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The Plague Monkeys


Country of origin:

Ireland

Type of music generally:

Ethereal alternative pop

Status:

Final release, The Sunburn Index (1999)

See also:

The Plague Monkeys site

The Ectophiles' Guide entry for a band that two of the members later formed, The Tycho Brahe/Tychonaut and singer Carol Keogh's later project, Natural History Museum

Singer Carol Keogh's site

Comparisons:

Cocteau Twins, Innocence Mission, The Tycho Brahe/Tychonaut

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

Ethereal, dreamy pop in the Cocteau Twins vein. Carol Keogh has a gorgeous and amazingly evocative, Kate Bush-like high voice that goes so well with this kind of music. (Neile)

Recommended first album:

Either

Recordings:


Surface Tension

Release info:

1998—Crosstown Music—CrossCD02

Availability:

Used

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for fans of ethereal pop

Group members:

Donal O'Mahony—guitars, keyboards, mandolin
Carol Keogh—vocals
Thomas Haugh—drums, percussion, keyboards
Barry Roden—bass

Guest artists:

Joe Chester—backing vocals (2)
Kevin Murphy—cello (11)

Produced by:

The Plague Monkeys

Comments:

This is a lovely album. Unfortunately it tends to blur a little bit as so many ethereal pop albums do, but there are lovely songs here and it rewards close listening. (Neile)

The Sunburn Index

Release info:

1999—Crosstown Music—CrossCD03

Availability:

Used

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for fans of ethereal pop/rock

Group members:

Carol Keogh—vocals, bicycle horn
Donal O'Mahony—electric guitar, acoutric guitar, 12-string guitar, steel guitar, mini Moog, keyboards, piano
Thomas Haugh—drums, percussion, keyboards
Barry Roden—bass

Guest artists:

Kim Purcell—piano (8)

Produced by:

Donal O'Mahony and The Plague Monkeys

Comments:

Like Surface Tension, this is a disc that rewards attention. It can slip by if you're not really listening, but the more attentively you listen the more there is to hear. It's obvious even to the casual listener, though, that Carol Keogh's vocals are lovely and the songs are carefully constructed. You realize just how very true this is over time. It's a grower. (Neile)

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DISCLAIMER: Comments and reviews in the Ectophiles' Guide are excerpted from the ecto mailing list or volunteered by members of the list. They are the opinions of music enthusiasts, not professional music critics.

Entry last updated 2016-04-06 21:17:32.
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