• Watch: Saint Sister – Madrid

    May 17, 2016 - By 

    Having formed in 2014, Irish folk-pop duo Gemma Doherty and Mortan MacIntyre AKA Saint Sister have covered considerable ground recently. With their very well-received debut EP Madrid recorded in a short, “intense” session with Alex Ryan of Hozier, the release’s title track has been granted a sublime visual accompaniment courtesy of Bob Gallagher featuring lead Orla MacIntyre and some wonderfully rugged Irish countryside. Saint Sister play the following UK date in May. May 16: Gaslight Club, Leeds May 17: The Louisiana, Bristol May 18: The Islington, London May 20: The Green Door Store, The Great Escape Festival, Brighton (8pm) May 21: The…

  • Video Premiere: Tuath – Existence is Futile

    May 17, 2016 - By 

    A self-described multilingual experimental, progressive psych rock/shoegaze band”, Donegal’s Tuath (or tribe in Gaelic) have quickly established themselves as one of the country’s most singular propositions. With a heavy-metal influenced rhythm section and hints of jazz fusion woven throughout their sound, they are far from in the business of seeking slick categorisation – a fact impressively confirmed on their forthcoming second EP. Set for digital release on June 15, the lead/title from Existence is Futile is a downtempo gem that sits somewhere between a lamenting Madlib instrumental and a trip-hop inspired Praxis jam. Directed by Raymond McBride, the track’s accompanying video proves a suitable hallucinatory backdrop here. Check out our…

  • Stream: R.S.A.G. – Leave A Light On

    May 11, 2016 - By 

    Jeremy Hickey aka Rarely Seen Above Ground aka R.S.A.G. is a musician native to Kilkenny whose music and live performances have for the past number of years, funnily enough, been mythologised as legendary in a very “underground” way. Since beginning to operate under the R.S.A.G. banner in 2008, Hickey has been nothing if not a elusive, from quietly releasing albums like his debut Organic Sampler and 2010’s Be it Right or Wrong to randomly unleashing tracks such as 2014’s infectiously driving ‘I’ll Be There‘. To catch him playing live is a spectacle to behold, watching him relentlessly attack his drum kit, never for a second…

  • EP Stream: Thran – At a Loss

    May 11, 2016 - By 

    Thran is the monicker of Belfast based electronic musician Ronan Scullion. Releasing his debut EP At A Loss on his own label imprint Nonchalant Recordings, Thran’s music has been a patient labour of love over the past couple of years, taking plenty of time before releasing his melodious, frosty electronica into the world. Blending elements of Trip-Hop, post-dubstep and hints of garage, the music could best be compared to the likes of Mount Kimbie, James Holden and Burial. There is an ambient, spacey quality to tracks such as ‘Retreat’ and the EP’s title track that could lead to comparisons being drawn with acts such as MMOTHS and God is an Astronaut.  With a…

  • Irish Tour: Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts

    May 4, 2016 - By 

    With his most excellent band Los Bolts in tow, New York cult anti-folk singer-songwriter and (amazing) comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis zipped across the country last week for a string of dates with support from the likes of Shrug Life and Junk Drawer. Our photographers Sara Marsden and Aidan Kelly Murphy weren’t far away. McHugh’s, Belfast by Sara Marsden Whelans, Dublin by Aidan Kelly Murphy

  • Distorted Perspectives Day Two: Hookworms w/ Twinkranes @ Regional Culture Centre, Letterkenny

    May 3, 2016 - By 

    For non-Irish acts, Letterkenny probably seems like a strange date to include on a tour. But with Distorted Perspectives now in its third year, having previously brought names like Moon Duo and Damo Suzuki to the town it might not stay that way. This year, the festival’s biggest draw is Leeds psych quintet Hookworms, making their debut Irish jaunt along with a show in Dublin’s Whelans the night before. From the outside, the RCC looks like much too large a venue for this sort of gig, but thankfully the performance space is perfect –  a small black room with a…

  • Blood Brothers: The Rise and Fall of Gothic Rock

    May 2, 2016 - By 

    Contrary to popular belief, on the 13th of July 1985, Bob Geldof did not turn to a TV camera and shout, “GIMMIE THE FUCKIN’ MONEY!” Instead, whilst imploring viewers to make the phonecall, and being told by BBC TV host David Hepworth that they needed to give the postal address out first, he utters, “Fuck the address, let’s get the numbers.” Hepworth then informs him that they’re going to have to give the address out first anyway, and Bob retires to the background for a moment. The three other studio guests proceed to read out credit card numbers, with Pamela…

  • Ciunas: An Evening of Quiet Songs

    April 26, 2016 - By 

    Deep in the serenity of West Cork lies famed music venue Connolly’s of Leap, a venue which is set to host Ciúnas: An Evening of Quiet Songs, on Friday, April 29. An intimate seated show in which the organisers ask the audience to “completely give their attention and respect to the artist”, the evening will feature the varyingly somnambulist sounds of three of the country’s finest: trio Pine the Pilcrow, the dark folk musings of I Have A Tribe and West Cork native Sam Clague.  Ciúnas’ is the Irish word for quiet, or silence; maybe even ‘absence of sound’ .