• Mortal Kombat X (Warner Bros., Multiformat)

    June 19, 2015 - By 

    And so, we return once again to the age-old question: just how far is “too far”? Most scholars agree that one of the central tenets of art in all its forms is to be transgressive, to challenge tightly held mores and prejudices in order to push society, willing or not, in a healthier, freer direction. However, this drive towards progressiveness should always be counterbalanced by the caveat that upsetting the apple cart often leads to a lot of bruised apples. In less oblique terms, at what point does a piece of art stop being thought provoking and instead become merely…

  • The Best of Belfast Illustration Exhibition

    June 18, 2015 - By 

    Featuring work from the likes of Oliver Jeffers, Mark Reihill, Martina Scott, Jacky Sheridan and many more, Mashmob will present The Best of Belfast Illustration at their new gallery at Belfast’s 37-39 Queen St. on Thursday, June 25. The first exhibition in the new space, it will feature various illustrations by establish and new local talent. The night will double up with Mashmob hosting Loft Belfast’s monthly Drink and Draw (BYOB but they’ll provide some too) event, with prizes for the best drawings, as kindly sponsored by InkMonkey. See below for the full list of illustrators on display and go…

  • Smalltown America All Dayer #6

    June 18, 2015 - By 

    Held in association with yours truly, Derry’s Smalltown America Records will host and stream live its sixth All Dayer on Friday, July 31. Three years on from the label’s last All Dayer – featuring the likes of More Than Conquerors, General Fiasco and Fighting With Wire – this year’s outing will feature Northern Irish acts Rosseau, Freak’s, Small Hawk Orchestral, PigsAsPeople, Humanshield, Clanns, Lost Avenue and Paisley rock three-piece Carnivores. Capacity for the streamed/filmed, all-ages event – which takes place at STA’s HQ at 6 Bay Road, Industrial Estate from 5pm on the day – is limited. Tickets – which cost £1o – can be purchased here.…

  • Track Record: Swimmers

    June 19, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Niall Jackson and Barry MacNeill from Dublin band Swimmers reveal and talk about their all-time favourite records, including the likes of Neil Young, Pixies, The Redneck Manifesto and Michael Jackson. Swimmers play Dublin’s Odessa Club with Middle Ages tomorrow night (Saturday, June 20). Photos by Abi Denniston. Niall Michael Jackson – BAD This was a really important album to me as a kid. I remember my uncle Jim had it on vinyl in his house down the road from me (as well as a dog called Fletch, named after the Chevy Chase movie) As a 6…

  • Reverberation Psych Weekender

    June 18, 2015 - By 

    Of a cosmically-inclined disposition? Ireland’s self-proclaimed “first festival foray into the mind warp pavilion of psych”, Reverberation takes place at Dublin’s Grand Social on August 14 and 15. Featuring some of the very best psych acts including Documenta, Cian Nugent & the Cosmos and Elastic Sleep, the festival will also include UK acts including Dead Rabbits, The Watchmakers and Berlin’s TAU. A “weekend that expands the parameters of psychedelic and experimental noise info a festival atmosphere”, the inaugural outing with also include guest DJ sets, visuals, classic cult movies, record and memorabilia stalls, a vintage flea market, food and more.…

  • Music City 2015: Occupy Derry With Music

    June 18, 2015 - By 

    Returning to Derry across the weekend of Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, Music City is, according to its organisers, “the festival where everyone can play”. This year’s theme is Occupy Derry With Music, and organisers are encouraging individuals, groups, businesses, workplaces and anyone else to put on gigs and performances in their workplace, homes, streets and elsewhere. Hosted by Celtronic, the festival will also welcome some first-rate talent to the city across the weekend, including David Holmes, Christy Moore, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Jape, Best Boy Grip and countless other acts. Keep up to date over at the…

  • Wacken Open Air 2015

    June 17, 2015 - By 

    The world’s self-proclaimed largest heavy metal festival, Wacken Open Air returns to Wacken, Germany from July 29 to August 1 with yet another exceptionally strong, monstrously heavy bill. With the likes of Judas Priest, Biohazard, In Flames, Opeth, Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse, Rob Zombie, Within Temptation and Savatage amongst the acts set to play, the festival will attract 75,000 visitors over its four days. Buy tickets for the festival here and check out the full line-up here.

  • Premiere: My Tribe Your Tribe – Will To Survive

    June 17, 2015 - By 

    Set to play Body & Soul at the weekend, Dublin duo My Tribe Your Tribe really caught our attention back in February with the dreamy, subtly cascading alt-electro of ‘Only a Horizon’. Going several steps further, their new single, ‘Will To Survive’, was obviously written with those imminent summer festival sets in mind. Danceable in all the first places, it looks both inward and outward, evoking the vocals of Ben Gibbard, and a musical marriage between Caribou and early Arcade Fire. ‘Will To Survive’ – produced by James Darkin at Temple Lane Studio – will be officially released on November 6.

  • Stream: Cruising – Safe Corridor

    June 17, 2015 - By 

    Having announced last week that their self-titled debut EP will be released via Tough Love on August 14, Cruising are streaming one of its featured tracks, ‘Safe Corridor’. Something of a composite of the coastal doom and promenade solipsism of their other bands (September Girls, Girls Names and Sea Pinks) the track retains a singular, virulent edge, capturing some of the magic that has made the Dublin/Belfast quartet’s early shows nothing short of awe-inspiringly good. Pre-order Cruising here.