• Gig of the week: Lisa O’Neill, The Salt Flats and Hannah McPhillimy @ Black Box

    December 29, 2013 - By 

    Taking place at Belfast’s Black Box on Sunday, January 5, our very first Gig of the Week of the new year is all but certain to be one of the highlights from this year’s Out To Lunch festival in Belfast. The first date of her first ever headline tour, Cavan folk singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill will top a three-act bill also featuring Belfast-based music collective The Salt Flats and fast-rising Northern Irish songstress Hannah McPhillimy. O’Neill, who has recently released her superb second album, Same Cloth Or Not, last performed in the city in support of Glen Hansard at Belfast’s The Mac in October.…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2013 (35-1)

    December 30, 2013 - By 

    Sixty-five increasingly exceptional songs in, we’re pleased to round up our first ever countdown of the Top 100 Irish Tracks of the year. Truth be told, this list could have been much, much longesear – such was the extent and quality of the output from our homegrown musical talent over the last twelve months. From unassuming bedroom artists treading the often very thin line between absolute anonymity and mass recognition to genre-defining, decades-spanning bands that fall comfortably under “legendary” status, we’ve been very happily bombarded with some truly extraordinary Irish music over the last year. Until next time… listen, enjoy…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2013 (50-35)

    December 24, 2013 - By 

    With 2014 fast approaching, we’re very itchy underfoot to wrap up our countdown of our top 100 Irish songs of 2013. A veritable wealth of great music of practically every shade of genre featured in the first and second installments of the list and we very much continue on that trend on from tracks #50 to #35. Check back next week for tracks #34 to #1 and have a very merry festive period from us in the meantime! 50. Linebacker Dirge – Words Are Missing Fronted by Jason Gibson, Belfast-based alt-rock quartet Linebacker Dirge are comprised of members of bands including…

  • Stream: The Jepettos – Troubles EP

    December 17, 2013 - By 

    Officially launched at the weekend at Belfast’s wonderful Sunflower Bar, Troubles, the latest EP by Northern Irish twee-folk collective The Jepettos is available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp. Featuring the singles ‘Chemicals’ and ‘Water’ (featuring Alana Henderson and Scott Jamison of Go Wolf) the four-track EP is a brief but brilliantly burrowing release brimming with the band’s instantly recognisable brand of lullaby folk. Stream (or buy for a mere £3.00) the EP via Bandcamp below.

  • Watch: We Cut Corners – Every Thief

    December 18, 2013 - By 

    Having really hit home with the superb ‘YKK’ last month, Dublin indie rock duo We Cut Corners have unveiled the video to their  new single, ‘Every Thief’. Set to feature on their forthcoming debut album, Think Nothing – out via Delphi in April – the track is, for the most part, a decidedly more restrained affair than ‘YKK’ from Conall Ó Breacháin and John Duignan. Sparse and delicate in equal proportion for the first half, the track erupts at its climax – the refrain of “Will you be mine?” cutting off in striking fashion at the end. Watch the video for the…

  • Stream: Simon Herron – Demons EP

    December 16, 2013 - By 

    Currently based in Edinburgh, Derry alt-folk singer-songwriter Simon Herron has unveiled his wonderfully wistful new EP, Demons. Released via DhARMA, the four-track release was recorded and mixed by Phil D’Alton at Graham House Studios and mastered by Jon Moorehead. D’Alton, Walter Thee Goon and Gerard Gormley of Master & Dog formed Herron’s band in the recording process. Want a warm and suitably reflective soundtrack to pre-Christmas evenings? Stream – or pay what you like for – Demons via Bandcamp below.

  • Track-by-track preview: Ed Zealous – Wired

    December 17, 2013 - By 

    In advance of its release on February 3, we have the honour to bestow upon your lovely eyes a track-by-track preview of Wired, the momentously-anticipated debut album by Belfast-based indie/electro-pop quartet Ed Zealous. Having released ‘Thanks A Million’, ‘Telepaths’ and ‘Medicines’ from the ten-track release, over the last couple of years the band have given us a steady taste of what their full-length debut album has in store. Let’s just say: if you enjoyed any of the aforementioned singles to date, there’s a very good chance Wired will leave you intent upon an immediate second listen. Check out the artwork and our track-by-track preview…

  • Biffy Clyro to play Royal Kilmainham Hospital

    December 16, 2013 - By 

    After a hugely successful summer which saw the band play their first headline sets at Reading, Leeds and Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Scottish alt-rock three-piece Biffy Clyro have announced they will play Dublin’s Royal Kilmainham hospital on June 28, 2014. The announcement comes after the band were confirmed to play Cork’s Live at the Marquee the day before on Friday, June 27. The Pixies, Elbow and Neil Young are amongst others acts set to play the festival. Tickets for the Dublin show are priced €44.50 including booking fee go on sale this Wednesday, 18 December at 9am from Ticketmaster.

  • Neil Young and Crazy Horse to play Cork’s Live at the Marquee

    December 13, 2013 - By 

    Six months on from their show in Dublin, Neil Young and Crazy Horse have announced that they will play Cork’s Live at the Marquee on Thursday, July 10 2014. Having last performing there back in 2008, tickets for the show will be able from Monday, December 16 at 9am. To purchase tickets go to Ticketmaster. In the meantime, there’s this masterpiece:

  • Watch: Hornets – Stay Free

    December 14, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of supporting LaFaro at Belfast’s Voodoo tonight, Saturday, December 14, Belfast-based punk metal band Hornets have unveiled the video to their new single, ‘Stay Free’. Shot and produced by Patrick McElwee,  the video for the single – released via Start Together Singles Club – was shot on location in Belfast city and features a guest appearance from Steven Toner from Belfast glam punk five-piece The Unprotected. Having recently expanded to a four-piece (as the only photo of the new line-up, above, shows), Hornets have just finished recording their latest EP, No Faith, with Rocky O’Reilly. The EP is expected to be release…