• Interview: The Altered Hours

    Ahead of their highly-anticipated return to Belfast on Friday night (May 2, the Menagerie), Brian Coney talks to Cathal Mac Gabhann, frontman of Cork psych-rock trailblazers The Altered Hours about momentum, new material and pushing the boundaries of their sound. Photo by Izabela Szczutkowska. Hi Cathal. It’s been a great twelve months or so for you guys. You’re busier than you’ve ever been and a lot of new fans are getting behind you. How’s it been getting your music out to new ears? Hi Brian. I enjoy making and releasing music and doing shows. I like the whole process so it’s been fine. You recently set…

  • Watch: Little Rivers feat. Jess Brien – All I Want

    Ahead of their official launch at Belfast’s Menagerie on Thursday, May 15, new Northern Irish label OLD FANG have unveiled their first live session, featuring a performance of Kodaline’s breakthrough single ‘All I Want’ by singer-songwriter Callum Cairns AKA Little Rivers and guest vocalist Jess Brien. The two-track session was filmed by Brian O’Kane of SixteenPixels and recorded/mixed by Mike Mormecha at Millbank Studios. Richard Elder mastered the recording. Read our interview with OLD FANG’s founder, Thomas Camblin, here. Watch the video for the pair’s cover below.  

  • The Thin Air 1st Birthday/No Tomorrow #2: We Cut Corners, Liza Flume & Deadman’s Ghost @ Voodoo Belfast

    Twelve most excellent months in, we celebrate our very first birthday – to the day, no less – on Saturday, May 3 at Belfast’s Voodoo at the second ever outing of our gig/club night, No Tomorrow. Headlining on the night are We Cut Corners (pictured), the Dublin indie-rock duo whose new second album, Think Nothing, is set to see them elevated to the highest echelons of worship-worthy fanboyery (and, indeed, -girlery). Brilliantly urgent and idiosyncratic in equal proportion, recent singles ‘YKK’, ‘Best Friend’ and ‘Every Thief’ are go-to tracks to heed their mastery. Main support on the night comes from Australian…

  • Watch: Talos – Escariot

    Directed, shot and edited by the visual maestros at Feel Good Lost, Cork singer-songwriter Eoin French AKA Talos has released a suitably understated video of him performing a wonderfully delicate version of ‘Tethered Bones’. Reminiscent of the likes of Perfume Genius and the Antlers, the stripped-back rendition of the debut track sees French’s vocals take centre stage, the original track’s percussion inflections and electronic tangents purified to a gripping four and a half minute of serene performance. We approve, in other words. Check out the video (by FGL’s Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson) and the original track below.

  • Watch: TVVINS – Book (Live)

    Four months on from the propulsive electro-pop of their second single, ‘You Better’, Dublin duo Lar Kaye and Conor Adams AKA TVVINS have released a video of them performing a new track, ‘Book’, at Dublin’s Storm Studio. Featuring live drummer Lewis Hedigan, the track – evocative of the likes of PVT and early Battles – opens with the wonderful opening line,”So what? You read a book. I took it from you and you took a second look”, unravelling quickly to reveal an intoxicating blend of polyrhythms melding with throbbing bass lines, jagged guitar shapes and a general air of self-assured, summery…

  • Watch: We Cut Corners – Hunger

    It’s not long now until our next No Tomorrow show at Belfast’s Voodoo Bar on Saturday, May 3. Performing on the night is Jason Deadman (DJ set), Liza Flume and Dublin indie rock duo We Cut Corners, who have just unveiled the video for their new single, ‘Hunger’ Taken from the band’s hugely impressive second album, Think Nothing – set for release on April 25 in Ireland) and May 12 in the UK – the video for the track is the latest in a series of visual accompaniments by the fast-rising duo. Produced by We Destroy You/Dang and directed, filmed, edited by Kendy Ty the…

  • Stream: GO WOLF – One More Night

    Having recently (and very deservedly) secured the support slot for Wild Beasts at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival on May 8, Belfast indie-pop band GO WOLF have released a slick new track, ‘One More Night’. Set for release on June 2, the song – recorded by Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together Studios and mastered by Robin Schmidt of 24-96 Mastering – charges forth confidently, gleaming synth-lines and bobbing rhythms meshing to form a strong three and half minutes, its main earworming melody lingering in the mind well after a first spin (which is no bad thing, of course). Check out the…

  • Croupier to call it a day

    Having played a stellar show at We Play Here’s Record Store Day Weekender show on Sunday, Wicklow indie rock band Croupier have announced that they are parting ways at the end of May. After six years together, the band released the following statement regarding their disbandment: “As some people may already know, as of June 2014, Croupier will be coming to an end. It has been a difficult decision to make, however, we feel it is the right moment for us to finish. It’s been an amazing experience in which we have had the opportunity to not only play music as five close…

  • Watch: Cave Ghosts – Come Into My World

    Released as part of this year’s Record Store Day (and, indeed, Gay) Dublin alt-pop band Cave Ghosts‘ sublime rendering of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Come Into My World’ has more than a touch of Devotion-era Beach House about it. Helping raise funds for Dublin’s Outhouse LGBT Community Centre, the woozy cover was released in the name of Record Store Gay on Saturday. Speaking about the track, the band said, “We wanted to completely reimagine the original song and create a visual accompaniment in the form of a music video. We desired a more lush sound to our previous recordings and achieved this…