• Watch: Meltybrains? – Green, Yellow & Purple

    January 7, 2014 - By 

    Dublin weirdo/electro-pop five-piece Meltybrains? have long been a band that have piqued our interest. Becoming less a mere curiousity, that interest has blossomed into full-blown excitement with the release of the band’s latest single, the ten-minute ‘Green, Yellow &Purple’. Created by Louise Gaffney (of Come On Live Long, no less), the video for the single is a decidedly tripped-out accompaniment that nicely weaves around the track – a skittered, blissed-out mini-odyssey that forges the eccentric with the stellar in thoroughly confident fashion, unravelling to become something of a prog/electro masterstroke. Immerse yourself in the video below.

  • Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out at Jagbags

    January 8, 2014 - By 

    Whether he likes it or not, Stephen Malkmus is one of the building blocks of indie rock, an essential strand of DNA that manifests itself in certain choices and attitudes towards music that have dominated the agenda since about 1990 or so. And since the messy dissolution of dear, departed Pavement back in 1999, he has more or less done everything he can to distance himself from that role, picking up his guitar, and soloing long into the 21st century, reinventing himself as a kind of Jerry Garcia for the post-Nirvana age. Which, it might generally be assumed, is a…

  • Stream: Francis Lung – A Selfish Man

    January 7, 2014 - By 

    Manchester-based musician and ex WU LYF bassist Tom McClung – not satisfied with having already formed the guitar-pop band Los Porcos since his former band’s split – now steps out under the Francis Lung moniker to deliver catchy, sun-kissed indie-rock. ‘A Selfish Man’ runs for six and a half minutes, yet burns bright for its entirety; no doubt something to do with the uncomfortable truths hidden within: “Abandoning was not the plan/ but I don’t wanna know you/ or wanna understand/ I can let you go/ cause I’m a selfish man“. There are too no doubt several not-so-subtle swipes in…

  • Watch: Little Bear – Night Dries Like Ink

    January 5, 2014 - By 

    Having had an extraordinary 2013, Derry band Little Bear have unveiled the video to their single, ‘Night Dries Like Ink’. Shot and edited by Samuel Steele of Missing Piece Film, the video – shot at the Derry’s Playhouse – is a suitably entrancing accompaniment to the song, the fast-rising Northern Irish band’s debut single on Smalltown America. Buy the ‘Night Dries Like Ink’ double A-Side single as a deluxe transparent green 12″ vinyl here. Watch the video for the song below.

  • Stream: Girl Band – Lawman

    January 6, 2014 - By 

    A cover of Blawan‘s terror-techno ‘Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?’ may not be the most orthodox way for a grunge-rock band to bring themselves to the attention of the blogosphere, but then again ‘orthodox’ isn’t exactly the word that first comes to mind when listening to Dublin quartet Girl Band. They certainly have their influences – fans of Mclusky, Liars, and Metz will want to get on board – but there definitely seems to be something setting the group apart from most modern ‘guitar music’; whether it be the pent up frustration that seeps through their songwriting,…

  • Gig of the Week: Le Galaxie @ Black Box

    January 6, 2014 - By 

    Not only one of our must-see highlights from this year’s Out To Lunch festival, our Gig of the Week is Dublin electronic four-piece Le Galaxie at Belfast’s Black Box on Friday, January 10. If you weren’t fortunate to have caught the guys practically destroy the likes of Forbidden Fruit and Electric Picnic last summer, this show in the relatively intimate surroundings of the Black Box is all but certain to be a hugely memorable consolation. Tickets for the show – priced at £10.00 – are available to purchase right here.

  • 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…

  • Eight Must-See Gigs at Out To Lunch 2014

    January 7, 2014 - By 

    Despite would-be highlight Julian Cope rather laughably jumping ship at the last minute due to “safety fears”, the three-week music and cultural feast that is Belfast’s Out To Lunch festival boasts it strongest and most colourfully diverse line-up to date. Now in its ninth year, we have whittled the fifty odd acts set to perform at this year’s festival down to a mere eight bands and solo artists equally worthy of your time, money and attention throughout the month of January in the very safe city of Belfast. Chris Braniff Is The Young Shadow – The Black Box, Thursday, January 9 1.00pm…

  • The Record #003: Empty Lungs

    January 14, 2014 - By 

    In the third installment of The Record, Liam Kielt tottered along to Belfast’s Start Together Studio to capture alt-punk band Empty Lungs laying down some new songs for a forthcoming release. Have a gander at those shots and Brian Coney’s interview with Kevin Jones from the band below. And once you’re finished, feel free to check out our in-studio pieces with the equally excellent Bouts and Jape! Hi Kev. Liam captured you guys recording at Start Together studio late last year. What were you guys recording and when can we expect to hear it? We were recording two new tracks…