Blossoms live at the Limelight in Belfast with support from Touts. Photos by Ruth Kelly.
-
-
Hammell on Trial live at Cleere’s Bar in Kilkenny. Photos by Ian McDonnell.
-
Hamilton Leithauser live at the Workman’s Club in Dublin. Photos by Aaron Corr.
-
On paper, what about a blues folk concept album dealing with a young Puerto Rican’s perspective of her city and homogenisation of her culture should work? On genre level, it’s far too grand an idea. This almost operatic scope isn’t suited to the gritty sensibilities of folk or blues music. Their key hitters are typically the minor, metaphorical pieces which possess a great deal of power and heft, but which diluted at scale. Even on the thematic level, it shouldn’t work. The loss of and longing for some kind “home” is well-trodden ground, but the metropolitan Hispanic immigrant version doesn’t…
-
Following his support of Bruno Mars at 3Arena on Sunday, April 30, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals will perform a special live PA at Dublin’s Academy. Head’s up: the appearance is a short, three-song set including a DJ set. Still worth it, right? Tickets, which are priced at €26 (inc. booking fee) go on sale Thursday at 10am. Sitting on the fence? Watch this.
-
Formed late last year, Dublin indie-pop quartet Claudia Verdecchia, Shell Dooley, Aoife, Hester and Karima Dillon El-Toukhy AKA Montauk Hotel have hit the ground running via their self-titled debut EP. From opener and lead single ‘Black Dress’ to harmony-driven closer ‘In The Land’, there’s a real earworming charm to the band’s streamlined, chorus-drenched jangle-pop. We expect impressive things from these guys throughout 2017.
-
Ever since the release of their self-titled debut EP (one of our Irish releases of 2015, no less) we’ve been keeping a close eye on Dublin’s Cat Palace. The music-making moniker of David Blaney, his output to date has struck a keen balance between perfectly sardonic social commentary and coded personal revelation, framed by his incredibly listenable brand of darkly alt-folk ruminations. With a band in tow, Blaney has returned with another stellar offering in the form of ‘Peddle It’, a single whose tropical, a e s t h e t i c-soaked visual accompaniment is perfectly at odds with the single’s shadowy tone and…
-
Wicklow based ambient hip-hop duo Gumshoe have returned with ‘Forgotten Weapons’, their fourth release since they breezed into existence last year. The track is another glistening slice of spacious, throbbing electronics and sliced up vocal samples. The pair’s penchant for lush atmosphere is once again on display here as it was on their previous cuts ‘Yom Kippur’ and ‘Ninbasu’. It is accompanied by a suitably trippy and at points unnerving video directed by Sean Gallagher and starring Miriam Keegan. As she ventures through an eery forest, a darkened house and a hallucinatory mental landscape, the haunting flutes and bass create a sizzling…
-
The Choice Music Prize is a pivotal point in the Irish music industry calendar and a celebration of the best of the best of Irish music. Last year’s winner was Derry’s SOAK, who won for her debut, Before We Forgot How to Dream. This year’s awards at Vicar St. was the first time in its history being held in partnership with RTE, and was broadcast live in a special four-hour programme from 7-11pm on RTÉ 2FM, and will be broadcasted on March 18th on RTÉ2 as part of a special RTÉ Choice Music Prize programme. This partnership is a focal point of host…
-
One of our featured 17 for ’17 acts, Dublin quartet Precious, Solbas, Grooves, and Shek AKA Super Silly are the living, breathing definition of an act whose self-belief and natural musical chemistry will undoubtedly guide them to big things. Having only made their live debut in August of last year, the Word Up Collective foursome’s blend of modern RnB, hip-hop, soul, pop and gospel is as slick as it is downright earworming, and nowhere is that more on display than their new single ‘Not Ready to Leave’. Accompanied with a stellar video courtesy of Seán Clancy, the track – is a groove-laden slice…