• The Divine Comedy w/ Lisa O’Neill @ CQAF, Belfast

    May 8, 2017 - By 

    It’s a while since Neil Hannon has toured with a full band version of The Divine Comedy, having toured last album Bang Goes The Knighthood solo back in 2010 (including a date in this same faux-starlit CQAF marquee) and having made most appearances since – such as his Mandela Hall performance upon winning 2015’s Oh Yeah Legend Award – with a stripped back trio of acoustic guitar, piano and accordion. The days of endless major label money having long since dried up, a return to the era of bringing along a full orchestra seems unlikely, but the promise of a…

  • Exhibition: And Europe Will Be Stunned @ Golden Thread

    May 9, 2017 - By 

    This week is the last to see Yael Bartana’s video trilogy And Europe Will Be Stunned in Belfast’s Golden Thread Gallery. The Israeli artists trilogy of video pieces are broken into three works: Mary Koszmary (Nightmares), Mur i wieża (Wall and Tower) and Zamach (Assassination), which were released in 2007, 2009 and 2011 respectively. Bartana’s work explores propaganda, the migration of people and the longing and desires of people. Her output sees the a disassociation between fiction and reality hard to navigate, a process that increases the impact of the work. And Europe Will Be Stunned continues until May 13th, with full details about…

  • Exhibition: THF @ Belfast Exposed

    May 23, 2017 - By 

    This week is the last to see Aisling McCoy’s exhibition THF in Belfast Exposed. The project sees McCoy explore and respond to the now closed Berlin airport Tempelhofer Feld – THF was it’s International Air Transport Association airport code. Tempelhofer Feld was original constructed by the government of the Weimar Republic, but underwent a massive expansion and redesigned in 1936 when it was envisioned by the Nazi regime as being the ‘Gateway to Europe’ for a post-World War II Germany. Since closing permanently as an airport in 2008 has undergone main guises from hosting fairs and marathon events. Since late-2015 it has also become…

  • Exhibition: How We Got Here @ Platform Arts

    May 17, 2017 - By 

    How We Got Here, an exhibition featuring the wok of 1st year MFA students from Belfast School of Arts, is due to end this week in Belfast’s Platform Arts. 12 artists feature in total, with the work exploring themes including memory and femininity. The exhibition is spread across both galleries within Platform Arts and includes collage, sculpture and painting. The gallery is open 12-6 Wednesday to Friday, before closing on Saturday 11-4. Full details are available here.

  • Premiere: Fox Colony – Patterns EP

    May 1, 2017 - By 

    Ahead of its release on May 4, we’re delighted to premiere the new EP from Belfast-based emo-tinged indie rock trio Fox Colony, Patterns. Associates & former bandmates of indie-pop outfit Brand New Friend, the young band recorded Patterns with Start Together Studios’ Rocky O’Reilly and have the uncanny ability to craft a tune without the usual fear of wearing their hearts – or accents – on their sleeves. The EP takes some cues from the current emo-pop revival of Modern Baseball, with slight glimmers of early ’90s alt. rock sophistication & dischordance seeping in that belies their youth. Patterns will be available from Bandcamp – both digitally on…

  • Hornets – Witch Hunt

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    Having spent the last few years establishing themselves around Belfast originally as a trio before expanding to become a quartet, the heft-laden hardcore act Hornets finally release their debut album, Witch Hunt on May 19. Witch Hunt will be the first release on newly established promotion & record label Solid Choice Industries – who have in just the last 2 months, brought Belfast rare shows from the likes of Russian Circles and Grails. Hornets’ latest release hugely broadens their scope and dynamic, taking blast-beat-led detours through visceral crust punk & cacophonic, harshly atmospheric black metal, without losing their trademark moments of Mastodon-esque gargantuan proportion.…

  • Hiva Oa – Mk 2 (Part 2)

    April 21, 2017 - By 

    Brooding, atmospheric Belfast-based duo Hiva Oa release their new EP, Mk II (Part 2), following up on last year’s in-parenthesis Part 1. Based around core members Stephen Houlihan & Christine Tubridy, with outside help from Matthew Collings, Daithi McNabb & Chris McCorry, the pair lived in Edinburgh for several years before returning to Ireland and instilling new life into the project. Hiva Oa’s recent material has taken some cues in mood from post-punk & experimental electronica, filtered through the lens of contemporary indie music, not without its pop merit – paving a sonic path not unlike that of latter day Radiohead. The EP displays a breadth of unrestricted instrumentation & arrangements by band’s…

  • Premiere: Hand Models – TV Kids/Wednesday

    April 12, 2017 - By 

    Having pulled back the cloche on their debut tune, a fine slice of fuzzy surf-pop, ‘TV Kids’ last week, young Belfast indie rock upstarts Hand Models have now unveiled both sides of their debut single, ‘TV Kids/Wednesday’. Assisted by the hushed tones of vocalist/guitarist Gareth Murray, B-side ‘Wednesday’ calls to mind the phase-heavy, rhythmically-light likes of Kurt Vile and Mac DeMarco. It’s a slight ditty that’s so chilled it’s practically horizontal, an apt flip side to its jaunty, grunge-lite A-side. Both tracks were recorded & produced by Niall Doran at Start Together Studio, Belfast. Hand Models hold their single launch at McHugh’s Basement on April 26, with support from Bdbr & LetGo Dive. TV…

  • Fox Colony – Patterns

    April 6, 2017 - By 

    Belfast-based emo-tinged indie rock trio Fox Colony release their debut EP, Patterns on May 4. Associates & former bandmates of indie-pop outfit Brand New Friend, the young band recorded Patterns with Start Together Studios’ Rocky O’Reilly and have an uncanny ability to craft a tune without being afraid of wearing hearts – or accents – on their sleeves. The EP takes some cues from the current emo-pop revival of Modern Baseball, with the occasional glimmer of early ’90s alt. rock dischordance seeping in. Patterns will be available from Bandcamp – both digitally on CD – from May 4. Fox Colony launch Patterns at McHugh’s Basement on May 4, with…

  • Sea Pinks – Watercourse

    April 6, 2017 - By 

    Dreamy Belfast-based jangle-pop trio Sea Pinks release their new album, Watercourse on May 26 through Belfast-based indie label CF Records. Being their sixth album since their 2010 inception, the trio, fronted by singer/guitarist Neil Brogan – also of Cruising – started recording the album at Belfast’s Start Together Studios with Ben McAuley – producer for Documenta, Girls Names and more – in Summer 2016 with the intention of recording an EP, until they had recorded 16 songs, which ultimately were pared down to 10, for yet another concise Sea Pinks LP, some of which were mixed by Collin Dupuis, known for work on Angel Olsen‘s My Woman.…