• Gigs of the week: Slint, Blue Whale, The Charlatans, DJ Food, Squarehead, Deafheaven

    August 12, 2014 - By 

    It’s somewhat of a dow-time for gigs these days, with Electric Picnic looming in just a few weeks, it seems that the smaller shows have dried up just a little bit. That’s not to say that there are not numerous shows taking place right across around the country this week, and we’ve picked out a few that are most definitely worth checking out. Slint, Girl Band – Limelight 2, Belfast; Monday, August 18 Louisville post-rock pioneers Slint make their Belfast debut on Monday, August 18 at Limelight 2. Hands down one of the most influential bands of all time, they will…

  • Jungle – Jungle

    August 11, 2014 - By 

    If the early years of the second decade of the 21st Century are looked back on by culture historians and future mars-dwelling anthropologists, then the most striking thing that hopefully hits them isn’t just our society’s over-reliance on dance bangers and international rappers but also the grey period that alternative music went through. Alt-J, Metronomy and to a lesser extent Future Islands are helping build up a series of strong copyright cases by releasing each other’s songs; weak bladdered knock-offs of LCD Soundsystem which although not terrible, aren’t anything special. Into the fray step Jungle. Jungle starts off promisingly enough.…

  • Stendhal Festival of Art 2014

    August 10, 2014 - By 

    Make no bones about it: the Glasgowbury-shaped hole in the Northern Irish summer festival calendar is indeed a sizable one. But as is equally apparent to those of us in eager search of its successor, it’s all very much a case of one door closes, another door opens. Teetering right on the precipice of ascending to the enviable rank of Northern Ireland’s singular unmissable two-day music and arts festival, Stendhal Festival of Art, with its glorious rural expanse and wonderfully kaleidoscopic eclecticism, is set to do just that this weekend. Here’s how things went down. Held on the barley-bordered fields of Ballymully Farm…

  • Watch: Pere Ubu – Golden Surf II

    August 10, 2014 - By 

    A second single has been released from the upcoming Pere Ubu album, Carnival Of Souls. Since 1975 the band have put out fifteen albums and many other EPs and live releases. The avant garde garage rockers, fronted by the inimitable David Thomas, have never seen commercial success but have consistently pushed into new territory in countless musical genres. ‘Golden Surf II’ is an all-guns-blazing aural assault, featuring the buzzing guitars and unorthodox synth noises that helped Pere Uru build their reputation as one of the most important underground bands of the past 40 years. Watch the video for ‘Golden Surf II’ below. Carnival…

  • Stream: MMOTHS – Santo

    August 8, 2014 - By 

    Conjuring desolate coastline nostalgia and streetlamp-lit, nocturnal traipses, Jack Colleran AKA MMOTHS has really hit home on ‘Santo’, a new five-minute track that has us positively hankering for his forthcoming debut album. Evoking a real submerged quality via washes of darkly, dense synth and masterfully rendered vocals, the track was posted on MMOTHS’ Facebook page with the message: “here’s something new i’ve been working on i know i’ve been quiet but more is coming soon thank you for sticking around x” Stream ‘Santo’ via Soundcloud below.

  • Inside Out

    August 8, 2014 - By 

    Taking place at Belfast’s Arthur Square from August 9 to August 30, Inside Out will see some of the country’s finest musical talent – everyone from Malojian (above) to Sons of Caliber – play a series of free, unplugged gigs. Culminating in a showcase event at City Hall, the gigs will last 45 minutes and take place every Saturday (1pm and 3pm) and Thursday (at 5.30pm) throughout the month of August. Here’s the full line-up and schedule: Malojian: August 9 Silhouette: August 9 Master and Dog: August 14 Zarah Fleming: August 16 The Hardchangers: August 16 Wookalily: August 21 Silences: August 23 Linley Hamilton: August 23 Emerald Armada: August 28…

  • Watch: GANGS – Daisy

    August 8, 2014 - By 

    Taken from their forthcoming debut EP, Back To School, Dublin quartet GANGShave unveiled the rather touching video for their single, ‘Daisy’. An impressively-shot, black-and-white visual accompaniment to the track, it was directed by Gansee Films and shot in Dublin. Back to School will be released via Reekus Records on September 26 (October 6 in the UK). GANGS play Derry’s Sandinos on August 15 and Belfast’s QUBSU the following night. Watch the video for ‘Daisy’ below.  

  • Watch: Skymas – Build

    August 8, 2014 - By 

    Having been steadily established themselves on the live circuit over the last few months, Belfast electronic trio Skymas have released a new track, ‘Build’. The follow-up to their Primer EP – released in October last year – the track is a typically gyration-inducing, rhythmically propulsive effort; main man Martin Corrigan’s refrain, “They give you tools to build your own prison. These are the walls with which you live in.” burrowing right into the inner ear and lingering long after the song’s five minutes. Watch the video to the track below.