• Monday Mixtape: Elma Orkestra & Ryan Vail

    August 12, 2019 - By 

    In the latest installment of Monday Mixtape, Eoin O’Callaghan aka Elma Orkestra and Ryan Vail – a duo who has recently released one of the Irish albums of the year in Borders – select some of the tracks made an imprint on writing and recording of the project. Catch Borders, live, at the following upcoming shows: Stendhal Festival – 16th August Electric Picnic – 30th August Max Richter – On The Nature of Daylight (Entropy) This has been one of our favourite tunes to date. We’ve been listening to it since its release many years ago. Most recognise it from the…

  • Preview: Féile na Gréine 2019

    August 12, 2019 - By 

    It’s no longer up for debate: right now, the network of promoters, venues and artists that make up Ireland’s extraordinary DIY music scene (singular) is the strongest and most homogeneous that it’s ever been. From Dundalk, Cork, and Belfast to Letterkenny, Dublin, Derry and beyond, incalculable good people are putting on world-beating shows and festivals, featuring acts of every ilk and every conceivable corner of the island. No area or sound is being overlooked. No band is stranded in the arse-end of nowhere after a show. Blind, sweeping reverence for Dublin as some sort of untouchable bastion of Irish music…

  • Chromatic Launches With a Beautiful One-Shot Performance From Saint Sister

    August 9, 2019 - By 

    Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be teaming up with Chromatic, a Dublin-based duo who film performances using unique spaces as visual and acoustic backdrops. The vision of long-time friends Kieran “Sherry” Sheridan and Ror Conaty – who have both been active in the Dublin music scene for years – Chromatic is a series born from a joint desire to “open up music/musician circles to audiences who might not be aware of the artists on their doorstep.” Sheridan and Conaty correlated that with their love of outdoor natural space, as well as unique buildings and history that’s found across the…

  • Line-up Announced for Ireland Music Week 2019

    August 8, 2019 - By 

    The fifty Irish acts selected to perform at this year’s Irish Music Week has been revealed. Formerly known as Hard Working Class Heroes, the festival and conference “is dedicated to showcasing the very best in new Irish music” and will run in various venues in Dublin across October 1st to 5th. Featuring everyone from Autre Monde and Junior Brother to Maija Sofia (pictured) and Sun Mahshene, check out the full line-up (which, to our surprise, features a handful of acts from previous years and no artists from a currently-thriving Limerick scene) below.

  • Watch: MELTS – Seesaw

    August 7, 2019 - By 

    On their new single, ‘Seesaw’, Dublin five-piece MELTS hit the sweet spot between BJM-leaning, lysergic-dappled garage that pushes forward and wonderfully blissed-out psych conjuring old masters including Jefferson Airplane and Syd-era Pink Floyd. Recorded live at the Meadow by the Deaf Brothers, mixed by Rian Trench and mastered by Fergal Davis, the track – which doubles up as the band’s most inspired single effort to date – features visuals courtesy of Gavin Ovoca and the band. Delve in below. Supported by Grave Goods and Fonda, MELTS launch the single at Dublin’s Bello Bar on Friday, September 20.

  • Shooting Star: Remembering Elliott Smith Playlist (1969-2003)

    August 6, 2019 - By 

    On October 21st 2003, one of the most naturally-gifted, boundlessly resonant singer-songwriters of his era, Steven Paul “Elliott” Smith bookended his story in Echo Park, California. He was thirty-four years old. Having spent several years lauded as a troubled genius, his reported suicide kickstarted the creaky old myth machine into gear once more. But whilst destined to remain “that Good Will Hunting guy” for countless people not too au courant with, say, Quasi’s discography, the outpouring of confusion and raw grief on that day in October 2003 was unprecedented, bringing into sharp focus the extent to which Smith was regarded in the lo-fi…

  • Björk to Bring Cornucopia Tour to Dublin

    August 5, 2019 - By 

    Björk will bring her Cornucopia tour to Dublin later this year. As well as shows in London and Glasgow, the Icelandic artist will bring the immersive theatre show – which was developed last year – to the 3Arena on November 28th. Tickets go on sale this Friday. Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday.

  • Festival Mixtape: Stendhal Festival 2019

    August 2, 2019 - By 

    Set to return to Limavady across 15-17th August, Northern Ireland’s only unmissable summer festival – and three-times winner of Ireland’s “best small festival” – Stendhal is shaping up to be just as memorable as its last few outings. Ahead of our festival preview next week, we’ve whittled the year’s bill down to a twenty-track mixtape, featuring SOAK, Basement Jaxx, Kitt Philippa, Sister Ghost, New Pagans, Kíla, Talos, Elma Orkestra & Ryan Vail, Malojian, Lisa O’Neill, Bouts, Arvo Party and more. Go here to buy tickets to this year’s festival.

  • Premiere: The Rackets – 1-2 FU/Dead Rebel

    July 31, 2019 - By 

    For whatever combination of reasons, Belfast has peerless form for producing first-rate garage bands. From Them and The Wheels back in the 1960s right up to The Groundlings, The Dreads and others in the present era, the city has always reliably churned out bands wielding straight-up rock ‘n’ roll like it’s no one’s business. In the day of our Lord  John Dwyer, you need not look much further than The Rackets. A suitably elusive outfit, with an ever-revolving line-up, the band currently operate as a three-piece of Sunglasses After Dark’s Ryan Fitzsimmons, frontwoman Aileen McKenna aka This Ship Argo and the downright legendary Chappy of the aforementioned The Groundlings…

  • Gruff Rhys Set For Irish Tour

    July 31, 2019 - By 

    Gruff Rhys will play a three-date Irish tour later this year. The Welsh musician and Super Furry Animals main man will Whelans’s in Dublin on December 9th, Live at St. Luke’s in Cork on December 10th and Belfast’s Empre Music Hall on December 11th. Tickets for the shows cost €25.00 and go on sale tomorrow (August 1st) at 10am. Rhys will release his new album Pang! via Rough Trade Records on September 13th.