Arrow in the sky

Discovered this incredible Irish band via a Jango feed built on Camera Obscura. Their web presence is minimal, so here is their MySpace page. Three 20-something guys, they remind me of Tegan & Sarah's harmonization and folk-inspired tunes that soar but are grounded.

By far, my favourite song is Half Glass, which speaks to lute-like sounds and commiseration in a salt-water misty Doolin pub -- at least to me. Verbal Waltz echoes REM when they were good at music. Both songs are available on their MySpace page.

This is the Irish music I want; not Westlife (sorry kids). And as much as I like the Coors, there's a darkness and seriousness to Arrow in the Sky that takes me somewhere good.

What strikes me most though is that they're not even close to being big -- no Wikipedia page, 600 or so song hits. The band is definitely in the alt-folk/hipster channel of music, and is unlikely to meet Ryan Seacrest -- but I think they should easily be touring festivals and hopefully headlining 5000-person gigs across North America in a few years. I hope.

Maybe all the good bands, which seem to emerge from the British Isles now, can form a new kind of Lilith Fair and invade. Less Lilith, more introspective lads.

Good luck to ya!