• Video Premiere: Best Boy Grip – Molecular Individuals

    Having already received support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music, ‘Molecular Individuals’ by Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip is a track perfectly typical of the Derry musician’s ever-ambitious sonic scope. Summoning the likes of Talking Heads, The Books, Peter Gabriel and LCD Soundsystem – and that’s just touching the surface – it’s a masterfully giddy, wonderfully polychromatic effort that confines within its three-and-a-half-minutes O’Callaghan’s serious multi-instrumentalist flair. Heard the new Beck album yet? This one track is ten times better than that. Take note, Hansen. The track is out via Amelia Records now. Buy it…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 50 Irish Releases of 2015 (50-41)

    Ahead of our annual Top 100 Irish Tracks of the Year countdown later this month, we’re counting down our Top 50 Irish Releases of 2015 (that is to say EPs and albums) every day this week. And rather than giving the game away too soon, we’ve opted for the age-old descending option, starting with 50-41. Dig in. 50. Screamingparent – The Completist Back in April, Dudley Colley of Dublin’s Dudley Corporation AKA Screamingparent released his ten-track debut of “spare-room recorded bedroom classics”. Call it his first solo “misadventure”, it was recorded in between school runs and nappy changes. True story: The Guardian SC somewhere…

  • Premiere: Wake America – Government Said

    When he’s not making truly wonderful music as Best Boy Grip, Derry singer-songwriter Eoin O’Callaghan is channeling another side to his broad alt-pop wizardry as Wake America. Taking from Silly Boy – his forthcoming debut EP in this guise – we’re very pleased to premiere ‘Government Said’, a track that falls very, very comfortably the impossibly infectious bracket. One listen and you’ll be hooked – mark our words. Written, produced, mixed and mastered by O’Callaghan, watch the video for the new single (featuring footage from Cosmos: War of The Planets) below. You can catch Wake America in Lavery’s Belfast on Tuesday, December 15 with Guillem…

  • Best Boy Grip – Best Boy Grip

    “You’ve been getting it on with the boys in the neighbourhood, and now it seems you’re all alone, living in shame…” As he sings those words on signature tune ‘Barbara’, a crafty, catchy ditty about a promiscuous woman, Derry-based singer, songwriter, guitarist and piano man Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip, is making a powerful statement, not just in the song itself, but for the gist and wit of his written word in his self-titled debut album. His lyrics come across as a mixture of the mildly satirical and the genuinely sorrowful. Along with numerous memorable melodies, sometimes merry, sometimes miserable, they…

  • Album Premiere: Best Boy Grip – Best Boy Grip

    Four years on from utterly bewitching us with singles including ‘Monster and Me’ and ‘You’, Derry singer-songwriter Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip is on the brink of unveiling his highly-anticipated, self-titled debut album via Amelia Records. Having trailblazed the PledgeMusic campaign to see its release, we’re delighted to present an exclusive first listen to the release; eleven truly majestic, genre-warping tracks brimming with O’Callaghan’s inimitable flair of conviction, heart and extraordinary musicianship. With a full review of the album to come very soon, check it out – as well as forthcoming Best Boy Grip tour dates – below. October 1: Bad…

  • Watch: Best Boy Grip – Can’t Buy Love, Son

    The latest in a string of Irish singer-songwriters to wisely wander down the road of crowd-funding, Derry’s Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip aims to released his forthcoming debut album on September 7. The latest track to be released from the album, the impassioned and swooning ‘Can’t Buy Love, Son’ perfectly captures the essence of the project, hinting – alongside the previously released ‘Sharks‘ and ‘Cops‘ – at something really special in the works. Having already achieved his Pledge goal, there’s still 55 days to contribute. Like what you hear? You can do so here.

  • Line-up announced for inaugural Output showcase

    With just over a fortnight to wait, the line-up for the inaugural Output have been announced. Northern Ireland’s largest ever one-day conference and showcasing event, taking place throughout Belfast’s city centre and Cathedral Quarter on Thursday, October 16, it will see a series of free talks, workshops and pop-up gigs, attending by around 350 artists, businesses and creative students. We’re very happy to be involved, too. Teaming up with tastemaker par excellence Niall Byrne AKA Nialler9, we will host a most awesome showcase in the Black Box main room with Cork psych rock five-piece Altered Hours (pictured), Dublin electronic duo Contour, Derry…

  • Exclusive EP stream: Best Boy Grip – Runaway

    Ahead of its official release on Monday, October 21, we have an exclusive stream of Runaway, the new EP by Derry singer-songwriter Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip. The follow-up to his terrific second EP The Clerk – released back in January – O’Callaghan’s new release shows marked progression from the songwriter whilst retaining his hallmark melodic flourishes. The artwork for the EP features an illustration of a breathing device patented in 1892 that supplies a hotel guest and/or fireman with fresh air until he can be rescued in the event of a fire. Lovely. Stream the EP via Bandcamp…

  • Ebrington Square set for free concert

    Having proved itself to be one of the country’s best outdoor urban festival sites at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Derry’s Ebrington Square will host a free concert as part of the Music City celebrations on Friday June 21. Taking place between 4pm and 11pm, Sounds from this City vs. Sounds from Cities on the Edge Festival will stage to two arenas. Whereas The Sound from this City arena will host some of the most promising emerging and established bands and musicians from the city including Little Bear, Ryan Vail (pictured), Best Boy Grip, Wyldling, The Clameens, Wonder Villains, The Wood Burning…