Music for Dead Birds are an

anti-folk Anti-folk (sometimes referred to as unfolk) is a music genre that emerged in the 1980s in response to the remnants of the 1960s folk music scene. Anti-folk music was made to mock the perceived seriousness of the time's mainstream music scene, a ...

band from

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

and

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

, Ireland. Its members are

Jimmy Monaghan Jimmy Monaghan (Irish: Seamus Ó Muíneacháin) is an Irish musician from Belmullet, Ireland. He is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the anti-folk band Music for Dead Birds. He has also released music under different names includi ...

(vocals, guitar) and Dónal Walsh (drums).

History

Music for Dead Birds formed in Galway city in 2007. In April, 2009, they released their debut album ''"

And then it rained for seven days ''And then it rained for seven days'' is the debut album by Irish group Music for Dead Birds, released by Rusted Rail in April 2009. Release Released on the Mini CD single format, The album was self produced by the band and was mainly recor ...

"'' on the Irish independent record label

Rusted Rail Rusted Rail is an Irish independent record label that was started in 2006 by Keith Wallace. Rusted Rail have released albums by artists including Phantom Dog Beneath the Moon, United Bible Studies, The Declining Winter. Music for Dead Birds an ...

. The album was self produced by the band and was mainly recorded using a 4-track tape deck. ''

Foxy Digitalis ''Foxy Digitalis'' is an online music magazine. ''Aquarium Drunkard'' have called it "an online publication exploring the deepest corners of experimental music, they continue a project that has existed in various forms since the mid-1990s." His ...

'' commented "The additional album info describes the recording as taking place in "various sheds, attics & bedrooms in Galway and Mayo." The end result represents clear intentions and highly creative song writing and recording techniques." However, it was also criticised for its

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

quality. The song ''Four Years From Now'' went on to feature on the soundtrack of the German art projec
Centerland
which was released by Jellyfant Records in 2013. In October 2011, the group released their second album "The Pope's Sister".

AU Magazine ''AU'' (formerly ''Alternative Ulster'') was a magazine written, designed and published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which began life in 1977 as a fanzine and later radio show. The magazine was launched in June 2003. 81 issues were published ...

said : ''"Over ten short tracks – each one as good as the next – Jimmy Monaghan and co meld Beta Band-esque charm with boldly erratic time signatures and disaffected fuzz."'' Terrascope also praised the album stating: ''"By the time you get to “Release the Dogs” you find you are fully immersed in the album, the twisted guitar lines hooking you in with relentless ease."'' It was listed by Irish radio DJ

Dan Hegarty Dan Hegarty is an Irish radio presenter employed by RTÉ. He presents his show ''The Alternative'' on RTÉ 2fm Monday to Thursday from 10:00 pm – 12:00am (the show is broadcast live each morning on RTÉ 2XM at 10am to 1pm). He is regularl ...

as one of the top 50 Irish albums of 2011. The group's third album "Vitamins" was released on 17 April 2014, by the band's own ''Ghost Home Recordings'' label, as both a Pay what you want digital download and a limited edition CD run of 100 copies. The album was recorded in one weekend at Data Studios,

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

, with recording engineer Tadgh Healy. Critical reception of the album was mixed, with Irish website GoldenPlec referring to it as a "flawed project", while in a more positive review

Ptolemaic Terrascope {{Infobox magazine , image_file = pto.png , image_size = , image_caption = ''Ptolemaic Terrascope'' logo , editor = Phil McMullen (1988–2005) Pat Thomas (2005-07) , editor_title = , staff ...

opined: "The sudden stop/starts, so beloved of Seattle residents, do sometimes get a little wearing, but it's never less than intriguing listening, and the good songs have their own

chutzpah Chutzpah () is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad. It derives from the Hebrew word ' (), meaning "insolence", "cheek" or "audacity". Thus the original Yiddish word has a strongly negative connotation but the form which entered English ...

." Lead track ''The Farmer's Corn'' was broadcast by 2fm in Ireland and

2SER 2SER is a community radio station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 107.3 FM and is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. The station is largely self-supporting, relying upon revenue ...

in Australia. A music video was produced for the track ''Magic Witch'' which received some media attention for its dark content. They have played with artists such as

Lite (band) Lite, stylized as LITE, is a Japanese math rock band that has been termed "one of Japan's top instrumental rock acts." The band's members are Nobuyuki Takeda (guitar), Kozo Kusumoto (guitar & synthesizer), Jun Izawa (bass), and Akinori Yamamoto ( ...

Angus & Julia Stone Angus & Julia Stone are an Australian folk and indie pop group, formed in 2006 by brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone. Angus & Julia Stone have released five studio albums: ''A Book Like This'' (2007), '' Down the Way'' (2010), '' Angus ...

Woodpigeon (band) Woodpigeon are a Canadian indie pop collective founded in Calgary and presently based in Montréal. It is led by and performs the songs of Mark Andrew Hamilton. Woodpigeon have released six studio albums, and a number of EPs to critical acclaim, ...

, And So I Watch You From Afar &

Girl Band (Irish band) Gilla Band (formerly Girl Band) are an Irish post-punk and noise rock band from Dublin. It was founded in 2011 and comprises vocalist Dara Kiely, guitarist Alan Duggan, bassist Daniel Fox, and drummer Adam Faulkner. Their career began with the ...

in Galway & Mayo. They have also appeared at 93 Feet East in London, The Space (Connecticut) &

The Living Room The Living Room was a music venue on Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was originally established on Stanton Street of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, New York City in 1988. The Liv ...

in New York.

Discography

Albums * "

" 3" CD Mini-Album, 2009 * "

The Pope's Sister ''The Pope's Sister'' is the second studio album by Irish anti-folk band Music for Dead Birds. Background and release The album was recorded by the group's frontman, Jimmy Monaghan, using a 4-track cassette recorder. The lo-fi sound was insp ...

" CD Album, 2011 * "

Vitamins A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrien ...

" CD/Digital, 2014 * "Pagan Blessings" Digital, 2018 EP's * "The Day The Water Ran Out", 2009. CD EP. * "Black Tides Falling", 2010. Digital EP. * "Your Brand New Life", 2015. CD EP. * "Nail & Tooth EP", 2017. Digital EP Singles * "English Weed/What A Waste", 2015. Digital single. * "Summer in Suburbia/Untied", 2020. Digital single Compilations * Ball of Wax Vol. 12 * Eardrums Music compilation * Ball of Wax Vol. 36 * Centerland OST, 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Music For Dead Birds Irish folk musical groups Irish indie rock groups Musical groups from County Galway