• Interview: Steven Agnew – Punk Principles & Policies (Part 2)

    February 4, 2016 - By 

    Part 1 of our interview last week with the Green Party NI leader Steven Agnew focused on his early involvement in the local music scene and the anarchist movement around it, leading toward his eventual election and current role at Stormont. Here, we’re given a seldom-seen look into the – apologies – Kafkaesque system within which the only Stormont-elected member of a minority party has to work – overcoming contradictory policy, surrounded by homogeneous career politicians in the red-tape-encumbered uncooperative & uncommunicative system of departments that make up the Executive. It’s the devolution of power in more ways than one,…

  • New Beginnings for the Innovative Block T

    February 3, 2016 - By 

    As recession turns into a gloomy memory of Dublin’s past, development designs once shelved are being retrieved across the city, including former visions of grandeur for Dublin 7’s Smithfield. Development brothers Joe and Patrick Linders stand poised to helm the projects along the storied streets, having bought up properties throughout the area since before the crash years ago. In 2011, Dublin City Council denied them their plans to demolish the old Irish Distillers HQ and turn it into a corporate high rise. Now five years later, with reformed plans in hand as well as debt relief from a 2014 refinancing…

  • 16 For ’16: Strength

    February 3, 2016 - By 

    Having played our Independent Venue Week showcase at Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre on Saturday night, Derry’s Strength are the latest Irish act we’ve handpicked as a “one to watch” throughout 2016 and beyond. Words by Brian Coney. Photos by James Cunningham. Arguably one of the bolder, more idiosyncratic propositions to emerge in the North over the last while, Derry’s Strength were formed from the smouldering embers of sadly-departed psychobilly art-rockers Red Organ Serpent Sound. With the release of the former’s bugged-out new single, ‘Northern Ireland Yes’ (their attempt to “embrace the cultural psyche of the North and send it back…

  • Oscars 2016: Will Leo Finally be the King of the World?

    February 2, 2016 - By 

    New year, new awards season, same old Hollywood. The 88th Academy Awards ceremony takes place on 28th February and, post-Golden Globes, pre-BAFTAs, we’re smack bang in the middle of the media storm, but the storylines seem oddly familiar. Much like the remakes, reboots and sequels that dominate the box office, the Oscars seem to be recycling old plot lines – could JJ Abrams be producing it perchance? Even before the nominations were announced there was one story that was dominating the awards agenda – is this Leo’s year? In a re-run of the 2013 Oscars, everyone is desperate for the…

  • 16 For ’16: A Bad Cavalier

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    As we edge ever closer to the end of our 16 For ’16 feature, in which we’ve been eagerly profiling sixteen Irish acts we’re putting good money on doing great things in 2016, Brian Coney envisions big things for ASIWYFA guitarist Niall Kennedy’s A Bad Cavalier. Photo by Joe Laverty When he’s not trotting the globe with North Coast post-rock maestros And So I Watch You From Afar, ex-Panama Kings main man Niall Kennedy is honing his wares at the helm of A Bad Cavalier. Whilst certainly echoing the varying triumphant stupor of the aforementioned outfits, the effortlessly tight alt-pop of…

  • Irish Tour: Villagers w/ Somerville

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    With support from Somerville, Villagers enthralled Dublin’s Vicar Street and Galway’s Black Box Theatre on Thursday and Friday night. Words by Eoin Murray. Photos by Mark Earley and Vincent Hughes. Vicar Street, Dublin Photos by Mark Earley Black Box Theatre, Galway Photos by Vincent Hughes On a freezing Friday night in January when the pelting rain hurts your face there are few things that will warm your body and toast your soul more than hearing a collection of masterfully constructed folk songs that manage to maintain an emotional, poetic rawness despite the very professional polish.  Tonight’s sold out show by in Galway’s…

  • Irish Tour: John Grant

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    With words by Ross Thompson and photos from Alan Maguire and Sean McCormack, we capture the very mighty John Grant at Belfast’s Mandela Hall and Galway’s Seapoint. Mandela Hall, Belfast Photos by Alan Maguire John Grant is, to put it bluntly, as cool as all get out. Whether crooning over torch ballads or getting his proverbial freak on to big-boned electro, he plays the showman with consummate ease. Each of the mantles fit him equally well, thanks in no small part to his not only the appeal of his soaring, velvety voice but also his natural charm. Following support Icelandic multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter…

  • Monday Mixtape: Cian Nugent

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    Released on Saturday, Night Fiction by Dublin’s Cian Nugent was praised to no end in Garrett Hargan’s review of the album, published earlier on TTA earlier today. To accompany its release, Nugent has kindly took some time out to reveal and talk about some of his all-time favourite songs, including Fred Neil and Cass McCombs. Cian Nugent launches Night Fiction on Friday, February 12. Event page here. Fred Neil – Dolphins Fred Neil maybe better known for writing ‘Everybody’s Talkin” which Nilsson famously did on the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack but for me this is where he really takes off. Love the band…

  • The Record: Robocobra Quartet

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of The Record, we eavesdrop and follow-up on the recording of ‘Kikazaru’, the superb new single from Belfast’s Robocobra Quartet. Photos by Colm Laverty. Hi Chris. ‘Kikazaru’ is the third “part” of the three-wise-monkeys songs you’ve written and recorded. Can you shed some light on the thematic/conceptual narrative threading the three installments? Chris Ryan (drums/vocals): It’s pretty loose. The lyrics were leaning that way for this collection of three songs and so the concept came in retrospect. It’s not strict by any means. For me, it helps not to get too lost in the process of…

  • 16 For ’16: Planet Parade

    February 1, 2016 - By 

    Our feature profiling sixteen Irish acts we’re very confident will do great in the months ahead, we continue 16 for ’16 today in the company of Kildare’s Planet Parade. Words by Brian Coney. Photo by Brian Mulligan. Striking a shrewd balance between the blither side of Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend and Mac Demarco, Maynooth duo Michael Hopkins and Andrew Lloyd AKA Planet Parade admittedly caught us napping back in August with the release of their impossibly earworming single ‘Blue Sky’. Something of a should-have-been late Summer classic, its chilled and billowing quasi-tropical indie groove laid bare the pair’s ever-assured command of pattern and texture,…