• Mustang Margaritas: Alex Trimble and Jamie William

    July 26, 2013 - By 

    Last summer Two Door Cinema Club frontman Alex Trimble and his best friend Belfast photographer Jamie William embarked on road trip down the West coast of America in a classic car, taking in everything from the scorching Nevada desert and seedy sights of Las Vegas. Armed with a pair of Contax G2 cameras and literary notions like On The Road for company and Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas for company, the duo set about capturing their journey, the result of which is Mustang Margaritas, a collection of postcards hand-picked to tell the story of one special trip in a Mustang across…

  • In conversation with… The Vincent(s)

    July 25, 2013 - By 

    In the first installment of  In Conversation With..., photographer Brid O’Donovan captures Margus and Shane from Cork “death pop” five-piece The Vincent(s) visually and in conversation about the band and their music. This is where we would say “awesomesauce” if we sucked – which we do so … awesomesauce. _____ [On discovering music as a kid] Margus: “I had a friend around the corner. We moved into this estate when we were young and you’d see someone wearing a band t-shirt and you would be obsessed. You call round to their house when you’re not invited. Then I found his…

  • OST: Ciaran Lavery

    July 18, 2013 - By 

    In the latest installment of OST we get totally enchanting Aghnagallon singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery to select and talk about ten tracks that have irrevocably altered his music listening, loving and making life; everyone from Tom Waits to Travis. ___ The Band – ‘It Makes No Difference’ The Band are a special collective I felt personally proud enough to have ‘got’ in my late teens. Their back catalogue is frightening but the amount of heartbreak in this song has always grabbed me, maybe due to Rick Danko’s vocals or generally the story of possibly one of the most under-rated bands to ever exist. I…

  • The Chancer’s Guide To… Beck

    July 16, 2013 - By 

    Beck has been quiet for an uncharacteristically long time. During the five years since the Dangermouse produced Modern Guilt he has formed a Record Club in which he and a bunch of musician friends re-record classic albums (Skip Spence – Oar; INXS – Kick to name but two). He also completed Song Reader, a 20 song album only available on sheet music (meaning you need to gather together your own musician friends and play the songs yourselves if you want to hear them). Finally though, new music, written and recorded by Beck, is beginning to filter through. With two albums apparently…

  • Getting Re-acquainted: Randy Newman – Rednecks

    July 16, 2013 - By 

    For a large number of people, Randy Newman is safe. His distinctive drawl has featured on some of the biggest grossing movies of all time, from Toy Story to Monsters Inc, telling family friendly songs of friendship and warmth. He’s a nice guy, and the kids love him. But this ignores the fact that Randy Newman has been – and always will be – a musical maverick. Right from his earliest days as one of a burgeoning scene of Los Angeles weirdo songwriters who weren’t afraid to follow their own muse, Newman has displayed a singular fearlessness at tackling subjects that few would dare to, in a style…

  • Interview: Speed of Snakes

    July 11, 2013 - By 

    You may know them as Rupert Morris (lead screamer, lyricist and guitarist in science-dance-metal troupe BATS) and Vinny McCreith (red-hooded bassist in Adebisi Shank and electronic solo artist as The Vinny Club) but together they are Speed Of Snakes. The Dublin-based duo recently premiered the first track from the sci-fi themed electro-rock project, as well as setting out the suitably silly backstory for the whole project: On the first day, 88 trillion years ago, the great snake Metatraxium created the Universe, the Earth and all the life upon it. Each species birthed from a succession of fantastic and horrifying eggs.…

  • Malibu Shark Attack

    June 27, 2013 - By 

    Tucked into a corner of Weaver’s Court Business Park are Studios 2 and 3 of Start Together. Control room, recording booths, a treasure trove of sound equipment – this is Rocky O’Reilly’s manor, the place where the one-time Oppenheimer man, and production maestro, has helped deliver a dizzying array of music. Sitting in his favourite seat, the one beside the mixing console, Rocky has invited me here to tell me about his latest endeavour, Malibu Shark Attack. There is reason to be intrigued. First off, it’s the first band he’s been a part of since Oppenheimer called it quits in…

  • Getting Re-acquainted: Kitchens of Distinction

    June 14, 2013 - By 

    In the last few years, shoegazing (or ‘dream pop’, as our American cousins call it) has made a real comeback, a whole new generation of inarticulate youths picking up guitars and delay pedals , ready to kneel at the altar of My Bloody Valentine. But whilst MBV, Slowdive, and Ride have re-entered the musical vocabulary of the current swathe of indie rockers with floppy fringes, Tooting’s Kitchens of Distinction have remained mysteriously … mysterious. Coming together after meeting at a party in 1985, Patrick Fitzgerald, Julian Swales, and Dan Goodwin comprised one of those bands that could only have existed…

  • The First Time: Mike Mormecha

    June 13, 2013 - By 

    In the second installment of The First Time, we kindly interrogate Mike Mormecha from the one and only Mojo Fury (and indeed Clown Parlour) about significant “firsts” in his music listening, loving and making life. Thanks, as ever, to Joe Laverty for the exceptional portrait photograph of Mike. Look at him there, with the chicken on his shoulder. Lovely. ___ First album you bought? Aphex Twin – Come To Daddy First single you bought? Daft Punk – ‘Da Funk’ (cardboard cassette)   First live concert/gig? Eric Bell at the Waterfront hall. First album you properly loved? Nevermind First artist/band to…

  • The Chancer’s Guide to… Primal Scream

    June 12, 2013 - By 

    With the recent arrival of the immense More Light and cheers of “return to form”, now seems like the right time to make sure we’re all up to speed with the Scream Team. Have you got a grasp of their past efforts on which to contextualise that form? Do you know your ‘Velocity Girl’ from your ‘Country Girl’? ‘Movin’ On Up’ from ‘Can’t Go Back’? If not, here’s a round up of some of the most significant albums that laid the foundations for Primal Scream as they are today. Also look out for the handy ‘things to say’ which you…