• Anon #002

    July 16, 2015 - By 

    Happening as part of the Open House festival in association with PLACE NI, the second installment of Phil Kieran’s Anon series will take place at an undisclosed location in Belfast on Saturday, July 18. According to the poster (above), the ethos behind the electronic events are to “shift the excitement back to the location and music, rather than hype.” Whilst we’re certainly sensing a profound sense of hype around the occasion, we highly approve of the sentiment. Given some nice leverage and interest from the public at large (which most increasingly seems to be the case so far) this could very easily turn into one…

  • EP Premiere + Interview: THVS – Everyday Hexes

    July 15, 2015 - By 

    Forming from the embers of Belfast riff-wielding institution Comply or Die, heavy rock three-piece THVS are on the precipice of completing the first stage of their instantly ear-grabbing metamorphosis. Officially released on Friday (July 17), we’re pleased to present a first listen of their expectedly visceral four-track EP, Everyday Hexes, also chatting to frontman Michael Smyth about the writing and recording of the EP, the formation of the band and their plans for the future. Hi Michael. First thing’s first, how did THVS come about? The band came about after a band practice got cancelled so Matt and I decided to go up and play anyway.…

  • Watch: Pocket Promise – Music For The Twelfth

    July 14, 2015 - By 

    Having been on extended hiatus for a few years, Co. Tyrone band Pocket Promise remain of Ireland’s all-time truly great alt-pop bands. With some expectation suggestive of a reunion of sorts in the pipeline at some point in the future, the band have re-emerged, in some form, with the up until-now unreleased ‘Music For The Twelfth’. With its backdrop of the Northern Irish marching season, the song – over a decade old at this point – should be familiar to anyone caught the band (compised of members that went on to form Seven Summits) during their initial, country-spanning tenure of the mid-noughties. Speaking of…

  • Track Record: Michelle Considine (little xs for eyes)

    July 14, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Michelle Considine from little xs for eyes selects and talks about some of her all-time favourite records, including Björk, Future Islands, The Books and Patrick Kelleher and his Cold Dead Hands. Take it away, Michelle… Photos by Abi Dennison I was raised in a vinyl fanatic’s household.  My dad had a huge collection of classic albums from the 1960s/70s and my brother had a massive 80s/90s album collection (I don’t think he’s ever bought a tape or cd in his life if it was available on vinyl!) so I was lucky to have a…

  • Watch: Best Boy Grip – Can’t Buy Love, Son

    July 14, 2015 - By 

    The latest in a string of Irish singer-songwriters to wisely wander down the road of crowd-funding, Derry’s Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip aims to released his forthcoming debut album on September 7. The latest track to be released from the album, the impassioned and swooning ‘Can’t Buy Love, Son’ perfectly captures the essence of the project, hinting – alongside the previously released ‘Sharks‘ and ‘Cops‘ – at something really special in the works. Having already achieved his Pledge goal, there’s still 55 days to contribute. Like what you hear? You can do so here.

  • Monday Mixtape: Anton Newcombe

    July 13, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of his show with Tess Parks at Dublin’s Sugar Club on Wednesday night (July 15), Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe selects and talks about not five, not ten but twenty-three of his all-time favourite songs, featuring 13th Floor Elevators, Joni Mitchell, Dungen, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone and more. The Doors – The Crystal Ship There’s something about this beautiful love song that touched me when I was very young. Still love it. Dungen – Panda God, when this came out I was taken back – so powerful in any language. Love these guys, love Sweden. John’s Children – Smashed Blocked…

  • Summer Watch 2015 @ Whelan’s

    July 9, 2015 - By 

    On July 10 and 11, Dublin’s Whelan’s will play host to this year’s Summer Watch 2015, featuring some of the country’s very best and most promising acts. The line-up is as follows: Tadgh, Hawklion, I Heart The Monster Hero, Skelocrats, Riot Tapes, Rocstrong, I Am Niamh, Mythill Grim, Switzerland, New Valley Wolves, Pretty Beast, Paddy Hanna (pictured), Half of Me, Participant, Buffalo Sunn, The Fontaines, Pranks, Sub Motion, Let’s Set Sail, Fruit Tones, Swimmers and Gangs. Tickets are €5 per day with a complimentary pint of Heineken (door tickets only available until 11pm). Advanced tickets are available from WAV Tickets.

  • Oh Yeah Centre Summer Camps

    July 9, 2015 - By 

    Interested in music journalism and photography? Like the idea of learning how it works by actively creating your own magazine or blog, complete with photos, reviews, news and features? Oh Yeah has teamed up with yours truly, The Thin Air, and Carrie Davenport Photography to provide hands on learning in publishing. Over the course of five days participants will work together under guidance from our experts to deliver what will be a fun, colourful, engaging Zine and blog that you will produce and publish at the end of the week. Both elements will come together at the end of the week…

  • Stream: Girls Names – A Hunger Artist

    July 9, 2015 - By 

    Having just returned from a string of European dates, Girls Names have unveiled ‘A Hunger Artist’, the latest single to be taken from their forthcoming third album, Arms Around a Vision. Assumingly taking its title from Franz Kafka’s 1922 short story of the same name, the track – quite possibly our favourite Girls Names effort to date – sees frontman Cathal Cully confront a life lived “hand in mouth.” Elaborating, he said, “Most guitar music now is just a playground for the rich middle classes, and it’s really boring and elitist. We’re elitist in our own way, in that we’re on our own…

  • Watch: Come On Live Long – Speak Up

    July 8, 2015 - By 

    Shot by Mercedes Arturo & Nico Casavecchia in (deep breath) Brooklyn, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Beijing, Barcelona, Berlin, Tigre, Tierra del Fuego, Niece, Mar del Plata, San Jose, Copenhagan, Cannes, Ko Pha Ngan and London, Dublin’s Come On Live Long have unveiled the sprawling, rather spectacular video for their seven-minute new single, ‘Speak Up’. Watch it below.