• Track Record: Chris Ryan (Robocobra Quartet)

    June 29, 2015 - By 

    If you were to put us on the spot and ask us, “Which Thin Air feature do you enjoy the most?” we’d almost certainly say Track Record.  Next up to select and discuss some of their all-time favourite records is Chris Ryan, frontman with Belfast-based band (just “band” – we’ve used up all our high-falutin descriptors for these guys) Robocobra Quartet. Punk rock ahoy. Photos by Colm Laverty. Sound of Ruby – From Under The Sands of the Desert EP (Tian An Men 89) Saudi Arabia’s answer to Butthole Surfers. Sound of Ruby are one of my favourite bands of all time…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (23/6)

    June 23, 2015 - By 

    In the middle of the month we have many exhibitions that are ongoing, with less openings this week, writes Mary Stevens. The BASS Belfast Artists’ Sonic Showcase Event #5 Alice Burns, Saul Rayson and Helena Hamilton, will certainly be a great night and takes place on Saturday evening at 7pm at FRAMEWERK. We also have the continuation of To Camera at the Golden Thread and Silent Valley by Liam Crichton at Platform Arts in Belfast, so if you haven’t seen them yet I would recommend a visit. Project Arts Center – Dublin Riddle of the Burial Ground 11 June -01…

  • Track Record: Laura Ann Brady

    June 23, 2015 - By 

    Dublin dark ambient folk singer-songwriter Laura Ann Brady is our latest willing subject for Track Record, a regular feature in which we delve into the prized record collections of some of the country’s finest creative minds. Dublin dark ambient folk singer-songwriter Laura Ann Brady Photos by Abi Denniston. Leonard Cohen – New Skin for Old Ceremony Leonard is a hero of a man and this is one of my favourite Cohen albums, which Leonard himself calls a little gem rather than a masterpiece. There is a much bigger sound going on here than on his previous recordings. Lots of lovely woodwind…

  • Belfast Music Club Presents: Tiago

    June 23, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of the latter’s absolutely free show at Belfast’s Lavery’s on Sunday at 3pm (June 28), Mark Manley from Belfast Music Club profiles globetrotting, legendary Lisbon DJ Tiago. ___ Tiago’s arrival in Belfast is very much an indulgence. I hate the term “DJ’s DJ”  as it’s so clichéd but in this instance it’s never been more true. He is one of Tim Sweeney’s favourite DJs, loved by James Murphy, and famous for his genre-spanning, marathon, seven-hour-plus DJ sets at his residency in Lux, a Lisbon club whose interior was designed by John Malkovich. Before I heard him play, everyone I…

  • A Jet Setter’s Life

    June 23, 2015 - By 

    With the dust having settled on the experience, Jeff Courtney from Dublin quartet Jet Setter gives us an insight into the band’s recent performance at Westmeath’s Life Festival. Photos by Tara Thomas. So I’m turning the key, trying to get the van to start and the poor things not making a sound – the battery is dead. We’d arrived at the studio in good time on this fine Saturday morning to collect our equipment ready for our Life Festival debut. The van had a reputation for this kind of thing and whilst it came as no surprise; it was all together…

  • Monday Mixtape: Marty Harvey (War Iron/Slomatics)

    June 22, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of supporting sludge-doom overlords Eyehategod at Belfast’s Limelight 2 on Wednesday night, Marty Harvey, drummer/vocalist with Belfast very own behemothic heavyweights War Iron (not to mention the similarly Cyclopean Slomatics) selects and talks about some of his all time favourite tracks. Photo by John Gallardo All these songs for me blend heaviness and melody. I love heavy music with big riffs, noise and walls of sound, but this has to be counteracted with space, room for the music to breath or the chords, vocal harmonies to be heard. The music I prefer to listen to has to have light…

  • Festival Preview: Open House Festival

    June 22, 2015 - By 

    This year’s Open House Festival has once again delivered a strong blend of music and arts to charm audiences throughout the month of August.  An array of top-class talent is brought to Northern Ireland during the course of the year under the Open House banner, but the annual festival is the pinnacle for its promoters; when they round-up a list of traditional and cutting edge folk artists to perform in Bangor.  Taking place from August 1-31 there will be over 100 events in 26 different locations within the seaside town.  A whole range of concerts, performances, film screenings, talks, exhibitions…

  • Track Record: Swimmers

    June 19, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Niall Jackson and Barry MacNeill from Dublin band Swimmers reveal and talk about their all-time favourite records, including the likes of Neil Young, Pixies, The Redneck Manifesto and Michael Jackson. Swimmers play Dublin’s Odessa Club with Middle Ages tomorrow night (Saturday, June 20). Photos by Abi Denniston. Niall Michael Jackson – BAD This was a really important album to me as a kid. I remember my uncle Jim had it on vinyl in his house down the road from me (as well as a dog called Fletch, named after the Chevy Chase movie) As a 6…

  • Monday Mixtape: SlowPlaceLikeHome

    June 15, 2015 - By 

    Set to play the TreeHaus stage at Body&Soul this weekend (10pm on Saturday night, soundtracking the literal summer solstice, no less), Donegal musician Keith Mannion AKA SlowPlaceLikeHome is one our must-see acts at the Co. Westmeath festival. Ahead of his appearance, Mannion has very kindly selected some of his all-time favourite tracks for this week’s Monday Mixtape, featuring the likes of The Dirty Three, Cluster and Tindersticks. The Dirty Three – Some Summers They Drop Like Flys Beautiful serenity of Whatever You Love, You Are album never fails to compel. If ever you get the chance to see them live, do! And…

  • Festival Mixtape: Indiependence 2015

    June 15, 2015 - By 

    Featuring multiple stages across its tree-lined, 52 acre site, Indiependence Music & Arts Festival returns to Mitchelstown’s Deer Farm from July 31 to August 2. With a host of the country’s very best acts including Jape, Foy Vance, Ham Sandwich, Daithi and Ash set to play, international acts including Mark Lanegan Band, The Dandy Warhols and Basement Jaxx will also make an appearance. Go here to check out our comprehensive Indiependence Festival Preview and check out our twelve-track Indiependence Festival Mixtape below. Go here to buy tickets.