• AAA: The Minutes & The Vincent(s) @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    October 28, 2014 - By 

    In this installment of AAA (Access All Areas) we go behind the scenes with indie gents The Minutes for their headline gig at Whelan’s in Dublin last Sunday night, with support from Cork’s finest death pop pioneers The Vincent(s). Our intrepid photographer Carlos Daly spent the evening with the lads as they set up their gear, soundchecked, setlisted, knocked back a few glasses of wine for good measure and put on an awesome show. Check out the comprehensive gallery below for a unique overview of the gig.

  • Sexual Objects: The Films of Walerian Borowczyk

    October 27, 2014 - By 

    Last month, UK distributor Arrow Films – known for their lavish DVD and BluRay reissues – released new editions of five extraordinary films by the Polish auteur Walerian Borowczyk.  Available as a box set (limited to 1,000 copies and now sold out), as well as individual discs, the beautifully remastered editions make this a perfect time to investigate Browczyk’s bizarre and beautiful oeuvre. Born in 1923, Borowczyk studied painting and lithography in Kraków before embarking on a career as an animator.  Working first in Poland and later in Paris, Borowczyk produced an incredible array of short animation pieces, including the…

  • AAA: The Frank and Walters @ Cork Opera House

    October 28, 2014 - By 

    Yet another Access All Areas feature? Sure go on! This time we head to Cork with our photographer Rory Coomey  for The Frank and Walters 25th Anniversary show. The guys pulled on their best orange shirts and rocked out to a sold out crowd in the Opera House. Check out the gallery below for more.

  • Track Record: Loah

    October 27, 2014 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record we meet Loah – alter-ego of Irish-Sierra Leonian singer Sallay Matu Garnett – at her lovely apartment in Dublin city centre while she selects her favourite and most inspiring albums from her record collection.  Massive Attack – Blue Lines “I love the intensity of Massive Attack and their live shows bring the same incredible energy which I strive for in my sets. ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ really expresses the freshness of this album.”   Patti Smith Group – Wave After Horses – which needs a whole article in itself) this is my favourite Patti Smith album. She moves seamlessly from prayer (‘Hymn’) to poetry…

  • AAA: Blink @ The Button Factory, Dublin

    October 27, 2014 - By 

    In this installment of AAA (Access All Areas) we went behind the scenes with Irish indie veterans Blink ahead of their gig in the Button Factory in Dublin. It’s been nine years since they last played at this venue, when it was previously called the Temple Bar Music Centre but tonight they’re here to launch their greatest hits collection aptly titled Catch That Moment.  Check out the gallery below for some great moments captured by Shaun Neary.

  • Tease-O-Rama @ Black Box

    October 22, 2014 - By 

    Tease-O-Rama… what can I say?! One of my favourite nights of the year, it makes me feel like a kid in a candy store (or just myself in a candy store, I still get quite excited about candy) all the glitter, extravagant costumes and dance routines. A night of sensual and hilarious acts from a group of incredibly talented and charismatic characters. The performers reward your appreciation with the removal of a piece of clothing. That is, after all, a major part of Burlesque – the suspense, the tease. The performers have you on the edge of your seat and…

  • Track Record: Michael Smyth (THVS/Tusks)

    October 19, 2014 - By 

    Let’s face it – who doesn’t like to brag about their record collection? In this, the latest installment of Track Record, the toweringly tasteful Michael Smyth, ex-Comply or Die commander-in-riff and current THVS frontman/Tusks sticksman, takes Liam Kielt – and you, our ever-informed readership – on an illustrious ramble through his sweet record collection. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit 7” First one, a classic! I know it’s a single but this is the first record I ever bought. I got this in Hector’s House – I really miss that place. When I first got into music, properly, my friend gave me a copy…

  • Premiere: North Side Drive – Snow//Sea//Sky

    October 17, 2014 - By 

    Snow//Sea//Sky, the new release from North Side Drive, the “quiet” solo project of math-pop lads Former Monarchs‘ singing sticksman Jonathan Pearson, is, by his own admission, “weird”. In itself, though, that’s no deviation from the norm in an ever-evolving soundscape, moving from post-rock-inflected piano/cello pieces, to a stint at solo piano in honour of his grandfather in his last EP. His third EP under the name, the release invokes weather and the elements, and the moods Pearson conveys in his songs reflect this perfectly. ‘Snow’, for instance, is a beautiful piece, stark in its beginnings, before building up in a…

  • Cork Heads: Shane Nolan (Bartender)

    October 17, 2014 - By 

    In this installment of the aptly named Cork Heads -looking at some of the brightest sparks in Cork’s currently thriving scene- Brid O’Donovan meets with Shane Nolan, an experienced bartender with a background in art which informs his creative cocktails. So what cocktail did you just make for me? I was given the typical question of “Give me something limey/lemony” or a really bad description of how to make a drink for someone. This is what a lot of bartenders get but you learn from it. What I just made for you is what I would deem as the perfect drink. In it’s…

  • Premiere: Polyglove – Cruzer

    October 16, 2014 - By 

    The Thin Air exclusively presents the premiere of Polyglove‘s brand new single Cruzer from their forthcoming Dialler EP, which we recently featured in the first print issue of our magazine. Now for a bit of back story: Wicklow/Dublin natives Niall Conroy and Stephen Maguire met whilst studying film and decided through a mutual love of sound and vision to create their own distinctive brand of ‘Baroque House’ steeped in analogue. They create their dark brooding music through entry level synths arranged in the form of a classic band. Cruzer gurgles along with a nostalgic feel like one of the Ocean loaders for the Commodore…