Among the more curious twists of fates is my crossing of paths with one Sam McCutcheon of Dublin in the last weeks. He instantly promoted a band (which, I believe is the case where he has played on recordings, but is not officially a member), The Laundry Shop (www.myspace.com/thelaundryshop).

Now, before we get to reviewing their Altoid-like album (curiously strong, duh), it should be noted that Dublin, as far as I have observed, is serving as an extemporaneous Eden for a Genesis of great music. Hold on Austin, Louisville, Minneapolis, and Seattle! Dublin has some things appearing out of nowhere, much as a result of their thriving live performance scene, as well as the personal dedication some people are showing to their own productions. I’m going to do something out of the ordinary here and…post some videos!?

Now for The Laundry Shop. Their influences, immediately clear, stem from the strong London and UK rhythmic punk as seen with Bloc Party and what very similar to She Wants Revenge. Thoughtful lyrics and up-tempo guitar sections reminding me in bursts of Silversun Pickups and The May Fire.
If this band, and the others to follow, speak to the uprising of the Dublin bar scene, great! Fantastic! It seems that there exists an even more pressing reason for me to scurry on over to Dublin. It probably falls into the category of things I shouldn’t be surprised about, but I didn’t see a bunch of great music coming out of Dublin. Eyes open, people!