• Sense Prevails: Funding Restored for 32 Northern Irish Arts Organisations

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    Having been told that they were set to lose 7% of their planned funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, 32 of the biggest and most vital arts organisations in Northern Ireland have been informed that’s been reversed as part of the Stormont executive’s November budget. Amongst those organisations – a collective cultural beating heart in the North of the country – are the MAC, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, The Ulster Orchestra, the Lyric Theatre and Derry’s With the Culture Minister Carál Nί Chuilίn having been criticised over cuts to the Art’s Council budget, the Department of Culture, Arts and…

  • Track Record: Michael Stevens (Lie Ins/Skelocrats)

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Michael Stevens of Dublin bands Lie Ins and Skelocrats reveals and talks about some of his favourite records from the likes of The Wave Pictures, Charles Mingus and The Magnetic Fields. Photos by Aidan-Kelly Murphy. Compiling a list of my ten favourite records was agonising and fun. There are many, many records I had to leave out and I felt sad for them; but it was nice that I got to listen to them all anyway. As for the ones listed here, there are records that one could objectively say are better. But these…

  • Girl Band Announce String of New Dates

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Having had to pulled out of European and Northern American dates due to “health issues in the band” last month Dublin noise-rock masters Girl Band have announced a string of new dates for 2016, culminating at their biggest show in Ireland to date at Vicar Street on Friday, April 1. The Dara Kiely-fronted band have also unveiled a live Rough Trade session version of ‘Baloo’, a highlight on the band’s critically-acclaimed debut album, Holding Hands With Jamie. Watch it and check out the new dates below. Fri 22nd Jan – Brewery Corner, Kilkenny, Ireland Sat 23rd Jan – Gabo’s, Castlebar, Ireland Wed 17th…

  • Stream: Vogelbat – Miw (feat. Sad Mermaid)

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Evoking the likes of Arca and FKA Twigs in equal measure, Berlin-based Kilkenny producer David Sheenan AKA Vogelbat has unveiled a brilliantly burrowing new track, ‘Miw’. Featuring masterfully warped vocals courtesy of singer-songwriter Sad Mermaid – also based in the German capital – it serves as a strong introduction for newcomers to Sheenan’s aesthetic, in which “100% of [his] music created on a laptop with no external MIDI plugins, solid state synths or traditional instruments (as they “all reside [back] in Ireland”). Stream the track via Soundcloud below.

  • HOUSE @ the MAC: From Vogue to MikeQ

    November 17, 2015 - By 

    Not only a stand-out event at this year’s Outburst Queer Arts Festival in Belfast, the premiere of HOUSE at The MAC on Thursday night is almost certainly set to be one of the most inspired happenings of the year. Having descended from the legendary Harlem Drag Scene, the New York House and Ballroom Community is one of the most exciting underground scenes in the world. HOUSE brings three of the city’s most innovative performance makers and cultural agitators together for an immersive performance and discussion that presents a very rare and intimate glimpse into the history of the House and…

  • Low Amongst New Acts Set for Other Voices Live

    November 16, 2015 - By 

    Low are amongst a new wave of acts announced to play this year’s Other Voices Live in Dingle from December 4-6. Joining the Ohio slowcore pioneers are Jack Garrett, Keaton Henson, Glen Hansard and The Academic, whilst the acts set to play IMRO’s Other Room are Saint Sister, Talos, Gavin Glass Bitch Falcon and Hawk. Elsewhere, the following acts are set to play the free Music Trail across Dingle: Last week, Richard Hawley, Gaz Coombes, Gavin James, Lapsley and Otherkin were the first acts confirmed to play the annual showcase, which sees its 14th outing this year.

  • Robyn G Shiels Announces New Dates, Collaboration Album

    November 13, 2015 - By 

    When it rains for Belfast-based acoustic doom master Robyn G Shiels, it pours. As well as a downright unmissable “Alternative New Year’s Grieve Party” at Belfast’ Sunflower Bar with Hornby Ban Jovi AKA Hornby of The Continuous Battle of Order, Heliopause and a DJ set from Documenta’s Joe Greene,  Shiels will continue his excellently-titled November Reign Tour throughout November (see dates below), including a performance at the Jarman Award Whitechapel Weekend in London on November 21. Elsewhere, Shiels has teamed up with musician Steve Nolan to deliver an extraordinary, nine-track collaborative album titled sky drew near. Going under the dual moniker Rs.sN, Shiels…

  • Listening More Carefully with Somadrone

    November 13, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of the launch of his superb fifth album, Oracle, at Dublin’s Unitarian Church on November 28, Dublin musician and producer Neil O’Connor AKA Somadrone takes to Brian Coney about progression, abstract themes and the importance of collaboration. Hi Neil. Congratulations on the release of Oracle. It’s been said of the album, “This is music equally at home on the dance floor as in your earphones.” Was that your intention from the get-go? Thanks. I guess that’s true. It’s dance music I guess, but it’s not aimed at a contemporary dance music culture, so it does not play to its rules.…

  • Stream: Alana Henderson – Museum of Thought

    November 12, 2015 - By 

    Before globetrotting as a member of Hozier’s band, Dungannon cellist and singer Alana Henderson had established herself as one of the most promising Irish artists, masterfully meddling in the realm of alternative folk informed with a strong traditional presence. Almost three years on from her sublime Wax & Wane EP, Henderson has returned in her own right with ‘Museum of Thought’, a wonderfully stripped-back, lilting and lullaby-like track co-produced by Phil D’Alton of Master & Dog that positively confirms she has by no means abandoned her own craft and path. Watch the video for the track – featuring images courtesy of The British…

  • Reeling In The Year with Ciaran Lavery

    November 12, 2015 - By 

    2015 has been a real breakthrough year for Aghagallon singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery. Having zig-zagged across the UK and Europe over the last few months, he has been hailed far and wide as one of the most naturally gifted, utterly engrossing songsmiths of his generation. Touching on everything from life on the road, the weight (or lack thereof) of expectation and special Christmas shows “With Strings” at Belfast’s MAC, Lavery chats to Brian Coney. See below for premiere of Lavery’s ‘Little More Time’ With Strings. Hi Ciaran. It’s been a really busy 2015 for you. Looking back to the start of the…