• HWCH ’14 special guests announced

    September 18, 2014 - By 

    The special guests (or honourary “Heroes”) of Hard Working Class Heroes 2014 have been announced. Set to join an already extremely impressive line-up of new and emerging Irish musical talent, the MayKay-fronted Fight Like Apes (pictured), Meath indie rock five-piece Ham Sandwich and fast-rising Derry singer-songwriter SOAK will perform throughout Dublin from Thursday, October 2 to Saturday, October 4. The organisers of the annual festival of hotly-tipped homegrown music have also announced details of HWCH and the City – a music trail of free, all ages gigs in some of Dublin’s best and most unique shops, restaurants and coffee shops. Go…

  • Stream: Slow Skies – Bodies

    September 18, 2014 - By 

    The follow-up to the beguiling ‘Ice Field’ – released at the start of the month – Dublin dream pop duo Slow Skies have gone one better with ‘Bodies’, a wonderfully unravelling, reverb-soaked effort that lulls and summons in equal proportion. Delicate and funereal, the track – conjuring the likes of Hope Sandoval, Explosions In The Sky, Hanne Hukkelberg, Hope of the States and – teases with its perfectly plodding pace and Karen Sheridan’s increasingly beatific vocals. ‘Bodies’ will feature on Slow Skies’ forthcoming EP, Keepsake, set for release via faction on September 26. The duo play Donegal’s Balor Arts Centre on September 29, Dublin’s Sugar…

  • Stream: The Vincent(s) – Song for the Sea (Courtney Taylor-Taylor Mix)

    September 16, 2014 - By 

    “Is this not the sickest and most totally believable heavy rock motherfucker ever?”, are some of the words The Dandy Warhols’ Courtney Taylor-Taylor used to describe The Vincent(s) new belter, ‘Song for the Sea’. So enamoured was the Dandy’s frontman by The Vincent(s) at Sea Sessions, that he contacted FIFA Records and asked if he could remix one of the tunes he caught during a blistering set. The result of this collaboration is a remix of ‘Song for the Sea’ – originally released on the band’s ‘Valley of the Sun’ EP – by Courtney and Brandon Eggleston (Swans, Modest Mouse).…

  • Stream: PigsAsPeople – Foundling

    September 16, 2014 - By 

    Belfast-based post-hardcore/noise rock trio PigsAsPeople have made the track ‘Foundling’ – the first to be unveiled from their upcoming mini-album The Plot Against Future Plans – available to buy on their Bandcamp from September 25. This comes ahead of their free-entry Radar mini-album launch at Mandela Hall on Thursday, September 25 – during Freshers Week – at which support comes from The Emerald Armada, Gascan Ruckus, Team RKT and Spittin’ Teeth. Check it out below: Foundling by PigsAsPeople

  • Watch: I Heart the Monster Hero – Toni Bailey

    September 16, 2014 - By 

    We have a lot of love for I Heart the Monster Hero here at The Thin Air and we think you will too once you watch this brilliant video for ‘Toni Bailey’ made by GREY SUN in a busy Dublin train station during the Summer. The Monster Hero himself had this to say about the making of the video: “We shot it while playing a set in the concourse of Heuston station as part of the HWCH in the city for the Forbidden Fruit festival this year. It was pretty fun to play in the station, suffice to say the…

  • Creative Belfast presents Output

    September 11, 2014 - By 

    Northern Ireland’s largest ever one-day conference and showcasing event has been announced. Set to take place on October 16, Output, presented by Creative Belfast in association with Generator NI, will see a dizzy, impressive plethora of conferences, panels and showcases held throughout the city’s Cathedral Quarter. The daytime conference – taking place in The Mac and the Oh Yeah Centre – will see speakers including BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson, composer and cellist Peter Gregson and – wait for it – Andrew WK present panel discussions, workshops and speed networking events as well as opening and closing keynotes. Later in the evening, there…

  • Watch: Groom – Colours

    September 10, 2014 - By 

    Dublin band Groom have long had an uncanny, seemingly effortless knack for no-shits-given guitar-pop. Their latest single, ‘Colours’, carries on the tradition in fine fashion, brilliantly barbed guitar lines entwined with subtle, Pulp-esque keyboard lines and chord progressions. The video for the track is a suitably simple and rather sweet affair, daughters of band-members kicking back with paints and crayons; not the slightest care in the world. The second song on Groom’s new album, Bread and Jam, ‘Colours’ is released via Popical Island at Sweeney’s, Dublin on Saturday night. Check out the artwork and video for the single below.  

  • Stream: Matua Trap – Meander Thralls

    September 10, 2014 - By 

    Having very recently released their debut track, ‘Cleave’, Belfast alt-prog trio Matua Trap have followed it up with the equally impressive ‘Meander Thralls’ (see what they did there?) As with the first track, the song is propelled with exquisite harmonies, shifting rhythms and exceptionally imaginative guitar work. Comprised of members of Kasper Rosa and Affleck, the band will play their debut show at Belfast’s Voodoo on Wednesday, September 17. Check out ‘Cleave’ here and stream ‘Meander Thralls’ below. Meander Thralls by Matua Trap

  • Watch: Speed of Snakes – Backbone of Night

    September 9, 2014 - By 

    Over a year on from first rearing their head, Dublin superduo Speed of Snakes AKA Rupert Morris of BATS and Vinny McCreith of Adebisi Shank have unveiled the debut video, a decidedly OTT hostage-themed mini-film directed by Stevie Russell and produced by Michael Donnelly V and Jason Foran. Starring Darren Costello, Dara O’Neill and blue-haired lead lady Teodora Sutra, the video is an ambitious visual accompaniment to the track, a dark, skittering, synth-and-effects-led electro effort, hinting at some very promising things in the making for the pair.

  • Watch: Kerbdog – Electricity

    September 9, 2014 - By 

    Sixteen long years in the making, Kilkenny alt-rock heroes Kerbdog released a new track, ‘Electricity’. Accompanying by a straight-and-to-the-point video of the band recording the track – a seminal moment in itself, let’s be honest – comes ahead of the release of the quartet’s Pledge campaign-funded live album, Congregation, which is set for release on October 6. Cormac Battle and co. will also hit the road in November, playing the following Irish and UK shows. November 14: Dublin Academy November 15: Manchester Ritz w/ Amplifier, Nine Black Alps, Hawk Eyes, Hey You Guys! November 16: London Forum w/ Amplifier, Hawk Eyes, Jamie Lenman, Hey You Guys! November 17: Bristol Bierkeller w/…