• Brilliant Corners 2020

    February 20, 2020 - By 

    A remarkably consistent, ever-rewarding peak of the Irish festival calendar over the last eight years, Brilliant Corners can lay claim to being the island’s most carefully-curated jazz festival. Packing out (all being well) a mélange of Belfast’s finest venues and bars – both big and small – from February 27 to March 8, this year’s bill is a suitably essential affair. Curated, as ever, by the clued-in heads at Moving on Music, acts and events as mottled as the Mercury Prize-nominated Dinosaur, Athens, Georgia trailblazers Kenosha Kid, the always compelling Joseph Leighton Quartet, Wood River and the downright unmissable Parker/Niblock/Sanders will take over the likes…

  • Bright Eyes Set For First Irish Show in 18 Years

    February 18, 2020 - By 

    Bright Eyes are set to play their first Irish show in 18 years. Thanks to Selective Memory, the Conor Oberst-fronted Omaha indie folk band will play Dublin’s Vicar Street on Friday, September 4th. The show is the latest live date to be announced from the band following a 9-year hiatus. Tickets cost €37.50 standing and €42.50 seated. They go on sale at 9am on Friday, February 21st.

  • Other Voices Ballina 2020

    February 10, 2020 - By 

    With just over three weeks to go, the final acts for this year’s Other Voices Ballina have been announced. Returning to the Co. Mayo town across February 28-29, the festival will welcome David Gray, Kildare’s JYellowl, Soda Blonde, JC Stewart and The Howl & The Hum. Joining the likes of previously announced acts including Elbow and Jesca Hoop, the acts will perform within the 225-year-old walls of St. Michael’s Church over the two days and nights. Beyond the church is the Other Voices Ballina music trail, featuring Irish acts including Joel Harkin, Murli, Shookrah, The Mary Wallopers and Squarehead. Check out…

  • Knockanstockan Says “Goodbye for now, but not for good”

    February 9, 2020 - By 

    More than simply a highlight of the summer festival over the last 13 years, Knockanstockan has become synonymous with celebrating first-rate independent Irish music. Which is why news of the festival’s decision to go on hiatus this year, at the very least, will come as sad news for many. In a statement titled “goodbye for now, but not for good”, organisers of the Co. Wicklow festival said, “The Christmas of the Summer, the AGM of the craic, Electric Picnic on the dole, call it what you like there’s no denying that there is magic in those hills and there’s a decade-plus of…

  • Final Acts Announced for Other Voices Ballina

    February 6, 2020 - By 

    With just over three weeks to go, the final acts for this year’s Other Voices Ballina have been announced. Returning to the Co. Mayo town across February 28-29, the festival will welcome David Gray, Kildare’s JYellowl, Soda Blonde, JC Stewart and The Howl & The Hum. Joining the likes of previously announced acts including Elbow and Jesca Hoop, the acts will perform within the 225-year-old walls of St. Michael’s Church over the two days and nights. Beyond the church is the Other Voices Ballina music trail, featuring Irish acts including Joel Harkin, Murli, Shookrah, The Mary Wallopers and Squarehead. Check out…

  • The Thin Air Podcast: SOAK

    February 5, 2020 - By 

    In our final episode of season 2, Danny Carroll meets Bridie Monds-Watson aka SOAK, to talk about her song ‘Everybody Loves You’.  The first single released from her second album Grim Town (Rough Trade 2019), ‘Everybody Loves You’ sees Bridie’s songwriting and recording process significantly shifting gears.  Here, she breaks down the elements that went into the dream-pop ballad – be it a lush string section or “soggy cardboard” guitars.

  • The Strokes Set For Belfast Show

    February 4, 2020 - By 

    The Strokes are set to play Belfast. The NYC band, who return with the sixth studio album this year, will play the Waterfront Hall on February 24th. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning (Wednesday, February 5th) at 10am. The Julian Casablancas-fronted band last played the city (and legendary Bedford Street venue Ulster Hall) back in February 2006.

  • Stream: Bedrooms – Bus Lanes

    February 4, 2020 - By 

    One listen to ‘Bus Lanes’ and it may comes as no surprise to discover that Dublin indie quartet Bedrooms tip their sonic hat to such luminaries such as Dinosaur Jr, Galaxie 500, Guided by Voices and Pavement. In fact, they go one further and wear the imprint of Galaxie 500 firmly on their sleeve on their new single (reader: this will never be a bad thing.) Doubling up as their third single to date – following ‘Chico’s Bodega’ and ‘Chunky’ last year – the band’s latest effort is the first of two tracks recently recorded with Daniel Fox of Girl Band. Clocking…

  • The Rapture Set For Dublin and Belfast

    February 3, 2020 - By 

    Marking their first Irish shows in quite a few years, NYC dance-punk heroes The Rapture will play Belfast and Dublin in July. As well as a Selective Memory late show at Vicar Street in Dublin on Friday, July 3rd, the trio will also play the Limelight in Belfast, courtesy of Open House Festival, on Saturday, July 4th. Tickets for both dates go on sale from 9am on Friday, February 7th.

  • Monday Mixtape: Silverbacks

    February 3, 2020 - By 

    From Broadcast to Sonic Youth, Kilian and Daniel from Dublin indie rock five-piece Silverbacks take us on a guided tour of the acts and tracks that made an imprint on their recent singles ‘Drool’ and ‘Sirens’. Stones by Sonic Youth At the time we wrote Drool I have been listening to Sonic Nurse a lot. Similar enough drumbeat to Stones too ey? – K Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups I’ll be honest, I don’t know any other songs by this band but this song used to be in an old iTunes library on Daniel’s laptop years ago. The noodly guitar riff…