• Stream: Jape – The Heart’s Desire

    October 14, 2014 - By 

    For the last couple of years, Richie Egan has been residing in the Malmö, Sweden, recording material that will rear its head on Jape’s forthcoming fifth album, The Chemical Sea. As was perfectly illustrated in Ian Pearce’s photo feature with Egan last year, there was no shortage of equipment and sonic gadgetry at the latter’s disposal in the studio, something that is more than evident on ‘The Heart’s Desire’, a new track melding Hot Chip-esque electro musing and forward-moving synth-pop that is unmistakably Jape. The Chemical Sea will be released in January. Stream ‘The Heart’s Desire’ right here.

  • Album stream: Women’s Christmas – Too Rich For Our Blood

    October 13, 2014 - By 

    In his review of the album in the first issue of our physical magazine – out now – Mike McGrath Bryan called Too Rich For Our Blood, the debut album by Dublin indie-rock trio Women’s Christmas “an enjoyable excursion into the pop sensibilities of its constituent parts.” And that it is. Comprised of members from Villagers, Jogging and I Heart the Monster Hero, the band have delivered on what came across in our Inbound feature with them back in February. If you like your lo-fi catchy and your catchiness lo-fi, this is well worth a listen. Women’s Christmas will play…

  • Watch: Le Galaxie – Carmen

    October 10, 2014 - By 

    If you weren’t one of the lucky few to witness its launch at Dublin’s Workman’s Club last night, check out Le Galaxie’s video for ‘Carmen’ (featuring Fight Like Apes‘ May Kay and comprised of fan footage) below. We’re fans.

  • Watch: Cal Folger Day – Homez-a-Place

    October 9, 2014 - By 

    The first single to be taken from her new EP, Adornament, Dublin-based New York artist Cal Folger Day has released the wistful, minimalistic ‘Homez-a-Place’. As with her previous EP, Drom-d’reau, the rudiments of Adornament were recorded on an 8-track in Woodstock, New York. According to Folger Day, “Those analog frameworks were then frankensteined to vocal takes captured in Brooklyn and Dublin”. The track – pieced together by Forest Walker Christenson in Columbus, Ohio – features violins, drum machines, guitars, wurlitzer and vocals, evoking the likes of Julia Holter, Lisa O’Neill and Belfast-based musician Caroline Pugh. Watch the video below.  

  • Premiere: Edward F Butler – Running From Fears

    October 7, 2014 - By 

    Originally from London, Belfast-based musician and filmmaker Edward F Butler first made his mark here with the now defunct HOWL, a genre-spanning outfit driven by Butler’s soulful, nigh on beatific vocals. Going several steps further – both in sound and scope – the artist’s debut single, ‘Running From Fears’, is an extremely impressive first gambit, marrying Butler’s idiosyncratic electro-acoustic music with his extraordinary vocals. Conjuring the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, James Blake and Nina Simone, they serve as a transformative centre-piece of a sound bearing the hallmarks of resounding inspiration. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you of his talents, Butler –…

  • Download: Princess – Molly

    October 7, 2014 - By 

    Another highlight from Hard Working Class Heroes festival at the weekend, Dublin noise-pop band Princess have released the bewitching ‘Molly’, the follow-up to their breakthrough single ‘Neverlook’, released back in June. A spectre-weaving, superbly slow-burning eight minutes of astrally-inclined rapture, the single evokes the likes of Bardo Pond, Galaxie 500, Beach House and fellow Irish sonicosmonauts The Altered Hours‘ more subtle efforts. Expect it to feature quite highly in our annual Best Irish Tracks End of Year list in December. Stream/download ‘Molly’ – produced by the band, engineered by Ian McNulty and mixed by Solar Bears’ Rian Trench – via Bandcamp below. Molly by Princess

  • Watch: Ciaran Lavery – Orphan

    October 6, 2014 - By 

    Having played a triumphant set at Dublin’s Grand Social as part of Hard Working Class Heroes festival at the weekend, Aghagallon singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery has unveiled the decidedly cathartic video for his new single, ‘Orphan’. Created by ROC, the minimalist visual accompaniment features a few anonymous individuals baring themselves to the camera, a theme introduced in Lavery’s video for ‘Left For America’. Propelled by the Northern Irish songsmith’s instantly-recognisable husky vocals and progressively experimental alt-folk approach, ‘Orphan’ is the closing song on Kosher, Lavery’s latest EP. Stream/buy that here. Watch the video for ‘Orphan’ below.

  • Where to find The Thin Air magazine: an Illustrative Guide

    October 6, 2014 - By 

    It’s finally here! Our first ever print issue of The Thin Air magazine. “Where can I find it?” we hear you cry. Well, fear not, as we asked Aoife Dooley to kindly illustrate two handy maps on where you can pick up your very own copy. It was very important to us at TTA towers (ahem) that U2 and Van Morrison – our biggest supporters – were included on these maps. Belfast: Sick Records, Voodoo, Oh Yeah Centre, QUBSU, Boojum, Black Box Derry: Abbazappa Records Dublin: Tower Records, Twisted Pepper, Boojum, Kaph, Bernard Shaw, Fumbally, Roasted Brown, 3FE Cork: Triskel Arts Centre All…

  • Stream: September Girls – Veneer

    October 1, 2014 - By 

    Having gradually distanced themselves from the straight-up surf-rock of their early ruminations,September Girls have positively confirmed their rather exciting metamorphisis with ‘Veneer’, the title track from their forthcoming EP on Kanine Records. Psych-tinged and feedback-soaked in all the right places, the track is a swift, earworming lo-fi masterstroke; swooning and sinister in equal proportion, tapping into an inner recess, looking far beyond pacific, jangling, Summer pop. Veneer is released on November 25. Stream the single below.  

  • Line-up announced for inaugural Output showcase

    September 30, 2014 - By 

    With just over a fortnight to wait, the line-up for the inaugural Output have been announced. Northern Ireland’s largest ever one-day conference and showcasing event, taking place throughout Belfast’s city centre and Cathedral Quarter on Thursday, October 16, it will see a series of free talks, workshops and pop-up gigs, attending by around 350 artists, businesses and creative students. We’re very happy to be involved, too. Teaming up with tastemaker par excellence Niall Byrne AKA Nialler9, we will host a most awesome showcase in the Black Box main room with Cork psych rock five-piece Altered Hours (pictured), Dublin electronic duo Contour, Derry…