• In Conversation: Kasper Rosa, Lantern For A Gale, Vanilla Gloom

    Ahead of their show at Belfast’s Limelight 2 on Wednesday, August 7, Ryan McCormick (guitarist/vocalist, Kasper Rosa – pictured above), Danny McConaghie (guitarist, Lantern For A Gale) and Grace Leacock (drummer, Vanilla Gloom) participate in the first ever In Conversation, a feature in which we get members of three local bands to discuss different aspects of writing, performing and touring both at home and abroad – as well what ever conversational tangents take their fancy… ___ The Death Knell of Local Music? Danny: So is the Northern Irish music scene on its knees? Praying for forgiveness? Grace: “Aww, I feel sad when I hear that!Good music comes in…

  • Download: Psychojet – Flights EP

    Belfast-based instrumental quartet Psychojet have released a two-track EP titled Flights, a parting gift of sorts following their farewell on Sunday night. Comrpised of the aptly-titled ‘Swansong’ and ‘Epic Succeed’ the tracks – which reveal a marked compositional progression from the band – was recorded and mixed by Clark Philips at Great Northern Productions. Artwork came from Ryan Taylor. The band released their superb debut album – The Sea Is Never Full – last December. You can check that out here. Stream/download Flights via Bandcamp below. Flights by Psychojet

  • Go Wolf – Limelight 1, Belfast

    Having been on the upward turn over the last months, fast-rising Belfast-based band Go Wolf supported Brazilian’s finest indie rockers CSS at their Belfast show at Limelight 1 on Friday, August 2. As it so happens, our photographer Alan Maguire was there to capture the foursome in action. Check out our recent interview with the band here.

  • Watch: MGMT – Your Life Is A Lie

    Directed by Tom Kuntz, American psychedelic rock band MGMT have unveiled the video to their new single, ‘Your Life Is A Lie’. The track is taken from the band’s forthcoming third, self-titled album, which was produced by Dave Fridmann of Flaming Lips and is set for release on September 13 via Columbia. Watch the brief but brilliant video – featuring an array of wonderfully curious characters – below.  

  • The First Time: Rachel Austin

    In the third installment of The First Time, we catch up with Belfast-based experimental folk singer-songwriter Rachel Austin, delving into a whole range of musical “firsts” in her life both as a performer and lover of music. Traversing her experiences with everyone from the Appleseed Cast and the Smashing Pumpkins to UB40 and Django Reinhardt, the Virginia-born artist has come quite the way… Portrait photo by the ever-excellent Joe Laverty. ___ First album you bought? I begged my parents to take me to the music shop to buy Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World when I was 8 or 9.…

  • Watch: Sebadoh – All Kinds

    U.S. indie rock band Sebadoh have unveiled the video to their new single, ‘All Kinds’ Taken from the Lou Barlow-fronted three-piece’s forthcoming eighth album Defend Yourself – the band’s first full-length studio release in fourteen years – the track (and album) “marks a return to the self-recorded DIY ethos of early Sebadoh albums (Bakesale, Sebadoh III),” according to the band’s new label, Joyful Noise Recordings. Last year the recently reunited band released a comeback EP, Secret. You can stream it here. You can also watch the official album trailer for Defend Yourself here. Defend Yourself will be released in the UK…

  • Way Out West Festival

    Head in the heart of Gothenburg, Sweden, Way Out West Festival is easily the best go-to festival in the country for music-loving, culturally orientated young minds. From a more general perspective, though, it boasts one of the most downright incredible line-ups in a summer festival anywhere in the world this year. Set to take place from 8-10 August, the festival – now in its seventh years – will be headlined by Neil Young and Crazy Horse and will feature a whole host of some of the best artists out there, everyone from Grimes, Kendrick Lamar and Azealia Banks to Godspeed You!…

  • Tanglewood Music and Arts Festival

    Taking place at the incomparably scenic surroundings of Narrow Water Castle in Warrenpoint, Tanglewood Music and Arts festival returns for its third outing on the weekend of August 3 and 4. Headlined by globetrotting North Coast post-rock quartet And So I Watch You From Afar, the showcase also boasts a line-up including the likes of Thin Lizzy guitarist/singer-songwriter Eric Bell, electronic duo The Japanese Popstars and Belfast singer-songwriter Peter Wilson AKA Duke Special. Several up-and-coming and increasingly established homegrown acts included More Than Conquerors,Pocket Billiards and Hurdles also feature in the line-up, set to take place across four stages. Tickets – available for £35.00 for the weekend – are available to buy here.