• SKIBUNNY Set For 20th Anniversary Show

    July 3, 2018 - By 

    Fire up the indie disco DeLorean: legendary Belfast DJ duo Tanya Mellotte and Mark Gordon AKA Skibunny will make their long-awaited return for a 20th anniversary show at Voodoo on Saturday, July 28. Back for one night only, the pair will DJ alongside an unmissable live set from Torgas Valley Reds/Backwater. Spinning the very best in indie rock, hip-hop, DIY, Krautrock, folk, northern soul, electronic and everything in between, Skibunny acquired nigh on mythical status in Belfast in the early 2000s. From secret shows to well-known guest DJs, aftershows and the sweatiest of most memorable nights, it brought out the very…

  • A Litany Of Failures Vol. II Announced

    July 3, 2018 - By 

    Following the limited release of cross-Ireland Little L Records compilation, 2016’s A Litany of Failures – featuring Oh Boland, Shrug Life, That Snaake and Junk Drawer – an expanded second edition has been confirmed for release on July 13. Set to be released on 180g gatefold double vinyl, as well as through Bandcamp, Spotify and the usual outlets, it features 18 acts from Belfast, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Dublin, Galway & Limerick. The DIY, co-op endeavour aims to provide an opportunity to perform outside each of their hometowns, shortening the mental distances between bands, and encouraging a cross-pollination of musical communities. Splitting costs between artists and the organisers, a sense of…

  • MINDS Festival

    June 21, 2018 - By 

    On July 5, Belfast venues the Art Department, Blaklist and the Bear and The Doll will play host to MINDS, a ten-hour, one-day festival that will bring unite DJs, artists, musicians and fashion designers in the aim to raise money for local mental health charities. Festival founder Adam Magill has asked those involved to put forward their idas for charities to donate to, with one being PIPS (Public Initiative for Prevention of Suicide), due to the founders personal connection with them. With more to be announced, the DJ roster currently includes Bobby Analog, Jordan, Marion Hawkes and Phil Lucas of Twitch. Running from 6pm to 3am…

  • VerseChorusVerse – outro

    June 20, 2018 - By 

    Former ASIWYFA axeman Tony Wright’s VerseChorusVerse has surprise released his third album, outro, to accompany the news of his debut book later this year. Blending the literary & theatrical prowess displayed on last year’s The Tragedy of Dr Hannigan with the folk & blues he’s become known for under the VCV moniker, outro marks his return to Big Guitar Anthems, indulging in the alt. rock edge and dynamic he gave to ASIWYFA. The LP was minimally by Wright & Andrew Coles in a mansion on the North Coat, assisted on backing vocals & bass by Arvo Party/LaFaro’s Herb Magee. Stream it here: outro by VerseChorusVerse As explained in the following video, proceeds…

  • EP Premiere: Oh Joy – Good Grief

    June 5, 2018 - By 

    A couple of weeks back, we shared ‘Cab Sad’ by Dublin three-piece Oh Joy, a song we said captured “intent, psychic wanderlust and heartbreak across 141 all-too-short seconds”. Now we’re pleased to present a first listen to the release from which it’s taken. Officially out on Friday (June 8), Good Grief is an EP brimming with the emotionally-charged hallmarks that make their knowingly self-deprecating “mope-rock” craft nigh so irresistible. From the aforementioned lead single to masterfully melancholic closer ‘Pepsi’ via ‘Volunteer’ and ‘Hot Strange It All Became’, the band have, across fifteen minutes, comfortably confirmed their arrival as one of the country’s most vital bands. Oh…

  • Growing Pains: 15 Years of Out On A Limb Records

    June 5, 2018 - By 

    We’re big fans of Out on a Limb Records here at The Thin Air. Back in 2013, we reflected upon their decade in the game – now, a few moons and several releases later, Limerick’s finest indie imprint are celebrating 15 years in existence by hosting Growing Pains, featuring a remarkable line-up of Irish musicians, at Dolans in Limerick on Saturday, June 9. Lining up for what’s set to be a thoroughly well-soundtracked knees-up in celebration of OOAL growing up to be, in their words, a bold teenager are: Fluffy Coke // Jogging // Junior Brother // Katie Kim // Mankyy presents:…

  • Open Ear Festival Announces Stage Times

    May 28, 2018 - By 

    One of the most unique and diverse festivals in Ireland, set in the beautiful off-coast sanctuary of Sherkin Island, Open Ear Festival holds its third annual outing from May 31-June 3, and times have just been announced. From avant-garde sound design and ambient music to experimental dance music and groovy electronics, it is a festival that champions the best of the best in the Irish undergrowth. As a festival of forward-thinking musical technologists, it’s nigh-on-peerless in Ireland right now. This year, the Thursday includes an opening concert featuring Dream Cycles, electroacoustic artist Roger Doyle and organist & drone artist Aine O’Dwyer in a hidden location on…

  • Primavera 2018 Preview: A Vibe Guide

    May 24, 2018 - By 

    Another year has come around and despite the weather we’ve been having, the growing thirst for a sunny escape is very much due a quenching. That perennial indicator of what’s both cool and good, Primavera Sound, has rolled around and with it comes that old safety net of acceptability over post-sunrise sleeping hours. We’ve kindly put together a little Spotify playlist of some of our favourites to accompany your preparation. (Heads up – those record stalls can hold onto your purchases until you’re leaving) Thanks to First Contact Music, this year will see five deserving independent Irish acts on the Day Pro…

  • Michael Black – Memoirs

    May 29, 2018 - By 

    Having recently been featured on the official Piano Day 2018 playlist, curated by Nils Frahm, Belfast-based multi-instrumentalist & composer Michael Black is set to release his debut album, Memoirs, on June 13. Across its fifteen tracks of unaccompanied piano, Black weaves the personal with the classical, evoking contemporary classic composers like Arvo Pärt and minimalism’s man-of-the-moment, Nils Frahm. “I understood that by releasing something as intimate as Memoirs, I’d leave myself very exposed and somewhat vulnerable. but I couldn’t expect the listener to dwell and reflect on these thoughts in their own manner unless I provided an honest account in the first place. My wish is that Memoirs…

  • Curfew Festival Announced For Twelfth of July

    May 11, 2018 - By 

    Making its return for the first time in many years, Belfast’s alternative, inclusive Twelfth of July proceeding Curfew, takes place across two of Belfast’s finest small venues – The Black Box & Voodoo. The whole day is kindly run by original runner Pete Jez’ Solid Choice Industries. In direct opposition of ‘the other one’, we don’t have to pretend to enjoy the rad tunes. The only cultural division to be seen is in the cross-genre venue booking -Voodoo is set to host the riff-centric acts, headed by Dublin’s synth-driven space-metal trio No Spill Blood, sludgy heavy rock trio Slomatics, Dublin hardcore act Destriers, space punks Wild Rocket, sludge-doom act Nomadic…