• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

    September 16, 2016 - By 

    Skeleton Tree isn’t the first Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album born out of personal turmoil. The melancholy of albums like Your Funeral, My Trial in the 80s was inspired by Cave’s worsening heroin addiction, while 1997’s The Boatman’s Call was one of those classic breakup albums, famously considered – until now, that is – to be Cave’s most emotionally affecting work. But that must pale into insignificance for Cave now, ever since his 15 year old son Arthur last year fell to his death from a cliff near their home in Brighton, an event he describes in the album’s accompanying film One More Time With Feeling…

  • Jack White – Acoustic Recordings 1998­ – 2016

    September 13, 2016 - By 

    Jack White is by many people’s reckoning one of the most iconic guitarists of his generation. Standing at a burly six foot plus with his ghostly pale complexion and colour coordinated outfits he has always cut a formidable onstage presence. Photos of him wrestling his red and white Airline guitar will sit alongside the likes of Hendrix and Phil Lynott. It’s invigorating to witness his mastery of the stage. As one half of The White Stripes he not only managed to compensate for a lack of instruments by producing a colossal amount of noise; he was visually mesmerising, throwing himself around like a man possessed and constantly jolting between…

  • Stream: Lighght – What U Need

    September 14, 2016 - By 

    Over the past year or so, mysterious Cork based producer Lighght has been steadily building a collection of dark, ambient, sometimes industrial electronica, with each new composition feeling like a movement in a much more driven direction. Beginnings with tracks like ‘Oppen’ and ‘Croesus Pieces’ were sparse but were enticing in their intent, droning backdrops providing stable bases for muffled melodies. Three months ago saw the unveiling of ‘Drown’, a track which saw the artist veering into more dub, garage influenced territory while still hanging onto the ambient drones. Now Lighght reveals ‘What U Need’, yet another step forward in the artists’ technical…

  • Loop Launch Night

    September 13, 2016 - By 

    A new night created by local DJs Jamie Nelson and Jamie Nevin promising to deliver music that has been “left behind and under appreciated”, Loop will launch in Mister Tom’s at Lavery’s, Belfast on Friday, September 16. Joining the duo for its first outing – which coincides with Culture Night 2016 – is  none other than adopted Belfast multi-instrumentalist writer, arranger, producer and all-round legend Kaidi Tatham. Filling the gap left by Belfast longest-running club night, Gigantic, Loop was created after “seeing many small-medium size venues eventually closing down or changing tact over the years, resulted in both feeling quite dispirited…

  • Lisa Hannigan Set For Irish Tour

    September 9, 2016 - By 

    Having just released her stellar new album, At Swim, Lisa Hannigan has announced a new string of Irish dates in December. Also set for a UK and European tour in October and November, Hannigan will play the following 12 dates at home on the lead-up to Christmas. December 1: Galway, Seapoint Ballroom December 2: Wexford, O’Reilly Theatre, National Opera House December 8: Derry, The Glassworks December 10: Dublin, Vicar Street December 12: Cork, Cork Opera House December 16: Limerick, Limetree Theatre December 17: Drogheda, Beaulieu House and Gardens December 18: Dublin, Unitarian Church (All ages show, 2.30pm) December 19: Belfast, Empire…

  • Angel Olsen – My Woman

    September 5, 2016 - By 

    I’ve never been able keep a diary. Having to articulate and make sense of the thoughts that muddle my mind used to be a terrifying and daunting ordeal. The first song I heard by Angel Olsen was ‘The Waiting’, from her first full length studio album, Half Way Home. In this song, she sings about fruitlessly and foolishly waiting for someone to reciprocate a feeling of fulfilment that we are capable of giving to ourselves. It just takes a little time to reach that realisation.That shift from interdependence to independence allows you to appreciate the inevitable contentions in life as a twenty-something with an unfettered honesty…

  • Watch: Rusangano Family – Soul Food

    September 5, 2016 - By 

    Having released their triumphant debut LP Let the Dead Bury the Dead in April and having taken festivals both at home and abroad by storm all Summer, Limerick’s Rusangano Family returned today with the aptly charismatic video for album track ‘Soul Food’ directed by Dave Tynan. The film depicts the trio and troupes of friends having more fun than you somewhere in The Burren, the vibrant colours they wear and the energised movements in contrast with the stark landscape symbolising this group’s endless capacity to bring soul and vigour to the most dramatic and grey situations and places. Oh, and there’s a “Make Ireland Grand…

  • Playlist: 20 Irish Acts to Catch at Electric Picnic 2016

    August 29, 2016 - By 

    For all its kaleidoscopic, genre-spanning variety, there’s no denying choosing which acts to catch (and those artist to regrettably miss) at Electric Picnic can be a bit of a headache. Sure, Clashfinder is a big help (seriously, we’d be lost without it) but let us help you out if you’re EP-bound this weekend: from Girls Names, our current cover stars SlowPlaceLikeHome (above) and Saint Sister to Hilary Woods, Rusangano Family and The Altered Hours, here’s the 20 Irish acts to catch at Electric Picnic 2016.

  • Warpaint w/ Hilary Woods @ National Concert Hall, Dublin

    August 25, 2016 - By 

    There are dozens of details, both obvious and seemingly insignificant, that help to define a gig experience. The size and attitude of the audience, the choice of setlist and, of course, the individual performances of band members can elevate a run of the mill tour stop to something truly memorable. The importance of venue, though, can’t be understated. There’s a giddy thrill to be gained from catching a band in a sweaty bar, warm in the knowledge they’ll soon be arena headliners. Alternatively, poor sound or unhelpful staff can drain away any enthusiasm you might have had on the night,…

  • Lisa Hannigan – At Swim

    August 23, 2016 - By 

    Prior to the release of Lisa Hannigan‘s third solo album, At Swim, a wave of commentary washed away any preconceived perceptions people may have towards her musical style as she unveiled glimpses into a fuller, darker deftness to her repertoire. At Swim comes after a five year interim from her last record, Passenger. The eleven songs, lasting a concise thirty-nine minutes, are more pared but by no means feel compromised or lacking in either content, tone and instrumental arrangements to her previous albums. The discernment gone into making this record adds to the substance and timelessness of the songs born from sublime…