• Track Record: Somadrone

    Electronic producer/musician Neil O’Connor AKA Somadrone sits down with Ian Pearce to give his ten LPs that have influenced him. Somadrone’s fourth album, The First Wave, which was recorded in San Francisco and Brooklyn and released in December 2013, is available to buy now via the Bodytonic website. White Noise – An Electric Storm Sixties English Psychedelic Music, but with a twist. Delia Derbyshire, who was part of BBC Radiophonic workshop, did all the electronics, which are stunning. This record was a big one for Broadcast. I went to see them play in the Sugar Club a good few years back. It…

  • Watch: Talos – Escariot

    Directed, shot and edited by the visual maestros at Feel Good Lost, Cork singer-songwriter Eoin French AKA Talos has released a suitably understated video of him performing a wonderfully delicate version of ‘Tethered Bones’. Reminiscent of the likes of Perfume Genius and the Antlers, the stripped-back rendition of the debut track sees French’s vocals take centre stage, the original track’s percussion inflections and electronic tangents purified to a gripping four and a half minute of serene performance. We approve, in other words. Check out the video (by FGL’s Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson) and the original track below.

  • Watch: TVVINS – Book (Live)

    Four months on from the propulsive electro-pop of their second single, ‘You Better’, Dublin duo Lar Kaye and Conor Adams AKA TVVINS have released a video of them performing a new track, ‘Book’, at Dublin’s Storm Studio. Featuring live drummer Lewis Hedigan, the track – evocative of the likes of PVT and early Battles – opens with the wonderful opening line,”So what? You read a book. I took it from you and you took a second look”, unravelling quickly to reveal an intoxicating blend of polyrhythms melding with throbbing bass lines, jagged guitar shapes and a general air of self-assured, summery…

  • Track Record: BeeMickSee

    In the latest installment of Track Record – a photo feature looking at the record collections of Irish musicians – Liam Kielt popped by the abode of Oregon-born, Belfast-based rapper Brendan Seamus AKA BeeMickSee. This is the usually point where we mention a few of the acts that are featured but we would prefer to leave it as a surprise on this occasion… Everclear – Sparkle & Fade This one here is my favourite album of all time – ever! A babysitter of mine gave it to me on tape cassette when I was eight or night and I listened to…

  • Watch: We Cut Corners – Hunger

    It’s not long now until our next No Tomorrow show at Belfast’s Voodoo Bar on Saturday, May 3. Performing on the night is Jason Deadman (DJ set), Liza Flume and Dublin indie rock duo We Cut Corners, who have just unveiled the video for their new single, ‘Hunger’ Taken from the band’s hugely impressive second album, Think Nothing – set for release on April 25 in Ireland) and May 12 in the UK – the video for the track is the latest in a series of visual accompaniments by the fast-rising duo. Produced by We Destroy You/Dang and directed, filmed, edited by Kendy Ty the…

  • Stream: GO WOLF – One More Night

    Having recently (and very deservedly) secured the support slot for Wild Beasts at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival on May 8, Belfast indie-pop band GO WOLF have released a slick new track, ‘One More Night’. Set for release on June 2, the song – recorded by Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together Studios and mastered by Robin Schmidt of 24-96 Mastering – charges forth confidently, gleaming synth-lines and bobbing rhythms meshing to form a strong three and half minutes, its main earworming melody lingering in the mind well after a first spin (which is no bad thing, of course). Check out the…

  • Ciaran Lavery Announces EP Details

    Just over a year since the release of his exceptional debut album, Not Nearly Dark, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery has revealed details of his forthcoming new EP, Kosher. Set for release on June 19 at Belfast’s Black Box as part of this years’s Open House Festival, check out the EP’s tracklisting and wonderful artwork by DMC and Ben Connolly of Angel and Anchor below. 1. ‘Left For America‘ 2. ‘Sophomore Rising’ 3. ‘Boxer’ 4. ‘A Ragtime Song’ 5. ‘Orphan’ While you’re here, feel free to stream the jubilant ‘Orphan’ from Lavery’s forthcoming EP via Soundcloud below. Photo by Cathal Goodwin

  • Stream: A Plastic Rose – Someone’s Daughter

    Currently making waves over in Nottingham, Northern Irish alt-rock quartet A Plastic Rose have unveiled the wonderfully eccentric video for their new single, ‘Someone’s Daughter’. Directed by Tom Coles and Benson Burrows, the video features a strange, friendly robot (related to Johnny Five from Short Circuit, one wonders?), who accompanies a couple of humans before an untimely demise in an abandoned tunnel. Pretty standard stuff, really. The second single from the band’s forthcoming second album Flickering Light Of An Inner War, the track was produced by Chris Coulter. Watch the video for Someone’s Daughter below.

  • Stream: Girl Band – The Cha Cha Cha

    Quite possibly the shortest track released for this year’s Record Store Day, Dublin four-piece Girl Band have made the brilliantly abrasive burst of noise rock that is ‘The Cha Cha Cha’ available to download for free. Once again evoking the likes of early Pixies and Mclusky/Future of the Left, the twenty-five second track is a fairly accurate summation of the band’s back catalogue to date: frantic, frenetic, breathless and gloriously pulverising in equal proportion. Our only complaint? You guessed it – it’s just that little bit too short. All said and done, we think you should listen to this. So do,…

  • Stream: The Wood Burning Savages – Been Anywhere Lately?

    Another highlight from this year’s Record Store Day was a rather unexpected single from Derry band The Wood Burning Savages. Having written and recorded it during last week, ‘Been Anywhere Lately?’ was released on Saturday for the annual celebration of independent music stores worldwide. The track sees the Paul Connolly-fronted four-piece jolting straight for the jugular, pounding rhythms and impassioned refrains propelled by dual harmonies and the aforementioned frontman’s rousing tail-telling. In all, yet another subtly seismic clenched fist from the fast-rising Derry act. Stream ‘Been Anywhere Lately?’ via Soundcloud below.