• Koreless – Yugen EP

    May 31, 2013 - By 

    Welsh producer Lewis Roberts places great emphasis on the synthetic. His debut EP as Koreless is for the most part beatless; whilst the hypnotic  (and at times vaguely unsettling ) sounds which pervade on Yugen are derived from Roberts’ fondness for sci-fi; with the novels of JG Ballard having been a particularly prominent influence during the recording of the EP. Indeed the Welshman was quoted in a recent interview with Pitchfork as having said, “I don’t ever want my music to be real— I don’t want any acoustic or human elements. I want it to be completely artificial and sci-fi”. There is…

  • Nomeansno – Voodoo, Belfast

    May 30, 2013 - By 

    Just under three years since they delivered a whiplash-inducing, criminally under-attended show here back in 2010, Nomeansno return to Belfast still very much assured of their reputation as being one of the mind-bogglingly accomplished triptychs in the entire pantheon of punk rock. Pioneering, virtuoso and notoriously disinterested in playing by the rules, they have paved the way for innumerable acts of their ilk whilst effortlessly defying all kinds of kneejerk classification for almost thirty-five years. The question remains: will fans – and indeed the merely curious – attend in their roves, as they should, this time around? The answer, lest…

  • Album stream: Camera Obscura – Desire Lines

    May 29, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of its official release on June 3, Glasgow indie pop band Camera Obscura are streaming their fifth studio album, Desire Lines. Featuring guest appearances by the likes of Neko Case and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, the twelve-track release comes four years after their last studio album, the exquisite My Maudlin Career. It was recorded in Portland, Oregon by Tucker Martine. Stream the album below.

  • Watch: VerseChorusVerse – ‘Spiders’

    May 29, 2013 - By 

    Belfast-based singer-songwriter VerseChorusVerse has unveiled the new video for the track ‘Spiders’. A so-called “paper crushed, insected, digital love story” the video for the song was animated, directed and designed by Pixelgram AKA Aaron McKee. VerseChorusVerse AKA ex-And So I Watch You From Afar guitarist Tony Wright take part in a ‘Getting to Know’ session at Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre on Thursday, June 6. He will also play a full band show ahead of the release of his highly anticipated debut album at Belfast’s Voodoo on June 15. Go here for more information. Stream/pay what you like for the ‘Spiders’ via…

  • David Byrne and St. Vincent give away free EP

    May 29, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of a pretty hefty U.S. and European tour David Byrne and St. Vincent have made their Brass Tactics EP available to download for free online. A collaborative release alongside their superb 2012 full-length debut Love This Giant, the EP consists of two remix tracks, two live tracks (including Talking Heads’ ‘Road To Nowhere’ and a previously unreleased track from Love This Giant. Brass Tactics tracklisting: 1. ‘Cissus’ 2. ‘I Should Watch TV’ (M. Stine Remix) 3. ‘Lightning’ (Kent Rockafeller Remix) 4. ‘Marrow’ (Live) 5. ‘Road to Nowhere’ (Live) Sound good? Download the EP for free below.

  • Nine Inch Nails make surprise album announcement

    May 28, 2013 - By 

    Just twelve hours after it was announced that they are to play this year’s Belsonic festival in Belfast, Nine Inch Nails have made a surprise announcement stating a brand new album is finished and set for release later this year. On a statement released on the official Nine Inch Nails website, the band’s founder and brainchild Trent Reznor wrote, “I’ve been less than honest about what I’ve really been up to lately. For the last year I’ve been secretly working non-stop with Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder on a new, full-length Nine Inch Nails record, which I am happy to…

  • Label Mixtape #001: Sargent House

    May 28, 2013 - By 

    Home to acts as spearheading and diverse as our very own Adebisi Shank (pictured) and And So I Watch You From Afar to Texan psych-rock five-piece Zechs Marquise and Zorch, LA based record label Sargent House is arguably one of the most exciting record labels in the world today. Formed in 2006 by Atlantic Records music video commissioner Cathy Pellow, it has grown in massive leaps and bounds over the last seven years. Through her own vision and seemingly faultless sonic intuition, Pellow has expanded the Sargent House name far from beyond its modest beginnings as a platform to release…

  • Nine Inch Nails and more announced for Belsonic

    May 28, 2013 - By 

    Playing Northern Ireland for the first time since forming a quarter of a century ago, U.S. industrial rock legends Nine Inch Nails are amongst several new acts announced to play this year’s Belsonic festival in Belfast’s Custom House Square. Set to take place on Wednesday August 21, North Coast post-rock quartet And So I Watch You From Afar have been confirmed as support for the iconic band, fronted by Trent Reznor (above). Several new support acts have also been announced for this year’s festival. Manchester band James will up the nostalgia factor by supporting Suede on August 24; The Courteeners,…

  • The Alice Kona Band split, release final EP

    May 27, 2013 - By 

    Belfast garage-pop quartet The Alice Kona Band have cushioned the blow of announcing they are no more by releasing their final EP online, the aptly-titled Alice Is Dead. Having released a couple of stellar singles over the last while – both of which feature on the release – the parting EP was recorded at Belfast’s Start Together in the summer of last year by Ben McAuley. On a brief statement made online, the band said, “We’ll be announcing a new project in the very near future. Huge thanks and much love to everyone that’s supported us over the last 4…

  • Stream: Malibu Shark Attack – Internal Organs

    May 27, 2013 - By 

    Taking from their forthcoming debut album, transatlantic indie-rap group Malibu Shark Attack are streaming their track ‘Internal Organs’ via Soundcloud. Made up of Rocky O’Reilly (Belfast’s Start Together Studio/Oppenheimer) and Atlanta, Georgia’s Tribe One with varying guests thrown in for good measure, it is the group’s first online release. ‘Internal Organs’ was released in physical form with ‘Monsters Under Your Bed’ last month. Stream Internal Organs’ – featuring the fine trumpeting skills of Linley Hamilton – below.