• Watch: Girl Band – Shoulderblades

    June 6, 2019 - By 

    In their absence over the last couple of years, Girl Band’s reputation has only grown and grown. Much of that stemmed from uncertainty. Would we ever see them perform again? Would new music ever see the light of day? The afternoon of May 13th brought an answer. The Dara Kiely-fronted quartet – who, in such a short period of time, proved one of the most influential Irish guitar bands since My Bloody Valentine – would return with a new single, ‘Shoulderblades’. Sure enough, hyperspace near caved in on itself. Girl Band were back. Released today, it is, in no uncertain terms, a…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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.

  • EP Stream: Gender Chores – Womensplain

    May 27, 2019 - By 

    At the heart of Bangor three-piece Gender Chores‘ fuzzed-out punk craft is ardent political consciousness and incisive activist spirit. Staring down and decimating everything from Northern Ireland’s archaic abortion laws, the patriarchy and more, new EP Womensplain is a self-assured and vital statement that, rather than meekly express the desire for change across the board, positively demands it. Stream the EP in full below.

  • Album Stream: Duellists – Into The Fade

    May 24, 2019 - By 

    Comprising members of NI alt-rock royalty in Throat and Element, the music of Portadown/Larne trio Duellists is full-blown, riff-fuelled testament to the power of perseverance and pushing forward. Off the back of lead singles ‘Into the Fade’ and the recently-released ‘Perspective’, their long-awaited debut album, Into The Fade, makes for a breakneck, twelve-track statement of intent across 35 minutes. Recorded by Caolán Austin at Smalltown America Studios in Derry and mixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at Godcity Studios, it’s a release that firmly reveals the threesome to be at the peak of their collective powers. Duellists play Dundalk’s The Spirit Store on…

  • Watch: Sissy – Not In My Head

    May 27, 2019 - By 

    Dublin threesome Sissy know a thing or two about breakneck lo-fi punk. Take new single, ‘Not In My Head’. Racing out of the traps, almost bursting at the seams with pure-cut gusto, it’s a four-minute romp of stellar guitar shapes and feverish refrains. And what a video. Shot at Dalymount Park – the Phibsborough home of Bohemian F.C. – it captures Leigh, Michelle and Eoin well and truly in their element.

  • Premiere: Tomorrows – Nightshade

    May 22, 2019 - By 

    A self-proclaimed fuzzy account of a long night out in Dublin (hey, we’ve all been there) ‘Nightshade’ by Dublin quartet Tomorrows is a sorcerous five-minute effort that marries slick, woozy textures with an overarching air of wanderlust. Initial recordings for the track – which will feature on the band’s new album, The Night Chorus 1 – were made on an 8 track Tascam reel-to-reel machine, before being brought to Christian Best (O Emperor, Marlene Enright) who recorded the drums and mixed the track. Driving it all home is Irish artist Ursula Woods’ sublime video to accompany the single. Shot on an Autumn evening…

  • Oh Sees w/ The Dreads @ Limelight 1, Belfast

    May 22, 2019 - By 

    In the lead-up to their return to Belfast tonight, Oh Sees attracted many familiar (read: suitably towering) platitudes: the greatest live band on the planet; the best rock n’ roll band in existence; deliverers of the most thrilling show you’ll likely see this year. In almost any other instance, it would not only be wise but important to treat such high-flung flattery with a healthy dose of suspicion. But in this instance — and bearing in mind Motörhead are sadly no longer in rerum natura — the tall talk flirts with cold, hard, incontrovertible truth. Having supported them at the Black Box…