• Stream: Participant – Next Year

    April 25, 2017 - By 

    Taken from his Sampler EP, Dublin’s Stephen Tiernan AKA Participant has unveiled ‘Next Year’. The EP, which was released exclusively on cassette in March, features five singles on Side A and a collection of samples and field recordings on Side B. A delicate slice of atmospheric folk, Tiernan’s acoustic guitar and tempered vocals are gradually joined by additional textures, keys and faint strings, giving the track a neo-classical edge with hints of Ólafur Arnalds creeping through. With candid lyrics confronting themes of complacency, self-worth and commitment, Tiernan said of the track: “‘Next Year’ is a song that for me deals with the idea of…

  • Watch: Daithí (feat. Sinead White) – Aeroplane

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    Ahead of the release of his Holiday Home EP this Friday 28 April, Daithí has revealed another shimmering pop-leaning cut. Welcoming back regular collaborator Sinead White for a typically excellent guest vocal, ‘Aeroplane’ is a more melodic cut than the EP’s propulsive title track from last month. Despite its dancefloor focus, the track maintains its organic atmosphere through breezy keys, recorded natural samples and White’s voice, reminiscent at points of some of SBTRKT‘s collaborations. The song is brought to life by the accompanying video which features footage shot in Daithí’s hometown of Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare from the 90s. Speaking of the track…

  • Video Premiere: Sullivan & Gold – Guatemala

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    Once a duo, Sullivan & Gold is the music-making moniker of Derry’s Benjamin Robinson, formerly of the Good Fight. Aptly positing his music as “the perfect accompaniment to falling in or out of love”, his output to date has straddled wistfulness and deliverance in fine fashion, something that’s more than apparent on new single ‘Guatemala’. A heart-rending ballad taken from a new full-length set for release in late 2017, the track “tells the tale of a long distance relationship between a young couple; a newly qualified primary school teacher teaching in the north coast of Northern Ireland and a young Northern Irish…

  • EP Stream: Gumshoe – Sun Kisses The Moon

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    Having started to premiere tracks from the EP back in October of last year, Wicklow ambient hip-hop duo Gumshoe have let Sun Kisses The Moon out into the world in full. With previously released tracks ‘yom kippur’, ‘ninbasu’ and ‘forgotten weapons’ being ethereal teasers, the rest of the collection continues in much the same vein with delightfully odd vocal samples, sparse rhythms and brittle melodies coursing throughout its seven tracks. ‘a divisive nature’ is captivating with its stumbling bass throb and Gold Panda reminiscent melodic samples. ‘cherrylane’ is pure hypnosis with its languid keys, trills and swoops, jazz samples and a surreal spoken vocal detailing someone’s…

  • Tori Amos Set For Cork and Dublin Shows

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    Coinciding with the release of her forthcoming fifteenth studio album, Native Invader, it’s been announced that Tori Amos will play Cork’s Opera House on September 6 and Dublin’s Bord Gàis Energy Theatre on September 7. Tickets for the shows – priced €51.15 and €53.15 – go on sale from 10am this Friday. These dates kick off a two-month European tour, concluding at Glasgow’s O2 Academy on October 6. Here’s the full dates. September 6. Ireland, Cork – Opera House 7. Ireland, Dublin – Bord Gais 9. Belgium, Gent – Capitole 10. Luxembourg – Luxembourg Den Atelier 11. France, Paris – Grand Rex…

  • Video Premiere: Video Blue – Hold Muzik

    April 21, 2017 - By 

    London based, Dundalk native Jim O’Donoghue Martin AKA Video Blue has unveiled the video for ‘Hold Muzik’, taken from his album Love Scenes. Following from ‘Dusk Moves’ in March of this year, ‘Hold Muzik’ is yet another slice of snappy, indie-pop with minimalist guitars, subtle keys and vocal work that will remind you of those times you actually really liked the way Bono sang. Video Blue’s knack for earworm hooks and infectious melody shines through on this track as it does across Love Scenes and The Graduate inspired visual accompaniment directed by Freddie Leyden is an equally charming addition. Speaking of the…

  • Album Premiere: This Other Kingdom – Rêveur

    April 21, 2017 - By 

    Hands down one of the country’s most engaging neo-psychedelic propositions, Dublin threesome Del Kerton, Declan Dunne and Git Sweeney AKA This Other Kingdom have long struck a keen balance between hazed-out psych finesse and straight-up rock n’ roll glory. Having released their debut EP Sunlight back in 2013, and their well-received debut album Telescopic two years later, the trio are back with ‘Rêveur’, an eleven-track triumph filtering the band’s kaleidoscopic range of influences, past and present. From the lysergic strut of opener ‘Common Colours Common Sounds’ to closer ‘This is War’, the reverberations of everyone from Jefferson Airplane and Black Lips to The Doors…

  • Stream: Silverbacks – Dirty Money

    April 20, 2017 - By 

    Insofar as first-rate lo-fi indie rock goes, the island of Ireland is surely right up there with the most fertile. Laying claim to their stake amongst the very best, Dublin’s Silverbacks will release a new EP, the five-track Sink The Fat Moon on May 19 – and if new single ‘Dirty Money’ is anything to by, we’re in for something well worth the wait. A terse, harmonic-laden effort that openly yet rather brilliantly filters the more more reclined efforts of the holy trifecta that is Sonic Youth, Pavement and Pixies, it’s a masterfully languid release betraying real purpose in its disaffected swagger.…

  • More Acts Announced for Body & Soul

    April 20, 2017 - By 

    A host of new acts have been added to the bill of this year’s Body & Soul ahead of its return to Ballinlough Castle in Co. Westmeath across June 23-25. As well as Australia’s RÜFÜS, Lyra and Patrick O’Laoghaire’s I Have a Tribe are amongst the latest acts added. Deep in the woodland, Ryan Vail (pictured), Auxiliary Phoenix Trio, Dowth, PrYmary Colours and Wastefellow will play the Pagoda Stage. Elsewhere, B&S’s favourite party arena Reckless In Love will feature Byron Yeates, Automatic Tasty, Breen, Cáit, Eoin Ryan, Homebeat DJs, Lumo, DIP DJs, Major Problems DJs, Neil Flynn (Lossless), Bantum, ELLLL and John Daly…

  • Album Stream: Guilty Optics – Colossal Velocity

    April 20, 2017 - By 

    Dublin-based riffy post-punk trio Guilty Optics have just released their long-awaited debut album, Colossal Velocity, on vinyl & digital download. Recorded at Dublin’s Hellfire Studios with vintage gear by San Diego producer Ben Moore, best known for his work with Hot Snakes, Rocket From The Crypt & Ravi Shankar, the album is a discordant, aggressive burst of noise-rock tinged post-punk by way of the early-to-mid ’90s, à la Drive Like Jehu. Formed in 2008 by Alan Finnerty and Peter Lee as a duo, they played under the name Bend This, Uri Geller, before expanding their lineup and shifting to the band they now are. The album is available through Bandcamp.…