Fresh off the back of his appearance at Body & Soul in Co. Westmeath at the weekend, it’s been announced that Jon Hopkins will return to Ireland for a show at Vicar Street on October 18. Tickets for the show are priced at €35 inclusive of booking fee and go on sale this Thursday (June 28) at 10am. Photo by Steve Gullick
KnockanStockan returns to the shores of Blessington Lake in Co. Wicklow across July 27-29 and brings with it the finest homegrown summer festival bill of the year. With exactly four weeks to go (nab your tickets stat) here’s some of our must-see acts at this year’s outing. Go here for the full line-up, info and to buy tickets
A multi-instrumentalist with a remarkable knack for eking out sublime, burrowing melodies evocative of Irish traditional music, Belfast-based singer-songwriter DANI has returned with ‘Samson and Goliath’, a three-minute gem of pastoral alt-folk exploring the concept of “disconnection and being unable to recognise oneself.” Having spent last year facilitating music workshops and performing in Colombia and Indonesia, namely working in the field of conflict transformation, this is the sound of a musician who is renewed and ready to take her rightful place in being recognised as one of the island’s most singular alt-folk talents. Listen to the single – and check out its artwork – below.…
We last heard from Belfast singer-songwriter Peter J McCauley when he released his five-track EP Liminals back in 2016. Two years on, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist — who previously released music under the moniker Rams Pocket Radio — is back with one of his most nuanced and carefully-crafted single efforts to date. Threaded with some subtle electronic ambience, it’s a wonderfully sparse piano-and-vocals paean to the eternal conundrum of not knowing where one is going, but taking solace in both perspective and faith in que será, será. Have a first listen to the single below.
Back in January, we had the pleasure of premiering Weird Weekends, the latest album from prolific Cork-based artist Laurie Shaw. Six months on, the 23-year-old Wirral musician is back with ‘That’s Life’, a lyrically exemplary effort striking a perfect midpoint between two of his main influences in Bill Ryder Jones and Jonathan Richman via early 1970s George Harrison at his most commanding. Having recorded up to 50 albums since the age of 14, the lead single from Shaw’s forthcoming album Year Zero. We said it back in January and we’ll say it along, this time a little more pronounced: if there’s any justice in…
On July 5, Belfast venues the Art Department, Blaklist and the Bear and The Doll will play host to MINDS, a ten-hour, one-day festival that will bring unite DJs, artists, musicians and fashion designers in the aim to raise money for local mental health charities. Festival founder Adam Magill has asked those involved to put forward their idas for charities to donate to, with one being PIPS (Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide), due to the founders personal connection with them. With more to be announced, the DJ roster currently includes Bobby Analog, Jordan, Marion Hawkes and Phil Lucas of Twitch. Running from 6pm to 3am…
Three months on from making a triumphant return with ‘Young Dad’ – a single we eagerly deemed “the band’s strongest single effort to date” – Dublin five-piece Spies are back with its follow-up ‘Uriah’. Propelled by Motorik groove, it’s a four-minute gem layered with balmy synth textures and the band’s evolved widescreen alt-pop. Mirroring themes of friendship and betrayal, vocalist Michael Broderick called the song, “A reflection on the story of Uriah and King David.” ‘Uriah’ is taken from Spies’ forthcoming debut album, Constancy, which is expected to drop later this year.
Returning after a ten year hiatus, Curfew Festival will take over Belfast’s Voodoo and Black Box on Thursday, July 12 for one to mighty, genre-spanning alternative to the Twelfth. Speaking about the festival, organisers Solid Choice Industries said, “A lot has happened, a lot has changed, but the reasons for it’s existence still hold as true as ever – the want and need to normalise the city of Belfast over the July marching season, specifically the 12th. There is a wide cross section of people across Northern Ireland who would rather spend their day enjoying themselves watching bands, seeing friends…
Fronted by Julian Casablanacas of the Strokes, The Voidz will play an exclusive Irish show at Dublin’s Vicar Street on October 26. The U.S. six-piece released their second studio album, Virtue, back in March. Tickets for the Dublin show are priced €36.50 and go on sale this Friday at 10am.
Liam Gallagher with support from Richard Ashcroft at Malahide Castle in Dublin. Photos by Alan Maguire.