• Stream: Sleep Thieves – You Want The Night

    May 14, 2014 - By 

    Taken from the band’s highly-anticipated second studio album, You Want The Night, Dublin electro-pop three-piece Sleep Thieves have really delivered on the release’s title track. With Sorcha Brennan’s entrancing vocals taking centre-stage, Keith Byrne and Wayne Fahy weave a spectral, nocturnal web around the song’s forward-moving rhythms. Sitting side-to-side with the band’s previous single, ‘City of Hearts’, it makes for extremely encouraging stuff. You Want The Night will be released via Minty Fresh records on June 17. Stream the title track from the album below.

  • Forfey Festival announces first twelve acts

    May 14, 2014 - By 

    Now in its ninth year – the year “of the Rex”, no less – Forfey Festival have announced the first dozen acts to play the festival this Summer. With many acts yet to be announced, the first twelve acts confirm to play are The Emerald Armada, Skeletons, Rupture Dogs, RAMS’ Pocket Radio, More Than Conquerors, Joshua Burnside, Hornets, Go Wolf, Ciaran Lavery, Carriages, Bee Mick See and Affleck. Forfey 2014 takes place from Friday, August 1 to Sunday, August 3. Tickets will be available to purchase soon.  

  • Stream: UNKNWN – BBY

    May 14, 2014 - By 

    Having performed at The Great Escape festival last week, electronic duo Chris Hanna and Gemma Dunleavy AKA UNKNWN have released a stream of a transfixing new track, ‘BBY’. The first track to be taken from the double A sided Devil/BBY, the release is available in a limited run of 300 hand stamped 140g blue vinyl which can be ordered here via Champion Sound. Stream ‘BBY’ via Soundcloud below.

  • EP Stream: Astralnaut – Thieves, Beggars and Swine

    May 14, 2014 - By 

    The follow-up to their strong second EP, In The Gaze of the Gods, Nothern Irish stoner rock five-piece Astralnaut are streaming the behemothic triumph that is its follow-up, Thieves, Beggars and Swine. Evoking everyone from Orange Goblin, Fu Manchu and Electric Wizard, the five-track release – driven by blistering riffs, grooves and Pearse Donnelly’s pronouncements – was largely recorded by Alan Hanlon at Hi-Tone Studios and Clark Phillips (Great Northern Productions). It was mixed and mastered by the band and Clark Phillips over the last four months. Stream the EP in full via Soundcloud below.

  • In Photos: Jimi Goodwin @ CQAF

    May 13, 2014 - By 

    With De La Soul playing just around the corner, Doves’ frontman Jimi Goodwin played Belfast’s Black Box on Sunday, May 12 on the closing night of this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Having shot a few other acts for us at the festival over the last few days, Alan Maguire popped along to the show to take photos.  

  • Stream: Enemies – Embrace, Embark remix EP

    May 13, 2014 - By 

    Kilcoole math-rock three-piece Enemies have released a remix EP of tracks taken from their second full length studio album, Embrace, Embark. Released by Heavyweight Records, it features six rather tidy re-imaginings of the likes of ‘Love Unlimited’ and ‘Nighthawks’ by Eoin Whitfield AKA SIATS and James Eager AKA itsallwaves. The original album – the follow-up to the band’s debut album, We’ve Been Talking – was released in May last year. Speaking about the release, Lewis Jackson from the band said, “We wanted to find a way of celebrating the year anniversary of Embark, Embrace. That might come across as a little self indulgent but we all…

  • De La Soul w/ Joe Lindsay @ CQAF

    May 13, 2014 - By 

    Tonight, as the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival sadly draws to its inevitable close, Belfast is fortunate enough to have hip hop royalty De La Soul performing at Custom House Square, ensuring that the festival should go out with a bang. An oldskool hip hop sort of bang, rather. Upon arriving at tonight’ s venue, mingling throngs of hip hop fans old and young line up in eager anticipation of what’s starting to look like a belter of an evening. Through the entrance to the square, there are a few of the usual vendors selling their cold, delicious, life giving, good-time-having beery…

  • First Aid Kit Announce Dublin Show

    May 13, 2014 - By 

    Indie-folk stars First Aid Kit have confirmed a return to Dublin this autumn for a show in the Olympia Theatre. The band will be releasing their third full length album, Stay Gold, on June 10. Tickets for the Swedish duo – performing on September 18 – will cost €25 and go on sale this Friday, May 16 at 9am.