The extraordinary Bilal recently played Dublin’s Sugar Club, supported by Irish/Sierra Leonean songtress Sallay Matu Garnett AKA Loah. Photos by Colm Moore.
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“What kind of music are you into?” The dreaded question that, for many years, sent shivers down my spine, stopped me in my tracks and put a blank Fr. Dougal McGuire stare into my eyes. You might think that somebody who actually makes music has both the perfect response and riposte to this, assuming that one’s personal tuneage is both a distillation of their essence as well as a full-length mirror of their own tastes (incidentally reflecting back the sheer amount of plagiarism at work). Sadly, unless you decide to sit down the quizmaster and force them to endure one’s…
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Having all but soiled ourselves listening to and shouting about its second track, ‘Funderland’, yesterday, we’re rather happy to present an exclusive first listen to The Grand Stretch, the debut EP by Popical Island’s latest – and perhaps some day greatest – outfit, Shrug Life. Life sucks and we all know it, but not all of us (in fact, very few of us) have the creative or whimsical tools at our disposal to express said utter despair and pointlessness via inescapably deadly, stupidly catchy, lo-fi indie rock. God knows we’d all love to, but who’s got the time to give…
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Presented by Moving on Music, the inaugural Beat Root will see a weekend of alternative roots music at Belfast’s Crescent Arts Centre across Thursday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6. A brew of “old-folk”, “new-folk”, world, balladry and electronics, the weekender will see three downright unmissable shows: acclaimed collective The Furrow Collective on the Thursday night, LA born, Barcelona-based audiovisual artist Grey Filastine and Javanese indie vocalist and rapper Nova AKA Filastine and Nova on the Friday night and, on Saturday evening, our very own Robyn G Shiels and Newcastle’s Richard Dawson. Tickets are priced at £10 per night with a…
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Taking place over the 7 & 8 November at Dublin’s RDS, the Metropolis Festival boasts an incredible lineup spread across 6 rooms, taking in live music, performance, discussions & talks from selected creatives, and installations geared towards transforming the RDS into an audio-visual playground. Chic, featuring Nile Rodgers – about whom nothing further needs to be said – headline the Metropolis stage, so expect one of the richest and tightest sets in the world. Performing during the weekend are hit machine Mark Ronson, Jamie XX – fresh off the back of his excellent new In Colour LP – The Roots, Giorgio Moroder, Finnish maestro Todd Terje, Kaytranada, Matthew Herbert, Dorian Concept, Kerri…
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Not merely the finest Irish radio programme, An Taobh Tuathail on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta is nothing short of a consistently impeccable underground music institution. Presented by Cian Ó Cíobháin, the show has proven an indispensable go-to criterion for fresh, unusual and glorious sounds for innumerable listeners both across the country and throughout the world since starting way back in 1999. Eight years on from the release of its first collection, the seventh volume of ATT’s free, all-but annual compilation – featuring tracks by the likes of Orcas, Loner Deluxe, Kode9, Colleen, Rival Consoles, Nils Frahm, Sufjan Stevens and Mica Levi – is a perfect place to…
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Dublin-based bastion of jangle and virulent lo-fidelity, Popical Island’s latest “ingenues” Shrug Life have gotten off to a ridiculously catchy start with the release of tracks ‘Chewing Gum Breakfast’ and ‘Funderland’. Set to feature on the band’s debut EP, The Grand Stretch (which we’ll be streaming next week), the latter song was released earlier today and is for our money the finest (our at least our favourite) Popical Island track ever. Stick that on our tombstone; we shall forever stand by it. Not terrified of mimes? Watch the video for ‘Funderland’ below. Go here for the Facebook page event page…
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Other Voices hosted to a stellar line-up at this year’s Latitude festival in Suffolk at the weekend. Check out Tara Thomas’ from their stage – featuring Young Fathers, All Tvvins, Jape, Le Galaxie, Fight Like Apes, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, a surprise set by Ed Sheeran and Johnny and Nathan from Snow Patrol – below.
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Supported by Cult Called Man, Anton Newcombe and Tess Parks brought their new collaboration to Dublin’s Sugar Club on Wednesday night. Photos by Aidan Kelly Murphy.
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On the day of the release of their stellar new single, ‘Premier League’ (stream below), we chat to Paul Connolly from Derry quartet The Wood Burning Savages about recent stirrings, future plottings and the recording and release of their latest and greatest track to date. Hi Paul. You’re just back from Swell Festival. How was that and the last few months for you generally? Hello The Thin Air! Swell Festival was incredibly good fun, it’s like a happier version of The Prisoner or Lord Of The Flies. It’s only in its second year but it’s got an amazing vibe and the…