• 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’ .  

  • PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project

    April 22, 2016 - By 

    PJ Harvey’s back catalogue is a sight to behold. Over eight solo records, the woman hasn’t even skimmed the surface of a bad record. She’s toyed with a multitude of genres from Albini noise to electronica to English folk and fit into each with alarming ease. Yet in spite of her mercurial ability, she still finds a way to challenge her listeners, even this late in the game. Her previous album, Let England Shake, was a concept album the first world war as viewed through English folk music. Her latest LP, The Hope Six Demolition Project, is a vicious polemic…

  • Video Premiere: Carried By Waves – Resonation Day

    April 21, 2016 - By 

    Cork based producer Ronan McCann AKA Carried By Waves releases his second LP Resolute this Friday 22nd of April.  Following on from his 2012 debut full length Softly Held Together the producer and multi-instrumentalist take spacious, colourful electronics and post-rock elements aplenty and continues to create a sound that could be best compared to the likes of Aereogramme and God Is An Astronaut but which holds enough individually and heart to stand steadfast and confident. To coincide with the album’s release, the producer has debuted the video for leading track Resonation Day. With its orbiting guitars and cinematic pianos and keys the track’s instrumentation is very reminiscent of…

  • John Carpenter – Lost Themes II

    April 20, 2016 - By 

    Lost Themes 2 is legendary filmmaker and composer John Carpenter’s follow-up to his 2015 effort, Lost Themes. The central concept behind the record is simple: themes for films that Carpenter never made. To anyone who has seen the likes of Assault on Precinct 13, Escape From New York or Halloween, this is a salivating promise as it distills one of the man’s greatest strengths into a single cohesive package. Lost Themes 2 is an expansion on that same idea, and not unlike a sequel, it builds upon the groundwork laid in the first outing in bigger, more polished way. The…

  • Stream: Pleasure Beach – Magic Mountain

    April 18, 2016 - By 

    Belfast’s Pleasure Beach have had an interesting first year of life. Having garnered almost immediate attention with their debut single ‘Go’ the band were left to cut their teeth on the live circuit with eyes and ears already planted firmly on them. The five piece took to their high-profile support slots with precociousness and charm despite their sets often comprising of 50% covers. Their debut EP Dreamer to the Dawn was a dazzlingly colourful release with ‘Go’ playing on the same field as The War on Drugs and Bruce Springsteen while ‘Hayley’ was a delicate, sleepy number that radiated with an emotional “soundtrack ready” charm. The band has…

  • Watch: Zaska- Got To Go

    April 19, 2016 - By 

    Fancy a game of Countdown? Of course you do. Dublin composer and bandleader Max Zaska yesterday debuted the brand new video for his most recent release ‘Got to Go’. It’s a soulful number that shows Zaska and his troupe of supremely talented musicians continuing on the same trajectory as previous releases In Your Own Sweet Time and Different Light, crafting songs that are effortlessly accessible while still maintaining satisfying and adept jazz technicality. ‘Got To Go’ is another fine example of the joyous work of the bandleader and guitarist as he puppeteers the band in a smooth, charming dance of soul, funk, blues and…

  • Reverberation Psych Fest 2016 (Day Two) @ The Grand Social, Dublin

    April 18, 2016 - By 

    With my ears having gone through the mill during night one of Reverberation, it was only right to see if they could last for the duration of round two! First up to the mound was Derry duo Fabric, who really falls into the post-punk side of things as opposed to psych rock. Ruairi Coyle (Percussion/Drums & Backing Vocals) and Lorcan Hamilton (Bass & Lead Vocals) manage to put on quite the performance, which considering the low turnout for their slot, they can only be applauded for. There are hints of Joy Division, Young Marble Giants and Gang of Four dotted…

  • Picture This: Your National Visual Arts Guide- Future & Past

    April 15, 2016 - By 

    As we tentatively approach the summer galleries are beginning to launch their summer shows and draw their spring endeavours to a close. This looking ahead while checking back is one of the key themes across the exhibitions chosen for this edition of Picture This. The future of Ireland, her art and the wider contemporary art landscape is discussed in shows such as 2116 in Cork, EVA International in Limerick and Phototropism in Dublin. Casting our minds back forms the centrepiece of the Peter Dressler show in Belfast as the work or the late German photographer takes centre stage, this revisionary…