• Video Premiere: Shrug Life – 2009

    May 13, 2019 - By 

    One of the finest cuts from last year’s A Litany of Failures Vol. II independent compilation was Shrug Life‘s ‘2009’, a misleadingly uptempo ditty that mined reprieve from the jowls of self-imposed doom. Matter-of-factly delivered, Danny Carroll addresses the effect of the too-often underexamined (by musicians) abuse of bad hash as a crutch in times of mental ill-health: “Days previous I felt like a genius; sleepless, but safe in my cure for cancer, awake for six nights, working on the answer.” Of the track, Carroll said: “‘2009′ is an awkwardly accurate description of where I found myself in my late adolescence – suffering from sleep-deprived psychosis, perpetually…

  • Premiere: Any Joy – The Sea

    March 25, 2019 - By 

    One of the great hidden gems in Irish independent music today are Cork’s Any Joy. Sublimating varied strains of psych, post-punk & indie rock, they manage to recall the quintessential Deerhunter-esque pop-conscious, experimentally-natured sound of internalised dreams. Their 2017 debut album, Cycles, was a minor triumph, and was followed up last year with ‘Sucker’, a track that was included on last year’s Irish compilation A Litany of Failures: Volume II. Their new single, ‘The Sea’, bears all the Any Joy hallmarks: alpine guitar lines, tension, an impenetrable, masked vocal, and a wall of sound, all imbued with tape adulation. It’s their finest work to date. Another self-recorded effort in…

  • Premiere: Angular Hank – I Don’t Always Like You

    March 14, 2019 - By 

    It’s been a pretty sweet year for idiosyncratic Irish indie rock thus far – look no further than releases from Hot Cops, Postcard Versions & Larry for that – and another name you can add to that heap is Dublin-based quartet Angular Hank. Having only played a handful of shows to date, debut single ‘I Don’t Always Like You’ seeps into the signature Popical Island-style Dublin bedroom jangle that comes pre-loaded with chorus pedals, with a wonderfully human baritone vocal from Mathieu Doogan. Kicking back with dissonance at the hint of a melody getting too cosy like its protagonist does at showing too much vulnerability, the single is a…

  • Premiere: Mob Wife – Captain Care A Lot & Hellsong

    February 8, 2019 - By 

    Following the release of debut single ‘Warm Water’ in August, Belfast’s Mob Wife are back with new double A-side Captain Care A Lot / Hellsong. Recorded by Chris Ryan at Start Together Studios, with striking artwork by Billy Woods, the release strikes a midpoint between the dissonant fury of Metz or Unwound, and the melodic vulnerability of Pile. A contrasting couplet, ‘Captain Care A Lot’ continuing down the narrative & noise-ridden path of twentysomething angst and confusion laid by ‘Warm Water’, sardonically chronicling mass depersonalisation as a result of social media. ‘Hellsong’ is a more inward-looking exploration of disintegration, through the maelstrom of substance abuse, isolation and depression; in eschewing the…

  • Album Premiere: Postcard Versions – Postcard Versions

    February 6, 2019 - By 

    Making good on the promise of last year’s debut single ‘Sunday Morning With Nate‘ – which came in at number 28 on our 2018 Irish Tracks of the Year and featured on independent compilation A Litany of Failures Volume II – Postcard Versions‘ debut album is here. Comfortably resigned and pragmatic in its optimism, Postcard Versions looks at a hungover languor as a chance for reprieve. Its 10 tracks never outstay their welcome, clocking in at just short of half an hour, making this another essential breezy indie rock album to add to Dublin canon alongside Popical Island, Tandem Felix & company – and it’s arguably the finest ever not to include a cymbal. Clearly a…

  • 19 For ’19: PowPig

    January 16, 2019 - By 

    It’s that time again; back to earth, grounding those Great Hopes and the potential of our best selves in reality once more. We do have a few great hopes for 2019, however. As always, over the remainder of January, our wonderful and talented team of photographers have paired with our writing team to deliver some previews of some artists to keep an eye on in the year ahead. Third out of the traps, we have one of the most exciting emergent acts from Limerick, a city whose 2018 solidified its status as Ireland’s current musical incubator. They featured prominently on our end of year singles and releases lists, and are astonishingly still all in their teens. Photo by…

  • Video Premiere: Any Joy – The Fall

    December 5, 2018 - By 

    Cork indie-psych outfit Any Joy have just unveiled the new video for new single ‘The Fall’. Soaked in reverb, it’s another out-of-focus opiate drip to distract from more pointed undertones. Following the band’s aesthetic & musical thread of reccurent patterns, the video was created by frontman Oisin Dineen. Of the track, the band says “It’s a soundtrack to a potential self-sabotage and ultimate demise. It could be an appropriate theme tune for the current state of affairs across the Irish sea.” ‘The Fall’ comes from Any Joy’s new EP – due out next year – following up on their excellent & hugely underappreciated 2017 debut LP Cycles and this summer’s ‘Sucker‘ from A Litany of Failures…

  • Video Premiere: Aul Boy – Wait

    July 9, 2018 - By 

    Elaborated and delivering upon the promise laid down by his solo bedroom debut EP Blue Ghosts, Fionn Robinson, aka Aul Boy – now expanded to become fully fledged band – has given us a first peep of the video for their new latest single, ‘Wait’. Featuring Bjørn Patzwald, Peadar Coll & Jeremy Howard, the song is a wry, tongue-in-cheek, slice-of-life (“I’m not buying milk for two, baby“) distillation of Mac DeMarco, or Terror Twilight-era Pavement were they late-risers from Donegal. And, much like Mac reclaimed the vieux jeu Steely Dan, Aul Boy’s heartfully reclaimed Hendrix blues noodling works much to the song’s strength. The song was recorded and mixed by Percy Robinson…

  • A Litany Of Failures Vol. II Announced

    July 3, 2018 - By 

    Following the limited release of cross-Ireland Little L Records compilation, 2016’s A Litany of Failures – featuring Oh Boland, Shrug Life, That Snaake and Junk Drawer – an expanded second edition has been confirmed for release on July 13. Set to be released on 180g gatefold double vinyl, as well as through Bandcamp, Spotify and the usual outlets, it features 18 acts from Belfast, Cork, Derry, Donegal, Dublin, Galway & Limerick. The DIY, co-op endeavour aims to provide an opportunity to perform outside each of their hometowns, shortening the mental distances between bands, and encouraging a cross-pollination of musical communities. Splitting costs between artists and the organisers, a sense of…

  • Kurt Vile & The Violators Set For Belfast Show

    May 23, 2018 - By 

    In addition to his previously-announced Vicar Street show, one of indie rock’s finest and most understated guitarists and songwriters – not to mention chill dude – Kurt Vile brings The Violators to Belfast’s Limelight 1 on November 15. He’s released seven acclaimed albums, the most recent being his the wonderful collaboration with Courtney Barnett, Lotta Sea Lice, as well as working with J Mascis, Kim Gordon, John Prine, John Cale and Warpaint as the respect he commands increases exponentially. Tickets go on sale this Friday May 25 at 9am from Ticketmaster, priced at £21 + booking fee.