• Sounds From A Safe Harbour

    May 25, 2015 - By 

    Another brand-new festival has been added to Cork’s ever-expanding portfolio of annual events with the announcement of Sounds from a Safe Harbour, ‘a festival of music, art and conversation’ running September 17th until the 20th around the city. Curated by The National guitarist Bryce Dessner, it’s sure to be another strong Cork move, following the good buzz and recent pick-up in events and crowds that’s happened this year. The blurb: Sounds from a Safe Harbour is a brand new festival of music, art and conversation, curated by Bryce Dessner of The National. Two years since its inception by Bryce and Cork Opera…

  • DIY Dublin: Love Supreme

    April 1, 2015 - By 

    In the very first installment of DIY Dublin, a new regular feature looking at some of the city’s most intriguing small businesses, organisations and individuals, Stevie Lennox samples the wares of a Stoneybatter institution in the making. I popped in for a chat with Ken Flood, co-runner and proprietor of the wonderfully-monikered Love Supreme, a café that’s been operating for just eight months in Dublin’s recently-thriving Stoneybatter area. Besides its simple, eye-catching – without being intimidatingly extravagant – aesthetic, what was instantly striking was the selection of freshly-made sausage rolls and pies heating behind the counter, and a generous selection of…

  • Forbidden Fruit 2015

    March 25, 2015 - By 

    Probably the finest hip-hop and electronic-oriented festival bill we’ll see on the island this year, Forbidden Fruit returns to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on the weekend from Friday, May 29 – Sunday, May 31. Some of the highlights announced thus far are: Friday – The hugely successful Fatboy Slim, the immensely talented The Wire & Luther actor Idris Elba, who’s been carving out a credible name for himself as an electronic & hip-hop artist between and during jobs, incredibly talented American-Chilean musician Nicolas Jaar & Disciples Saturday – seminal NYC hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, Jamie XX, Earl Sweatshirt, a three-hour set from Mr Scruff, Mount Kimbie, a DJ set from Groove Armada, Joey Bada$$, Tensnake, Ejeca, Damian Lazarus and the Booka Brass Band. Sunday…

  • Belfast Film Festival Presents: Spaced

    March 24, 2015 - By 

    Plan 9 Film Club, as part of the Belfast Film Festival, host a night at the Black Box on April 22 dedicated to cult UK sitcom Spaced. Running for two seasons from 1999-2001 on Channel 4, it was the big breakthrough for creative minds Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson & Edgar Wright, who, as we all know, have went on to write, direct and star in some of the finest comedies in recent years. It also gave early exposure to the likes of sitcom favourites Mark Heap, Nick Frost, Julia Deakin and NI comedian & actor Michael Smiley. Tickets are available from the Film Festival for £5. Doors open at 7pm, with…

  • The Thin Air Stage @ Sunflowerfest

    March 18, 2015 - By 

    We are extremely pleased to announce we’ll be curating the scenic Barn stage on Saturday, August 1 at this year’s rebranded Sunflowerfest. Expect further details from us shortly about the stage, which is set to feature an eclectic mix of some of our favourite bands – both established and hotly-tipped – from across the entirety of the island; some of whom will be making their first Northern appearance. Sunflowerfest runs at Tubby’s Farm in Hillsborough – 20 miles from Belfast – during the weekend of Friday, July 31 until Sunday, August 2. With the line-up for our stage TBA, this year’s festival promises the likes of reggae/dub act Dreadzone, up-and-coming folk…

  • Watch: Documenta – Idle Hands

    March 9, 2015 - By 

    The video for ‘Idle Hands’, the first track from the new record by space-oriented drone pop outfit Documenta is now online. The rarely seen ensemble, led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Joe Greene, has already announced that there will only ever be three Documenta LPs, with only Drone Pop #2 having been given a full vinyl release so far. Their next album is to be called Drone Pop #1, and features songs – some of which are re-recorded – from the first CD-R the band released. The record should be available in July through new label Touch Sensitive Records. Watch the video for ‘Idle Hands’ below.

  • Stream: Naoise Roo – For You

    March 9, 2015 - By 

    Alternative singer-songwriter Naoise Roo unveiled yesterday – International Women’s Day – ‘For You’, the darkly atmospheric new single to be taken from her upcoming debut album, Lilith. Having debuted only last summer with powerful alt. rock free-download single, ‘Oh Son‘, Roo’s fire has lit up the local scene impressively quickly, with Lilith set for release on April 27 through Irish alternative & experimental label Little L Records. With only the layered-yet-stripped sound of ‘For You’ to go by, the album’s genre-spanning promises of ambient electronica, indie rock and burlesque could well show Lilith to be one of the great Irish breakthrough albums of 2015. Certainly this early on, her output is…

  • BeeMickSee – The Belfast Yank

    February 26, 2015 - By 

    Portland-born, Belfast-raised rapper BeeMickSee releases his long-awaited, aptly-titled debut album The Belfast Yank globally on March 16.  Some of the tracks have been made available through previous EPs & singles, available to check out on Bandcamp. With the question hanging over the album of: “What do you do when your parents move you from the hipster mecca that is Portland Oregon to the urban jungle that is post-ceasefire Belfast?”, the former punk-hop Bomb City 7 alumnus Brendan Seamus eschews the usual misogynist hip-hop patter – instead favouring lyrics chartering the experience of relocation in an unfamiliar, often uncivilised society, cross-Atlantic cultural parallels, strained relationships and bullying. Recorded in Start…

  • The Co-Present Late Sessions Launch & Weekly Show

    February 19, 2015 - By 

    Dwayne Woods, host of online alternative Irish radio show The Co-Present on Radiomade.ie – check their podcasts out here – has combined forces with show Niamh Farrell of Ham Sandwich to bring a monthly show at Dublin’s Workman’s Club, with the official launch taking place on Friday, February 27. Headlining the night are neo-psych quartet This Other Kingdom, who release their debut album Telescopic on April 11. Check their sonic concoction out on Bandcamp –  they’re sure to be one of the acts to keep an eye on throughout 2015, with new material being teased for their set. Following their set, singer & multi-instrumentalist electronica artist Patrick Kelleher (above) will be spinning…

  • New Ancestors – Annabelle EP

    February 16, 2015 - By 

    Newly-expanded quartet New Ancestors, having just relocated from Glasgow back to Belfast, have announced details of their first EP as a four piece, Annabelle. Formerly a duo – called the 1930s – the core of the band are singer-guitarist Jonny Solari and drummer & singer Andrew Cameron, have now added Adam Booth and Glenn Kennedy to their ranks. The expansion has signalled a change to a more pop-rock sound, moving away from their previous folk-pop roots. The EP is released on April 13. Check out the video for the title track & single: