| Hoarsebox/Little Green Cars |
 These guys didn’t mess about as they launched straight into a set that was packed with more effervescence than a Berocca in a glass of Red-Bull!
Dublin quartet Hoarsebox have been causing quite a stir in the last year both on their hometurf and across the pond. As the first band in Ireland to launch their own iPhone app, Connected’s curiosity was tweaked and so we headed to Whelan’s on the 26th of November to witness the wonder of Hoarsebox in action. Doors opened at eight and the main venue soon filled up with all the usual cool kid indie suspects, pints in hand and excited chatter flying back and forth. Support came from the ecologically friendly named Little Green Cars. Arriving onstage near enough to 8.30, LGC (if I may be so bold as to abbreviate!) were met with a decent throng of spectators; no need to urge the crowd to move closer to the stage. 
Little Green Cars
The sextet treated the crowd to a refreshing shoe-gazey set of songs from both of their EPs. Combining male and female vocals, quirky keyboard/xylophone and punchy bass and drums with the odd awesome guitar solo thrown in; Little Green Cars brought a sound that was part Arcade Fire (but edgier) and Fleetwood Mac offcuts. Vocalist Faye O’Rourke’s voice was honey-husked on standout songs ‘In the Arms of My Daughter’ and ‘Spiders Legs’, while the tri-vocals on ‘Boxcars’ together with some keyboard wizardry entranced the slew of music lovers in front of the stage. A highly polished band delivering a knockout set, sentiment riddled as it may seem we can only conclude that from Little Green Cars good things will grow! Having been vitalised by a great support act, the crowd had grown and was chomping at the bit for Hoarsebox. Somewhere around 9.20 Hoarsebox took to the stage amidst some impressive flashing strip lights and looking distinctly cleaner shaven than their promo posters. Make no moustache about it, these guys didn’t mess about as they launched straight into a set that was packed with more effervescence than a Berocca in a glass of Red-Bull!
Standout track of the evening ‘Do it to the Letter’, their last single, induced a near whip-lashing frenzy of dancing and handclapping enmasse and was filled with more do-do-do-do’s than a thrill could shrilly trill! Showcasing tracks from the Cuckooland EP like ‘Tales of the Workplace’ and ‘All I Need Now’ but also testing out a couple of new tracks like ‘Work Party’ (a sort of 80’s disco meets The Life Aquatic vibe), spouting lyrics like ‘Help me party’ – as if they had to ask! – the punters loved them for it! A quirky mixture of rock, soul, pop, intricate melodies and desperately cleverly catchy lyrics, I defy anyone not to be drawn in by the part !!!, part Stevey Wonder, part Steely Dan elements of Hoarsebox’s sound. Infectious melody ‘Rosey’ wouldn’t allow for a single stationary foot in the venue and demanded lots of feel good hands-in-the-air action ,while encore tune ‘Inside Out’ trounced out a slightly heavier sound to the rest of the set, it seemed the perfect end to one of Dublin’s most vital band’s performance. We highly recommend getting yourselves off to catch one of Hoarsebox’s shows, but if you can’t, well . . . . there’s an iphone app for that!
words: Niamh Doolan www.myspace.com/littlegreencars
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With a twist of hope, a dash of industry hatred, and a pitcher of
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