• Stream: So Cow – Barry Richardson

    Taken from their forthcoming first album proper, The Long Con, Galway three-piece So Cow have made an extremely solid return with their new single ‘Barry Richardson’. A typically off-the-wall dose of slinky, guitar-led garage pop, the track calls to mind Pinkerton-era Weezer, Blur circa Modern Life Is Rubbish, the charming lyrical ruralism of Andy Falco (Mclusky/Future of the Left) and Deerhoof. The Long Con – produced by Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, no less – is the band’s first album recorded in a studio and sees Brian Kelly joined by Dublin drummer Peter O’Shea and Jonny White on bass. According to the band’s Soundcloud…

  • Album stream: Oaks – Safe Haven

    One for fans of abstracted, hip-hop inflected ambient noise, Belfast-based musician James Bruce AKA Oaks has released his eight-track debut album, Safe Haven. Calling to mind everyone from Mouse and Mars, Labradford and The Books to Tortoise, Exploding Orchestra and Boards of Canada, the album – recorded in different locations but predominantly Bruce’s home – melds found sounds and samples with scattered beats, brass and strings to form an impressive, nicely hypnotic mid-point between drifting melancholia and bold experimentalism. The artwork for the released – arranged by Bruce, also drummer with Belfast prog band Kasper Rosa – features a photo taken by Tom McGeehan. Stream Safe Haven via Bandcamp…

  • Forfey Festival

    Taking place across the weekend of August 1-3, the wonderfully intimate and unaffected Forfey Festival returns to Forfey Farm near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh with one of its strongest line-ups to date. As ever, homegrown folk and acoustic acts make up the majority of this year’s line-up, but there is also a wide range of electronic and rock artists – everyone from Hornets to Affleck – performing across the festival’s three days. With more acts still to be announced, the current line-up is: Callum Stewart, Beulah Kim, Wonder Villains, Travis Is A Tourist, The Emerald Armada, Skeletons, Rupture Dogs, RAMS’ Pocket Radio, More Than…

  • No Good Trying: A Syd Barrett Playlist

    “I wasn’t always this introverted. I think young people should have a lot of fun. But I never seem to have any.” So said Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1971. Three years on from parting with Pink Floyd – a band he co-founded and named – Barrett had just released his second and final studio album, Barrett, before withdrawing from the limelight, a visionary, plagued genius; victim of psychedelic consumption. Tales of his heavy LSD use and notoriously erratic behaviour are well documented, agonisingly revealing the birth and decay of arguably psychedelia’s brightest star, a beatific songsmith, equally entrenched and liberated by his…

  • Gigs of the Week: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Arctic Monkeys, Neil Young

    With Wimbledon reaching an exciting conclusion yesterday evening, and the World Cup edging towards its finale this week, the summer seems to be well and truly flying by. But never fear, friends: we at the Thin Air are here to guide you towards the finest gigs happening across the country over the next seven days. Arctic Monkeys – Marlay Park, Dublin; Saturday, July 12 Arctic Monkeys return to Ireland this Saturday to put on what’ll surely be a great show, but they’re not the only reason to head to Marlay Park this weekend. Jake Bugg, Miles Kane and Royal Blood make up the…

  • Latté Pappa: Öresunds Festival

    Öresunds festival is held every year at the end May in the southern town of Malmö, Sweden. It’s purpose is to showcase, exclusively musicians coming from Sweden and Denmark. The countries are connected by the Öresunds bridge, hence the festivals name. Music on offer is a mix of electronic, pop, rock, reggae, R&B and soul. Five venues host the festival over two days at a cost of only 325 SEK (€35). It starts in the early evening and keeps going until 4am. Underage get in for cheaper. This was my second time attending and I think it is getting better…