• Buntús Rince: Explorations in Irish Jazz, Fusion & Folk 1969-81

    May 2, 2019 - By 

    Indie-punk wunderkinder Fontaines DC drew the ire of many an Irish music fan lately with the neophile claim that until Girl Band’s emergence, “the only way to sound Irish was to be fuckin’ ‘diddly-diddly-aye’”. Perhaps that statement is more telling of the limitations in Ireland on exposure to genuinely forward-thinking music on a grassroots level as it is of the band’s attitude. On an island the size of our own, there does tend to be room only for that lucky few in the bylines of the Great Irish Narrative, but that overlooks the communities of troubadours, session players and ubiquitous…

  • David Kitt shares spellbinding new video for ‘Cling Film’: Watch

    May 30, 2018 - By 

    David Kitt has shared a spellbinding new video for ‘Cling Film’, lifted off his triumphant Yous LP from March this year, released via All City. The video finds Kitt teaming up with visual artists D.A.D.D.Y – Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman – in a hypnotic, floral trip. You may remember the pair for their video for Jape’s ‘Floating’ way back in 2004. “As long time fans of David’s we were excited for the release of his new record Yous and talked to him about making something for the track ‘Cling Film’,” explain Ahern and Loughman. “Although when it finally came about we were in intense pre-production…

  • Various Artists – Quare Groove Vol. 1

    February 2, 2018 - By 

    In the late 70s and early 80s the Irish charts were rife with blokes brandishing electric guitars, the likes of Queen, Dire Straits and The Police all consistently taking the top spot in singles charts. It was clear that rock music ruled the roost. Meanwhile over in the states, Americans were by and large still enjoying funk and R&B laced pop from the likes of The Bee Gees and Stevie Wonder.  Although this groove based music didn’t make half as much of a dent in the Irish charts, a new collection of underground Irish groove tracks from the Dublin based record label All City shows that Irish music in the late 70s and early 80s…

  • Quare Groove: New compilation features rare Irish funk, soul, post-punk and electronics from 70s and 80s

    January 16, 2018 - By 

    Inimitable Dublin label and record store All City recently announced an exciting compilation, set for release on 2 February. The wonderfully titled Quare Groove Vol. 1  features eight cuts of rare, re-mastered and frankly thrilling ‘groove’ music produced in Ireland during the 70s and 80s. Artists and bands featured on the compilation include The Pumphouse Gang, Those Nervous Animals, Barry Werner and Micro Disney. As the All City crew explain: “Irish music of the 1970s was simply not synonymous with groove music in any way. Avid music aficionado’s were totally ‘rockist’ then (to use an old tag from the same time!)” The funk, disco, post-punk, electronic and experimental music featured…

  • The Smoke Clears – The Smoke Clears

    September 15, 2016 - By 

    It’s a shame this album didn’t come out sooner. The Smoke Clears, the self-titled album under the alias of Galway resident and Berghain/Panorama Bar regular John Daly, is laden with the same feeling encouraged by Netflix hit Stranger Things. In the wake of its success, a flurry of mixes, covers and think-pieces have explored the show’s music, with the soundtrack already being released on vinyl, and Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of S U R V I V E set to perform the score at Unsound in Poland next month. With the speed of passing interest, it seems too late to…