• Kurt Vile w/ Lushes @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    November 17, 2015 - By 

    As a preface-turned-thinkpiece, it’s probably important to note that I suffer from epilepsy and although I have my suspicions that this correlates with my connection to music, that hypothesis is probably, at best, pseudo-science. But then again, Neil Young – fellow epileptic – has, before even the diagnosis, been this writer’s favourite musician of all time, connecting in a way no other has before or since. Apart from, perhaps, the first time my teenage self heard Appetite For Destruction. That may seem a roundabout way of introducing a Kurt Vile review, but there’s an inescapable influence on those who channel…

  • Interview & Introduction To: Fractured

    November 20, 2015 - By 

    You may not have noticed yet, but Dublin-based filmmaker John Mulvaney is doing an invaluable service for the Irish underground scene in his short-form documentary series, Fractured. Each short film zones in on members of some of the best under-the-radar heavy and/or experimental artists in the country, piecing together a range of evocative cinematographic fragments of the musicians and their surroundings, soundtracked to candid aural insights from the respective musicians and their music. Mulvaney’s evident passion and respect for the music has continually led to a carefully crafted portrait of each artist, with every instalment accumulating to more than the…

  • Cheatahs – Mythologies

    November 9, 2015 - By 

    Mythologies is an appropriate name, with the London-formed Americo-Germanic-Canadian quartet Cheatahs once more harking back to subgenre worship of their indie rock, psych, Krautrock and, most prominently, shoegaze forefathers. Not even two years removed from the last record, things are getting more ethereal, with the emphasis on the psych and Krautrock, drastically reducing their tendency towards the more straightforward rockers. Mythologies’ level of gratification, as opposed to the instantaneity of their eponymous 2014 debut, comes in – appropriately enough – gushing waves. A lush production with a greater grasp on dynamics, it’s a record as much about textures as songs, even moreso than…

  • Watch: Neon Atlas – Get Up

    October 28, 2015 - By 

    Cork grunge-tinged alternative trio Neon Atlas have just released the video for their latest single, ‘Get Up’, following up on July’s ‘I Never Felt So Good‘. With frontman Kieran Ring’s Corganesque vocal qualities and a strong angst:anthem ratio, it’s plain to see in which era these folks’ hearts hark towards. Their knack for a hook has improved tenfold between their new album, Graffiti Reality, and their 2013 debut LP, Absolute Magnitude, given the strength of its two singles. The single is officially released on Friday, November 13 through iTunes, along with the rest of their album, which came out in July. Check it out below:…

  • Label Mixtape: Gravity Records

    October 23, 2015 - By 

    Gravity Records started out just like any other cult indie label – see: SST, Dischord – of the ‘80s-early ‘90s, when a pragmatic lead member (drummer Matt Anderson) of the most relevant band (Heroin) in a scene (1991 San Diego) wanted to release just one single. They would, as tradition goes, ultimately earn more notoriety and credibility than money, but it provided a rich catalogue of scattered splits and short long-players over which punk nerds and indie swots of the future can pore over and explore a periodic cul de sac. Fewer labels inbred more effectively and better developed a…

  • Stream: Talos – In Time

    September 30, 2015 - By 

    The brainchild of Cork singer/writer/producer Eoin French, ‘In Time’, the latest release from Talos, has just been made available. His debut single, ‘Tethered Bones‘ came out last year, and his progressively strong singles since then have hinted at a wider ambition, tying together contemporary Irish singer-songwriter material with more ambient, atmospheric electronic panorama. He plays The Academy at 9.35 this Friday night as part of Hard Working Class Heroes in Dublin. Stream ‘In Time’ below:

  • Stream: That Snaake – Go Bricker [AKA At Swim One Stone]

    September 14, 2015 - By 

    Dublin post-punk quartet That Snaake have just released their debut EP, Go Bricker (AKA At Swim One Stone). Channelling wry, socially surreal lyrical content in the vein of Future of the Left’s Falco through apathetically snarled vocals evocative of some of the classic indie rock bands. Papally-named guitarists John & Paul contrast angularity & density in the kind of guitar interplay heard from Wire, Milk Music, Slint and Fugazi. The self-aware foursome launched the EP in Dublin autonomous social centre The Barricade Inn on Friday with a selection of great underground Irish acts. The title of the EP comes from a YouTube video of what the…

  • NI Coffee Festival @ T13

    August 19, 2015 - By 

    Northern Ireland’s first ever coffee festival takes place in the Titanic Quarter’s T13 space on September 26 & 27. As of late, Belfast’s love for coffee has been on the up & up, especially with the opening of Established in the Cathedral Quarter of the city. With an estimated attendance of roughly 4000 people, the event will feature local artisan roasters, stalls from independent coffee shops as well as award winning baristas – something this country contains a surprisingly numerous amount of. As well as this, there will be tea and gourmet food stalls, tastings, demonstrations from some of the finest roasters, barista…

  • The Host – Esalen Lectures

    August 13, 2015 - By 

    Pulling absolutely no punches when it comes to leaving his imprint on the electronica scene, Belfast’s Barry Lynn (Boxcutter) – The Host for his latest release – has compounded a long track record of compelling, experimental arrangements with his new record, the Esalen Lectures LP. Given Lynn’s seemingly savage pursuit of originality though, this probably wasn’t the most difficult of tasks with a back catalogue as remarkable as his – various remix credits for heavyweights like Amon Tobin or our own Space Dimension Controller, all whilst his tenure for Planet Mu garners more notches than a backroad motel bed-frame. The…

  • The Co-Present Move Radio Slot & Upload Catalogue

    August 13, 2015 - By 

    The great people of the Co-Present on Radiomade.ie have, in one year and nine months of broadcasting, had some of the finest Irish acts come in and record live sessions with the team’s wingman Gav Hennessy. So, in an immeasurable act of kindness, they’ve made available each one of the 168 tracks recorded from various live sessions, available on Clowdy. As well as that, presenter Dwayne Woods has announced that this Friday’s show will be the final weekday show before a move to the more accessible 3-5pm slot on Saturday afternoon. To celebrate this, they’ve organised three days of awesome Irish music…