• 16 For 16: Joni

    January 14, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of 16 For 16 – in which we profile sixteen up-and-coming Irish acts we’re very excited about this year – Eoin Murray introduces Wicklow vocalist Joni. Photo by Brian Mulligan Genres like grime, garage and bass music in the broadest sense are rarely thought of as being the most flourishing in Ireland.  This however was seen to be a less than accurate view following Dublin’s very successful first Boiler Room event in May 2015 which showcased some of the best that Ireland had to offer in the underground scene. While Bray vocalist Joni was not involved…

  • King Kong Company @ Roisin Dubh, Galway

    November 24, 2015 - By 

    There is no use in disputing the claim that Waterford’s King Kong Company are one of, if not the, best live act in the country now. In the past couple of years, since their grand comeback after several years off the radar, the five piece band plus dancer Trish Murphy have been crowned as lords of the summer festival, playing almost every one in the country this summer including three sets at Body and Soul. This unyielding capacity that the act have honed in the festival scenario makes it so that the exact same feeling is impossible to avoid at…

  • The Album Leaf w/ Lyla Foy, Grounds For Invasion @ Roisin Dubh, Galway

    November 23, 2015 - By 

    Winter is definitely, definitely, definitely starting to sink its teeth into Galway’s spine on this particular Thursday night. What an absolute joy it is then to shiver into the Roisín Dubh’s candlelit main room; to take a seat and allow the three acts of tonight’s Strange Brew showcase to wrap the modest but attentive audience in music that is so reassuringly warm. First up is the local Grounds For Invasion (below). The duo of multi-instrumentalist Willow Sea and vocalist Tracy Friel are visibly comfortable playing on this stage by now and this contributes nicely to the intimate, comfortable atmosphere that…

  • SXSW 2016: Irish Act Round-Up

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    Since its founding in 1987, Austin Texas’ South by South West (SXSW) has been progressively becoming one of the most important platforms for aspiring international artists in the realms of music, film, art and interactive media. In recent years especially it has served as an ideal medium through which Irish musicians and bands have been able to create stages and opportunities for themselves overseas and to perform to a wider audience. Last year saw acts like Girl Band, SOAK, All Tvvins, James Vincent McMorrow and Meltybrains?  benefiting considerably from the work they put in during their time at the citywide festival,…

  • Floating Points – Elaeina

    November 6, 2015 - By 

    A couple of years ago, a friend dragged me to see Sam Shepherd (AKA Floating Points) DJ in a relatively small venue that normally hosted jazz and blues bands. There was my first clue. At the time, my knowledge and appreciation of “dance music” was speculative at best, if not completely grounded on naivety. I had only the most basic idea of what a DJ actually did, let alone having any notion as to what separated a good DJ set from a good one. My club experiences to that point had been based purely within the realm of four to…

  • Alarmist – Popular Demain

    November 3, 2015 - By 

    Dublin four-piece Alarmist’s first full-length album Popular Demain feels like it has been a long time coming. Having released their debut EP in August 2011 followed by the Pal Magnet EP in November 2013 the band have very gradually been growing into their sound, leaving each element to develop without urgency. The result of this patient honing of sound on Popular Demain is a collection of eight tracks that seamlessly combine elements of Math-Rock, Jazz and Ambient music without ever letting any of those sound become overbearing. Instead, the style and atmosphere created is an almost entirely unique one; complex…

  • Interview: David Kitt

    October 19, 2015 - By 

    David Kitt has been a quiet institution of the Irish music world for what is fast approaching two decades. In that time Kitt has released six studio albums under his own name has toured extensively, one of those tours being support of David Gray earlier in 2015. Recently, Kitt has achieved success in the realm outside of his ambient, electronic folk sphere under the moniker of New Jackson which has seen him bringing his boisterous, driving electronica to festivals throughout the UK and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of John Talabot and Mano Le Tough. Eoin Murray speaks to David…

  • Interview: Neil Flynn

    October 15, 2015 - By 

    Neil Flynn is an artist who could stand as a true representation of what so many young people looking to dedicate their lives to music go through in recent years. Growing up in rural Ireland where dreams of making the music you love for a living and having it played in some of Europe’s most renowned nightclubs rarely become more than dreams, Flynn’s determination, work ethic and sincere belief in the art of electronic music has lead to him being signed to one of Berlin’s most promising labels, LOSSLESS. In the past year Flynn has released one EP, Louise and…

  • Lingo Festival Interview: Saul Williams

    October 7, 2015 - By 

    Saul Williams as an artistic figure is a force of unshakeable power. His ability over the course of his career to tackle social, personal and political issues with verve and master craftsmanship has been insurmountable and defiant of any possible pigeonholing. From poetry to music, from acting to journalism, William’s medium defying career has turned him into an artistic totem in the sphere of social commentary. I spoke to him about his recently published poetic commentary on the state of America, US(a.) – a work that began when he returned to the States having lived in Paris for several years…

  • Girl Band w/ Paddy Hanna @ Roisin Dubh, Galway

    October 3, 2015 - By 

    It’s been almost a year to the day since Girl Band played the Roisín Dubh. At that point the band had just released their seminal single ‘De Bom Bom’ and plans for an album were in a mere germination stage, the only thing that they knew for certain was that they would record it themselves and that it would be out in 2015. This being less than a week after the release of the massively anticipated LP Holding Hands With Jamie then, excitement levels are through the roof to see how the year has impacted the most innovative and exhilarating…