• Cutting Teeth: A Conversation with John Patrick Higgins

    April 10, 2024 - By 

    A rare jack of all trades & master of many, Belfast-based writer, filmmaker, playwright, screenwriter, theatre director and musician John Patrick Higgins has only gone and successfully written two books. We can’t say for sure, as they’re not yet published, but we can all but guarantee you that they’ll change your life. Or, your know, your immediate awareness of indispensable writing from these shores. The first of those two books, Teeth: An Oral History, is, we are reliably informed, a bitingly funny story illustrated by the author and featuring a glossary of useful terms, as most of his references pre-date…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 5th April

    April 5, 2024 - By 

    Another week, another plethora of wonderful new Irish sounds, from the likes of Oh Boland, Bricknasty, Cardinals, Pastiche, Scattered Ashes, Phil Kieran, Rory Nellis and more. Oh Boland – Here Comes The Order Of Malta Western Leisure by Oh Boland So Cow – Jesus Meets The Women EP Jesus Meets The Women EP by So Cow Bricknasty – Boyfriend ​​Search Results vs. The Daisy Chain Search Results vs. The Daisy Chain (Live in Dublin, 17th September 2023) by Search Results, The Daisy Chain Phil Kieran feat. Cynthia Sley – Out Of My Mind PKR 038 ‘Out Of My Mind’ Feat…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 29th March

    March 29, 2024 - By 

    The floating landmass we find ourselves upon is, once again, bursting at the seams with world-beating new sounds. Delve into the latest from Niamh Bury, Becky McNiece, Ciara O’Neill, Akrobat, Conn Thornton and more Niamh Bury – Yellow Roses Becky McNeice – Melting Ciara O Neill – Mother Seán Clancy – Four Sections of Music Unequally Divided Lord Jane – I Did It To Myself mellorush – wishing on a star Conn Thornton – I Believe In You Meteorite Season by Conn Thornton Akrobat – Shank Akrobat · Shank The Personal Vanity Project – Callan NAHreally & The Expert –…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 22nd March

    March 22, 2024 - By 

    It’s been another ridiculous week for world-beating Irish music. Dig into new Fears, MELTS, David Holmes, New Jackson, Lucy Gaffney, Kormac feat. MayKay and more MELTS – Waves of Wonder Fears – affinity affinity by Fears Kormac feat. MayKay – Waiting on You David Holmes feat. Raven Violet – Blind On A Galloping Horse Remixes Vol. 2 David Holmes Ft. Raven Violet – Blind On A Galloping Horse (Remixes Vol. 2) by David Holmes Lucy Gaffney – Forgive to Forget New Jackson – Like Ruth Mac – Tutti Fruiti Fizzy Orange – Choo Choo

  • A Litany of Failures Announce Dublin Fundraiser Schedule

    March 21, 2024 - By 

    In conjunction with IMRO, Irish grassroots independent compilation series A Litany Of Failures is set to hold a bank holiday weekend-long fundraiser over March 30th & 31st at the Button Factory. The two day event will act as a fundraiser for Volume V of the compilation series, which was been described by the Irish Times as “indispensable listening for any Irish music fan with a modicum of taste”. The full lineup is a veritable who’s who of forward-thinking Irish artistry from all corners of the island. The project was conceived as a way that DIY and independent artists could come…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 15th March

    March 15, 2024 - By 

    With not a single St. Paddy’s-angled misfire among them, today sees essential new albums from Blue Whale and HAVVK, Fight Like Apes covering a Sinéad O’Connor classic in aid of Palestine, stellar new tracks by Garrett Laurie, Ciaran Lavery and more Blue Whale – Last Immediate Images Fight Like Apes – Black Boys on Mopeds Garrett Laurie – No Warning Ciaran Lavery – Honeybun HAVVK – To Fall Asleep To Fall Asleep by HAVVK Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin – Siren Spring Siren Spring by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin The Guilteens – The Boat

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – March 8th

    March 8, 2024 - By 

    From a brace of beautiful LPs by Anamoe Drive and Oisin Leech to new tracks by Casavettes, Blue Whale, Cherym, Thom Southern and more, here’s the very best Irish music of the week just gone Photo by Greg Purcell Casavettes – Cois Farraige/Fold Cois Farraige by Casavettes Anamoe Drive – Breakfast in Bed Blue Whale – Carpet Man Oisin Leech – Cold Sea Cherym – Boss Bitch Boss Bitch (Doja Cat Cover) by CHERYM Nahreally + The Expert feat. Hemlock Ernst – Movement and Light BLIP by NAHreally & The Expert Thom Southern – The Guy In The Suit and…

  • Whaling On: An Interview With Blue Whale

    March 6, 2024 - By 

    Next Friday, March 15, Belfast jazz-punk band Blue Whale return with their highly-anticipated second LP, Last Immediate Images. The follow-up to 2018’s Process, it’s another masterfully shapeshifting leap forward from one of the island’s most fiercely unpigeonholeable bands. Recorded and produced by Gilla Band’s Dan Fox, the album is a remarkable expansion, and deft deconstruction, of what the Quietus once hailed as their “chaotic, yet controlled experimental rock.” Ahead of its release, Cathal McBride spoke with guitarist Ben Behzadafshar about prolonged experimentation, the magic of biding one’s timing, being ‘sound carriers’ for Damo Suzuki and more. Blue Whale launch Last…

  • Track-by-Track: Chalk – Conditions II

    March 5, 2024 - By 

    Ahead of what looks primed to be a breakthrough year for the fast-rising electronic/noise rock Belfast trio, Chalk vocalist and producer Ross Cullen takes us on a track-by-track tour of the diverse influence and inspiration behind their brand new EP, Conditions II The Gate Conditions II by Chalk ‘The Gate’ is all about pressure and the pressures of being in a band. It began with a drum and bass loop I found on Splice alongside some 1/16 notes from a preset called Demented Percussion on Logic. Combining those two sounds set up the energy of the track fairly quickly. There’s a…

  • Monday Mixtape: Pissed Jeans

    March 4, 2024 - By 

    It’s early days but if Pennsylvanian hardcore heroes Pissed Jeans didn’t just return with one of the records of the year in Half Divorced, recorded sound – I’m afraid to report – is officially over. Released on Friday, it doubles as the band’s first album in seven years and delivers a dozen sludge-punk face rippers that rank right up there with their very best. Good luck finding fucked-off finesse more compelling than this in 2024. Which is to say we seriously wouldn’t advise that you pass on the band’s show in Dublin next month. Taking over Whelan’s main room on…