• Preview: Recreating The Velvet Underground & Nico @ The MAC

    May 16, 2017 - By 

    This Saturday (May 20) Belfast’s the MAC will host a special event celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Velvet Underground’s seminal debut, The Velvet Underground and Nico. We speak to bandleader Donal Scullion about its legacy and what to expect on the night. Go here to buy tickets, priced £12.50-£25.00. Hi, Donal. How did the idea for this show first come about? Had been chatting to Stu Campbell (The MAC), he said they were thinking of doing the 50th anniversary of that album and would I be interested in playing or organizing it. It was always a big album for me…

  • Festival Mixtape: Longitude 2017

    May 15, 2017 - By 

    Set to return to Dublin’s Marlay Park across July 14-16, the bill for this year’s Longitude is yet another mix of hip-hop, pop and indie. Headlined by Stormzy, The Weeknd (pictured) and Mumford and Sons, the focus is on some big names, divvied by some more under-the-radar acts and some homegrown sounds. Ahead of this year’s outing, here’s our annual festival mixtape, featuring Tom Misch, JP Cooper, Milky Chance and more. Go here to buy tickets to Longitude 2017.

  • Preview: Heliopause on The Passion of Joan of Arc Film Live Score @ The MAC

    May 12, 2017 - By 

    Ahead of teaming up with This Ship Argo to live score Carl Theodor Dreyer’s classic 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc at Belfast’s the MAC on Thursday, May 18, Belfast musician Richard Davis AKA Heliopause talks to Brian Coney about the process, impetus and collaborative drive underlying the project. Go here to buy tickets Hi Richard, first off – how did the project come about? What drew you guys to The Passion of Joan of Arc? I first watched the film a few years ago when working at The Duke of Yorks cinema in Brighton with my friend & co-worker Sophie,…

  • Black Is The Colour Of My True Love’s… Amp? Or How Not To Tour Ireland

    May 8, 2017 - By 

    “C’mere, where’s my amp?” “What amp?” Eric replies. “My black amp.” I continue. “How the fuck should I know where your “black amp” is? And aren’t most amps black?” “You had it last. After that gig we did with HAWK in the Róisín, you, me and Burke were loading the gear into your car on Munster Avenue. That’s the last I saw it.” “That was like 2 or 3 years ago. Even if I had it then, which I doubt, fuck knows where it is now?” “Hmm… fair enough.” “Are you sure it was after the gig with HAWK?” “Honestly…

  • The Divine Comedy w/ Lisa O’Neill @ CQAF, Belfast

    May 8, 2017 - By 

    It’s a while since Neil Hannon has toured with a full band version of The Divine Comedy, having toured last album Bang Goes The Knighthood solo back in 2010 (including a date in this same faux-starlit CQAF marquee) and having made most appearances since – such as his Mandela Hall performance upon winning 2015’s Oh Yeah Legend Award – with a stripped back trio of acoustic guitar, piano and accordion. The days of endless major label money having long since dried up, a return to the era of bringing along a full orchestra seems unlikely, but the promise of a…

  • Far At Sea: An Interview with Ailbhe Reddy and Maria Kelly

    May 5, 2017 - By 

    Two of the country’s brightest indie-folk talents, Ailbhe Reddy and Maria Kelly are on the road as part of their Far At Sea Tour, which will take them across the country over the next while. Ahead of stopping off at Belfast’s the MAC on Friday, May 12, we chat to the pair about collaboration, inspiration and why Ireland is a fertile land for folk music. Hi guys. First off, your show at the MAC in Belfast is part of your forthcoming Far At Sea tour. How did that first come about? Ailbhe: Well, Maria and I were working on getting venues…

  • Playlist: TTA is 4

    May 2, 2017 - By 

    Today is our 4th birthday and to celebrate we have compiled a playlist of 40 of our favourite Irish tracks from the years we have been operational featuring Adebisi Shank, Sleep Thieves, Oh Boland, Girls Names, No Monster Club, Documenta, Bantum, Katie Kim and many more. Music and culture has exploded over the last four years here and we’ve been proud to cover that throughout. We’ll be relaunching The Thin Air magazine and website later in the year but in the meantime we’d like to thank our contributors, everyone who has supported us, picked up the magazine, clicked on the website,…

  • Atomic Dogfather: George Clinton On His Legacy, Rejuvenation and Continued Relevance

    May 1, 2017 - By 

    Since pulling psychedelic rock and pounding soul together and giving birth to funk in the late 60s, George Clinton has had arguably one of the biggest single influences on 20th century American music. In his 70s heyday he lead a revolving roster of fifty musicians (including the legends Bootsy Collins, Edie Hazel and Bernie Warrell), recording floor-filling pop as Parliament and Hendrix-esque guitar jams as Funkadelic, while creating outrageous stage shows that put other 70s arena-rock behemoths to shame. Prince and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Clinton produced their sophomore album) carried on his work through the 80s, while early…

  • An Old Friend For Dinner: Remembering Jonathan Demme (1944-2017)

    April 28, 2017 - By 

    Paul Thomas Anderson was once asked by Criterion, the American home video distribution company, which three directors had influenced him the most. Anderson replied, “Jonathan Demme, Jonathan Demme and Jonathan Demme.” Demme was one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation; and certainly one of the most talented. Few directors could shift as effortlessly between filmmaking styles – and as naturally between genres – as Demme, who dabbled fluently in comedy, horror, indie, drama and documentary. But, as well as being incredibly prolific, Demme was also enormously experimental with the medium, pushing cinematic techniques to new levels of sophistication…

  • Label Mixtape: Kranky

    May 1, 2017 - By 

    If you’re aware of the existence of Kranky as a record label, then it’s quite possible that your first introduction to the imprint was through Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The Canadian outfit’s first two albums and 1999’s Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada EP were pressed on CD and distributed by Kranky up until the release of 2002’s ‘Yanqui U.X.O.’, while their LPs were handled by smaller Canadian label Constellation. This might be the extent of your knowledge of the label and while GY!BE are undoubtedly an incredible band, they only form part of the Kranky story, a tale that began…