• US Tour Diary: And So I Watch You From Afar

    September 22, 2015 - By 

    Hello from Philadelphia! As I write we’re at tonight’s venue the Union Transfer, waiting for our soundcheck slot while the mighty The Fall of Troy are doing theirs. We’re on tour with them and a great NY based band called Slothrust at the minute, both serving up masterclasses in their craft each night, keeping us blow-ins from Ireland very much on our toes each night. After this we part ways to meet up and do the rest of the tour with our Sargent House label mates Mylets and Blis. We’re two weeks into the five week tour, having journeyed from…

  • DIY Dublin: Mish.Mash

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    In the latest instalment of DIY Dublin, Joe Donoghue chats with the guys behind Dublin cafe and gallery Mish.Mash. Photos by Abi Denniston. So tell us a bit about how Mish.Mash got started? Who’s idea was it? Had either of you worked in service or hospitality before? The idea for Mish.Mash was always somewhere in the air. We both knew what atmosphere we would like to have in our café and what kind of café culture we would like to show and sell. Our experience was more than enough to start finally something without a “boss”. How is it running…

  • Album Premiere: Best Boy Grip – Best Boy Grip

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Four years on from utterly bewitching us with singles including ‘Monster and Me’ and ‘You’, Derry singer-songwriter Eoin O’Callaghan AKA Best Boy Grip is on the brink of unveiling his highly-anticipated, self-titled debut album via Amelia Records. Having trailblazed the PledgeMusic campaign to see its release, we’re delighted to present an exclusive first listen to the release; eleven truly majestic, genre-warping tracks brimming with O’Callaghan’s inimitable flair of conviction, heart and extraordinary musicianship. With a full review of the album to come very soon, check it out – as well as forthcoming Best Boy Grip tour dates – below. October 1: Bad…

  • Monday Mixtape: Lee Ranaldo

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    The folks at The Thin Air have asked me to provide an eight song mixtape. I’ve been in the studio at the moment working on ‘that difficult third album’, as Clinton Heylin calls it, and so most of what I’m listening to at the moment is the stuff we are making. But within that activity is the acknowledgment of a host of previously-made music – references, riffs, textures, emotional tones – so the following selections reflect some of these various influences we have been obsessing over at the moment. In no particular order. Something From Pet Sounds or Smile We…

  • Rave New World (18/9)

    September 18, 2015 - By 

    Aidan Hanratty and Antoin Lindsay preview all the very best electronic gigs, mixes, tracks and releaes of the week. GIGS Mvestle ‘Poultice’ tape launch with Roslyn Steer, School Tour, Flash Moderne at TenterHooks Gigspace Friday, September 18 Mvestle marks the release of their new tape Poultice on Fallow Media with a small gig in Dublin’s TenterHooks. The tape is a thrilling work of twisted electronics, and they’re supported by the wonderful Roslyn Steer, whose Still Moving I raved about on these very pages last month, alongside School Tour and Flash Moderne. An evening of unusual sound no doubt, but one…

  • Smalltown America All-Dayer: Clanns

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    Set to release a new single, ‘Korova’, next week, Letterkenny ambient post-rock quartet Clanns delivered a sublime set at Smalltown America’s recent All-Dayer. Capturing the band at their most alchemical and suitably anthemic, check out Paul Martin Brown’s video of the band performing ‘Moriarty’ below and  buy the STA All Dayer #6 live album here  

  • Interview: Pan Narrans Theatre Company

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of Culture Night Belfast 2015 (Friday, September 18), Gavin Turtle speaks to Pan Narrans Theatre Company about their upcoming street performance of How these Desperate Men Talk, starting a theatre company in Belfast and Culture Night. Pan Narrans is a Belfast based theatre company started by actor Michael Patrick and director Oisin Kearney. Stills from How these Desperate Men Talk Hi guys. How did you start working together? Oisin: We did 4 Samuel Beckett plays in Cambridge which went well. We were surprised how easy it was. This was 2010. The next year we said “let’s put on a…

  • Smalltown America All-Dayer: Rosseau

    September 16, 2015 - By 

    One of the most promising acts to emerge in the North of the country this year, Rosseau are the latest act to be featured in our multi-part feature looking back at Smalltown America Records’ sixth All-Dayer, co-hosted by yours truly. Following in the footsteps of headliners Carnivores, Lost Avenue and Freak’s – the latter two who we featured yesterday – this new video captures the aforementioned new-fangled Derry duo performing ‘Hope’ at the event in STA HQ back in July. Buy the STA All Dayer #6 here and check out the Rosseau video – shot and edited by Paul Martin Brown…

  • Smalltown America All-Dayer: Lost Avenue & Freak’s

    September 15, 2015 - By 

    In the second installment of our multi-part feature, we’re pleased to present two new live videos featuring Derry punk band Lost Avenue and Freak’s at Derry label Smalltown America’s sixth All-Dayer. Having featured headliners Scottish trio Carnivores in the first installment, the new videos capture two of the country’s most promising young bands performing two of their very best tracks, ‘Daggers’ and ‘Symmetry and Correlation’ respectively. Buy the STA All Dayer #6 here and check out both videos – shot and edited by Paul Martin Brown – below.  

  • Visual Arts Outlook: Culture Night Belfast Special

    September 15, 2015 - By 

    September is tuning out to be a huge month for arts and culture in Ireland. After last week’s Dublin Gallery Weekend this week we have the massive Culture Night taking place across the country. Whether you’re in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry or Limerick, or even one of the many small towns across Ireland taking part in this momentous occasion, this is set to be a fantastic night of music, art, dance and performance that is not to be missed. If you are in Dublin check out the lineup here. As I am a local of the fair north city of Belfast,…