• Godzilla: King of the Monsters

    May 31, 2019 - By 

    The world is ending. And even if politicians don’t know it, blockbuster cinema does. Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the lizard king’s thirty-fifth film and the third in Legendary’s MonsterVerse (sigh) franchise, begins soaked in the visual vocab of disaster. Fire, rain, rubble, and parents screaming the names of buried children. In the background, skydiving trails signal the stand-out set-piece from 2014’s Godzilla, whose domestic drama has been swapped for Vera Farmiga and Kyle Chander’s estranged married couple and their daughter (Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown) dealing with the realities of a post-monster world. Sort of, but not really: King…

  • Mixtape Preview: Bad Reputation @ Oh Yeah Music Centre

    May 31, 2019 - By 

    “A girl can do what she wants to do, and that’s what I’m gonna do.” Not least looking back, these words from Joan Jett’s debut solo single ‘Bad Reputation’ feels something of a mantra for the legendary L.A. musician. Jett — who was born Joan Marie Larkin in Philadelphia in 1958 — has spent the best part of five decades underscoring one indubitable fact: in a male-dominated, prejudice-heavy industry, she stands tall as a feminist rock pioneer whose influence, defiance and autonomy have coalesced to help pave the way for countless other musicians. As Joan Jett saw it, and saw…

  • Aladdin

    May 30, 2019 - By 

    How is it possible for something to be both the same, and less? It’s a curious philosophical achievement Disney have found themselves excelling at since they decided to take their beloved animated properties out of Walt-style cryo-freeze and serve them back up to us, re-animated in flesh and blood. The latest in the mega-corp’s line of live-action simulacrums, Aladdin is a magic carpet ride that never gets off the ground, a weirdly lumpy Arabian Nights retread from Guy Ritchie, the obvious go-to guy for a fun, campy Middle Eastern romance. It’s much the same as you remember: Aladdin (Mena Massoud)…

  • Junior Brother – Pull The Right Rope

    May 29, 2019 - By 

    Imagine Joanna Newsom had gorged on grainy VHS tapes of Richie Kavanagh instead of the modernist compositions of Ruth Crawford Seeger, weaving guitar stabs and tambourine whacks to soundtrack drunken treks through rural Ireland. This verdant picture, brought forward by Kerry bard Junior Brother, glistens to life on his enchanting debut album, Pull the Right Rope, released through Galway’s Strange Brew label. Born and raised just outside of Killarney, the origin story of Junior Brother, the performance name Ronan Kealy nabbed from an early 17th century play he studied in college, is equally as pristine and adventurous as his music.…

  • Preview: Matmos @ Sonic Lab, Belfast

    May 29, 2019 - By 

    Few modern outfits have collaborated and flaunted convention quite as abundantly (or consistently) as Matmos. The San Francisco experimental electronic duo, aka M.C Schmidt and Drew Daniel, have spent the last three decades banging heads together – as well as lining up with the likes of Terry Riley, The Kronos Quartet, David Tibet, the Rachel’s, Lesser, Wobbly, Zeena Parkins, and the Princeton Laptop Orchestra – to carve out an increasingly singular sonic trajectory. At the heart of the duo’s implicit manifesto is a uniquely curveballing and reliably curious M.O: from sampling everything from freshly-cut hair and washing machines to an array of plastic objects, to…

  • Premiere: Sun Mahshene – This Girl I Know

    May 31, 2019 - By 

    Is it towering, climactic psychgaze you’re after? Dublin’s Sun Mahshene has you covered. Out today, ‘This Girl I Know’ is the third single from their forthcoming debut album Contradictions and Tales of Fiction, set for release later this summer through Reckless Records. Its three guitars forging an impenetrable wall of sound, the song oozes Ride-worthy euphoria and the midtempo-swagger of Oasis at their most clamorous – think ‘Columbia’ via Creation Records at the end of a Danny Boyle film – helped in no small part by its production at Darklands Audio, Dublin. You can catch Sun Mahshene play The Thomas House on June 21 with Galants, or at Electric…

  • Platform Q+A: Reevah

    May 29, 2019 - By 

    Across June to September, on the first Thursday of each month, Belfast’s Babel will host a free live music showcase featuring some of the very artists and DJs from across the country. Boasting rooftop views and summer drinks, Platform will feature sets from Katie Richardson aka Hex Hue, Arvo Party and fast-rising Derry artist Roe, with supports to be announced. Kicking off the series on Thursday, June 5th is the dreamy indie-folk stylings of Aoife Boyle aka Reevah. Ahead of the show, we speak to her about new music, growing up in a creative family environment, mining art from uncertainty and more. __ You grew up in…

  • the arts column: June 4th

    June 4, 2019 - By 

    This week sees a host of exhibitions opening across the island of Ireland, with shows in Belfast, Cork, Navan and Dublin; as well as the launch of this year’s Belfast Photo Festival. We’ve details of some of the festival’s highlights below, along with information on four openings happening nationwide. As always, if you have an event, talk, exhibition, or would like to recommend one please get in touch via aidan[at]thethinair.net Exhibition Opening | Platform Arts, Belfast This Thursday (June 6th) sees the opening of a new collaborative exhibition in Belfast’s Platform Arts. Titled Bedeck, the show features the works of David Lunney and Eleanor McCaughey, two artists who…

  • Line-Up For Other Voices Belfast Revealed

    May 28, 2019 - By 

    The line-up for this year’s Other Voices Belfast has been announced. Across June 14-16, the hugely successful Irish musical institution will team up with the 174 Trust to take over The Duncairn for another three days of musical and cultural events. With more to be announced, Snow Patrol, Ryan Vail and Elma Orkestra, The Academic, Joshua Burnside and Roe will all perform at the Duncairn on June 15th. On the same night, Bullitt Hotel will host an OV fringe show, featuring Rebekah Fitch, David C Clements, Arvo Party, New Pagans and Hot Cops. Tickets are only available to win via various social media…

  • Stendhal Announce Second Wave of Acts

    May 28, 2019 - By 

    Stendhal Festival have announced the second wave of acts set to play this year. Returning to Ballmully Cottage Farm in Limavady across August 15-17, the festival have added the likes of Talos, Lisa O’Neill (pictured), New Pagans, Kitt Philippa, Sister Ghost and many more. They join the likes of the already-announced Malojian, Hunkpapa, Basement Jaxx (DJ Set), The Lost Brothers and more. See the new additions in full below. Tickets for this year’s festival are available to buy here.