• Album Premiere: Imaginary People – Dead Letterbox

    November 30, 2015 - By 

    Produced by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Real Estate) we’re very pleased to premiere Dead Letterbox, the debut album from New York band Imaginary People. Marrying straight-up garage rock with a synth-laden, instantly infectious impetus, the Dylan Von Wager-fronted five-piece have forged an eleven-track release bursting with darkly, impassioned zeal tantamount to David Byrne and Protomartyr concocting all kinds of bunker-resigned sounds in the cold dead of night. You can stream the album in full via Soundcloud now below. Keep up to date with Imaginary People right here.

  • Festival Mixtape: Other Voices Dingle 2015

    November 26, 2015 - By 

    Other Voices‘ December residency in Dingle has well and truly confirmed itself to be an Irish music institution over the last few years, bringing together some of the country’s finest artists with the very best, genre-spanning international acts. Returning to the scenic Kerry town across December 4-6, this year’s line-up – from the likes of Richard Hawley, OTHERKIN, Low to the ever magnificent (and totally free) Music Trail – is a perfectly balanced proposition to behold. With just over a week to this year’s outing, we’ve compiled a selection of tracks from acts playing this year’s Other Voices in a handy little Spotify playlist.

  • Premiere: Thrash Hat – Mend and Make Safe Remix (ASIWYFA) & Owkwerd

    November 25, 2015 - By 

    Invariably trotting the globe wielding guitar and gusto as part of North Coast post-rock machine And So I Watch You From Afar, Rory Friers can also be found as found making electronic music as Thrash Hat. Having set beats to kill on debut track ‘Pandaface‘ back in August – thereby setting the ball in motion for a hugely disparate yet no less enthralling sonic path in the making – we’re pleased to premiere two new tracks from Friers, ‘Owkwerd’ and a remix of his band’s very ‘Mend and Make Safe’. Where the former effort’s glitchy, darkly unravelling majesty stirs with some wonderfully discriminating shapes…

  • Playlist: Björk at 50

    November 21, 2015 - By 

    Fifty years ago today, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir – an Icelandic activist of Irish ancestry – gave birth to a baby girl named Björk who would become one of the most inimitable, fiercely original and independent musicians of all time. Having boldly and consistently transformed the landscape of both Icelandic and experimental music and culture over the last four decades, we have compiled a career-spanning, twenty-track playlist featuring our favourite Björk tracks, from House-heavy debut cut ‘Big Time Sensuality’ to the sweeping brilliance of ‘Joga’, a tribute to both her native land of Iceland. Here’s to the next fifty years.

  • Rave New World (20/11)

    November 20, 2015 - By 

    Aidan Hanratty takes a look at the very best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases of the week. GIGS Scoundrels Sound System presents A Love From Outer Space at Dolan’s Warehouse Friday 20 November Big night this, starting off at The Blind Pig, where Lord Weathers will be recording his Music Not For Everyone show for NTS. After that, he and his partner Sean Johnston will be taking things slow and heavy at Dolan’s. The Pig’s Ear, RnB Club, Live Live with Fatima & Eglo Live Band at Button Factory Friday 20 November From one pig to another – Fatima…

  • SXSW 2016: Irish Act Round-Up

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    Since its founding in 1987, Austin Texas’ South by South West (SXSW) has been progressively becoming one of the most important platforms for aspiring international artists in the realms of music, film, art and interactive media. In recent years especially it has served as an ideal medium through which Irish musicians and bands have been able to create stages and opportunities for themselves overseas and to perform to a wider audience. Last year saw acts like Girl Band, SOAK, All Tvvins, James Vincent McMorrow and Meltybrains?  benefiting considerably from the work they put in during their time at the citywide festival,…

  • Snooker Looping: Steve Davis, DJ

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    Having recently been announced to DJ at electronic mecca Bloc in March – an unmissable prospect in itself – snooker legend Steve Davis chats to Loreana Rushe about his deep, decades-spanning love of collecting and discovering music and swapping the snooker table for decks for the century break of his life. Hi Steve! It’s brilliant to chat to you, I’m a big snooker fan for a 30 year old woman but I’m not here to talk to you about it unfortunately, so let’s get to talking about your love for music! When did you first start collecting music and how large…

  • Track Record: Michael Stevens (Lie Ins/Skelocrats)

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Track Record, Michael Stevens of Dublin bands Lie Ins and Skelocrats reveals and talks about some of his favourite records from the likes of The Wave Pictures, Charles Mingus and The Magnetic Fields. Photos by Aidan-Kelly Murphy. Compiling a list of my ten favourite records was agonising and fun. There are many, many records I had to leave out and I felt sad for them; but it was nice that I got to listen to them all anyway. As for the ones listed here, there are records that one could objectively say are better. But these…

  • Paris and the Spark of SLF

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Rarely has live music been so important. Rarely has it taken one of the most visited cities on earth, pulled it from the dark shadow that had been cast over it, and ignited a spark. The city was Paris, and the spark was Stiff Little Fingers. The events of Friday the 13th of November will not be soon forgotten. Eight extremists carried out attacks of such barbarity that it nearly brought an entire capital city to its knees. Being in Paris that night was surreal. Due to the randomness of the locations of the attacks, everywhere felt like a possible…

  • Roving Eye: Ham Sandwich in London

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Tara Thomas captures night two of Ham Sandwich’s recent sold out stint at The Islington, London. It’s unlikely I can impart anything new to you about the London music scene such is our affinity with this city. A magnet for musicians worldwide we are fortunate to have this cultural hotspot on our doorstep. London town, with its myriad of venues, grandiose or intimate, is for many Irish artists their first taste of international exposure. It was only a matter of time before Roving Eye was cast in the direction of Islington, North Greater London. A short walk from Angel tube…