• Banter & Eventbrite Event Talks: Does Dublin Need a Night Mayor?

    July 18, 2016 - By 

    Tuesday July 12th saw the third in this year’s Event Talk series take place in Wood Quay. Hosted by Banter and Eventbrite, the series focuses on event-related talks and conversations, including festival trends and the science of events. For the third talk the topic was that of Dublin needing a Night Mayor, a topic of debate at SXSW and something many other European cities have brought in. The panel, hosted by Banter’s Jim Carroll, was made up of Richard Guiney (CEO DublinTown, Dublin City’s Business Improvement District), Niall Byrne (Nialler9) and Roisín McVeigh (Cheap Trick, Frock Advisor and Totally Dublin). Over the course of about an hour the…

  • Feel Good Lost’s 5th Birthday

    July 12, 2016 - By 

    The working name for Cork director, editor, designer, cameraman, alternative DJ, live visual artist and media designer Brendan Canty, Feel Good Lost just celebrated their 5th birthday party in the panoramic Mitchelstown Caves. This year featured candlelit performances from the enigmatic JFDR (Iceland) and an immense and explorative performance from Cork act Talos. As well as taking photos of the event, Blair Alexander Massie had the pleasure of chatting with Brendan about the milestone. After 5 longs years of emails, flights, videos, EP and LP’s and now a show in a cave. What’s the most rewarding part about what you…

  • Watch: Heathers – Call Home

    June 29, 2016 - By 

    Twin sister duo Heathers have released an official video for their latest synth-pop single ‘Call Home’ created and filmed by Crooked Gentlemen, featuring plenty of beautiful Irish scenery to compliment their luscious harmonies. Heathers play St.John’s Priory in Kilkenny on  July 23. Buy tickets here.  

  • Tuath – Existence is Futile

    June 8, 2016 - By 

    Tuath, an Irish experimental noise band currently based in Donegal, are on the verge of releasing their second EP, Existence is Futile, set for digital release 15th June. Despite obvious connections which can be made between the band’s sound and genres such as shoegaze, electro and psych rock, what is captured beautifully in the EP is the group’s ability to defy the limitations of all generic conventions, creating an impressively unique sound for themselves. The diverse range of musical influences that motivate the band’s music is clearly evident throughout, aided by the variety of instruments used. The four-track EP opens strongly with the title track ‘Existence is…

  • EP Stream: Making Monsters – Bad Blood

    May 17, 2016 - By 

    A band that confidently straddles the oft precariously thin line between alt rock and metal, Derry’s Making Monsters most certainly don’t do things in half measures. With their brilliantly honed live show and ever-increasing audience at home further afield, the quartet have just released their latest and best EP to date, Bad Blood. Fronted by the Emma Gallagher – a vocalist whose range and delivery is a defining hallmark – the band step up and into gear for a release that pummels and impresses in synchronicity. These are well-considered songs bearing the imprint of diligence and a concerted effort to temper riffage with exquisite musicality. At six tracks,…

  • An Aural Aurora: Northern Lights on Tour

    May 11, 2016 - By 

    With words from Aaron Drain and photos by Colm Laverty and Mickey Rooney in Belfast and Limavady, we go on tour with Northern Irish folk collaboration tour Northern Nights AKA Matt McGinn, Ben Glover and Stevie Scullion. Black Box, Belfast The hottest, sunniest, most welcome day of the year so far and it’s an afternoon of thoroughbred local music that’ll prove the final piece in this most glorious of puzzles. The turnout is overwhelming – a sold-out show for the boys making up ‘Northern Lights’ is a particularly poignant factor given that this afternoon will not only be the penultimate CQAF show, but the…

  • Monday Mixtape: Podge McNamee (HamsandwicH)

    April 29, 2016 - By 

    Podge McNamee from HamsandwicH shares the songs that have influenced his life and music. Photo by Tara Thomas. Rollerskate Skinny – Speed to my side  One of the most outrageously great Irish singles ever written, in my opinion. The best use of a Boss pitchshifter pedal too. It ticks all the boxes. Poetic, epic, blistering distorted guitars & a chorus that seems to just get better each time it kicks in. I always listened to this song with my friend Jason (who was obsessed with them) to get the blood rushing on long drives to festivals such as Witness, Oxegen and Electric…

  • Video Premiere: Carried By Waves – Resonation Day

    April 21, 2016 - By 

    Cork based producer Ronan McCann AKA Carried By Waves releases his second LP Resolute this Friday 22nd of April.  Following on from his 2012 debut full length Softly Held Together the producer and multi-instrumentalist take spacious, colourful electronics and post-rock elements aplenty and continues to create a sound that could be best compared to the likes of Aereogramme and God Is An Astronaut but which holds enough individually and heart to stand steadfast and confident. To coincide with the album’s release, the producer has debuted the video for leading track Resonation Day. With its orbiting guitars and cinematic pianos and keys the track’s instrumentation is very reminiscent of…

  • Stream: Colour Canyon – Home

    April 20, 2016 - By 

    Michelle Considine & Harry Bookless of Dublin indie pop outfit Little xs for Eyes have unveiled ‘Home’, their first original single under the name Colour Canyon. ‘Home’ follows their Record Store Gay cover of ‘Open Your Heart‘ by The Human League, with the duo having been working on new original material in the months since. The synths are very much in soft focus on this dusk-emulating slice of ’80s disco-pop, with swirling, verb-drenched vocals that would make Elizabeth Fraser envious. ‘Home’ is out now. Stream it below:

  • Stream: Roisin Murphy – Mastermind

    April 19, 2016 - By 

    Having just announced her new album, Take Her Up To Monto – due for release on July 8 through Play It Again Sam – Roisin Murphy has unveiled the LP’s lead track, ‘Mastermind’. The album was recorded along with long-time collaborator Eddie Stevens, during the same sessions as its predecessor, the Choice & Mercury Prize-nominated Hairless Toys. Never one to ignore the bigger picture of her art, Murphy is also to self-direct each video from the record. Stream ‘Mastermind’ below: