• Watch: The Wood Burning Savages – We Love You

    Having been steadily on the ascent over the last year or so, Derry quartet The Wood Burning Savages have unveiled the typically frenetic video for their breakneck new single, ‘We Love You’. Directed by Fiachra O’Longain, the B+W accompaniment captures the four-piece at their most urgent, frontman Paul Connolly’s emphatic decrees, in particular, coming into sharp focus throughout. Half measures isn’t an option for these guys.

  • Longitude Announce 45 New Acts, Day-to-Day Breakdown

    With the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer and the National already announced to play, Run The Jewels (pictured), Kurt Vile & The Violators and Laura Mvula are amongst 45 new acts confirmed to play this year’s Longitude at Dublin’s Marlay Park on Friday, July 15 to Sunday, July 17. With the likes of Vic Mensa, Annie Mac, Perfume Genius, Daughter, Stormzy, The Lumineers and Nina Kraviz also amongst the new additions, organisers have also revealed the day-to-day breakdown for this year’s outing: Red Bull have also announced their line-up for the Red Bull Woodlands stage, featuring the likes Ghostboy, The 2 Bears,…

  • Castlepalooza Add More Acts

    With the likes of Caribou (pictured), Jurassic 5, Villagers and Cat Power already announced, Castlepalooza have added a host of new acts to its 2016 bill. Set to take place across Friday, July 1 to Sunday, July 3 at Tullamore’s Charleville Castle, the following acts making up the latest additions: Lisa O’Neill, Son Lux, Lynched, Policia, Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi (DJ & pool set), Little Scream, Slow Reader’s Club, Daithi, Hare Squead, New Jackson, Daphni, Field Music, I Am The Cosmos, Prins Thomas, Let’s Eat Grandma, Jarbird, Toby Kaar, I Have A Tribe, All the Luck in the World, Paddy…

  • Carlow Arts Festival Reveals 2016 Programme

    Set to make its grand 37th outing – a surefire feat in itself – the programme for this year’s Carlow Arts Festival has been revealed. Celebrating all the very best of cultural Carlow, this year’s festival – which runs from June 10-19 – is divided into three strands: the Borris Festival of Writing and Ideas from June 10-12, floating mini-festival Barges on the Barrow from June 14-16 and the festival latest addition, The Big Weekender, which runs from June 16-19. With family fun at the core of this year’s festival, Le Galaxie DJs, Hothouse Flowers with Lisa Lambe, David Kitt,…

  • Sometimes It Snows In April: Remembering Prince.

    There will never be another artist like Prince. And ‘artist’ is the only word that one can use to describe him. Whether it be in his visionary approach to recording music, his concept of himself as a multi-media master, conquering the stage and screen, or his almost perfect grasp of song craft, Prince approached every aspect of his life as if it were art. First garnering attention as a boy wonder, writing, producing and performing every instrument on his debut album, the first signs of Prince’s genius were exposed when he performed the incredible trick of unearthing the very magma…

  • Stream: Colour Canyon – Home

    Michelle Considine & Harry Bookless of Dublin indie pop outfit Little xs for Eyes have unveiled ‘Home’, their first original single under the name Colour Canyon. ‘Home’ follows their Record Store Gay cover of ‘Open Your Heart‘ by The Human League, with the duo having been working on new original material in the months since. The synths are very much in soft focus on this dusk-emulating slice of ’80s disco-pop, with swirling, verb-drenched vocals that would make Elizabeth Fraser envious. ‘Home’ is out now. Stream it below:

  • Stream: El Grey – My Names A, Your Names Zed

    Well this is pretty mind blowing – Bray-based singer-songwriter project El Grey has released an 18-minute stream-of-consciousness odyssey. Despite being known to be one for creating atmospheric pop soundscapes, cinematic in scope, her ambition had never reached heights of magnitude until ‘My Names A, Your Names Zed’ – available to purchase on Bandcamp. The recording was completed with no pre-production or strict composition in place beforehand, and was recorded live in one take. Much like El Grey’s process in writing – alternatively: channelling – the song, it’s one to sit back and let happen to you, as it accomplishes that feat of tapping into something deeper entirely. It’s…

  • Stream: Roisin Murphy – Mastermind

    Having just announced her new album, Take Her Up To Monto – due for release on July 8 through Play It Again Sam – Roisin Murphy has unveiled the LP’s lead track, ‘Mastermind’. The album was recorded along with long-time collaborator Eddie Stevens, during the same sessions as its predecessor, the Choice & Mercury Prize-nominated Hairless Toys. Never one to ignore the bigger picture of her art, Murphy is also to self-direct each video from the record. Stream ‘Mastermind’ below:

  • Record Store Day 2016

    In the early years of Record Store Day, depending on where you lived in Ireland your choice of independent record shops to visit may have been limited or even nonexistent. But despite the growth of downloads and streaming in the eight years since the day started, while some old shops have died away, many more have sprung up in their place, and many of those who had nowhere to go in 2008 are now spoiled for choice. As the number of limited edition releases grow and major labels further muscle in on the event it’s easy to grow cynical and…

  • Free Download: Dott – Heroes for RSD 2016

    Our favourite twee-pop band Dott have recorded their version of Heroes by David Bowie and to celebrate Record Store Day 2016 they are offering a free download of the track. Dott moved from Galway, Ireland to Toronto, Canada this year and have evolved into a two-piece band comprising of Anna and Evan. They have been experimenting with drum loops and home-recordings which will very soon culminate in the release of new material. In the meantime, they will perform at the Bowie Tribute Night in The Cracker Factory, New York on April 29