• The Thin Air Presents: Solar Bears, Ryan Vail and Blue Whale @ Voodoo

    January 6, 2014 - By 

    Oh boy, are we excited for this one! Currently writing material for their third album, Dublin electronic duo Solar Bears will headline our next showcase at Belfast’s Voodoo Bar on Saturday, March 22. Having released the exquisite Supermigration last year and recently signed a published deal with Warp, the two-piece’s DJ set will follow sets from Derry electronic twosome Ryan Vail and Belfast-based jazz-punk quartet Blue Whale – two of the finest acts of their respective genres currently based in Northern Ireland. Doors at 8.30pm, door tax is £8.00 (pay at the door). Go here for the Facebook event page…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2013 (35-1)

    December 30, 2013 - By 

    Sixty-five increasingly exceptional songs in, we’re pleased to round up our first ever countdown of the Top 100 Irish Tracks of the year. Truth be told, this list could have been much, much longesear – such was the extent and quality of the output from our homegrown musical talent over the last twelve months. From unassuming bedroom artists treading the often very thin line between absolute anonymity and mass recognition to genre-defining, decades-spanning bands that fall comfortably under “legendary” status, we’ve been very happily bombarded with some truly extraordinary Irish music over the last year. Until next time… listen, enjoy…

  • Enablers, Blue Whale, Selaah @ Voodoo, Belfast

    November 16, 2013 - By 

    Five years on from wowing a close-knit assembly at Lavery’s Bunker, one of the most distinctive post-rock bands of a generation return to the Belfast tonight dogged and purposeful despite founding guitarist Joe Goldring having his guitar stolen in Dublin the night before. Founded in 2004 and fronted by poet and spoken word artist Pete Simonelli, San Francisco’s Enablers are all but an act unto themselves, their thoroughly immersive brand of abrasive yet introspective instrumentalism propelled by a masterful confrontational voice that just about guarantees special things on the stage time and time again. Kicking off proceedings in typically inimitable fashion…

  • Gig of the week: Enablers, Blue Whale and Selaah @ Voodoo

    November 5, 2013 - By 

    Just over five years on their resounding show at Laverys Bunker, Calfornian post-rock quartet Enablers’ show at Voodoo on Friday, November 8 is our gig of the week. Featuring the poetry and spoken word of frontman Pete Simonelli, the band are renown for their intense and altogether idiosyncratic live performances – think Slint meets Jack Kerouac. Better still, off the back of the release of 2011’s Blown Realms And Stalled Explosions, one of post-rock’s finest musicians, Doug Scharin – formerly of Codeine, HiM, June of 44, Rex and Mice Parade – is the band’s current drummer. Support on the night comes from…

  • The Thin Air launch w/ Mojo Fury and more

    June 3, 2013 - By 

    Back in May we launched The Thin Air at Belfast’s Voodoo bar. Not only did Mojo Fury perform their debut album in full, Blue Whale, Vanilla Gloom and PigsAsPeople provided totally kickass support, ensuring a totally unforgettable night and a truly excellent way to kickstart The Thin Air. Two hundred people turned up on the night. It was loud, it was sweaty and it was captured by the upstanding gentleman (and indeed scholar) that is Joe Laverty. Thanks to Joe’s superb filming on the night and the top-drawer editing skills of his friend and fellow Seven Summits bandmate Dominic Coyle, the following Thin Air Launch Party video came into…

  • In Review: Culture Night Belfast 2013

    September 23, 2013 - By 

    With the dust having settled on just about one of the most absorbing nights of art, culture and music that Belfast has ever seen, we gather the thoughts and verdicts of various people who experienced Culture Night Belfast 2013. If the following short selection impressions and opinions isn’t a glowing testament to the power and need for such an annual event, what is? Congratulations to all the participants, organisers and volunteers. We can’t wait for next year already. Andrew Lemon, The Thin Air reviews editor and freelance music writer: “The official attendance figure for this year’s Culture Night stands at 42,000. It’s impressive…

  • In Photos: Culture Night Belfast 2013

    September 21, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of our feature review on Monday, we present a wonderful selection of photographer Joe Laverty’s shots of this year’s Culture Night Belfast. With 250 events taking popping up in 70+ venues across the city to thousands of people, it turned out to be a totally kaleidoscopic exposé of art, music and culture – undoubtedly the annual event’s best outing to date. Check out Joe’s photos below and make sure to check to read our review!

  • Culture Night Belfast: Ten Must-See Events

    September 20, 2013 - By 

    With 250 events set to take place across 100+ to over 30,000 people this evening, it’s safe to say we’re spoiled for choice at this year’s Culture Night Belfast. With an understandable leaning towards the more musical end of the spectrum, we have scratched our heads to no end to whittle down the plethora of happenings to a mere decad worthy of your consideration. See you in the streets, rooftops, cathedrals, etc. 1. 101 Sessions Some of Belfast’s finest musicians will quite literally congregate at the wonderfully intimate church on 101 Donegall Street from 7.00pm. As well as music from…

  • Blue Whale – Blue Whale EP

    September 20, 2013 - By 

    Having released three wonderfully wayward “in the studio” live tracks last year Belfast-based four-piece Blue Whale are steadily earning their stripes as one of the country’s most thoroughly forward-thinking bands of a generation. Almost exclusively instrumental in nature, their wonderfully unorthodox brand of hook-filled jazz-punk betrays a collective mentality to stretch the confines of standard deviation, with fun (and having it) unmistakably at that mentality’s root. The question remains, however: how accurately does their four-track self-titled debut EP capture the sheer energy and ingenuity of their live shows? Opening on teasing lead single ‘Was’, there is an immediate sense of transition…

  • Watch: Blue Whale – Was

    September 9, 2013 - By 

    Belfast jazz-punk quartet Blue Whale have released the video for ‘Was’, the lead single from their forthcoming self-titled EP. Crated by Stuart Sloan, the video splices footage of the band performing the track with an array of contorted, skittering, warped images. The band’s self-titled EP will be releaesd on 7″ vinyl on Friday, September 20 at Culture Night Belfast, when the band will be performing a “rooftop tour” in the City Centre from 4-8pm followed by their EP launch party in St. Anne’s Car Park at 10pm. Watch the video for ‘Was’ Below.