There is a hot new band breaking out of Dublin, Ireland called the Villagers. The Villagers' album is creating a buzz in the UK. The debut album, Becoming a Jackal is on the shortlist for the 2010 Mercury Prize. This is the honor given to the best album of the year in the UK.  This band has been working hard since their founder, Conor O'Brien started the Villagers in 2008. This was after the break-up of his ex-band, The Immediate. It has been stated that O'brien wrote his first song after he woke up from a night of heavy drinking. Crazy!!!! O'brien has a dark side to him that comes out through his lyrics. He has a dark take on everyday life. Villagers have brought to life the old singer/songwriter style that was great during the Sixties.

O'brien has a sweet melody that rings from his mouth when telling a story through his songs. "Becoming a Jackal," the title track of the album, starts off telling a story of someone who just can't seem to find happiness because he cant seem to catch his dreams, but at the end of the song there is a little hope when it gets to the part where he finally gets boldness to fly-out to the streets.

Since their birth in 2008, Villages have been getting some great accolades from the industry. The Irish Times ranks them #6 out of 50 of the hottest Indie bands in Ireland right now. The New York Times speak about them in the same sentence as The Frames, Lenoard Ccohen and that other little band from Ireland,....Um U2, I think. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! Wow to be lumped in with U2 is quite the feat. You talk about affirmation, that is HUGE.

Well this is a band to watch out for in 2011. 

Villagers are:

Conan O'Brien
Tommy McLaughlin
James Byrne
Danny Snow
Cormac Curran

Villagers - "Becoming a Jackal" - Video

Villagers - "Becoming a Jackal" - Video - Live

Villagers - Becoming a Jackal - Track List

1. "I Saw The Dead"   5:04
2. "Becoming A Jackal"   3:19
3. "Ship Of Promises"   4:36
4. "The Meaning Of The Ritual"   3:14
5. "Home"   4:41 6. "That Day"   3:10
7. "The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever)"   3:28
8. "Set The Tigers Free"   3:22
9. "Twenty Seven Strangers"   3:24
10. "Pieces"   5:25
11. "To Be Counted Among Men"   4:43

Buy Villagers - Becoming a Jackal on iTunes

Villagers - "Becoming a Jackal" - Lyrics

The most familiar room
Every implement was leading to you
And your homely sense of dissaray
Never once the same
Always rearranged
But things would never change
In the seam between the window frame
Where the jackals preyed on every soul
Where they tied you to a pole
And stripped you of your clothes

I was a dreamer
Staring at windows
Out onto the main street
Cause that's where the dream goes

And each time they found fresh meat to chew
I would turn away and return to you
You would offer me your unmade bed
Feed me till I'm fed
And read me till I'm read
But when the morning came
You would catch me at the window again
In an eyes wide open sleeping state
Staring into space
With no look upon my face

I was a dreamer
Staring at windows
Out onto the main street
Cause that's where the dream goes

And when I got older
When I grew older
Out onto the streets I flew
Released from your shackles
I danced with the Jackals
And learned a new way to move
So before you take this song as truth
You should wonder what I'm taking from you
How I benefit from you being here
Lending me your ears
While I'm selling you my fears

I was a dreamer
(I'm selling you my fears)
Staring at windows
(I'm selling you my fears)
Out onto the main street
(I'm selling you my fears)
Cause that's where the dream goes
(I'm selling you...)

I was a dreamer
Staring at windows
Out onto the main street
Cause that's where the dream goes