• 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…

  • Roving Eye: Ham Sandwich in London

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Tara Thomas captures night two of Ham Sandwich’s recent sold out stint at The Islington, London. It’s unlikely I can impart anything new to you about the London music scene such is our affinity with this city. A magnet for musicians worldwide we are fortunate to have this cultural hotspot on our doorstep. London town, with its myriad of venues, grandiose or intimate, is for many Irish artists their first taste of international exposure. It was only a matter of time before Roving Eye was cast in the direction of Islington, North Greater London. A short walk from Angel tube…

  • Ladies and Gentlemen, We’re Floating in Vape.

    November 16, 2015 - By 

    Vastly becoming a popular alternative to cigarettes, Vaping is gently floating towards a cultural connoisseur phenomenon like chemex coffee, craft beer and cronuts. Ciaran McCausland attends Vapefest 2015 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, immersing himself in the billowing flavoured haze to discuss what attracted him and other like minded individuals to the cult of vape. I think it was when I saw the two oul fellas standing outside Thurles Cathedral collecting coin for Fine Gael, each brandishing a vaping contraption, that I decided that vaping had gone mainstream in Ireland. “See” I said to my wife, “even those dying looking old…

  • Rave New World (13/11)

    November 13, 2015 - By 

    With Antoin Lindsay in Amsterdam this weekend, Aidan Hanratty returns for his latest look at the very best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases of the week. GIGS Jayda G Dip at Jigsaw Friday 13 November Secret byo party business. Vancouver DJ and Fett Burger collaborator Jayda G comes to Dublin to play in an intimate city-centre space. This one will go late. Twitch – Surgeon & Twitch DJs at The Bunatee Friday 13 November He’s just released the fascinating Electronic Recordings from Maui Jungle Vol. 1 on Editions Mego (under his own name, Anthony Child), but Surgeon will no doubt be hitting it…

  • Monday Mixtape: Neil Brogan (Sea Pinks)

    November 9, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of the release of their new LP, Soft Days, via CF Records on January 8, Neil Brogan of Belfast band Sea Pinks talks us through some of his current favourite tracks, including the likes of Robert Wyatt, Broadcast and Van Morrison. Little Wings – By Now I don’t buy vinyl very often because I can’t afford to, so when I do buy a record I either end up getting obsessed if I like it or bitterly resenting it if I don’t. Explains by Little Wings is one I bought a little while ago and thankfully it’s one I don’t hate. I like the…

  • Rave New World (6/11)

    November 6, 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 TNI and Aether Present: Kornel Kovacs and Denis Sulta at Aether & Echo, Belfast Saturday 7 October Two names that seem to be cropping up a lot lately are Kornel Kovacs and Denis Sulta, who The Night Institute have managed to bring in this Saturday. Kovacs is fresh off a very well-received release on Numbers and Sulta is fast becoming one of the most in-demand DJs in Glasgow. Will no doubt be a night of relentless…

  • Festival Mixtape: Metropolis

    November 5, 2015 - By 

    Set to make its grand inaugural appearance at RDS in Dublin this weekend, Metropolis boasts one of the most exciting line-ups for an Irish festival that we’ve seen in quite some time. With full information about times and acts available at their official website here, we have compiled a twenty track playlist featuring our must-see acts at the festival, including Giorgio Moroder (pictured), The Roots, Jamie xx, Le Galaxie and more.

  • Label Mixtape: Rough Trade

    November 5, 2015 - By 

    Having founded the first Rough Trade shop in London two years earlier, Geoff Travis first launched the independent label of the same name in 1978, at a time when an abundance of new underground acts inspired by the DIY ethic of punk were just dying to be heard. The shop and its distribution network were already providing a valuable retail outlet for these artists to get their records on sale, so starting a label seemed like the logical next step. Despite being at the heart of the post-punk and alternative scenes throughout the 1980s, by the dawn of the 90s…