• Deep Down South: Birthday Record Store Day, Rumblings on Barrack St and YES to Equality

    April 12, 2015 - By 

    Hooray for Record Store Day! The one day of the year specifically designed for doing what we all love to do, crate-diving and generally enjoying our local oases of good taste. In Cork City, that only means one thing for so many of us, and that’s a visit to long-standing institution PLUGD Records. This weekend, as well as Record Store Day, there’ll be birthday celebrations ahoy for the greatest record shop in the world as it celebrates four years in its present home, the Triskel Arts Centre, operating upstairs in the city’s artistic flagship after being temporarily homeless, and even…

  • Making the Parlour TV

    April 13, 2015 - By 

    We go behind the scenes with the crew of Dublin independent TV series The Parlour TV and discuss what exactly goes into directing and producing a weekly show. Words by Mike McGrath Bryan. Photos by Isabel Thomas. Hi Guys! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?  John Breslin (Director/Camera): I’ve been making community television and doing bits and pieces on music related videos for years now, I also play drums in a few bands..,. so The Parlour is a fairly natural environment for me to be working in at the moment. Barry Lennon (Producer/Location Manager): I have been involved…

  • Psych-Rock Revolution: Ireland and Beyond

    April 16, 2015 - By 

    When you consider Ireland’s rich history of iconic rock bands, those of a psych-rock persuasion don’t feature heavily on the list. Bands labelled as psychedelic were emerging in the US and Britain as early as the 1960’s. At the beginning it was defined by experimental songwriting, mind-altering drug culture, and a penchtant for flamboyant silk shirts. Tracing its roots back to the 1960’s you find bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Yardbirds, Jimmi Hendrix, The Doors, Soft Machine, Sly and the Family Stone and The Grateful Dead. Although Ireland could not be seen as a psych-rock hub, it has…

  • Rave New World (9/4)

    April 9, 2015 - By 

    In the latest of installment of Rave New World, Antoin Lindsay delves into very best new electronic tracks and mixes of the week, as well as various unmissable upcoming nights and releases. GIGS The Respected Beggars present Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham at The Menagerie, Belfast Saturday, April 11 I have been absent. Please forgive me and pay heed to my suggestion to go to Belfast’s Menagerie on Saturday to catch Andrew Ashong and Kaidi Tatham. Ashong has released on Sound Signature, which means that his brilliance has personally been noticed by none other than Theo Parrish. He’s a renowned crate-digger…

  • Interview: Dutch Uncles

    April 9, 2015 - By 

    Just under two months from the release of fifth album, O Shudder, and barely into a UK/Ireland tour, Dutch Uncles frontman Duncan Wallis chats to Joe Madsen about performing live, recorded ventures both past and future, and changes in band membership. So how are you guys feeling about the reception and feedback you’re getting on the new album? Interesting question.  I don’t think we’ve thought too much about it, really.  We’re very happy with the reviews.  We weren’t expecting to get so many 4/5’s and 8/10’s because that’s all we got straight across the board with our last album, so we didn’t…

  • Insert Coin: iDig International Games Music Festival

    April 13, 2015 - By 

    In the first of a new feature called Insert Coin, we discuss video games and people who make them possible. To kick things off, we attended the inaugural iDig International Games Music Festival at the convention centre in Dublin for plenty of gaming and a concert by Video Games Live. Photos by Isabel Thomas. It’s old hat now that video games are big business. We all know that they compete with films, music, theater, TV and pornography as the preeminent form of entertainment for the 21st century. There’s no sense arguing anymore whether video games are just for children now…

  • AAA Tour Edition: Jenn Grant

    April 13, 2015 - By 

    In this special tour edition of AAA, we set off around Ireland with Jenn Grant. Our first port of call is the Roisin Dubh in Galway with a review from Eoin Murray. Photos in Galway, Cork/Ballydehob and Dublin by Sean McCormack, Jason Lee and Isabel Thomas respectively. The upstairs of the Roisín has been converted into what could be mistaken for a cosy cottage living room – well, one with a bar – and the slowly gathering crowd sit at candlelit tables, chatting and laughing quietly, only feet from the microphone where the first act of the night, Nicholas Timothy is…

  • Q+A: Princess

    April 9, 2015 - By 

    One of our featured 15 for ’15 acts, Dublin noise-pop duo Princess are truly riding the crest of a wave at the minute. Ahead of shows at Belfast’s Woodworkers on Saturday, April 11 (free), Galway’s Roisin Dubh on April 16 and Limerick’s Kasbah Social Club the following night, we chat to Liam Mesbur from the band about their increasingly enthralling sound and direction. Hi guys. I remember featuring ‘Tortured Wings’ in a BBC Ulster radio segment two years ago. Your sounds has really developed since then. What do you owe that to? When we did that tune it was myself writing everything and…

  • From The Abstract to Reality: Reasons To Vote Yes

    April 9, 2015 - By 

    In the first of a three-part feature, Aidan Hanratty looks at reasons to vote Yes in the forthcoming marriage referendum. It’s hard to know where to begin on the topic of same-sex marriage (SSM). Between op-eds and letters to The Irish Times, it seems enough words have been written on the subject that any more might be considered a waste. When you see some of the ludicrous guff written on social media, however, it’s hard to ignore the urge to state your case. A friend recently told of how her five-year-old daughter was against SSM, since obviously boys should marry girls…

  • Front of House: Bernard Flanagan

    April 9, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Front of House, we talk to Belfast-based freelance sound engineer Bernard Flanagan about starting out, his typical work day and working with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Therapy? Photos by Liam Kielt. Hi there. Can you tell us about yourself? My name is Bernard Flanagan and I’m originally from Maghera. I have lived in Belfast on and off for 10yrs. I have also lived in London and Glasgow. How did you become a sound engineer and how long have you been involved in it? I have been in the music industry since I was 14-15.…