• Album Premiere: Best Boy Grip – Best Boy Grip

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Four years on from utterly bewitching us with singles including ‘Monster and Me’ and ‘You’, Derry singer-songwriter Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip is on the brink of unveiling his highly-anticipated, self-titled debut album via Amelia Records. Having trailblazed the PledgeMusic campaign to see its release, we’re delighted to present an exclusive first listen to the release; eleven truly majestic, genre-warping tracks brimming with O’Callaghan’s inimitable flair of conviction, heart and extraordinary musicianship. With a full review of the album to come very soon, check it out – as well as forthcoming Best Boy Grip tour dates – below. October 1: Bad…

  • Watch: Robocobra Quartet – Iwazaru

    September 18, 2015 - By 

    Set to be released on lathe cut 7″ via Smalltown America on October 16, ‘Iwazaru/Mizaru’ is the latest double-single by Belfast’s Robocobra Quartet, a band who have grown in several leaps and bounds since first coming to our attention at a Battle of the Bands competition in the city’s Pavilion Bar last July. Accompanied by a skilfully enshrouded video by Sarah Plunkett, the former track is yet another rapt and ruminating slab of sorcerous jazz-noise from the Chris Ryan-fronted band, further revealing the heterogeneous prestige of their ever intrepid craft. Check out ‘Mizaru’ here, pre-order the release here and check out forthcoming RQ tour dates…

  • Monday Mixtape: Lee Ranaldo

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    The folks at The Thin Air have asked me to provide an eight song mixtape. I’ve been in the studio at the moment working on ‘that difficult third album’, as Clinton Heylin calls it, and so most of what I’m listening to at the moment is the stuff we are making. But within that activity is the acknowledgment of a host of previously-made music – references, riffs, textures, emotional tones – so the following selections reflect some of these various influences we have been obsessing over at the moment. In no particular order. Something From Pet Sounds or Smile We…

  • Stream: Le Galaxie – Love System (Young Wonder Remix)

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    Having took on the guise of an unofficial anthem for the Irish Marriage Equality referendum earlier this year, Le Galaxie’s ‘Love System’ has received a new, rather brilliant reworking courtesy of Cork’s Young Wonder. With a new video for the original mix set to be unveiled to accompany its re-release on September 25, the single will also feature a remix of ‘Put The Chain On’ by John Gibbons Speaking about the remix of ‘Love System’, Ian Ring from Young Wonder said, “I really loved the sonics and 80’s feeling that Le Galaxie had in the original. I wanted to pay tribute to that in the…

  • Smalltown America All-Dayer: Clanns

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    Set to release a new single, ‘Korova’, next week, Letterkenny ambient post-rock quartet Clanns delivered a sublime set at Smalltown America’s recent All-Dayer. Capturing the band at their most alchemical and suitably anthemic, check out Paul Martin Brown’s video of the band performing ‘Moriarty’ below and  buy the STA All Dayer #6 live album here  

  • Smalltown America All-Dayer: Rosseau

    September 16, 2015 - By 

    One of the most promising acts to emerge in the North of the country this year, Rosseau are the latest act to be featured in our multi-part feature looking back at Smalltown America Records’ sixth All-Dayer, co-hosted by yours truly. Following in the footsteps of headliners Carnivores, Lost Avenue and Freak’s – the latter two who we featured yesterday – this new video captures the aforementioned new-fangled Derry duo performing ‘Hope’ at the event in STA HQ back in July. Buy the STA All Dayer #6 here and check out the Rosseau video – shot and edited by Paul Martin Brown…

  • Smalltown America All-Dayer: Lost Avenue & Freak’s

    September 15, 2015 - By 

    In the second installment of our multi-part feature, we’re pleased to present two new live videos featuring Derry punk band Lost Avenue and Freak’s at Derry label Smalltown America’s sixth All-Dayer. Having featured headliners Scottish trio Carnivores in the first installment, the new videos capture two of the country’s most promising young bands performing two of their very best tracks, ‘Daggers’ and ‘Symmetry and Correlation’ respectively. Buy the STA All Dayer #6 here and check out both videos – shot and edited by Paul Martin Brown – below.  

  • Stream: EMBRZ – ‘Lights’ (Feat. pennybirdrabbit)

    September 14, 2015 - By 

    Sprawling in its own delicate way, ‘Lights’ by Kildare producer Jack Casey AKA EMBRZ is a deftly composed slice of electro-pop. Featuring wonderfully warped vocals courtesy of Los Angeles singer pennybirdrabbit, the new single was released on Friday via Slow Down Records. Stream the track below and keep up with Casey’s future stirrings here.

  • Shortlist Revealed for Northern Ireland Music Prize 2015

    September 14, 2015 - By 

    Having previously been scooped by Foy Vance and Robyn G Shiels, the shortlist for this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prize has been revealed. Set to take place at Belfast’s Mandela Hall on Friday, November 14, the following twelve albums will vie for the annual prize, as voted for by more than 70 people from the Northern Irish music industry and media: A Plastic Rose – Flickering Light of an Inner War And So I Watch You From Afar – Heirs Axis Of – The Mid Brae Inn BeeMickSee – Belfast Yank Ciaran Lavery and Ryan Vail – Sea Legs Duke Special – Look Out Machines The Lost…

  • Monday Mixtape: John Kowalski (Solar Bears)

    September 14, 2015 - By 

    Having just received test pressings for their forthcoming third album, Dublin electronic twosome Solar Bears are on the brink of re-confirming their reputation as one of our very finest outfits (not that necessarily needs doing, of course). Ahead of some more announcements, John Kowalski from the duo delivers this week’s wonderfully diverse, suitably esoteric Monday Mixtape, featuring tracks from Plaid/BDP, The Emotions, Claude Marbehant, The Remarkable Earth Making Machine and more. Photos by SCAN