• Album stream: Oh Boland/Me and My Dog – Delpi

    June 6, 2014 - By 

    Ahead of its official launch tomorrow night, Popical Island are streaming the brand new split between Galway’s Oh Boland and Mayo’s Me and My Dog. Featuring five tracks by each band, the album will be released as a pro-dubbed pale blue cassette tape, each hand-titled by the band. Musically, the split is a rather typically (in the best way possible, that is) collection of starry-eyed jangle-pop, indie rock and surf from two of Popical Island’s finest acts. The split is released at Dublin’s The Pop Inn tomorrow night (Saturday, June 7). Go here for the show’s Facebook event page and stream the…

  • Album stream: The Elephant Room – Body

    May 6, 2014 - By 

    Currently simmering under the radar, Dublin three-piece The Elephant Room have released their rather idiosyncratic new ten-track album, Body. With hints of everyone from Wilco, Sebadoh (namely ‘Valley’) Soul Coughing and Sparklehorse, the distinctly lo-fi quality that pervades the record works very much in its favour, primitive keyboards, fuzzy chord progressions and knowingly elemental experimentation all lending to the charms of this somewhat unpredictable release. Sound like your kind of thing? Stream the album via Bandcamp below. Body by The Elephant Room

  • Album stream: Ginnels – A Country Life

    March 31, 2014 - By 

    Just over three years on from the release of his self-titled debut album, Grand Pocket Orchestra and No Monster Club guitarist/bassist Mark Chester AKA Ginnels has returned with his fourth album, A Country Life. Released via the wonderful Popical Island, the fourteen-track release was recorded, mixed and mastered by Chester at Rialto Cottages and The Pop Inn during the winter just passed. With the likes of ‘Car’s Parked’ and ‘God Botherers’ standing out on first listen, the record is seemingly a more fleshed-out and less (albeit wonderfully-woven) haphazard concoction of sounds, all propelled Chester’s instantly recognisable brand of restless, somewhat melancholic indie rock.…

  • Album Stream: Alana Henderson – Windfall

    February 6, 2014 - By 

    Having had an extraordinary breakthrough year in 2013, Belfast-based singer-songwriter Alana Henderson has released a new album, Windfall. Ahead of entering the studio again soon to record some material of her own, the eight-track album is, in Henderson’s own words, “a side-project, separate from my own contemporary writing, in which I recorded an album of re-worked, contemporary arrangements of traditional songs from the North of Ireland.” Featuring the likes of Shauna Tohill AKA Silhouette and Mike Mormecha from Mojo Fury amongst a cast of musicians, the album is available as a limited edition cardboard release with enclosed sleeve-notes. Stream and/or download…

  • Exclusive album stream: Captain Kennedy – Draw It In Chalk

    October 24, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of its release next week, we have an exclusive first listen of the fantastic Draw It In Chalk, the long-awaited new album from Lurgan band Captain Kennedy. Recorded live and in one session at Mogul Studios, Portadown exactly two years prior to its November 1 release, the album mark encapsulates Captain Kennedy’s change to a 4-piece line-up and reveals the path the band were headed prior to their indefinite hiatus. Ahead of our review of the album, check out the artwork and listen to the stream below!

  • Album stream: Lasertom – DRIFT

    October 22, 2013 - By 

    One half of duo Ships, Dublin electronic producer Simon Cullen AKA Lastertom is streaming his debut album, DRIFT. Released via Nang Records, the nine-track release is a wonderfully-composed, synth driven effort from Cullen, who has recently described his sound as “slow-tempo disco”. Sounds about right to us! Stream DRIFT via Soundcloud below.

  • Stream: Mojo Fury – The Difference Between

    October 21, 2013 - By 

    Having successfully completed a pledge campaign to secure its forthcoming release, Mojo Fury are streaming their eagerly-anticipated second album, The Difference Between. The follow-up to their groundbreaking debut album Visiting Hours of a Travelling Circus, the twelve-track release is the sound of a band that have fully-realised their sound and potential, veering brilliantly between the superb ‘Origami Bird’, the understated wonder of ‘Iris Influential’ and the ultra-anthemic ‘Medusa’. Ahead of our review of the album, stream it over at ClashMusic.

  • Album stream: Ciaran Lavery – Other People Wrote These

    September 22, 2013 - By 

    Having already released an album and EP of his own material – the exceptional Not Nearly Dark and You Will Be A Stranger Now respectively – Aghagallon singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery has unveiled an EP of cover versions, the aptly-titled Other People Wrote These. Produced by Mike Mormecha of Mojo Fury and featuring superb additional instrumentation by Joshua Burnside and Rachael Boyd, Lavery’s re-imagining of tracks from artists as diverse as Talking Heads, Pat Benatar, Lionel Ritchie and Cyndi Lauper bring another dimension of the singer-songwriter’s huge talents, effectively confirming his status as one of the country’s finest artists. Ahead of…

  • Album stream: Squarehead – RESPECT

    September 22, 2013 - By 

    The follow-up to their 2011 debut album Yeah Nothing, Dublin trio Squarehead have unveiled their second studio album, RESPECT, as a pay-what-you-like release. A shimmering and occasionally raucous eleven-track blast of the band’s ever-distinctive brand of indie pop, the album was produced by Les Keye at Arad Studios at the end of Summer 2013 and produced by Liam Grant. Truth be told: it’s already shaping up to be one of our favourite releases from an Irish act this year. Stream or download (for free, if you like) the album below.

  • Album stream: Kowalski – For The Love Of Letting Go

    July 15, 2013 - By 

    At last! Seven years on from the release of their debut EP, Bangor indie pop quartet Kowalski are streaming their long-awaited debut album, For The Love Of Letting Go. Recorded at EMS Audio, Bangor and the Brown Trout Inn, the ten-track album is also available as a “name your price” digital download and a limited edition 12″ Vinyl via Bandcamp. Stream the album below.