• Album Premiere/Q+A: Bamboo – Prince Pansori Priestess

    January 21, 2016 - By 

    Comprised of Rachel Horwood and Nick Carlisle (originally from Northern Ireland) London duo Bamboo are a curious proposition in the most nonpareil sense of the term. Melding influence from various folk tradition with far-reaching synth-pop, their sound (and new debut album, Prince Pansori Priestess) is a feat of spirit and ingenuity. We chat to the pair about their craft and process. Hi Nick, Bamboo are based in London but you’re originally from Northern Ireland. Did you make music or play as part of any band(s) when you were based here? Nick: The first band I was serious about was Peepholes, a band I am (still) doing with…

  • David Bowie Tribute Night @ Limelight 1, Belfast

    January 21, 2016 - By 

    One of a number of special fundraisers spawned in the wake of his passing last week, Belfast’s Limelight 1 will celebrate the legacy of David Bowie with a special one-off event to raise money for the NI Cancer Fund for Children. Featuring Rebel Rebel – “Ireland’s premier Bowie tribute” – performing after a screening of Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell To Earth, the night will also feature host and DJ for the night Joe Lindsay, who will play the hits, obscurities, remixes, influences and influenced. Tickets go on sale on Friday, January 22 at 9am via here and here,…

  • I Heart Bowie @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    January 21, 2016 - By 

    With all money raised going to the Irish Cancer Society, Dublin’s Whelan’s will host I Heart Bowie on Wednesday, January 27, a night of celebration and song in which “friends of Whelan’s” will get together to perform some of Bowie’s best loved songs. Speaking of the line-up, Whelan’s said, “We’re finalising the line up at the moment but we have Choice Music Prize nominees, a really slick houseband and some very special treats planned! If you’re a Bowie fan (who isn’t) it’s unmissable.” Our curiosity is certainly piqued. Tickets are €15 and are available here.

  • IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards

    January 21, 2016 - By 

    The eighth outing of IMRO’s Live Music Venue of the Year awards are set to take place at their HQ in Dublin on Tuesday, February 16. With two new awards being added to this year’s proceedings – the IMRO Outstanding Contribution to Live Music 2015 and Best Venue/Technical Crew 2015 – the annual awards celebrates the dedication and passion of those who work in Ireland’s live music venues. More than 11,000 IMRO members considered hundreds of venues across the country for the shortlist and venues were judged “on their commitment to providing the core elements that make for a great…

  • Stream: Goldie Fawn – Savages

    January 21, 2016 - By 

    Having launched the project back in early 2014, Belfast’s Katie Richardson AKA Goldie Fawn has never been one to conceal her outlook on the inner workings of what it means or feels to be an artist. Mirroring the largely contemplative nature of her electro-inflected pop craft, the accompanying proviso to her long-awaited debut single as Goldie Fawn, ‘Savages’, taps into the uncertainty and spectre of self-doubt that all often too creeps in uninvited. “On of the biggest frustrations of being a musician/artist can bee sitting on work for months or even years until ‘the right time,’” Richardson says. “Sometimes this magical…

  • Stream: Wyvern Lingo – Letter to Willow

    January 20, 2016 - By 

    Off the back of the release of their cover of Hozier’s Run (which we covered here), Bray trio Wyvern Lingo’s new single ‘Letter to Willow’ reveals a band brimming with confidence ahead of what’s almost certain to be a massive few months. Brilliantly bobbing and funk-inflected in all the right places, the song is driven forth with a nicely understated groove allowing exceptionally-crafted harmonies and the threesome’s seasoned musicianship to take centre-stage. ‘Letter to Willow’ is the title track from Wyvern Lingo’s forthcoming EP, set for release on March 4. The band play Dublin’s Button Factory on Friday, April 1.

  • Stream: Imploded View – Fame (David Bowie Cover)

    January 20, 2016 - By 

    One of a number of Irish artists heavily inspired by David Bowie, Longford producer Jerome McCormick AKA Imploded View has re-framed the former’s 1975 classic ‘Fame’ in the guise of playful, slow-burning electronica. On his Soundcloud page, McCormick said, “I could not believe the news when I heard about David Bowie’s departure. Such an inspirational artist, and while the world has lost a real heavyweight, the inspiration lives on. That said, there’s no denying that the world is a bit suckier without David Bowie in it. I did this remix as a tribute to one of my favourite artists…” Co-written with Carlos Alomar and…

  • Watch: Cry Monster Cry – Old At Heart

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    Dublin alt-pop brother duo Richie and Jamie Martin AKA Cry Monster Cry well and truly made their arrival with the release of their acclaimed debut album, Rhythm of Dawn, last March. A highlight from that, their new single ‘Old at Heart’ tells a tale of what it means to belong and exist in a sprawling urban jungle, where disconnection and wearing a mask to get by are all but two sides of the same coin. Tempering the stark reality with quiet, almost romantic objectivity – helped along with the song’s delicate acoustic arpeggios and warm electric swells – it makes for the pair’s strongest single…

  • Inbound: Mongrel State

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of the launch of their their debut album, Mestizo, at Dublin’s Whelan’s on Saturday, January 30, we get the lowdown on Dublin-based Americana-tinged rockers Mongrel State. Photos by Brian Mulligan. Hi guys, first off, for the unacquainted: when did you form how did the band come about? Was it destiny? Compromise? Start off as a Boney M cover band and decide to keep it going with original material? Darren Flynn (bass/vocals): Hah! No, not Boney M! Claudio (Mercante; guitar/vocals) and I originally met when he joined a cover band I was in – more old school rock n’ roll though (lots of Stones…

  • Belfast Forward: Guerrilla Shout

    January 19, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of Belfast Forward – a regular Thin Air feature look at the city’s emerging creative talent – Brian Coney chats to the team at Guerrilla Shout, a multi-discipline creative visual ideas company set to make their mark in 2016. Photos by Sara Marsden. Hey guys, first off: the name. How did you come to settle on Guerrilla Shout and does it hold any significance?  The name was a natural progression from our sister brand, techno label DSNT, which is based around the concept of dissent, an attitude found in early punk labels. We’re a small, agile…