• Therapy? Set For 30th Anniversary Belfast Show

    January 13, 2020 - By 

    No band embodies the term “NI alt-rock royalty” more comfortably than Andy Cairns, Neil Cooper and Michael “The Evil Priest” McKeegan aka Therapy? On Saturday, September 26, the trio will take over Belfast’s Limelight 1 for a career-spanning, 30th anniversary show. In a statement, the band said, “‘We’re delighted to celebrate 30 years at the coalface of rock (no splits/no ‘hiatuses’) with a run of special anniversary shows next year! When we formed the band back in East Antrim little did we know we would be together through thick and thin to celebrate such a milestone.” Tickets for the show cost…

  • Jawbox Set for Dublin Show

    January 9, 2020 - By 

    DC post-hardcore legends Jawbox will play their first-ever Irish show in the summer. Comprising J. Robbins, Bill Bardot, Kim Coletta and Zach Barocas, the band will stop off at Whelan’s in Dublin on June 9th as part of a forthcoming European tour. Tickets cost €27.00 and go on sale this Friday at 9am. Jawbox released four studio albums across 1991-1996. Revisit the video for ‘Savory’ from their major label debut, below.

  • The Thin Air’s Top 75 Irish Releases of 2019

    December 24, 2019 - By 

    Spanning albums, EPs, compilations, reissues, live albums and mixtapes, from every corner of the island, here’s the 75 best Irish releases of 2019. Onwards. #75-41 75. Talos – Iridiscent Iridescent by Talos 74. Danny Madigan – Teletron Teletron by Danny Madigan 73. Lonesome George – Stumble Day 72. Leo Miyagee – Ffdlc 71. Jonny Dillon – Songs For A One​-​String Guitar Songs For A One-String Guitar by Jonny Dillon 70. Anna Mieke – Idle Mind Idle Mind by Anna Mieke 69. Cailín – In My Soul Potboiler No. 3: Cailín – In My Soul by Cailín 68. Jafaris – Stride…

  • The 343 Festive Knees Up

    December 20, 2019 - By 

    Hands down the country’s finest artist-focused, feminist-led art space, the 343 in East Belfast will throw their Festive Knees Up with a typically first-rate assemblage of performances on Saturday, December 21st. Featuring Wake House, Alumna, Hive Choir, (the country’s premiere Velvet Underground and Mud tribute configuration) The Kathleen Turner Underground, the 343 DJs and more, doors for the night – which will raise funds for the Newtownards Road space – open at 8pm. Tickets are £12 and it’s BYO (no glass, you hear?)

  • Quiet Arch Announces Indefinite Hiatus, Farewell Show

    December 19, 2019 - By 

    Beloved Northern Irish record label Quiet Arch has announced that it’s to go on an indefinite hiatus. Home to the likes of Ryan Vail, Ciaran Lavery, Joshua Burnside and many others, the highly respected and remarkably successful Belfast-based imprint has revealed that it will take a step back from label operations. Accompanying the sad news is a silver lining: Goodbye Quiet Arch. Taking place at Empire Music Hall on January 10th, it’s a farewell show that will feature performances from Elma Orkestra & Ryan Vail, Joshua Burnside, Ciaran Lavery and special guests. Tickets are £15 and are on sale now. From all of us at…

  • Premiere: Like Chandeliers – Scars

    December 13, 2019 - By 

    Dublin three-piece Ronan Jackson, Nigel Farrelly and Christopher Barry aka Like Chandeliers have been concocting supremely sleepy sounds since 2016. Doubling up as their latest and greatest effort to date, new single ‘Scars’ is a wonderfully balmy dose of dream-pop, marrying broad, Badalamentian washes of synth with twinkling arps and Kranky-worthy, spoken-word vocals. Think Devotion-era Beach House, playing in the corner in a back room of the Bang Bang Bar, quietly relaying the heart-stung pangs and unknowability of it all in super slo-mo. It’s something Rita Macedo’s beautifully understated visuals for the track taps into and then some. Have a first listen and look below.

  • Stream: Various Artists – Unscene Bazaar 7

    December 11, 2019 - By 

    As with last year, it’s been another stellar for Irish compilations. From Live @ Fennor Lane and Buntús Rince: Explorations in Irish Jazz, Fusion & Folk 1969-81 in the first half of the year, to Cítog Records Vol. 4 and Wacker That! by Belfast imprint Touch Sensitive in the second, we’ve been gifted all kinds of carefully-compiled, far-reaching sounds from labels, producers and collectives right across the island. Joining the list, right on the cusp of 2020, is How Bazaar, the seventh installment of Limerick imprint-of-sorts Unscene’s consistently rewarding compilation series. And what a trove it is, too. Offering up sounds that span drone, turntablism, hip-hop, improve, noise,…

  • Applications Open for Stendhal 2020

    December 9, 2019 - By 

    Northern Ireland’s premiere music & arts festival, Limavady’s multi-award-winning Stendhal holds its tenth edition over the weekend of 6th-8th August 2020. Its organisers have just announced the re-opening of musical submission – with many of last year’s most prominent names [SOAK, Roe, Ryan McMullan] initially coming to their attention in previous years through the submission process. Festival Director Ross Parkhill said “We welcome submissions from acts in every genre, every age, every background, every level of experience. If you play music we want to hear from you. 2020 is a benchmark year for us, a real milestone for Stendhal and we want to make it as memorable as possible for all…

  • Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and More Announced for Longitude 2020

    December 6, 2019 - By 

    Talk about a first line-up announcement. Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator and A$AP Rocky are among the first names announced to play next year’s Longitude festival. Returning to Marlay Park in Dublin across July 3-5, the festival have also revealed the following in the first line-up announcement: J Hus, AJ Tracey, Young Thug, Dababy, Aitch, Playboi Carti, Lil Tecca, Mabel, Charli CXC, Jay1, Earthgang, Pop Smoke, IDK and Santi. More acts are to be announced. See the day-by-day headliner breakdown below. Friday July 3rd: Kendrick Lamar & J Hus Saturday July 4th: Tyler, The Creator & AJ Tracey Sunday July…

  • Q+A: Mature Cheddar @ Voodoo Belfast

    December 5, 2019 - By 

    Since launching back in 2014, Mature Cheddar has steadily held its reputation as one of Belfast’s most beloved club nights. With a very admirable emphasis on not taking itself too seriously (and, let’s face it, where’s the downside in that?) it proudly spins the very best in the ’80s and 90’s cheese every Saturday, upstairs in Voodoo on Fountain Street. But what sets it apart from other nights of its ilk? Why should you check it out? And what does the future for the night hold? We donned our favourite spandex and caught up with main man Niall Kennedy – also of And…