• First Acts Announced for Quarter Block Party 2017

    December 15, 2016 - By 

    Set to make its third annual outing, Quarter Block Party have revealed its first waves of acts set to play various venues in Cork’s North and South Main Street from February 3-5. Presented by Makeshift Ensemble and Southern Hospitality Board, and supported by Cork City Council and The Arts Council, the grassroots, DIY festival will host Naive Ted, Ian Whitty, Sky, Horse and Death, Sissy, Wastefellow, Crevice, Mira Fuchs, part lecture, part choreographic exposition Now Then: A Prologue. This year there will also be a Poetry Machine, a ladder making workshop, a community dinner party, and a nature tour of the…

  • Bon Iver Set To Headline and Curate at Forbidden Fruit 2017

    December 15, 2016 - By 

    Having returned in style back in September with 22, A Million, it’s been announced that Bon Iver will headline and curate the Monday line-up of next year’s Forbidden Fruit festival on June 5. Taking place, as ever, on the grounds of the Irish Museum of Modern Art at The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Justin Vernon’s bill will feature special guests Flying Lotus, Lisa Hannigan, The Staves, Gordi and Paul Thomas Saunders, with more to be announced in the new year. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Monday, December 19 priced €59.50 including booking fee. Limited Early Bird Tickets for Forbidden Fruit…

  • Premiere: Strength NIA – 1956 Olympics

    December 15, 2016 - By 

    Their first single as Strength NIA, ‘1956 Olympics’ by the Derry band formerly known as Strength is a song inspired by ‘Creggan Shops‘ by Australian band The Shifters. Rory Moore, frontman from Strength NIA, said, “None of the Shifters have ever been to Derry or Northern Ireland for that matter but I believe they have written one of the finest Northern Irish songs to date. Our song is a response to the ‘Creggan Shops’ as I’m originally from Creggan and I felt compelled to write it after hearing this cynical pop gem.” Strength NIA will release their debut album next September. With all…

  • Watch: Christmas on Castletown Rd

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    Filmed in a rehearsal space on the Castletown Road in Dundalk over a few months this year, Christmas on Castletown Rd. is very easily one of the best things to land in our inbox in 2016. In fact, we deem it something of an early Christmas present, brimming with some stupendous sounds and a production style we could watch, very happily, for forever and a year. Featuring the likes of Robocobra Quartet, Jink Lennon, Elephant, Bleeding Heart Pigeons and Sophie Coyle, the production was directed by Graham Patterson and involved several others, namely, Mark Finnegan, Conor Taaffe, Mark Sheridan, Gavin Murray and…

  • Stream: No Monster Club – Start The Carvery

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    Having released both I Feel Magic back in February (one of our favourite Irish records of the year, no less) and their Where Did You Get That Milkshake? EP in October, it’s safe to say Dublin indie maestros par excellence No Monster Club have earned some end-of-year downtime. But before reaching for the crackers and sherry, Bobby Aherne and co. have offered us a little yuletide parting gift in the form of ‘Start The Carvery’, a wonderfully (and typically) virulent slice of festive song from the Popical Island bunch. Check that out below and hit up the band’s episode of New Jersey musical webseries Do…

  • Video Premiere: Malojian – This Is Nowhere (Aren’t You Lonely)

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    The title track from the band’s stellar, Steve Albini-produced, Northern Ireland Music Prize-nominated third album, ‘This Is Nowhere’ by Malojian confines within its three and a half minutes precisely what has always enthralled us when it comes to the Belfast band’s craft. As with many of the tracks on This Is Nowhere – which is available to buy now via Kilkenny’s mighty Rollercoaster Records – this is music that is born when the soul seeks solace through song in a world that doesn’t always reciprocate the simple hopes and wishes of good people. Featuring footage shot both at home, but mainly at Albini’s Electrical…

  • Watch: Franklyn – Friends

    December 12, 2016 - By 

    Having played a pretty emphatic Thin Air Tuesday Throwdown at Lavery’s in Belfast back in October, Franklyn – a fast-rising quartet comprised of members of General Fiasco and The Jane Bradfords – have been drip-feeding a series of punchy, earworming singles since forming in late 2015. Set for release as part of a double a-side with ‘Tongue Tied’ via No Dancing on January 13, new single ‘Friends’ is a sublime slice of bobbing, Bombay Bicycle Club-esque indie-pop confronting one of the shittier, seemingly unavoidable aspects of getting older: the unreliability and disappearance of (some) one-time good friends. Check out Declan Gallen’s video for…

  • Preview: Across The Line at 30

    December 10, 2016 - By 

    Long a bastion of promoting the very best in Irish music, North and South, weekly BBC Radio Ulster programme Across The Line celebrated its 30th birthday in style with a special live show at Belfast’s Ulster Hall back in September. Featuring performances from The Divine Comedy, SOAK, Therapy?, Villagers, R51 and Saint Sister, the event was both broadcast live on the long-running BBC Radio Ulster show on the night. Now, three months later, a 70-minute celebration of ATL, Across The Line at 30, will air on BBC One Northern Ireland on Monday, December 12 at 10.40pm. Presented by Colin Murray…

  • The Jesus and Mary Chain Set For Irish Shows

    December 9, 2016 - By 

    Having just confirmed their first album in 18 years, Damage and Joy, The Jesus and Mary Chain have announced they play Dublin’s The Academy on Friday, April 7 and Belfast’s Limelight on Saturday, April 8. The Scottish indie legends last Dublin back in July 2014 at Vicar Street as part of a warm-up tour ahead of shows celebrating their seminal 1985 debut album Psychocandy. Slightly further back in time, the band last stopped off in Belfast in September 1987 for a show at the Ulster Hall. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, December 13 at 10am. Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images

  • EP Stream: Gnarkats – Waves Collide

    December 8, 2016 - By 

    Belfast-based indie rockers Gnarkats have just released their debut EP proper, Waves Collide. With sonic touchstones including anthemic, yet stilted alt. rock in the vein classic Biffy Clyro or Foals, a touch of the sharp, hook-laden Bangor sound made famous by Two Door Cinema Club, through to the guitar-led tonal bliss of recent ASIWYFA, it’s a more carefully crafted follow-up to their garagey early tunes. Never short on atmosphere or tone, the EP was tellingly produced by Mojo Fury’s Michael Mormecha at Millbank Studios. With this behind them, the young foursome look to have an exciting year ahead. Stream Waves Collide below: