• Stream: Peter J. McCauley – Anywhere My Love Will Go

    April 15, 2019 - By 

    Under both his given name and previous moniker, Rams’ Pocket Radio, Peter J. McCauley has been responsible for some emotionally dense and finely-woven balladry. Right up there with his most potent efforts to date is the brief but brilliant ‘Anywhere My Love Will Go’. With its delicate ebb and flow, it’s a masterfully minimalist, yet deceptively intricate tale of love and longing. ‘I wrote this song at a time when I was working on music projects with two groups of older people in Belfast,” McCauley said. “One in a centre in the West of the city and one in an Alzheimer’s unit…

  • Villagers to Play Open House Festival

    April 10, 2019 - By 

    Villagers are the latest act to be announced to play this year’s Open House Festival in Bangor. Doubling up as the only Northern Irish date on the band’s current European tour, Conor O’Brien and co. will play in First Bangor church (a new venue for the festival this year) on Friday, August 23. “We’re thrilled to be bringing Villagers to Bangor for this year’s festival,” said Kieran Gilmore, Open House Director, “and First Bangor Church will be the perfect setting for this very special concert. Dating back to the 1830s, it’s one of the town’s most beautiful and historic churches with a circular auditorium, wooden balcony and divine acoustics.…

  • Women’s Work Festival Programme Launched

    April 11, 2019 - By 

    The programme for this year’s Women’s Work Festival has been launched. The Belfast festival, which has swiftly established itself as a vital fixture in the city’s festival calendar, launched this year’s line-up at the Oh Yeah Music Centre. Returning to various venues across the city across June 5-9, the festival – which is curated by Oh Yeah Musi Centre – will host various events, gigs, talks, and showcases. Among the highlights is a Getting To Know… session with Hannah Peel, a showcase gig featuring the likes of Wynona Bleach, Gender Chores, Molly Sterling and more, an interactive workshop on mental health…

  • Phil Taggart’s Slacker Guide to The Music Industry

    April 16, 2019 - By 

    Like many broadcasters working within music, Phil Taggart is himself a musician. It’s something that has granted the Northern Irish BBC Radio 1 presenter a considerable amount of leeway and insight when it comes to his new book, Phil Taggart’s Slacker Guide to The Music Industry.  With contributions from the likes of Run The Jewels, Biffy Clyro, Charli XCX , Wolfe Alice, Slaves and more, it’s a book that, in “using the knowledge of the people who’ve navigated the difficult waters of the music industry to ask all the questions you never even knew you had to ask”, tackles everything from music videos,…

  • Watch: Conor Walsh – Bars

    April 10, 2019 - By 

    Last month saw the bittersweet posthumous release of The Lucid by sadly-missed Co. Mayo composer and musician Conor Walsh. One of several peaks from the release (which you can pick up here) is ‘Bars’, a trademark minimalist gem from Walsh, marrying slow and unfurling textures with balmy, widescreen ambience. Equally parts meditative and resolute, it’s an effort that takes on a whole new layer of import via stellar new b+w video courtesy of Brendan Canty of Feel Good Lost. “Conor was an avid fisherman and a lot of his music is inspired by the organic rhythms and textures that you find…

  • Going the Distance: 10 Years of Vantastival

    April 9, 2019 - By 

    Ten years is a long time in the summer festival business. Both in terms of challenges faced and having reason to celebrate, it’s a much longer time if your summer festival adheres to a fiercely homegrown and independently-minded manifesto. Returning for its tenth anniversary across May 31-June 2, Drogheda’s Vantastival is proof that, with the right marriage of ambition, hard work, knowledge and passion, success is possible. Placing community, curation, sustainability and affordability at the heart of their approach, the organisers are currently busy putting the final touches to this year’s outing. Ahead of that, we speak to festival co-director Louise Tangney about the…

  • New Belfast Record Store Strange Victory Records To Open on Record Store Day

    April 8, 2019 - By 

    Over the last couple of years, Belfast has suffered the loss of two much-loved record shops, Sick Records and Head Records. It was looking a bit grim for a minute there but fear not: on Saturday, April 13th – Record Store Day 2019 – a new independent record store will launch. The brainchild of Darren Smyth of local promoters par excellence Strange Victory, Jeff Doherty of Belfast’s Dragon Records and Sinead Green, Strange Victory Records will be Belfast’s only indie store stocking new releases alongside, in their words, “a plethora of curiosities and classic used vinyl.” Situated at 22 Berry Street, the store…

  • Tame Impala Set For Dublin Show

    April 8, 2019 - By 

    Tame Impala will play Dublin in June. The Kevin Parker-fronted psych-pop trailblazers will play 3Arena on June 26. Tickets cost €59.70 and go on sale this Friday at 9am. The band last played the city back in 2016, headlining Forbidden Fruit as part of their Currents tour.

  • Stevie Wonder Set For Show at Dublin’s 3Arena

    April 8, 2019 - By 

    The one and only Stevie Wonder will play Dublin in July. The legendary singer, songwriter, musician, and producer will bring his The Stevie Wonder Song Party: A Celebration of Life, Love and Music to 3Arena on July 9th. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 12 at 9am, priced from €99.50.