• Monday Mixtape: Jason Loewenstein (Sebadoh)

    December 14, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Monday Mixtape, Jason Loewenstein of lo-fi legends Sebadoh and Fiery Furnaces selects live versions of some of his all-time favourite tracks from the likes of Deerhoof, Unsane and Devo. Dummy Dumpster – Hatchet Sebadoh wandered into the swamps of Louisiana last year where my mind was blown by this band. Chaotic energy is addictive. Deerhoof – Flower Definitely one of the most exciting live bands of all time. This is the “classic lineup” with Chris Cohen still on guitar. NRBQ – Get Rhythm The best bar band of all time. What a rhythm section. Antelope –…

  • Independents in Paris: Tricatel

    December 1, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Independents in Paris – his feature looking at some of the city’s finest indie imprints – photographer Tom McGeehan chats to Bertrand Burgalat and Céline Lepage of boutique label Tricatel Records, which has become synonymous with futuristic retro-chic, innovation and a fierce attachment to independent spirit, as well as having helped define the “Burgalat sound”, a major influence on acts including Air and Daft Punk. A label that is coming up on it’s twentieth birthday, tell us a bit about how it came to exist?  Bertrand Burgalat (Tricatel Head): I started Tricatel more as a production company than as a proper label,…

  • Rave New World (27/11)

    November 27, 2015 - By 

    Antoin Lindsay and Aidan Hanratty return for their latest look at the very best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases of the week. GIGS Maya Jane Coles at District 8, Dublin Levon Vincent & Fred P aka Black Jazz Consortium at District 8, Dublin Friday 27, Saturday 28 November Levon Vincent courted controversy in the wake of the recent Paris attacks. Encouraging his Facebook fans to carry weapons to protect themselves and deleting dissenting views, he dug himself several holes. He’s now left Twitter (for the time-being). It’s tough to plug this gig, but it’s hard not to as plays…

  • Festival Mixtape: Other Voices Dingle 2015

    November 26, 2015 - By 

    Other Voices‘ December residency in Dingle has well and truly confirmed itself to be an Irish music institution over the last few years, bringing together some of the country’s finest artists with the very best, genre-spanning international acts. Returning to the scenic Kerry town across December 4-6, this year’s line-up – from the likes of Richard Hawley, OTHERKIN, Low to the ever magnificent (and totally free) Music Trail – is a perfectly balanced proposition to behold. With just over a week to this year’s outing, we’ve compiled a selection of tracks from acts playing this year’s Other Voices in a handy little Spotify playlist.

  • Premiere: Thrash Hat – Mend and Make Safe Remix (ASIWYFA) & Owkwerd

    November 25, 2015 - By 

    Invariably trotting the globe wielding guitar and gusto as part of North Coast post-rock machine And So I Watch You From Afar, Rory Friers can also be found as found making electronic music as Thrash Hat. Having set beats to kill on debut track ‘Pandaface‘ back in August – thereby setting the ball in motion for a hugely disparate yet no less enthralling sonic path in the making – we’re pleased to premiere two new tracks from Friers, ‘Owkwerd’ and a remix of his band’s very ‘Mend and Make Safe’. Where the former effort’s glitchy, darkly unravelling majesty stirs with some wonderfully discriminating shapes…

  • Playlist: Björk at 50

    November 21, 2015 - By 

    Fifty years ago today, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir – an Icelandic activist of Irish ancestry – gave birth to a baby girl named Björk who would become one of the most inimitable, fiercely original and independent musicians of all time. Having boldly and consistently transformed the landscape of both Icelandic and experimental music and culture over the last four decades, we have compiled a career-spanning, twenty-track playlist featuring our favourite Björk tracks, from House-heavy debut cut ‘Big Time Sensuality’ to the sweeping brilliance of ‘Joga’, a tribute to both her native land of Iceland. Here’s to the next fifty years.

  • Rave New World (20/11)

    November 20, 2015 - By 

    Aidan Hanratty takes a look at the very best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases of the week. GIGS Scoundrels Sound System presents A Love From Outer Space at Dolan’s Warehouse Friday 20 November Big night this, starting off at The Blind Pig, where Lord Weathers will be recording his Music Not For Everyone show for NTS. After that, he and his partner Sean Johnston will be taking things slow and heavy at Dolan’s. The Pig’s Ear, RnB Club, Live Live with Fatima & Eglo Live Band at Button Factory Friday 20 November From one pig to another – Fatima…

  • SXSW 2016: Irish Act Round-Up

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    Since its founding in 1987, Austin Texas’ South by South West (SXSW) has been progressively becoming one of the most important platforms for aspiring international artists in the realms of music, film, art and interactive media. In recent years especially it has served as an ideal medium through which Irish musicians and bands have been able to create stages and opportunities for themselves overseas and to perform to a wider audience. Last year saw acts like Girl Band, SOAK, All Tvvins, James Vincent McMorrow and Meltybrains?  benefiting considerably from the work they put in during their time at the citywide festival,…

  • Track Record: Michael Stevens (Lie Ins/Skelocrats)

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Michael Stevens of Dublin bands Lie Ins and Skelocrats reveals and talks about some of his favourite records from the likes of The Wave Pictures, Charles Mingus and The Magnetic Fields. Photos by Aidan-Kelly Murphy. Compiling a list of my ten favourite records was agonising and fun. There are many, many records I had to leave out and I felt sad for them; but it was nice that I got to listen to them all anyway. As for the ones listed here, there are records that one could objectively say are better. But these…

  • Paris and the Spark of SLF

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Rarely has live music been so important. Rarely has it taken one of the most visited cities on earth, pulled it from the dark shadow that had been cast over it, and ignited a spark. The city was Paris, and the spark was Stiff Little Fingers. The events of Friday the 13th of November will not be soon forgotten. Eight extremists carried out attacks of such barbarity that it nearly brought an entire capital city to its knees. Being in Paris that night was surreal. Due to the randomness of the locations of the attacks, everywhere felt like a possible…