• Serving Punk: An Interview with Problem Patterns

    November 20, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of the release of their debut LP Blouse Club and winning Best Video at the Northern Ireland Music Prize, Jack Rudden speaks with Belfast queer punks Problem Patterns about politics, representation and fancy blouses Photos by Sean McMahon Political frustration, an insatiable hunger for justice and pure unabashed cheek are the weapons of choice for Belfast punks Problem Patterns. Formed in 2018 in the wake of a high-profile rape trial, the four-piece has spent years espousing calls for collective action and solidarity amongst oppressed peoples with their distinct brand of abrasive, infectiously catchy and unforgivingly queer hardcore.…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 10th November

    November 10, 2023 - By 

    Delve into the very best new singles and albums of the week from Pillow Queens, David Holmes, John Francis Flynn, Phil Kieran, Alpha Chrome Yayo and more Pillow Queens – Suffer David Holmes – Blind on a Galloping Horse David Holmes ft. Raven Violet – ‘Blind On A Galloping Horse’ by David Holmes Rachael Lavelle – Big Dreams Big Dreams by Rachael Lavelle Phil Kieran – The Strand Cinema Live Nealo, Morgana, Uly, Rach – Cereal Alpha Chrome Yayo – Heart Engine Heart Engine by Alpha Chrome Yayo Two Nice Catholic Boys – Never Wonder John Francis Flynn – Kitty…

  • Naoise Roo – Emotionally Magnificent

    November 10, 2023 - By 

    Having emerged as one of the most unique singer-songwriters in the Irish music scene with her debut album, Lilith, Naoise Roo is back with her follow-up Emotionally Magnificent. This time around, we find the Dublin-raised, Belfast-based artist at her most open and progressive. The 11-track LP delves into themes surrounding depression, public perceptions of women with mental illness and the complexities of the music industry itself. Naoise Roo’s voice has already been compared to one PJ Harvey. This is evident from opening track ‘Sick Girlfriend’, her deep voice quivering with emotion during the voices but soaring during the hook over…

  • Tandem Felix – There’s a New Sheriff in Town

    November 8, 2023 - By 

    A funky yet melancholic guitar melody moodily introduces There’s a New Sheriff in Town, the second album by Tandem Felix – a Dublin-based project of David A. Tapley in collaboration with producer Stephen Dunne. Bathing in an expansive ocean of shoegazey dream pop, the album opens with ‘Finger on the Button’, paving the way for the arioso sound to follow. The title track ‘There’s a New Sheriff in Town’ boasts a sound reminiscent of Beach House, while standing firmly in bestowing its unique sensibility.  The nine-track album exemplifies the progression of Tandem Felix as a project since their debut Rom-Com,…

  • Radical Optimism Above All: An Interview with David Holmes

    November 8, 2023 - By 

    Ahead of the release of his most fully realised record to date, Blind on a Galloping Horse, Belfast torchbearer David Holmes talks radical optimism, Weatherall, self-awakening, signing to Heavenly and really making it count Artwork by Jimmy Turrell Photos by Steve Gullick Whoever coined “there aren’t enough hours in the day” might not have bothered if they were up on David Holmes. Lauded producer, generation-spanning DJ and soundtrack composer par excellence is the brief but it only grazes the surface of a trailblazer who has packed in more than most. Three sprawling decades in, it’s a journey that hits like…