• King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe

    June 23, 2017 - By 

    To describe King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard as prolific would be an understatement. They’re the sort of band who write, record and release 6 EPs, 2 double LPs and 36 singles in the time it takes you to read this sentence. Having already released one full-length in February of this year, they’re evidently proponents of a more is more philosophy. That belief permeates to every part of the outfit. From their roster of members to the songs themselves which oscillate between folk, free form jazz, psychedelia and good old fashioned 1970s prog rock epics. So how does their second…

  • Cardboard Gangsters

    June 23, 2017 - By 

    Cardboard Gangsters is an Irish crime drama from writer/director Mark O’Connor (King Of The Travellers) that tells a story familiar to fans of gangland movies, running through all the stereotypes and cliches that come with this oversaturated genre (which tend, in fairness, to be accurate). Thankfully the filmmakers have still managed to create a plausible and socially relevant film with an authentic grittiness and suitably dark premise, one bolstered by a strong lead performance from co-writer John Connors (Love/Hate). On the tough Darndale council estate in Dublin, four twenty-somethings, led by local DJ and hard lad, Jay Connolly (Connors) live…

  • Night Drive – Night Drive

    June 22, 2017 - By 

    There’s nothing quite like an album that manages to fuse the past with the present, and even the future for that matter. Rodney Connell and Brandon Duhon, the Texas-based, future-wave duo better known as Night Drive do just that with their new self-titled, debut album. The pair first met when when the woman they were both dating died in a car crash. Neither knew the other before the accident, but from this inauspicious encounter stemmed something very powerful indeed. Their sound, a time machine of sorts, combines elements of 80s synth-pop with futuristically dynamic instrumentation, while brilliantly remaining both sleek and…

  • Kevin Morby – City Music

    June 20, 2017 - By 

    If one thing about Kevin Morby’s latest LP, City Music, immediately leaps out, it’s the sense of playfulness. The album is not light and fluffy by any means, but there is this unflappable feeling of spontaneity and glee that instantly grabs your attention. This is the fourth solo outing from The Babies’ frontman. Like his 2016 effort, Singing Saw, the album is a mixture of folk quiet intensity and some rollicking good rock music. While it never becomes a great collection, it is one of the more thoroughly and consistently pleasant and enjoyable releases of the year. As mentioned before,…

  • Elaine Mai – The Colour Of The Night

    June 19, 2017 - By 

    The Colour of the Night is the latest extended-play from Mayo native, Dublin based electronic mastermind, Elaine Mai. It’s snappy, intoxicating and beautifully unique. Most of all, it demonstrates Elaine’s confidence and progression as a solo artist. It’s been three years since the release of her last EP Known/Unknown. And her growth since then has been phenomenal. The Colour of the Night sees Mai cleverly weave authentic human emotions with electronic and mechanical soundscapes to craft beautiful tracks that uncover touching stories. She transcends boundaries with layers and textures that form a sound that’s honest and thought-provoking. ‘Enniscrone’ serves as…

  • Palehound – A Place I’ll Always Go

    June 19, 2017 - By 

    Difficult experiences can be a source of great inspiration and a catalyst behind profound art. Palehound’s sophomore release, A Place I’ll Always Go is testament to just that as vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ellen Kempner adds to the band’s repertoire with a host of touching songs informed by her experience dealing with the unexpected loss of a close friend. The resulting songwriting is deeply honest and personal; trading the guitar hooks of 2015’s Dry Food for more meaningful lyrical content. Although still drawing on the stylings of bands like Pavement and Modest Mouse, Palehound’s sound developes on this album into…

  • Whitney: Can I Be Me

    June 18, 2017 - By 

    Whitney Houston’s much-publicised rise, fall and subsequent death is a tale of an exceptional talent that was surely wasted. If like me, you knew little about her life bar the mud-slinging from the mainstream media, then British docu-filmmaker Nick Broomfield (Biggie and Tupac) and longtime associate of Whitney, Rudi Dolezal’s depiction of the troubled star, will be a refreshing take that sensitively and respectfully delves into the causes and effects of her tragic downfall. They most certainly don’t have all the answers that some people may be after but this is an essential watch for anyone with any sort of…

  • Paramore @ Olympia Theatre, Dublin

    June 16, 2017 - By 

    It’s been a long time since Tennessee natives, Paramore, last brought their show to Irish shores and by the look of the massive queue outside the Olympia two hours before open doors, Ireland has certainly missed them. Opening act, California’s Bleached, set the pace with a raucous set of female-led punk rock. Bringing to mind 90s riot grrrl with a touch of surf rock, they play an uncompromising set of punk rock anthems. Whilst the music is a small bit lost on a large majority of the crowd, they’re a promising act and, as an opening act, send out a…

  • Fleet Foxes – Crack Up

    June 16, 2017 - By 

    A six-year break is a fairly large gulf for album releases. Fleet Foxes released their last LP, Helplessness Blues, on May 3rd, 2011. At that point in time, Spotify had barely eked its way into the American market, Mitt Romney was a viable presidential opponent and Osama Bin Laden was dead for less than 24 hours. To say certain seismic shifts have occurred since the group’s previous outing is an understatement. The world in which Helplessness Blues and the self-titled record is long gone, so how does their latest, Crack-Up, fare in this new musical landscape? Not well. This a…

  • Loah – This Heart

    June 15, 2017 - By 

    Sallay Matu Garnett AKA Loah‘s debut EP This Heart is, at it’s core, a magical fusion of folk, soul and R’n’B. An effortless blend that draws on elements of eminent female artists such as Grace Jones and Fiona Apple as well as her own own classical music training. What she dubs ‘ArtSoul’ – soul music, which incorporates the scope of all the musical art that Loah loves, including classical, folk, blues – is a carefully curated mix of different sounds and different cultures. Not only that, This Heart  is a proud artistic celebration of Ireland’s multiculturalism, and an opportunity for Garnett to…