• 17 For ’17: DIE HEXEN

    February 3, 2017 - By 

    Extending from the north of Ireland to the east of Asia, the scope of DIE HEXEN – spatially, temporally, and ideologically – is vast and fascinating, executed in a fashion that marks this enigma of performance art apart from any other musician in the country. DIE HEXEN defies definition or categorisation, an identity and an idea constantly in flux. It’s a marriage of western and eastern concepts; of the unique post-World War II Japanese art theatre, Butoh, the dance of darkness; of myriad twentieth century cinematic, musical and pop-cultural influences; of personal experience and wilful passion. We’ve had glimpses of…

  • Joshua Burnside – Ephrata

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    Experimental singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside has announced the release of his debut album after a few years of silence. Ephrata is due to come out on May 5 through Quiet Arch Records – home also of Ciaran Lavery, Ryan Vail & Tucan – and was written allegedly during a creative spurt in Colombia. His only prior EP, If You’re Goin’ That Way was released in 2013. Despite Burnside playing most instruments on the album, it features a variety of recognisable local collaborators and producers throughout. Stream first single, ‘Tunnels Pt. 2’: Joshua Burnside launches Ephrata at the Duke of York on Sunday, April 30, with support from Alana…

  • Watch: Fionn Regan – The Meetings of the Waters

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    What better way to make a long-awaited return than with a faultless new song and video featuring none other than Cillian Murphy? Having recently been sampled by Bon Iver on ‘00000 Million’, Fionn Regan‘s sublime, slow-burning ‘The Meetings of the Waters’ is the title track from his forthcoming fifth studio album, which is set for release on April 14. To say we’re excited about what the full-length has in store might a bit of an understatement. Get acquainted with the new release from the Wicklow singer-songwriter right below.

  • F Festival 2017

    February 3, 2017 - By 

    A free, multifaceted festival aimed at generating visibility and equality for women in the arts, F Festival will return to various venues in Dublin for its second annual outing on March 11. With the daytime schedule set to see an array of art, talks and workshops transform the likes of Generator, The Back Loft and Temple Bar Gallery, venues including Sin E, Mother, Gypsy Rose, Grand Social, The Mercantile and more will host “hefty riffs and dirty disco beats” from the likes of Laoise, Kevyn, Vernon Jane, Leila Jane & The Healers, My Fellow Sponges, Pillow Queens and more to be announced. Go…

  • Loving

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    I could probably relate Loving quite easily to the colossal shitstorm currently raging in the United States as a result of the rise to power of the man Dan Savage memorably calls ‘Orange Julius Caesar’. I could tease out the parallels between the mid-twentieth century America of Loving, in which laws are used to deny peoples’ humanity, and Trump’s new playground. But that’s a rant best suited to Twitter, or maybe the pub. In any case, Loving offers a much more convincing and compassionate response to the politics of hate than me and my bleeding heart, wringing hands and jerking…

  • ASIWYFA’s Chris Wee on an Irish DnB Institution’s 11th Birthday @ Voodoo

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    The preservation of club nights and music scenes has long been a vital fabric at the heart of any city. For many of us, some of our fondest memories and most formative of years are down to the nights we went to and the venues that inhabited them. In today’s shaky climate it takes the most tenacious of gig promoter to overcome the social media overload and the general gig goer apathy to get people through the door. Many aspiring promoters have appeared and been quickly swallowed by the lack of enthusiasm for anything beyond a few drinks in a…

  • Martin A. Egan Tribute Gig

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    In November 2015 we lost a wonderful and powerful presence on the Irish music and literature scenes, Martin A. Egan – singer, songwriter, poet, artist and all-round visionary. On March 3 at the Bello Bar in Dublin, some of Martin‘s friends and family will get together to pay tribute to him with music and words. The event will also serve as a launch for Martin‘s magnificent final album, A Man in Full. The line-up for the event will include Carol Keogh, Brian Conniffe, Brian Damage & Krysstal, Will Merriman, Tommy Keane, Ben Prevo, Sean Millar, Davóg Rynne, Robin James Hurt, Ruairi…

  • Droids – Vessels EP

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    After a break of several years, Derry riffers Droids release their new EP, Vessels, on March 27. Recorded at Smalltown America Studios over the last few years, it’s a long time coming after their excellent, raw eponymous debut EP in 2012. Stream the first track to be unveiled from the EP, ‘Burn Down’: Vessels by Droids

  • EP Stream: The 202s – Up In Thin Air

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    The 202s are a warm jumper of a band. Their sound is instantly familiar no matter which angle you approach it from, yet still comfortable and always enjoyable. Their specific brand of pop draws from a Bassetts assorted mix of music lover treats. Be it the Zero 7 ambience, the post-punk baritone vocals, those rock solid krautrock beats, the Yo La Tengo gentility or the glorious Kinks inflected melodies, all of the different sources trickle into the soundscape and provide a surprisingly large amount of enjoyment for even a casual pop culture obsessive. They’re the kind of group whose every…