• Out To Lunch Arts Festival 2014 Line-up Revealed

    December 4, 2013 - By 

    Boasting appearances from acts and people as diverse as ventriloquist Nina Conti, Irish novelist Edna O’Brien and multi-faceted English rock musician Julian Cope (above), the line-up for the ninth annual Out To Lunch Festival has been announced. Taking place from January 2 to January 26, the annual Belfast festival of music, arts and culture will commence with Scala Strings at The Black Box on Thursday, January 2 and conclude with the closing day of an exhibition by Julian Friers titled In Concert. There’s dozens of fantastic shows on throughout the festival’s three-week stint, all of which (including ticket bookings) you can…

  • London Grammar, Go Wolf @ Limelight, Belfast

    December 5, 2013 - By 

    London Grammar are what you’d call a success story. An indie band that had nothing whatsoever in terms of recorded output this time last year now find themselves with a number two debut album, a top 20 single and a near-sell out UK tour under their belts. This kind of instant and successful leap into the collective conscience is, presumably, what we refer to when we talk about bands ‘making it’ – and it just so happens that tonight’s support act is a band from Northern Ireland who have been tipped for big things themselves. Whilst Go Wolf‘s style couldn’t…

  • Fionnaula Fagan’s Dreaming Protected Me at the MAC

    December 3, 2013 - By 

    On Friday, December 6, sound and installation artist Fionnuala Fagan will present Dreaming Protected Me at Belfast’s The Mac. An evocative and thought-provoking performance, it shares the extraordinary experiences and insights of six people who have lived through either the Bosnian conflict or the Northern Irish troubles, via newly composed songs, voiceovers and visuals. For the premier of this production, Fionnuala will be joined on-stage at the MAC by musicians, Clare Galway, Patrick Davy and Una McCann, with visual designs by video artist, Conan McIvor. This evening also marks the launch of the double-disc album of the work. Go here…

  • Video exclusive: Ed Zealous – Telepaths

    December 3, 2013 - By 

    Belfast-based electro-indie four-piece Ed Zealous having gave us an exclusive first look at their DIY video for their new single ‘Telepaths’ – and what a visual delight it is they’ve come with. Speaking about the video, the band’s drummer Paul Irwin said “We wanted to see what we could come up with having absolute zero budget, so we found an old warehouse full of strange lights and props, brought in a console and lit ’em up!” With the single itself released back in November, ‘Telepaths’ will feature on Ed Zealous’ forthcoming eagerly anticipated debut album, Wired – set for released…

  • Gig of the week: Protex, Start Stop Start Again and more @ Black Box, Belfast

    December 2, 2013 - By 

    Presented by three Belfast independent record labels – Time To Be Proud, Punkerama and Scarred For Life Records – our gig of the week this is week is a special charity show at Black Box on Saturday, November December 7 headlined by legendary Belfast punk band Protex. With all proceeds going to children with cancer, the show will also feature sets from Stop Stop Start Again, Shock Treatment, 3D Shark and Mohican Jack. Ryan Fitzimmons from Sunglasses After Dark will also be performing a DJ set. at the show, which doubles up as the official release of the Punkerama Charity Single for…

  • The First Time: Steven McCool (Little Bear)

    December 2, 2013 - By 

    In the latest installment of The First Time, we ask Steven McCool from Derry band Little Bear to divulge the “firsts” of his music listening, loving and making life. Thanks, as ever, to the upstanding and excruciatingly talented Joe Laverty for the wonderful accompanying portrait photo of Steven. Nice, isn’t it? Check out more of Joe’s photography right here. First album you bought? Excluding the dodgy rave tapes that I bought from the local market, I think it might have been Radiohead – Pablo Honey, and/or Gomez – Bring It On.   First single you bought? The Hed Boys – ‘Girls…

  • Batman: Arkham Origins (Warner Bros., Multiformat)

    December 2, 2013 - By 

    You have to feel sorry for the residents of Gotham City. Since the construction of this fearsome metropolis they have contended with a motley crew of sadistic crimelords, drug-addicted luchadores and a seemingly limitless array of mutants. House prices there must be dirt cheap because the city has a death count higher than those of Ramsay Street, Albert Square and Emmerdale combined. It is, as any geek knows, troubled billionaire Bruce Wayne’s burden to protect Gotham from the evil forces threatening to tear it apart. Since the tragic death of his parents he has driven himself to the edge of…

  • Video exclusive: Our Krypton Son – Can’t Make You Come Back

    December 2, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of the its release on December 16, we have an exclusive first look at the video for ‘Can’t Make You Come Back’ by Derry singer-songwriter Chris McConaghy AKA Our Krypton Son. Created by videographer Tristan Crowe, the video features McConaghy leading an isolated existence, contemplative and longing, ruing the void left by the song’s subject matter. A perfectly appropriate visual accompaniment to a song imbued with McConaghy’s instantly recognisable, masterfully melancholic songwriting style. ‘Can’t Make You Come Back’ will be released via Smalltown America on December 16. Watch the video for it below.

  • Download: Aaron Shanley – Bedroom Tapes: Swiss Cottage Teal Roses

    December 2, 2013 - By 

    Lisburn lo-fi acoustic singer-songwriter Aaron Shanley has unveiled a new nine-track “bootleg” release, Bedroom Tapes: Swiss Cottage Teal Roses. Ahead of a fully-recorded studio release in the pipeline, Shanley said the release featured “generally unheard stuff that won’t ever be recorded again or featured on future albums” and ranges from the brilliantly understated – ‘Dear No One’ and the Death Cab For Cutie-esque ‘I Hope So, Laura’-  to more buoyant tracks including ‘She’s So Easy To Hold’ and ‘Trouble’, a track that evokes the heartfelt Americana of Foy Vance. Stream (or pay what you like for) Bedroom Tapes: Swiss Cottage Teal Roses below.