O Emperor this weekend in Dolan's

IT is early in the new year, new decade and it’s - excuse us - bloody freezing outside. January is generally a slow month in the gigs/arts/entertainment world, and this first half of the month is proving no different.
However, a trio of bands are touring Ireland this month and are set to make a quiet pit-stop into Dolan’s this Sunday night - one that could make you forget about that frozen vista outside. We particularly like Irish quintet O Emperor, who are set to have a very big year indeed in 2010 and are joined by new UK acts Alessi’s Ark and Sons of Noel and Adrian.
Pitched somewhere between the delicate baroque pop of Grizzly Bear - our favourite album of last year - with dashes of Radiohead’s oddness and The Cure’s erstwhile gloominess, Waterford’s finest O Emperor, along with the UK acts, are touring Ireland and the UK this month, thanks to promoters Word of Mouth and Brighton’s Wilkommen Collective.
You would be well advised to check out this interesting triage of acts in the intimate surroundings of Dolan’s Upstairs venue while you still can. O Emperor, whose multi-layered sound is far beyond their tender years, are being courted by the record industry and have the potential to make their mark further afield than these shores.
A new single is on the way, recently recorded in Wales, while the slightly obscure debut single ‘Po’ saw the band greeted with the sort of fawning admiration that is rare among the modern music press.
Based in Cork, the band have been together over three years, but came to wider attention following their impressive gig at last year’s Hard Working Class Heroes Festival.
Singer Paul Savage said recently that the band “love the harmonies and richness of a lot of American music, like the Beach Boys, Grizzly Bear or Beach House, but also like the eerie darker side to some British indie music, like Joy Division or Radiohead”.
Sounds good to us.
O Emperor, Alessi’s Ark and Sons of Noel and Adrian play Upstairs in Dolan’s this Sunday night at 8pm.