• Stream: A Bad Cavalier – Moving On

    August 24, 2015 - By 

    Almost two years on from unveiled his debut EP, Ex Libris, Niall Kennedy and his band AKA A Bad Cavalier have went several steps further with with their stupendous new single, ‘Moving On’. A nigh on four-minute slab of deliciously tight, totally triumphant alt-pop, the track is the follow-up to the band’s July single ‘I’m a Wreck’. Judging by the awesome trajectory of his output to date, a forthcoming full-length release is something we would very happily lap up indeed. Stream the single below via Bandcamp. Moving On by A Bad Cavalier

  • Watch: Overhead, The Albatross – Big River Man

    August 25, 2015 - By 

    There’s videos capturing the sheer kinesis and electricity of performance, then there’s the video for ‘Big River’ Man by Dublin instrumental six-piece Overhead, The Albatross. Directed by the band’s guitarist Luke Daly, it masterfully taps into OTA’s inexorable brand of post-rock, capturing the sheer power innate in its pockets of ardor and zeal. We’re big fans. Watch the video below. And again.

  • Premiere: Music For Dead Birds – English Weed/What a Waste

    August 24, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of the unveiled of an EP for September, we’re pleased to premiere a pre-release double-single of sorts from Galway/Mayo duo Music For Dead Birds. Brimming with the band’s distinctive brand of lo-fi indie “anti-folk”, ‘English Weed/What a Waste’ clocks in at just under seven minutes but still manages to pack an emphatic punch. Seemingly operating outside of any strong semblance of a scene in Connacht, Jimmy Monaghan and Dónal Walsh continue to embody the outsider spirit that they drove home on the likes of 2009’s And Then It Rained For Seven Days, the sublime The Pope’s Sister and their album, Vitamins,…

  • Inbound: Peter McVeigh

    August 20, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Inbound, we chat to Belfast-based singer-songwriter Peter McVeigh, touching on the recording and release of his new album, PM, collaborating with an array of musicians on the release and the current state of the Irish music industry. Hi Peter. First thing’s first: for those not acquainted with your backstory, how did you first get into writing and making music? I’ve always played music of some sort. I played flute at primary school, got kicked out of it for not doing my homework in high school and decided to teach myself piano, guitar and sing. Then…

  • The Record: Stonemasons

    August 20, 2015 - By 

    Featuring in studio photos by Liam Kielt, we chat to Belfast-based alt-rock trio Stonemasons about the writing, recording and release of their vehement new five-track EP, Lost Layers.  Hey guys. For complete newcomers, how did the Stonemasons come about and get off the ground? Pod (Kerr, bass/vocals): We all grew up around the same area of North Antrim. Blaney was playing guitar in a pop-punk called Breaking Even and McCann and myself were playing covers with a different drummer. We initially met through from beating lumps out of each other on a hurling pitch until a hazy 18th birthday party where we got chatting about…

  • Other Voices Electric Picnic Line-Up Revealed

    August 20, 2015 - By 

    Having announced its first acts late last month, Other Voices have revealed the full schedule for this year’s Electric Picnic. Taking place over the three days and nights of the festival (Friday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6) East India Youth, August Wells, Ham Sandwich and The Staves are amongst 21 acts set to perform at the OV stage. Check out the full line-up above and go here to win tickets to the festival courtesy of Other Voices.

  • Watch: Enemies – Play Fire

    August 18, 2015 - By 

    Last month, we featured a special The Record feature documenting the recording of ‘Play Fire’, the sublime new track by Kilcoole math-pop maestros Enemies. Their first release in two (long) years, it sees the band concoct one of their most wonderfully cohesive, deftly arranged and downright catchy tracks to date. Speaking of the single – taken from their forthcoming third studio album – Enemies’ guitarist Lewis Jackson said, “It was this idea of getting as far away from our comfort zone as possible, without losing what makes us Enemies.” And how they’ve succeeded. Watch Finn Keenan’s video for the song below.

  • Watch: Cat Palace – Real Fresh

    August 17, 2015 - By 

    “Hey, I wanna be different, so I shaved my head on both sides – I leave a little on top. You know I’m keeping it real fresh, man.” So goes the chorus to ‘Real Fresh’ by Dublin singer-songwriter David Blaney AKA Cat Palace, a self-proclaimed “devotional” artist whose hugely impressive debut self-titled debut EP quite frankly blew us away back in February. This latest single – featuring a simple yet wonderfully singular video – fuses woozy Americana with a brilliantly biting commentary on half-arsed, samey social charades. The track will also feature on a forthcoming Cat Palace EP, set for release at the beginning of September.

  • Watch: Planet Parade – Blue Sky

    August 14, 2015 - By 

    Striking a keen balance between Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend and Mac Demarco, Maynooth duo Michael Hopkins and Andrew Lloyd AKA Planet Parade have just release one of the most sublimely sun-kissed Irish singles of the Summer. Featuring Steven McCann on guitar and Graham Hopkins (assumingly a relative of Michael’s) on drums, the wonderfully throwback video – created by Brian Lloyd – just seals the deal and then some. One for the repeat button.

  • Watch: Somadrone feat. Jape – Invitation

    August 14, 2015 - By 

    The follow-up to 2013’s hugely impressive The First Wave, Dublin producer Neil O’Connor AKA Somadrone is set to release his fifth album, Oracle, on September 18. The first track to be lifted from that, ‘Invitation’ – featuring fellow Redneck Manifesto alumni Richie Egan AKA Jape – is a hugely encouraging taste as to what’s in store from the forthcoming eight track-release. Accompanied by a video courtesy of Kevin Mc Gloughlain and Leon Giblin, ‘Invitation’ is perfectly balanced between sleep and release, its opening two minutes of teasing sparseness yielding to two minutes of throbbing, mildly kaleidoscopic electronica, each bar yielding to a new detail. Stream/download the…