• Hiva Oa – Mk 2 (Part 2)

    April 21, 2017 - By 

    Brooding, atmospheric Belfast-based duo Hiva Oa release their new EP, Mk II (Part 2), following up on last year’s in-parenthesis Part 1. Based around core members Stephen Houlihan & Christine Tubridy, with outside help from Matthew Collings, Daithi McNabb & Chris McCorry, the pair lived in Edinburgh for several years before returning to Ireland and instilling new life into the project. Hiva Oa’s recent material has taken some cues in mood from post-punk & experimental electronica, filtered through the lens of contemporary indie music, not without its pop merit – paving a sonic path not unlike that of latter day Radiohead. The EP displays a breadth of unrestricted instrumentation & arrangements by band’s…

  • Cat Palace – why don’t you // why don’t you, go off

    April 14, 2017 - By 

    We’ve had our eye on Dublin’s Cat Palace since their 2015 debut EP. The moniker under which frontman David Blaney operates, the act balances social commentary, personal revelations and kitchen sink absurd realism by way of very listenable alt. rock and folk forays. Featuring a full band, debut album why don’t you // why don’t you, go off is out now through Little L Records. Absorbing you into his worldview for about 40 minutes, it’s a stream-of-consciousness trip through ruminations on life, from the deeply relatable nostalgic yearning and the dissatisfaction brought to you by your 20’s (Bret Hart & Vince McMahon, 1997 in ‘Welcome…

  • Mons Olympus – Vampyroteuthis

    April 10, 2017 - By 

    Northern Irish quartet Mons Olympus have announced details of their forthcoming debut album, Vampyroteuthis. Produced by the band’s guitarist Stephen O’Hagan, and Nathan Murray, (minus single ‘Critical Mass’, which was recorded by Michael Mormecha) the eight-track Vampyroteuthis will be launched and officially released at Belfast Empire Music Hall on May 4. Blending the Rory Dee-fronted foursome’s potent amalgam of space-rock and neo-prog, it’s sure to establish the band as one of the country’s leading exponents of cosmically-inclined, riff-fuelled alternative rock. Critical Mass by Mons Olympus With more shows to be announced, Mons Olympus will play the following dates off the back of the release:…

  • Premiere: Hand Models – TV Kids/Wednesday

    April 12, 2017 - By 

    Having pulled back the cloche on their debut tune, a fine slice of fuzzy surf-pop, ‘TV Kids’ last week, young Belfast indie rock upstarts Hand Models have now unveiled both sides of their debut single, ‘TV Kids/Wednesday’. Assisted by the hushed tones of vocalist/guitarist Gareth Murray, B-side ‘Wednesday’ calls to mind the phase-heavy, rhythmically-light likes of Kurt Vile and Mac DeMarco. It’s a slight ditty that’s so chilled it’s practically horizontal, an apt flip side to its jaunty, grunge-lite A-side. Both tracks were recorded & produced by Niall Doran at Start Together Studio, Belfast. Hand Models hold their single launch at McHugh’s Basement on April 26, with support from Bdbr & LetGo Dive. TV…

  • Fox Colony – Patterns

    April 6, 2017 - By 

    Belfast-based emo-tinged indie rock trio Fox Colony release their debut EP, Patterns on May 4. Associates & former bandmates of indie-pop outfit Brand New Friend, the young band recorded Patterns with Start Together Studios’ Rocky O’Reilly and have an uncanny ability to craft a tune without being afraid of wearing hearts – or accents – on their sleeves. The EP takes some cues from the current emo-pop revival of Modern Baseball, with the occasional glimmer of early ’90s alt. rock dischordance seeping in. Patterns will be available from Bandcamp – both digitally on CD – from May 4. Fox Colony launch Patterns at McHugh’s Basement on May 4, with…

  • Stream: Sea Pinks – Into Nowhere

    April 7, 2017 - By 

    Never ones to be shy of new tunes, Belfast-based jangle-pop trio Sea Pinks have just announced their sixth album, Watercourse, and with it, have made new single ‘Into Nowhere’ available to stream. Watercourse is the band’s sixth album since their 2010 inception, the trio, fronted by singer/guitarist Neil Brogan – also of Cruising – started recording the album at Belfast’s Start Together Studios with Ben McAuley – producer with Documenta, Girls Names and Robyn G Shiels – in Summer 2016 through until the Autumn, initially with the intention to write just an EP. You can stream ‘Into Nowhere’ below, and pre-order Watercourse on Bandcamp – due for release on May 26 through…

  • Sea Pinks – Watercourse

    April 6, 2017 - By 

    Dreamy Belfast-based jangle-pop trio Sea Pinks release their new album, Watercourse on May 26 through Belfast-based indie label CF Records. Being their sixth album since their 2010 inception, the trio, fronted by singer/guitarist Neil Brogan – also of Cruising – started recording the album at Belfast’s Start Together Studios with Ben McAuley – producer for Documenta, Girls Names and more – in Summer 2016 with the intention of recording an EP, until they had recorded 16 songs, which ultimately were pared down to 10, for yet another concise Sea Pinks LP, some of which were mixed by Collin Dupuis, known for work on Angel Olsen‘s My Woman.…

  • Ro Gang – H.E.R.

    April 5, 2017 - By 

    The duo formerly known as Mr Rosso, Dublin lo-fi act Ro Gang release their album H.E.R. on April 12. Channelling Mac DeMarco-flecked, chorus-drenched idiosyncratic in-joke indie pop – and occasionally rap – they’re part of the Herzog TV collective in Dublin, responsible for countless records – check them out on Bandcamp. H.E.R. is released through Little L Records, was recorded by the band, and produced by Bart Boy. Ro Gang launch the album at the Grand Social on April 18, with support from Kean Kavanagh, Dachau Giftshop and 5 to 2. Admission costs €6 and doors open at  7pm.

  • Bosco Ramos – Signs of Life

    March 30, 2017 - By 

    Fuzzy Belfast-based alt. punk bass & drum duo Bosco Ramos release their debut EP Signs of Life on March 31. Recorded and produced by Jonny Woods of R51 at Start Together Studios, it follows up on their debut double-A-side SNKSWM from early 2016. Phil Brown and Calum McGeown have a knack for an earworm, taking influenced from Death From Above 1979 and Torche-esque aggressively uplifting alt. rock, without hiding behind Americanised accents. Check out the video for lead single, ‘Rolling Sea’: Bosco Ramos launch Signs of Life at McHugh’s, Belfast on Friday, April 7, with support from Junk Drawer, Vulpynes and Gnarkats.

  • Premiere: Autre Monde – Customs

    March 30, 2017 - By 

    We’re delighted to premiere the debut single, ‘Customs’, from Dublin-based indie supergroup of sorts, Autre Monde. The quartet comprises revered songsmith Paddy Hanna on vocals, Ginnels‘ Mark Chester on guitar, Land Lovers‘ Padraig Cooney on bass and Eoghan O’Brien on drums. Harking toward minimal ’80s college rock and esteemed chiming CBGB’s guitar reinventors like Television, Suicide and Pere Ubu, with a saturated Neil Young crunch, it’s an idiosyncratic, dynamic number; it’s also the first of a series of releases planned for spring and early summer, stemming from their time in the studio with Jamie Hyland & Girl Band‘s Daniel Fox. ‘Customs’ will be initially released on their Bandcamp next week, and available on Spotify the following…