Dodgy Stereo: Weakling & King / Translucent Knees

Weakling & King and Translucent Knees are two rather interesting little indie-electronica bands from Ireland whom I first noticed just earlier this year. Somewhat related, both are/were on Dodgy Stereo, a small Belfast-based label which used to organise indie electronica-oriented events in the Belfast area, although now seems to have become inactive.

Actually, I first became aware of Dodgy Stereo due to Weakling & King remixing some material from Dry County's 'Nothing Stay's In Place' EP, an emerging band in Ireland I like quite a lot, and have previously reviewed here. I wasn't really that impressed with what Weakling & King did with Dry County's material, preferring Dry County's original work, but I have been pleasantly surprised by what material of Weakling & King's I have since found online. Two standout tracks of note are 'Your Nervous Moves' and 'You Are The Wire', both taken from 'Slowly Making His Way Back To The City'. This is quite dreamy indie-electronica. They have been compared before to the likes of The Postal Service, although there are distinct differences. These two tracks are available to download from the Weakling & King myspace, along with two instrumentals taken from 'The New Right Side' EP, oddly accredited to Weakling & Queen, of which 'Head All Fuzzy', a rather slow-motion ambience with some Sigur Ros leanings is a fine piece of work which peaks into a rather appealing infestation just as it closes.

Translucent Knees are quite different. There's a deceptively casual vocal style here which can be oddly appealing, and somewhat disjointed quirky propulsion to the songs that is quite similar at times to some of the earlier work from The Beta Band. Three tracks are available for download from their myspace, with 'We're On Our Way' seeming brilliantly effortless, while a rather recessive 'Geography ID' wandering, questioning, self-suppressing and wantonly-shrinking in mood is a sublimely unassuming indie number. The third track, 'Surface Film Brittle' is perhaps the finest, as it flickers between some intense propulsion to a quite lulling disjointed style to run with the vocals. All three tracks are taken from the 2006 Spectac-A-Matic EP.

Related Links:

http://www.myspace.com/weaklingandking

http://www.myspace.com/tknees

http://www.myspace.com/dodgystereo