that? Let's find out, shall we?
DANNY O'REILLY - Lead Singer, The Coronas
1. The National - 'Racing Like A Pro'
A lo-fi masterpiece from The National, showcasing Matt Berninger’s wonderfully rich vocals, ‘Racing Like A Pro’ is as indie an anthem as you’re every likely to hear. (8/10)
2. Phoenix - 'Bourgeois'
The stars of last weekend’s Longitude festival, Phoenix’s first Irish show in several years surpassed the already lofty expectations we had placed upon them. ‘Bourgeois’, taken from the French band’s newest album ‘Bankrupt!’ is one of record’s more understated numbers but – like the rest of the album – is a joyous exercise in dreamy electro pop. (8/10)
3. The Strokes - 'Partners In Crime'
Few bands are as capable as The Strokes as writing infectious hooks into their music and ‘Partners In Crime’ is another fine example. Benefitting from a more stripped back production approach than associated with them in the past, ‘Partners In Crime’ strips back the Strokes sound, revealing their more meaty intentions. (6/10)
4. Bell X1 - 'The End Is Nigh'
The final track from Bell X1’s latest effort Chop Chop, ‘The End Is Nigh’ is one of the more upbeat numbers on the album with the band providing a comfy musical bed for Paul Noonan’s vocals to soar above. (7/10)
5. Fleet Foxes - 'Lorelai'
Opening with a Paul Simon-esque guitar intro, before Robin Pecknold’s ethereal vocals forcibly tug at your heartstrings and don’t let go, ‘Lorelai’ is one of the highlights of arguably the Fleet Foxes’ best work – 2011’s Helplessness Blues. (8/10)
DANNY O'REILLY FINAL SCORE – 37/50
Danny O'Reilly: A pretty respectable Battle of the Tunes score of 37.
GRAHAM KNOX - Bass Player, The Coronas
1. Phoenix - 'Chloroform'
Phoenix are a band who are clearly quite popular in the Coronas camp. ‘Chloroform’, another track from Phoenix’s latest album Bankrupt!, is one of the record’s more understated highlights. (8/10)
2. Little Green Cars - 'Please'
One of the success stories of the year in Irish music, ‘Please’ is one of the tracks from the youngsters’ debut album Absolute Zero which best showcases Faye O’Rourke’s other-worldly vocals. (7/10)
3. Vampire Weekend - 'Unbelievers'
Track two from Vampire Weekend’s third album Modern Vampires of the City perfectly demonstrates the sound that the New York band have cultivated for themselves. Ezra Koenig’s lofty vocals, the fractious afropop grooves and the eloquent structure underline the fact that no one else sounds like Vampire Weekend. (7/10)
4. Frank Ocean - 'Super Rich Kids'
Frank Ocean is something of an enigma. Capable of crossing the divide between indie and hip hop, Ocean’s debut full length record channel ORANGE appeals to as wide a musical base as any hip hop album in recent memory. The reason for this? Well, it’s a pretty damn good album. (7/10)
5. The Strokes - 'One Way Trigger'
The Strokes seem to be another band who unite the musical tastes of The Coronas, with a song from Comedown Machine appearing on both Danny and Graham’s recent Soundwave profiles. ‘One Way Trigger’ is more like The Strokes of old. A foundation of jerky keyboard is quickly joined by a very Strokesian guitar riff, sounding more like the Strokes of old than perhaps anything else on Comedown Machine. (7/10)
GRAHAM KNOX FINAL SCORE – 36/50
THE VERDICT
It couldn’t have been closer but Coronas frontman Danny O’Reilly has finished above his bandmate Graham Knox by a solitary point, not only that O’Reilly has propelled himself ahead of Leinster winger Luke Fitzgerald into the top spot! Check out the leaderboard below and check back next week for a brand new Battle of the Tunes!
LEADERBOARD
1st – Danny O’Reilly (The Coronas)
2nd – Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster)
= - Graham Knox (The Coronas)
4th – Cian Healy (Leinster)