• Hookworms – Microshift

    February 6, 2018 - By 

    Earlier in the decade, it felt like Hookworms were among the leading lights of the modern psych scene, but the gap since the one-two-punch of their first two LPs Pearl Mystic and The Hum in 2013 and 2014 respectively has been uncharacteristic. Having remained on the live circuit – including a storming pair of Irish gigs in 2016 – their studio output has been held up by both the flooding of frontman MJ’s studio in late 2015 and a more general desire to slow down and take their sound somewhere new, rather than continue repeating the formulas of their earlier…

  • Justin Timberlake – Man of the Woods

    February 6, 2018 - By 

      There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get in touch with your roots. There comes a point in everyone’s life when they feel the need to look back; to examine the past in order to know how to deal with the future. Justin Timberlake is in such a mood. And, unfortunately for us, he’s not afraid to shout about it. It’s not surprising that, after recently becoming a father, JT would be feeling rather “homely”. In the teaser trailer for Man of the Woods, Timberlake states “This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more…

  • Wolfenstein II: The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe (Bethesda, Multiformat)

    February 4, 2018 - By 

    What is it that makes Wolfenstein II so enjoyable to play? Is it the slick as oil mechanics, the relentless gunplay, the responsive controls, the ludicrously over-the-top action sequences, the treasure trove of collectibles, the dark sense of humour… or is it the seamless way in which all of these qualities are woven together? Wolfenstein II remains one of the best – perhaps, the best – games of 2017, a superlative product that was made with both the highest standards and a deep love for the franchise. In comparison with similarly themed shooters like Destiny 2 and the much-maligned Star Wars Battlefront 2 and the most recent iteration of Call Of…

  • Okami (Capcom, Multiformat)

    February 4, 2018 - By 

    Capcom may continue to mine their back catalogue for titles to re-release, but if that means that a wider audience will get to enjoy this beguiling adventure, it would be churlish to complain too much. As most gaming folk know, Okami draws heavily on Nintendo’s superlative RPG The Ocarina Of Time, although the nods are more homage than plagiarism, but pushes the genre in a bold direction thanks to the inclusion of several innovative touches. Firstly, there is the influence of Japanese mythology and culture. Playing as Amaterasu, a sun deity incarnated as a white wolf and tasked with ridding the land of…

  • Various Artists – Quare Groove Vol. 1

    February 2, 2018 - By 

    In the late 70s and early 80s the Irish charts were rife with blokes brandishing electric guitars, the likes of Queen, Dire Straits and The Police all consistently taking the top spot in singles charts. It was clear that rock music ruled the roost. Meanwhile over in the states, Americans were by and large still enjoying funk and R&B laced pop from the likes of The Bee Gees and Stevie Wonder.  Although this groove based music didn’t make half as much of a dent in the Irish charts, a new collection of underground Irish groove tracks from the Dublin based record label All City shows that Irish music in the late 70s and early 80s…

  • Jeff Tweedy @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    February 6, 2018 - By 

    ‘I need to feel uncomfortable’ explains Jeff Tweedy, when asked about his long hair. He hasn’t cut it since the 2016 election he says, and hates it. At the beginning of a year-long hiatus for Wilco, the very same reasoning could be applied to his decision to embark on this short solo acoustic tour across the UK and Ireland. Bookended by ‘Via Chicago’ and ‘Shot In The Arm’ from 1998’s sugar-coated bitter-suite Summerteeth, tonight’s setlist criss-crosses Tweedy’s back catalogue from Uncle Tupelo to recent Wilco release Schmilco, with some surprising omissions along the way. There’s nothing from 2014’s solo/family affair…

  • Django Django – Marble Skies

    January 26, 2018 - By 

    Anyone who has ever been in a band knows the importance that power dynamics play. The internal struggle is one fought by most members and often glamorised by talking heads in music documentaries. Were they the ‘quiet one’ or the ‘egotist’? The “fight-starter” or “facilitator”? Such stereotypes don’t seem to apply to Django Django. The four-piece formed at the Edinburgh College of Arts feel closer to the proper meaning of a “band” – they feel like a collective. Vincent Jeff provides those quintessential reverb-soaked vocals; Jimmy Dixon the harmonies that give the band “their” sound; Tommy Grave the synths that offer…

  • Belle & Sebastian – How to Solve Our Human Problems Pt. 2

    January 25, 2018 - By 

    In 1996, Belle & Sebastian recorded, mixed and released two albums; Tigermilk in June and If You’re Feeling Sinister in November. Both highly acclaimed releases from the band which remain as firm favourites amongst their fans, they were both made within the confines of a week long period. On each occasion, Stuart Murdoch came to the studio with a notebook full of lyrics inspired by the lives of ordinary people and introduced us to an array of characters in different scenarios. Along the way, we acquire intimate details about their circumstances, reflecting the dreary backdrop of the time and town…

  • Phantom Thread

    January 24, 2018 - By 

    Phantom Thread is a ghost story dressed as a love story. It’s a beautiful, expertly cut ghoul. A glistening blood diamond. There is one literal apparition, briefly, a possible fever-induced hallucination by Reynolds Woodstock (Daniel Day-Lewis, out of retirement), a fashion designer for social royalty who speaks in a charming Herzogian murmur. He sees his dead mother at the end of his sickbed, still a little boy grieving over his precious mum, sad and wounded. The so-called House of Woodstock, the gorgeous London townhouse where he lives and works, is populated by its own cast of the barely-living. Paul Thomas…

  • Fall Out Boy – Mania

    January 23, 2018 - By 

    Let’s just cut to the chase. It’s been at least five years since Fall Out Boy released a record worth its salt, and coming up to a decade since they were a truly meaningful part of cultural conversation. Having reformed back in 2012, the four-piece have moved ever further from their Get Up Kids-inspired emo roots in favour of becoming a pop band with some metalheads in it. The group, who formerly could weave hip-hop and R&B influences into misunderstood, antagonistic anthems, have abandoned this careful recipe in exchange for the lowest common denominator dirge the contemporary charts have to offer. Mania,…