Geordie alt-rock maestros Maximo Park returned to Dublin on Friday night with a blinding set at a packed-out Whelan’s. Photographer Isabel Thomas was there to shoot both the aforementioned Paul Smith-fronted quintet and local electro-pop three-piece Sleep Thieves.
With the likes of The Selecter, Tinariwen and Shonen Knife already announced, several new acts have been confirmed for this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Arguably topping the lot is American groundbreaking hip-hop trio De La Soul (above), who join Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion, DBC Pierre, Wilko Johnson, Rubberbandits, Fuck Buttons, Wild Beasts, Jimi Goodwin and The Third Policeman. Now in its fifteenth year, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2014 will run from May 1 to May 11. Go to the official CQAF website for ticket info.
Having stepped in to headline our No Tomorrow launch at Belfast’s Voodoo tomorrow night (Saturday, March 1st), we have an exclusive first listen to ‘Honey It’s Winter’ by Derry lo-fi garage/noise act Autumns. Set for release via CF Records in the Spring, the track is a snappy burst of monochromatic jangle-doom from Christian Donaghey and co., veering between descending Duane Eddy-esque guitar lines, patches of feedback and cavernous vocal exorcisms. Stream the track below via Soundcloud and go here for the (updated) event page for the launch of No Tomorrow.
Four years on from just missing out to the prize to Two Door Cinema Club, Dublin indie-folk act Villagers have walked away with the 2014 Choice Music Prize for their second studio album, {Awayland}. Thanking the judges for liking his “weird little songs”, the band’s frontman Conor O’Brien accepted the award and a cheque for €10,000 having performed earlier in the night alongside six of the nominated ten acts. Check out Shaun Neary’s photos from the ceremony – including all the performances – here.
Featuring a nigh on kaleidoscopic plethora of cinematically-inclined happenings, the programme for this year’s Belfast’s Film Festival has been announced. Traversing categories including Altered States, TV Eye, Shorts and Opening & Closing, A Steve Zissou night, Ray Charles Live 1961, Documenta – The Happening, Here Be Dragons, Busby Furball and The Human Scale are amongst the many eclectic screenings and events taking place from from March 27 to April 5 across Belfast. Go here to check out the full schedule for this year’s festival, now in its fourteenth year. Tickets are available to purchase via here.
Canadian musician Caribou, American singer-songwriter John Grant and London-based electronic producer Jon Hopkins (pictured) are amongst the first acts announced for this year’s Body & Soul Festival. Taking place at Ballinlough Castle, Co. Westmeath during the summer solstice weekend of June 20-22, the first wave of acts to the play the festival also include Goldfrapp, Darkside, Mount Kimbie and Buraka Som Sistema. See below for the current poster for Body & Soul 2014. Varying in price and description, go here to buy tickets for the festival.
Ahead of headlining our forthcoming night at Voodoo Belfast on Saturday March 22, Dublin electronic duo Solar Bears have a new track titled ‘Interzone’. Taken from the pair’s forthcoming third studio album – the follow-up to last year’s Supermigration – the track is an homage to American actor and director Dennis Hopper Go here for the event page for our Solar bears show next month. Stream ‘Interzone’ via Soundcloud below. Photo by Dorje De Burgh.
General Fiasco brothers Owen and Enda Strathern have unveiled their debut track as Oh Volcano, titled ‘Oceans’. Marking a decidedly more progressive and electronic direction, the track is accompanied by a video directed by local musician and filmmaker Edward Butler. General Fiasco announced a hiatus in early 2013 but have played a few gigs with Duke Special and a one-off small gig in Belfast. Check out the video for the ‘Oceans’ below.
We launch of brand new gig/club night NO TOMORROW at Voodoo Belfast this Saturday, March 1. Headlining on the night is fast-rising Dublin noise rock quartet Girl Band (above), an act whose ferocious latest single ‘Lawman’ seduced Pitchfork, The Quietus and many others aside. Support on the night comes in the form of hugely promising Belfast/Dublin garage quartet CRUISING and a DJ set from the one and only Not Squares. The Thin Air DJs will also be delivering an abundance of tunes throughout the night. A plenitude of awesome visuals will also be on display on the night, the first…
Featuring a heartbroken BeeMickSee, transatlantic indie-rap group Malibu Shark Attack have released their first music video, for ‘Better Off As Friends’. Set for release on March 17 via No Dancing, the single features vocals from Dudley Colley of Dublin three-piece The Dudley Corporation. According to the band’s Soundcloud page, the video “shares the turmoil and heartache in the loss of some of [our] most-loved groups. From The Undertones and Sleater-Kinney to The Streets and ABBA. [We] want you to remember one thing. No matter what happens, you’ll always have the albums. As long as you don’t smash them up”. Malibu Shark Attack…