• Interview: Cymbals

    January 31, 2014 - By 

    C Having just released their long-awaited second album, the stellar The Age of Fracture, London DIY ‘tropi-disco’ four-piece Cymbals have spent the last two months carefully re-imagining their decidedly danceable electro-indie craft. Inspired by the decaying nature of semantics and everyday meaning in the modern age – as written in the book of the same title by Princeton academic, Daniel T. Rodgers – the album is challenging and resolutely enjoyable in equal proportion. Ahead of their Belfast show at Belfast’s Limelight 2 on Thursday, February 6, we talk to the band’s bassist Luke Carson to discuss concepts, inspiration and the band’s implicit “manifesto”…

  • Other Voices: Derry Music Trail

    January 31, 2014 - By 

    Returning after the success of last year’s proceedings, the Other Voices Music Trail will take pace in Derry/Londonderry again this February 7 to 9. Having had over 450 entries from acts from across the country wishing to perform at the four-day showcase, the panel hand-selected 60 acts to perform right across the city’s innumerable venues, bars, cars and cultural landmarks. Featuring the likes of Bell X1, East India Youth, Public Service Broadcasing and dozens of Irish artists, check out the poster and full line-up for the trail below. Thursday, February 7 Annie Mac w/ Ryan Vail, Dollface Devereaux, Deep Fried…

  • Watch: TVVINS – You Better

    January 30, 2014 - By 

    Having emerged on Monday via a Soundcloud stream, Dublin side-project TVVINS have unveiled the old school video game-esque video for their ridiculously infectious forthcoming single, ‘You Better’. Created by Kevin Freeney of Vibes, the video features Conor Adams and Lar Kay in a malfunctioning Atari netherwold. Are they trapped? Have they died on tour and gone to the Commodore 64 in the sky? Nobody knows but what we can say for certain is that the video is a brilliantly inspired accompaniment to the track, the duo’s second single since forming last year. Check out James Hendicott’s introductory interview with the band…

  • Slint to release remastered Spiderland boxset

    January 30, 2014 - By 

    Touch and Go Records have announced that they are to release an extensive, remastered boxset of Spiderland by pioneering Louisville post-rock band Slint. Remastered from the original analog master tapes by Bob Weston and pressed on 180 gram vinyl, the record will be accompanied by fourteen previously unreleased outtakes and demos personally selected by the band and pressed on two 180 gram vinyl albums, a 104 page book with 100 never-been-seen photos documentary the band’s entire history, as well as lyrics to the songs on Spiderland and a forward by Will Oldham. It will also include a remastered version of…

  • Watch: The Mighty Stef – Nightwatchman of the Iveagh Flats

    January 29, 2014 - By 

    Bearing the influence of its producer, Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures) Dublin rock band The Mighty Stef have released the video to their masterfully moody new single, ‘Nightwatchman of the Iveagh Flats’. Propelled by frontman Stefan Murphy’s gruff vocal tones – think Mark Lanegan via Nick Cave, Ian McCulloch and (good) Bono – the song is set for a worldwide digital release on February 14. Reflecting the band’s passion for horror movies and culture, the video was shot at various locations around Dublin City in January and is “the tale of a local rock band who incur the wrath…

  • Inbound: Cruising

    January 30, 2014 - By 

    Comprised of members from Belfast and Dublin respectively, Cruising reared their head back in November with a scuzzy, two-chorded burst of overcast garage-rock in the form of ‘You Made Me Do That’. It pricked our ears and spiked our inner eye from the first crashing cymbal, the four-piece’s albeit “early days” vibe positively promising some great things in the making. Ahead of their debut Belfast show supporting September Girls at the Menagerie on Saturday, February 1, we fired a few questions to band (featuring one or two familiar faces) and they fired some answers back. Hello, Cruising. Whilst we could be…

  • Stream: The Rupture Dogs – Before The Flood

    January 28, 2014 - By 

    With an extremely promising year ahead of them, Belfast-based alt-rock quartet The Rupture Dogs have released ‘Before The Flood’, the second single to be taken from their debut album, Feral. Featuring two accompanying b-sides – ‘Hangman’ and an acoustic BBC session version of ‘Wake Up’ – the single comes to from on its chorus, the band’s grunge-tinged chord progressions melded perfectly with frontman Allan McGreevy’s wonderfully rasping vocals. The Rupture Dogs will play Belfast’s Stiff Kitten on Friday, January 31 alongside the likes of Safe Ships and Nomadic Rituals. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page. Stream the ‘Before The Flood’…

  • Video Exclusive: Abandcalledboy – Cliff Richard

    January 28, 2014 - By 

    Having watched it at least five times revelling in its unmitigated majesty, we’re happy to give you an exclusive first look of the wonderfully retro and decidedly rad video for ‘Cliff Richard’ by Northern Irish alt-rock three-piece Abandcalledboy. “We made it ourselves,” said the band’s drummer and vocalist, Ryan Burrowes. “We basically watched a load of Cliff Richard videos and attempted to re-create our own twisted version with a grand budget of £0.” “We made the costumes ourselves, came up with loads of ideas and then with our friend Odhrain, went and shot it all on what felt like the coldest day ever. It’s…

  • Stream: Replete – Hold Me

    January 28, 2014 - By 

    One of our Acts to Watch in 2014, Kilkenny electronic producer Pete Lawlor AKA Replete is streaming ‘Hold Me’, the first track to be taken from his forthcoming EP of the same name. An unwinding, near six-minute slab of throwback techno house, the track is Lawlor’s first release via Belfast’s Champion Sound Music, who will put out the aforementioned EP on March 4. Stream ‘Hold Me’ via Soundcloud below.