• 16 For 16: SlowPlaceLikeHome

    January 20, 2016 - By 

    We continue our 16 for ’16 feature – profiling sixteen Irish artists we’re pining our proverbial hopes on in 2016 – with Donegal’s Keith Mannion AKA SlowPlaceLikeHome. Words by Eoin Murray. Photo by Martin McGagh For several years, Donegal’s Keith Mannion has been crafting breezy music that channels the sensations of experiencing a coastal storm from behind a window; a fireplace warming your back, protecting you from the chaos outside. Moving from a style that closely resembled Boards of Canada, Solar Bears and Air on his Post Hoc EP in 2013 to a more live focus on 2015’s debut LP…

  • Bookmark: Patrick Freyne (Irish Times)

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    By way of Trumpan Capote, John Steinbeck and more, Irish Times features writer Patrick Freyne waxes passionate about some of all-time favourite books. Photos by Aidan Kelly-Murphy All the Narnia books by CS Lewis I read these in the wrong order when I was six. I reread them every few years. The books’ supposedly central Christ allegory went right over my head. I just thought it was about some school children, a lion god and a world of talking animals that could be accessed by getting into old furniture. It made the real world seem boring. I still check the back of…

  • 16 For 16: Cian Nugent

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    Our feature profiling sixteen Irish acts we’re absolutely certain will do special things this year, we continue 16 for ’16 today in the company of Dublin’s Cian Nugent. Words by Mike McGrath Bryan. Photo by Cait Fahey Cian Nugent has undergone a profound and constant evolution since debut album ‘Doubles’ arrived in 2011. From acoustic explorations, through drone and psychedelia, Nugent arrives at Night Fiction, showcasing new sounds and a newfound focus on songcraft and simplicity. Shock of all shocks, Nugent even sings on his new full-length, releasing on the 29th on WOODSIST Records. In his debut as a singer-songwriter,…

  • 16 For 16: Naoise Roo

    January 18, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of 16 For 16 – in which we profile sixteen Irish acts we’re convinced are going to do great things this year – Stevie Lennox lauds Dublin chanteuse Naoise Roo. Photo by Pedro Giaquinto Dublin’s Naoise Roo is a rare talent who arrived seemingly fully-formed, arriving last year with her debut release in the form of the full band LP, Lilith, resulting in slots at Electric Picnic, Vantastival and Valentia Island. She’s fortunate enough to possess one of the most evocative and texturally-rich voices on the island, and skilled enough to match it with a knack…

  • Rave New World (15/01)

    January 15, 2016 - By 

    New year, new rave. Antoin Lindsay and Aidan Hanratty return for their latest look at the best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases of the week. GIGS Twitch Present: Shanti Celeste at The Bunatee, Belfast Saturday 16 January One of the best new names in house is making her first trip to Belfast. Shanti Celeste (pictured) has been making waves the last 18 months or so with her impeccable label BRSTL and releases on the likes of personal favourite of mine Future Times and Bristol record store label Idle Hands. Expect a wonderfully varied set from the Bristol resident. AL Truss…

  • 16 For 16: Joni

    January 14, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of 16 For 16 – in which we profile sixteen up-and-coming Irish acts we’re very excited about this year – Eoin Murray introduces Wicklow vocalist Joni. Photo by Brian Mulligan Genres like grime, garage and bass music in the broadest sense are rarely thought of as being the most flourishing in Ireland.  This however was seen to be a less than accurate view following Dublin’s very successful first Boiler Room event in May 2015 which showcased some of the best that Ireland had to offer in the underground scene. While Bray vocalist Joni was not involved…

  • 16 For 16: Apartments

    January 12, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of 16 For ’16 – a feature in which we preview sixteen of our favourite Irish acts that we’re certain will do great things in 2016 – Stevie Lennox introduces Belfast duo Apartments. Photo by Liam Kielt Fast-becoming the strongest single noun pluralisation-monikered emotional hardcore band on the island, Apartments released their 6-track official debut EP, Rush, in October, following a promising 2014 demo. Their sound is rooted in the kind of math-rock-tinged American Midwestern sound that’s been gestating in Ireland for the last couple of years, channelling, loosely, American Football, Cap’n Jazz and a ferocious sense of…

  • Playlist: David Bowie (1947-2016)

    January 11, 2016 - By 

    David Bowie died on Monday, 11 January 2016, two days after his sixty-ninth birthday, after an eighteen month battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Iman, and two children, Duncan Jones and Alexandria Zahra Jones. He leaves behind what is undoubtedly one of most prolific, exciting and genuinely inspiring legacies in musical history. How do you write about David Bowie? In the end what is to be said that hasn’t already been said in the past five and half decades. Do you talk about his string of albums between 1970 and 1981 that is, and…

  • 16 For 16: Owensie

    January 7, 2016 - By 

    In the very first installment of 16 For ’16 – a feature in which we preview sixteen of our favourite Irish acts that we’re absolutely convinced will do spectacular things in 2016 – Brian Coney lauds Dublin lo-fi folk singer-songwriter Michael Owens AKA Owensie. Photo by Tara Thomas With his sublime third album, Dramamine, having very deservedly ranked at number two in our Top 50 Irish Releases of 2015, Dublin songsmith Michael Owens AKA Owensie taps into a introspective realm betraying the hallmarks of a master in the making. Released via Out on a Limb records in November, his latest release is – as we said in…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 50 Irish Releases of 2015 (30-1)

    December 31, 2015 - By 

    In the third and final installment of the feature, we count down from 30 to 21 in our annual Top 50 Irish Releases of 2015. Miss the first two installments? Check them out here and here. 30. Morning Veils – Her Kind Released at the tail-end of 2015, Her Kind by Cork outfit Morning Veils was a deserved late addition to the top-end of our countdown. We said: “Her Kind is a release that channels bedroom solipsism, backwashed thoughts and psychic corners in perfectly phantasmal fashion. Comprised of members including Elaine Howley of The Altered Hours and Roslyn Steer, the band’s brilliantly burrowing brand…