• Battle For The Burning Lake Kite & Music Festival

    September 22, 2015 - By 

    Despite kicking off at the very beginning of Autumn, Achill Island’s Battle for the Burning Lake festival is set to make the most of a forecast Indian summer over the weekend of September 25-27. With the likes of The Eskies and Daithí set to perform at the annual Co. Mayo celebration, the festival also has watersports – namely kitesurfing at the legendary Keel Lake – at the heart of its programme. Also boasting a funfair and the food village, entry for Friday and Saturday is free during the day for spectators. Check out the full artist line-up below and go here to buy tickets (also…

  • Stream: Rusangano Radio Vol 1. feat. Windings

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Featuring everyone from Naive Ted and Isaac Hayes to Dungen and Build an Ark, Limerick electronic hip-hop trio Rusangano Family have well and truly sorted our evening’s listening with the very first, hour-long installment of their podcast, Rusangano Radio. Recorded in Clonakilty, this first volume – perfectly balanced between a whole heap of great tunes and the collective’s musings on evetything under the Irish sun – features none other than Pa and Steve from Windings. Check it out below and share the goodness.

  • Stream: O Emperor – Switchblade

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Back in 2013, Brendan Fennessy from Waterford five-piece O Emperor took part in our Track Record feature, selecting the likes of Tame Impala and The Stooges as some of his most treasured records. Two years on, his band have distilled the spectral psych-pop of the former and the pounding punk panache of the latter on their new single ‘Switchblade’. Set to feature on the band’s forthcoming, Trout Record-released EP Lizard, the track is a prismatic slice of throwback alt-pop, suggesting we might well be in for something rather special with the new release. O Emperor play the following shows over the next few months:…

  • Cork International Short Story Festival

    September 22, 2015 - By 

    Formerly the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Festival, The Cork International Short Story Festival runs from September 22-26. Featuring workshops, readings, talks, launches, screenings and more from the likes of Susan Burke-Treky, Eimean Ryan, Marie Helene Bertino, Danielle McLaughlin, Thomas Morris and Siddhartha Gigoo, the programme for this year’s festival is speckled with a whole host of curious and captivating literary happenings taking place right across the city. Whilst some of the events aren’t, much of this festival programme is free to attend. Go here to learn more information about events, times, venues and admission.

  • 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…