• Psych-Rock Revolution: Ireland and Beyond

    April 16, 2015 - By 

    When you consider Ireland’s rich history of iconic rock bands, those of a psych-rock persuasion don’t feature heavily on the list. Bands labelled as psychedelic were emerging in the US and Britain as early as the 1960’s. At the beginning it was defined by experimental songwriting, mind-altering drug culture, and a penchtant for flamboyant silk shirts. Tracing its roots back to the 1960’s you find bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Yardbirds, Jimmi Hendrix, The Doors, Soft Machine, Sly and the Family Stone and The Grateful Dead. Although Ireland could not be seen as a psych-rock hub, it has…

  • Screen/Play #3: Once, Begin Again and the Authenticity Problem

    April 8, 2015 - By 

    In Irish writer-director John Carney’s musical comedy-drama Begin Again, released last year, troubled New York music executive Dan (Mark Ruffalo) sees young songwriter Gretta (Keira Knightley) perform at a downtown open mike session and, smitten with her music, gives her his card. He promises that with a bit of production pizazz and a half-decent video (maybe a Norah Jones vibe) she could have a real radio hit. Gretta rejects his commercialising instinct. She just wants to be real – let the songs speak for themselves and all that. The haggard but good-hearted Dan finds her idealism endearing and naive. ‘Name…

  • Monday Mixtape: Stefan Murphy (The Mighty Stef)

    April 6, 2015 - By 

    In this special Easter Monday installment of Monday Mixtape, Stefan Murphy of Dublin rockers The Mighty Stef (above, middle) selects and talks about some of his all-time favourite songs, including Neutral Milk Hotel, Echo and the Bunnymen, FIDLAR and the Strypes. Desireless – Voyage Voyage Decadent french pop from the 80’s. An abstract song about traveling eternally. Something of a personal anthem since I was young. I have reconnected with this track in a big way recently. I long to cover it.   Garland Jeffreys – Wild In The Streets This recreates the feeling of a New York summer. A hot sticky…

  • DIY Dublin: Love Supreme

    April 1, 2015 - By 

    In the very first installment of DIY Dublin, a new regular feature looking at some of the city’s most intriguing small businesses, organisations and individuals, Stevie Lennox samples the wares of a Stoneybatter institution in the making. I popped in for a chat with Ken Flood, co-runner and proprietor of the wonderfully-monikered Love Supreme, a café that’s been operating for just eight months in Dublin’s recently-thriving Stoneybatter area. Besides its simple, eye-catching – without being intimidatingly extravagant – aesthetic, what was instantly striking was the selection of freshly-made sausage rolls and pies heating behind the counter, and a generous selection of…

  • EP Premiere: Patrick Gardiner – Carcassonne

    April 1, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of its launch at Belfast’s Voodoo on April 9, we’re pleased to present an exclusive first listen to Carcassonne, the second EP from Co. Down singer-songwriter Patrick Gardiner. A subtly eclectic mix of incisive, occasionally wry and consistently considered acoustic tale-telling, the five-track release sees Gardiner’s earnest words drive forth full-band tracks underpinned with some instantly memorable melodic threads and pop nuances. Better still is Gardiner’s guitar-playing throughout, proving very much representative of a craftsman who has played and commanded the instrument from a young age. Go here for the Facebook event page for the launch show and stream the EP below.

  • Rave New World (27/3)

    March 27, 2015 - By 

    With Antoin Lindsay still AWOL (he’s ok, though – don’t be panicking and phoning his parents or anything) Aidan Hanratty whittles down the very finest electronic gigs, releases and mixes for this week’s Rave New World GIGS There’s so many gigs this weekend. It’s hard to whittle it down really. Objekt is playing twice – once at Cyprus Avenue in Cork (tonight) and once at Hangar in Dublin (tomorrow, alongside Snakehips and DeFekT), Derrick May is in Dublin tonight, as is George Fitzgerald, while Randomer, Prins Thomas and Mark E all come to town this weekend. In Belfast, residents Defcon and…

  • Bookmark: Joe Lindsay

    March 25, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Bookmark we chat to Belfast broadcaster and DJ Joe Lindsay about some of his all-time favourite books. Photos by May Chan. Lou Reed – Victor Bockris I am a huge fan of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. I couldn’t believe when I started in radio that my first interviewee was to be Victor Bockris. I loved his book Uptight: The Story Of the Velvet Underground and there I was, about to interview him about his new book on Lou Reed. The dark lord of three chords. White noise and black leather. The Velvet Underground opened some many…

  • Roving Eye: The Young Folk in Birmingham

    March 24, 2015 - By 

    In second installment of Roving Eye, Tara Thomas sets out for Birmingham with Dublin alt-folk quartet The Young Folk as they do a tour of coffee shops. Last Monday morning found me catching the red eye to Birmingham to meet with The Young Folk. I had the pleasure of sharing the flight with a still merry stag party who used the forty airborne minutes to relive every moment of their weekend, much to the bemusement of the other passengers. Birmingham is the most densely inhabited city in the UK outside London. A city steeped in innovation and revolution has produced a…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (23/3)

    March 23, 2015 - By 

    In the first of a new weekly feature, Mary Stevens delivers a weekly Visual Arts Outlook, featuring an Stuart Brisley’s Headwinds, an exhibition by Niall de Buitléar and Get In Lane at Belfast’s Catalyst Arts, which refers to “the stifling necessity for graduates to decide on their future direction.” The Mac Belfast Stuart Brisley – Headwinds. Panel Discussion: The Cenotaph Project & The Public Sphere. Thursday March 26 – 7.30 – Booking Required. It’s refreshing to see the Mac opening an academic discussion around the current show Headwinds by Stuart Brisley. This event invites Stuart Brisley, Maya Balcioglu, Dr Sanja Perovic,…

  • Track Record: Lisa Lemur

    March 31, 2015 - By 

    Lisa O’Grady aka Lisa Lemur is a Cork based event promoter, sacred harp singer and musician. She recently organised the International Women’s Day event in Gulpd cafe. Lisa’s eclectic taste ranges from the minimalism of Arthur Russell to the ostentatious Os Mutantes. Photos by Melanie Mullan. Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted Credit goes to my friend Bernadette’s big sister Margaret for introducing us to Pavement when we were sixteen and Slanted and Enchanted had just come out. Blown away beyond belief! A love affair had begun! I remember buying the real tape (after the taped one was wrecked) in Comet records in Cork…