• The Complete Guide to Therapy?: Part 2

    March 25, 2014 - By 

    PREVIOUSLY: Guitarist Andy Cairns and drummer Fyfe Ewing meet at a Battle of the Bands and start jamming after talking about bands they like in common. First demo tape 30 Seconds of Silence showcases a wide variety of ideas, and soon they’re joined by Ewing’s classmate Michael McKeegan, for the recording of second demo tape Meat Abstract. The intrepid trio set off on tour around Ireland, and with the release of their debut single, also entitled Meat Abstract, the UK. While in London, the band gets airplay from John Peel, and begins to garner label interest. Signing with Wiiija, Therapy?…

  • Stream: Benihana – Machines

    March 25, 2014 - By 

    Featuring a sample of Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech from The Great Dictator, Kildare electronic duo Will Molloy and Billy Archbold AKA Benihana have released a new track titled ‘Machines’. Speaking of current plans, the pair said, “We actually havent played any gigs yet so at the moment we’re  working on a few tracks with the hope of building up enough material for a decent set. We’re also starting to look at how exactly we’re going to play our stuff live – still a bit unsure! Once the new tracks are finished, hopefully we’ll be able to start piecing together our next…

  • Future Islands – Singles

    March 25, 2014 - By 

    The hardest working band in electronic pop have moved to 4AD for their fourth album of delicately skewed and melodically-crushing heartbreak. Superficially, Singles carries on the Baltimore trio’s business of creating crafted, if slightly unsettling vignettes of loves lost, unrequited or simply illusory. The likes of ‘Tinman’ (from breakthrough second album In Evening Air) frantically pulsed with a combination of galloping bass and simmering synth washes and –most importantly – the astonishing voice of one Sam Herring. Herring’s half strangled, affected and utterly effecting throaty laments leant those songs a kind of raw, unnerving authenticity that made you believe he…

  • Gig of the week: Joshua Burnside, Affleck & Carriages @ White’s Tavern

    March 25, 2014 - By 

    Our gig of the week will see Northern Irish alt-folk troubadour Joshua Burnside release his new single, ‘Desert Wine/Platonia’, at White’s Tavern on Thursday, March 27. Supported by electro-pop trio Affleck and Dublin electro-folk duo Carriages, it will mark Burnside’s return to the venue, where he launched his exquisite EP, If You’re Going That Way, last June. ‘Desert Wine/Platonia’ is Burnside’s first release via Broken Melody Records. Check out our interview with them here. Entry is £4, doors are at 8pm. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page and stream ‘Desert Wine’ and ‘Platonia’ via Bandcamp below.