• Shortlist for Northern Irish Music Prize announced

    October 14, 2013 - By 

    The fourteen-strong shortlist for the inaugural Northern Irish Music Prize has been revealed. Organised by Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre, the new award is “aimed at recognising the great wealth of recorded music from these parts”, focusing on albums released by Northern Irish bands over the last 12 months. The shortlist (below) is the result of votes from The Academy AKA several dozen industry professionals including music writers, DJs and editors amongst others. A Plastic Rose – Camera Shutter Life And So I Watch You From Afar – All Hail Bright Futures Anthony Toner – Sing Under The Bridges Axis…

  • Watch: The Mighty Stef – Vampire, Hold Me Tight

    October 11, 2013 - By 

    With Halloween just around the corner, Dublin four-piece The Mighty Stef have unveiled the video to their aptly-titled new single, ‘Vampire, Hold Me Tight’. Directed by Lindsey Byrne, the video “acknowledge[s] the use of some projections from a certain classic British film that has long been a favourite among the group” AKA Robin Hardy’s 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man. Taken from their forthcoming fourth album – produced in Los Angeles by Alain Johannes in Spring – the track will also features on the band’s introductory three-track release, Iveagh Flats EP, which is set for release on November 7. Watch the…

  • EP Stream: Paper Man – After Effects

    October 10, 2013 - By 

    Showing huge potential, young Ballyclare-based alt-rock four-piece Paper Man have unveiled their debut EP, After Effects. Produced by Michael McCluskey, the five-track release (including a live track, ‘Hieroglyphics’) the EP “demonstrates,” in the band’s own words, “the roots from which the band have been influenced to write and play their alternative style of indie rock music.” Paper Man count the likes of local band A Plastic Rose, The Beatles and Smashing Pumpkins as three of their main influences. Stream After Effects via Bandcamp below.

  • Watch: Con Vos – Central Park

    October 10, 2013 - By 

    Earlier this month we featured the enchanting new EP by New York-based singer-songwriter and vocalist Sorcha Richardson. Nine days on we introduce the Dubliner’s new project CON VOS via the Matt Baron-directed video to the sublime ‘Central Park’. Taken from the upcoming five-track EP Cocoon Bloom, the track clings to summer whilst accommodating for Autumnal psychic ruminations, its stomping, shimmering bass-led march – and Richardson’s vocal in particular – suggestive of a very promising extended play on the horizon. CON VOS are comprised of Richardson and Fortunate Ones, a production/hip-hop duo from Fort Lee, New Jersey. Watch the video to ‘Central Park’ below.

  • Watch: Foy Vance – Closed Hand, Full of Friends

    October 10, 2013 - By 

    County Down singer-songwriter Foy Vance has unveiled the video to his new single, ‘Closed Hand, Full of Friends’. The song is the lead track taken from Vance’s second full-length album Joy Of Nothing, released in August via Glassnote Records. Following on from ‘Joy Of Nothing’ and ‘Janey’, it is the third track to be taken from the album, the follow-up to Vance’s 2007 debut full-length, Hope. The piano featured in the video was the focus of a police investigation after police attempted to discover how it was found in the River Tay in Perthshire. Watch the video below.

  • EP Stream: Skymas – Primer

    October 8, 2013 - By 

    Belfast-based electronic rock band Skymas have unveiled their two-track debut EP, Primer. Led by former Skint recording artist Martin Corrigan with Nick Todd on bass and Andrew Dunbar as operator, the trio “aim to build tracks that will affect both the body and brain”. The EP – featuring the tracks ‘This River’ and ‘Hey Porter’ – is the band’s first release on their own label, OBR. Live dates are soon to be announced. Stream the tracks via Soundcloud below.

  • Watch: Pixies – Andro Queen

    October 7, 2013 - By 

    Alt-rock demigods Pixies have unveiled the Ondi Timoner-directed video to the latest single, ‘Andro Queen’. Taken from the band’s recent EP-1, the single is the follow-up to ‘Indie Cindy’ – the band’s first single without Kim Deal – released last month. Pixies play Dublin’s Olympia theatre on November 18 and 19. Watch the video for ‘Andro Queen’ below.

  • Stream: Hurdles – Control

    October 8, 2013 - By 

    Belfast indie-rock band Hurdles have released a stream of ‘Control’, the lead single to be taken from their forthcoming debut EP, Where To Start. With the four-piece set to launch the aforementioned four-track EP at Belfast’s Radar on Thursday night, it marks the band’s first single release since ‘Kaleidoscope’ six months ago. Check out our recent interview the band here and stream ‘Control’ via Bandcamp below!

  • Go Wolf to feature on Kitsuné compilation

    October 4, 2013 - By 

    Belfast band Go Wolf have announced that their forthcoming new single ‘Voices’ will feature on the fifteenth compilation by Kitsuné on October 21. According to a blog post on the label’s website, the track “expresses a freshening juvenile pop touch, which effortlessly hits the target. California’s dreaming without overdoing it.” Sounds about right to us, actually. Formed in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc, Masaya Kuroki and the London-based company Åbäke, Kitsuné is a French electronic music record label and fashion label. Go Wolf’s music-making peers in Two Door Cinema Club released their debut, Gold-selling album Tourist History via the label in 2010.…

  • Stream: White Collar Boy – SUUU/TIDE EP

    October 2, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of its official release next week on Bodytonic, Dublin-based electronic duo White Collar Boy are streaming their forthcoming second EP, SUUU/TIDE. Comprised of the double a-side single – ‘SUUU’ (featuring vocals from Gemma Dunlovely) and ‘TIDE’ – and two remixes of their former by Frank Bird and Simon B, the release aptly displays Gavin White and Mark Cummins’ eclectic influences in Neu!, Fuck Buttons and Four Tet amongst others. Stream the EP via Soundcloud below.