Several Irish acts have been confirmed to play this year’s South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. The annual U.S. showcase – now in its 28th year – will feature performances from Unknwn (above), Wonder Villains, RAMS’ Pocket Radio, Foy Vance, and from the south, September Girls, Heathers, Hozier, DOTT, O Emperor, Wounds, The Strypes, The Young Folk and Nightbox. Inaugurated in 1987, South by Southwest 2014 will run from March 11-16 and feature thousands of acts from across the world.
Now in its ninth year, the shortlist for the Meteor Choice Music Prize has been announced. Including the long overdue comeback albums from genre-defining shoegaze My Bloody Valentine, the breakthrough second album from Belfast-based four-piece Girls Names and the Mercury Prize-nominated {Awayland} by Dublin’s Villagers, the winner of the ten-act shortlist will be announced at Dublin’s Vicar Street on Thursday, February 27. Check out the full nominations below: And So I Watch You From Afar – All Hail Bright Futures (Sargent House) Bell X1 – Chop Chop (Belly Up Records) Girls Names – The New Life (Tough Love) Kodaline – In…
Having been chosen by movie critic Mark Kermode as his #1 film of 2013, Good Vibrations has been nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer category at this year’s BAFTA Awards. The film – chronicling the rise of Terri Hooley’s legendary Belfast record shop and his discovery of Derry punk upstarts the Undertones at the height of the Troubles – was released at the start of last year to a wave of critical and commercial attention. The nomination is in recognition of Colin Carberry and Glenn Paterson’s stellar screenplay for the film. This ceremony will take place on…
Dublin weirdo/electro-pop five-piece Meltybrains? have long been a band that have piqued our interest. Becoming less a mere curiousity, that interest has blossomed into full-blown excitement with the release of the band’s latest single, the ten-minute ‘Green, Yellow &Purple’. Created by Louise Gaffney (of Come On Live Long, no less), the video for the single is a decidedly tripped-out accompaniment that nicely weaves around the track – a skittered, blissed-out mini-odyssey that forges the eccentric with the stellar in thoroughly confident fashion, unravelling to become something of a prog/electro masterstroke. Immerse yourself in the video below.
Manchester-based musician and ex WU LYF bassist Tom McClung – not satisfied with having already formed the guitar-pop band Los Porcos since his former band’s split – now steps out under the Francis Lung moniker to deliver catchy, sun-kissed indie-rock. ‘A Selfish Man’ runs for six and a half minutes, yet burns bright for its entirety; no doubt something to do with the uncomfortable truths hidden within: “Abandoning was not the plan/ but I don’t wanna know you/ or wanna understand/ I can let you go/ cause I’m a selfish man“. There are too no doubt several not-so-subtle swipes in…
Having had an extraordinary 2013, Derry band Little Bear have unveiled the video to their single, ‘Night Dries Like Ink’. Shot and edited by Samuel Steele of Missing Piece Film, the video – shot at the Derry’s Playhouse – is a suitably entrancing accompaniment to the song, the fast-rising Northern Irish band’s debut single on Smalltown America. Buy the ‘Night Dries Like Ink’ double A-Side single as a deluxe transparent green 12″ vinyl here. Watch the video for the song below.
A cover of Blawan‘s terror-techno ‘Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?’ may not be the most orthodox way for a grunge-rock band to bring themselves to the attention of the blogosphere, but then again ‘orthodox’ isn’t exactly the word that first comes to mind when listening to Dublin quartet Girl Band. They certainly have their influences – fans of Mclusky, Liars, and Metz will want to get on board – but there definitely seems to be something setting the group apart from most modern ‘guitar music’; whether it be the pent up frustration that seeps through their songwriting,…
Not only one of our must-see highlights from this year’s Out To Lunch festival, our Gig of the Week is Dublin electronic four-piece Le Galaxie at Belfast’s Black Box on Friday, January 10. If you weren’t fortunate to have caught the guys practically destroy the likes of Forbidden Fruit and Electric Picnic last summer, this show in the relatively intimate surroundings of the Black Box is all but certain to be a hugely memorable consolation. Tickets for the show – priced at £10.00 – are available to purchase right here.
Oh boy, are we excited for this one! Currently writing material for their third album, Dublin electronic duo Solar Bears will headline our next showcase at Belfast’s Voodoo Bar on Saturday, March 22. Having released the exquisite Supermigration last year and recently signed a published deal with Warp, the two-piece’s DJ set will follow sets from Derry electronic twosome Ryan Vail and Belfast-based jazz-punk quartet Blue Whale – two of the finest acts of their respective genres currently based in Northern Ireland. Doors at 8.30pm, door tax is £8.00 (pay at the door). Go here for the Facebook event page…
Despite would-be highlight Julian Cope rather laughably jumping ship at the last minute due to “safety fears”, the three-week music and cultural feast that is Belfast’s Out To Lunch festival boasts it strongest and most colourfully diverse line-up to date. Now in its ninth year, we have whittled the fifty odd acts set to perform at this year’s festival down to a mere eight bands and solo artists equally worthy of your time, money and attention throughout the month of January in the very safe city of Belfast. Chris Braniff Is The Young Shadow – The Black Box, Thursday, January 9 1.00pm…