• Croupier to call it a day

    April 22, 2014 - By 

    Having played a stellar show at We Play Here’s Record Store Day Weekender show on Sunday, Wicklow indie rock band Croupier have announced that they are parting ways at the end of May. After six years together, the band released the following statement regarding their disbandment: “As some people may already know, as of June 2014, Croupier will be coming to an end. It has been a difficult decision to make, however, we feel it is the right moment for us to finish. It’s been an amazing experience in which we have had the opportunity to not only play music as five close…

  • Watch: Cave Ghosts – Come Into My World

    April 22, 2014 - By 

    Released as part of this year’s Record Store Day (and, indeed, Gay) Dublin alt-pop band Cave Ghosts‘ sublime rendering of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Come Into My World’ has more than a touch of Devotion-era Beach House about it. Helping raise funds for Dublin’s Outhouse LGBT Community Centre, the woozy cover was released in the name of Record Store Gay on Saturday. Speaking about the track, the band said, “We wanted to completely reimagine the original song and create a visual accompaniment in the form of a music video. We desired a more lush sound to our previous recordings and achieved this…

  • Ciaran Lavery Announces EP Details

    April 22, 2014 - By 

    Just over a year since the release of his exceptional debut album, Not Nearly Dark, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery has revealed details of his forthcoming new EP, Kosher. Set for release on June 19 at Belfast’s Black Box as part of this years’s Open House Festival, check out the EP’s tracklisting and wonderful artwork by DMC and Ben Connolly of Angel and Anchor below. 1. ‘Left For America‘ 2. ‘Sophomore Rising’ 3. ‘Boxer’ 4. ‘A Ragtime Song’ 5. ‘Orphan’ While you’re here, feel free to stream the jubilant ‘Orphan’ from Lavery’s forthcoming EP via Soundcloud below. Photo by Cathal Goodwin

  • Castlepalooza Announces First Acts

    April 22, 2014 - By 

    An annual fixture at the breathtaking Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Castlepalooza have announced their line-up for 2014. With a handful of acts yet to be announced, Super Furry Animals’ main man Gruff Rhys (pictured), indie-pop duo Summer Camp and Franco-Swiss DJ Gilles Peterson top the bill of acts performing this year. Several Irish acts including Hurdles, We Cut Corners, The Clameens, TVVINS, Affleck and Ships also feature in this year’s line-up. Buy tickets and check out full line-up for the festival – taking place across August 1, 2 and 3 – over at Castlepalooza’s official website. Here’s the launch poster for the festival and…

  • Stream: A Plastic Rose – Someone’s Daughter

    April 21, 2014 - By 

    Currently making waves over in Nottingham, Northern Irish alt-rock quartet A Plastic Rose have unveiled the wonderfully eccentric video for their new single, ‘Someone’s Daughter’. Directed by Tom Coles and Benson Burrows, the video features a strange, friendly robot (related to Johnny Five from Short Circuit, one wonders?), who accompanies a couple of humans before an untimely demise in an abandoned tunnel. Pretty standard stuff, really. The second single from the band’s forthcoming second album Flickering Light Of An Inner War, the track was produced by Chris Coulter. Watch the video for Someone’s Daughter below.

  • Stream: Girl Band – The Cha Cha Cha

    April 21, 2014 - By 

    Quite possibly the shortest track released for this year’s Record Store Day, Dublin four-piece Girl Band have made the brilliantly abrasive burst of noise rock that is ‘The Cha Cha Cha’ available to download for free. Once again evoking the likes of early Pixies and Mclusky/Future of the Left, the twenty-five second track is a fairly accurate summation of the band’s back catalogue to date: frantic, frenetic, breathless and gloriously pulverising in equal proportion. Our only complaint? You guessed it – it’s just that little bit too short. All said and done, we think you should listen to this. So do,…

  • Stream: The Wood Burning Savages – Been Anywhere Lately?

    April 21, 2014 - By 

    Another highlight from this year’s Record Store Day was a rather unexpected single from Derry band The Wood Burning Savages. Having written and recorded it during last week, ‘Been Anywhere Lately?’ was released on Saturday for the annual celebration of independent music stores worldwide. The track sees the Paul Connolly-fronted four-piece jolting straight for the jugular, pounding rhythms and impassioned refrains propelled by dual harmonies and the aforementioned frontman’s rousing tail-telling. In all, yet another subtly seismic clenched fist from the fast-rising Derry act. Stream ‘Been Anywhere Lately?’ via Soundcloud below.

  • Stream: We Cut Corners – Blue (Daithí Remix)

    April 17, 2014 - By 

    “I am not a loner, I’m just alone.” Ahead of headlining our gig/club night, No Tomorrow, at Belfast’s Voodoo on Saturday, May 3, Dublin indie rock duo We Cut Corners have had their track ‘Blue’ masterfully contorted by Galway producer Daithí. Set to feature on We Cut Corners’ forthcoming second album, Think Nothing, the remix of ‘Blue’ is both structurally warped and vocally frenetic, resulting in a brilliant schizoid rendering of the original. Think Nothing is released on April 25 in Ireland) and May 12 in the UK. Believe it or not, our show with We Cut Corners on Saturday, May 3…

  • Watch: Ryan Vail – Grow

    April 15, 2014 - By 

    The latest in a string of wonderful visual accompaniments by the duo, Derry electronic act Ryan Vail have unveiled the surf-inspired video for ‘Grow’. Released as part of the forthcoming EP of the same name – released via May 5 via Champion Sound – the video for the track was created by the interestingly-named Spiceburger. Watch the video below.

  • Derry set for “major” two-day festival

    April 15, 2014 - By 

    As was exclusively revealed by the Derry Journal earlier today, a major two day music festival “will take place in Derry this September”. Although details are few and far between at this early stage, the newspaper reported that “initial local investment [in the festival] amounts to approximately £1,000,000. It is also believed the event will attract well known international bands and singers.” Followed last year’s hugely successful City of Culture drive in Derry/Londonderry, many have wondered if Ebrington Square would see the arrival of a Derry-based showcase or festival in 2014 and beyond. The rumour mill is turning – with the…