• Annual Irish Festive Single Round-up

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    Let’s face it: it takes a veritable sleigh-full of brass to release a festive single in this day and age. Thankfully, though, we’re blessed with a handful of homegrown artists that know how to do it and do it right. So, from now until Saturday, December 24, we’re going to update this very post with every single festive single of note from a small medley of inspirited Irish artists. To kick us off, we have Aghagallon’s Ciaran Lavery, Derry’s Our Krypton Son, Belfast’s Rory Nellis and Die Hexen, Kilrea’s Robyn G Shiels and Dublin’s No Monster Club. Ciaran Lavery – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas…

  • Worth Her Salt: An Interview with Katie Kim

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    Undeniably one of the finest Irish releases of the year, Salt has been widely eulogised for its intense depth of focus, as well as its distinctive compositional lure. Marking something of a promising reinvigoration for Katie Kim (AKA Katie Sullivan) in terms of direction, we caught up with the Waterford native to talk about the writing and recording of the album, getting back up on the stage, and more. Words by Aaron Drain. Photos by Brian Mulligan. While Cover & Flood dealt with similar themes, there has been a monumental shift in terms of mood and atmosphere with Salt – was…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 50 Tracks of 2016

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    All thanks to some pretty unfathomable political, social, economic and psychic shitstorms, 2016 has provided the almost perfect milieu for some serious sonic escapism over the last eleven and a bit months. And, of course, there were good times, too – many of which featured some of the finest feature-length and one-off soundtracks imaginable. So, ahead of unveiling our annual top 100 Irish tracks of the year in four installments over the next week or so, check out our Top 50 Tracks of 2016 – featuring everyone from Suuns, The Avalanches, Margaret Glaspy and Leonard Cohen to Gnod, Frank Ocean, Car Seat Headrest and King Gizzard and The…

  • Putting Friendship First: A Final Interview With Enemies

    December 14, 2016 - By 

    Wicklow four-piece Enemies hit the ground running with their full-length debut We’ve Been Talking back in 2010, eschewing the hyperactivity or aggression of many of their Richter Collective labelmates to focus primarily on melody. After a follow up – 2013’s Embark, Embrace – and a change of drummer, they return with long awaited, but sadly final, third album Valuables in December. Ahead of its release and a final show in Dublin’s Vicar Street on Sunday (December 18), Cathal McBride speaks to guitarist Lewis Jackson. Photos by Niall O’Kelly Hi lewis. How difficult was the decision to end the band? Before…

  • For The Love of Art

    December 12, 2016 - By 

    There was a time when a person could have dreams of being creative, of writing that novel, recording that album, or starring in that movie that would make everything OK. And there was a time when those dreams might actually come true. But that seems like such a long way away from the current vantage point. Liberties Press have recently come under scrutiny after several of their authors have made allegations of business irregularity. Despite books being on the shelves, several writers have spoken out about not being paid, and a new policy of charging money for manuscript submissions has…

  • Stream: The Thin Air’s Death Culture Blues #2 on Dublin Digital Radio

    December 9, 2016 - By 

    Having kicked off with its inaugural outing last week, we returned with Death Culture Blues on the new-fangled – and most excellent – Dublin Digital Radio last night from 8-10pm. And as with show #1, the order of the evening was experimental and cosmically-inclined sounds, featuring everyone from Mica Levi, Documenta and Wet Hair to Alice Coltrane, Bardo Pond and Maximum Joy. Check out the full playlist for show #2 and stream it in full below. 1. Broadcast – Pendulum 2. Tonstartsbandht – Black Country 3. Isotope 217 – Solaris 4. PVT – Community 5. Maija Sofia – Dreamscape 6. Mica Levi –…

  • Inbound: Jesse Heffernan

    December 8, 2016 - By 

    Jesse Heffernan’s musical style has developed and matured naturally with each experience and influence met by the Dublin singer songwriter throughout his varied trajectory. The laid back, atmospheric tendencies of his expanding catalogue draws from the modes of articulation perfected by classical figures (Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison and John Martyn) and specific elements of contemporary musicians such as the lo-fi guitar reverb of King Krule’s early single, ‘Out Getting Ribs’, which is re-enacted on Heffernan’s ‘Electric Shoes’ This diversity gives density to his mellow melodies and soulful vocals which effortlessly lull you into a state of uninterrupted calm, a rarity…

  • Inbound: Pale Rivers

    December 6, 2016 - By 

    Cork’s Pale Rivers burst into life at the start of October with the track ‘August 6th’.  As far as debuts go, this came with an immediate energy and purpose, straight away showcasing the band as a future force to be reckoned with. Built on big synths and rousing guitars it boldly leans toward a sound suited for a larger stage, the ambition oozing from every note. Eoin Hally’s vocals begin with a feeling of reservation but it’s not long before they become an uninhibited, visceral plea of sorts. The raw, honest lyricism allows the track to avoid the possible pitfalls…

  • Truth and Release: An Interview with Little Green Cars

    December 6, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of a string of December dates kicking off at Belfast’s The MAC on Thursday, Brian Coney chats to Dublin’s Little Green Cars about communication, mortality and their craft. Go here for the band’s full tour schedule. Hi guys. 2016 has of course been a great band for you as a band. What have you found to be the most rewarding part of your rise over the last while? We went through a lot together during the writing of Ephemera. It was truly a labour of love, but an emotional labour nonetheless. Touring the album has been very cathartic. It has given…

  • Inbound: Farah Elle

    December 5, 2016 - By 

    Currently writing and recording her debut album at home, Libya-born Dublin singer-songwriter, pianist and BIMM graduate Farah Elle’s decision to drip-fed her ever-growing fanbase a series of previews over the last few months has certainly worked in her favour. Blending a slick melange of hip-hop and R&B influences – with the odd rumble of ska thrown in for good measure – she has carved out a sound that is defined both by her Arabic-influenced vocals and a knack for creating songs that feel perfectly laidback without sidestepping the emotive urgency that underpins it all. Having marked her arrival with ‘Silk’…