• Watch: Hatchet Field – Jolene

    August 29, 2019 - By 

    Once a riff-wielding Goliath in Belfast instrumental rock wizards The Continuous Battle of Order (and, before that, WeAreKnives) the musician known as Hornby is as shapeshifting and wonderfully unpredictable as they come. Nowhere is that more apparent than on his current solo project, Hatchet Field. Wielding darkly and masterfully sparse tales, the odd live performance has revealed an artist whose visionary prowess, though significantly more muted than previous full-band efforts, is no less compelling for it. Last week, Belfast imprint Black Tragick offered some insight into that world by unveiling a new Hatfield Field cover. Dedicated to his mother on the tenth anniversary of her passing, a stark and slow-burning Dolly Parton…

  • Stream: Father! – Desire Lines

    August 29, 2019 - By 

    From The Stars of Heaven, Sea Pinks and Fixed Stars to Dott, Postcard Versions and any number of Popical Island bands, Ireland has always held its own when it comes to first-rate jangle-pop. On the more prismstic and forward-pushing end of the spectrum is Dublin quartet Father! (their exclamation mark, not ours – though we do speak with considerable enthusiasm here.) Woozy and warped-out, the Sean Brunswick-fronted foursome’s new single ‘Desire Lines’ is feedback-drenched and star-shaped in equal measure. That it shares a title with a straight-up Deerhunter classic may or may not be a coincidence. Either way, it certainly embodies a certain sonic…

  • Mixtape Preview: Hit So Hard

    August 28, 2019 - By 

    Not least considering the sheer amount of high-profile figures who dominated grunge’s heyday in the early 1990s, it may seem curious – that is on the surface – that P. David Ebersole opted to delve into the backstory of Hole’s relatively shy-and-retiring Patty Schemel in his 2011 documentary Hit So Hard. But it’s a thought that, sans facts, neglects not only the drummer’s vital involvement in one of the generation’s biggest bands, but the heady, tragic lives of those whose personal lives often eclipsed the music. In focusing on one of the scene’s more unassuming characters, Ebersole traces hugely engrossing narrative. Chronicling…

  • David Berman Tribute Set For Dublin

    August 28, 2019 - By 

    A tribute night for U.S. musician David Berman – who passed away earlier this month – will take place at Dublin’s Sound House on October 17th. Featuring Adrian Crowley, Steve Windings, Maija Sofia, Eileen Gogan, Dudley Colley, Anna Carey & Patrick Freyne, Skelocrats, members of Shrug Life, Oh Boland, The Former Soviet Republic and more performing the songs of Silver Jews and Purple Mountains, Purple Jews will see all proceeds going to Aware. Tickets cost €15 and can be bought here. Doors are at 8pm. Revisit Maija Sofia’s TTA obituary of Berman here.

  • This Ain’t No Disco To Return for Season 2

    August 28, 2019 - By 

    After an uncertain two-hear hiatus, we’re pleased to report that online Irish alternative music programme This Ain’t No Disco will return for a second season next year. With season one featuring wonderfully intimate performances from the likes of Landless, Villagers with Nico Muhly, Brigid Mae Power, Lisa O’Neill and more, S2 will launch on New Year’s Day, 2020. Once again, the series will be hosted by ex-No Disco presenter Donal Dineen and directed by music documentarian and award-winning cinematographer Myles O’Reilly. Coinciding with the announcement is the news that on September 26th, This Ain’t No Disco Live will take over D-Light…

  • Watch: Tandem Felix – Making Dinner on Valentine’s Day

    August 29, 2019 - By 

    It’s a truth universally acknowledged that many craftspeople are songwriters, but not all songwriters are craftspeople. David Tapley aka primary songwriter of alt-country maestros Tandem Felix, however, fits the bill and then some. Look no further than the newly-released ‘Making Dinner on Valentine’s Day’. Speaking about the track, Tapley said, “‘Making Dinner on Valentine’s Day’ is the closing song off our upcoming record, Rom-Com. There isn’t really much to say about it that you can’t hear for yourself, the lyrics are almost like a diary entry” – Bed Stuy, New York. 14th of February 2016. There was an official weather warning from the…

  • Premiere: Careerist – Slasher

    August 26, 2019 - By 

    Doubling up as their first offering as Careerist, the Belfast threesome formerly known as Hot Cops strike a confident tone on ‘Slasher’. The lead single taken from their forthcoming debut album Weird Hill (which is set for release on 12″ vinyl and DSP via Dundalk’s Pizza Pizza Records on November 15th) it’s a typically slick and Malkmus-esque mid-tempo gem from the Carl Eccles-fronted band. Featuring Eccles as an overworked athlete (and more), Hannah Schierbeek’s video – which is below – seals the deal.  

  • Premiere: Panik Attaks – Mr Supplier (Live)

    August 22, 2019 - By 

    Two months on from unveiling ‘Terror’ – a single that we called a heady self-exorcism from the Dublin five-piece – Panik Attacks are back with a sneak peek of some new material. It comes in the form of a live video of ‘Mr Supplier’, a nine-minute effort that, despite being a self-described “early days jam”, manages to capture the darkly push-and-pull of the Rob Walsh-fronted band’s oppressive punk craft. Shot in one take at The Meadow by SCAN, it finds Walsh in particularly possessed form, recounting a mind-bending DMT trip. Have a first look and listen below.  

  • All Together Now Announce 2020 Return, Offer Official Apology Over Traffic Issues

    August 22, 2019 - By 

    As well as announcing it its return to Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford across July 31-August 3 next year, organisers of All Together Now have offered an official apology regarding the traffic issues that beset this year’s outing for many. In a statement, the festival said: “The All Together Now team would like to say we are absolutely and fully committed to making sure that the issues that arose this year’s festival are not repeated. We have taken in every comment, every email and are carefully taking note of where we need to improve. We have met and are working closely with…

  • Quiet Lights Festival 2019 Announced

    August 22, 2019 - By 

    Celebrating “the new wave of Irish and international folk, traditional and experimental talent”, Cork’s Quiet Lights Festival will return for its second outing across November 22-24. Presented by Islander, the self-proclaimed “small-scale festigavl with a big heart” will host various shows that aim to shine a light on artists “that are quietly forging new paths, recollecting old tales, and making new stories.” Sure enough, this year’s line-up befits that mentality to a T. As well as the likes of Lankum, Junior Brother, Crevice, Lemoncello, Rough Trade Records’ River Lea, Ye Vagabonds & Brìghde Chaimbeul, Peter Broderick, Rozi Plain and more, the festival…