• Deep Down South: Mag Launch, Busy Town, Streaming Sounds

    After last week’s column promising more music and such didn’t materialise, this week’s is a wee bit of a catch-up. However – plug, plug, plug! – we’ll kick off by putting in a shout for our Cork launch on Saturday at the Crane Lane for the mag. Issue 5 of the mag (the cover pictured) features a full-length piece on the Altered Hours, from their beginnings and debut release ‘Downstream’, to their upcoming album and time in Berlin. We’ll also have an Inbound on Leeside multi-piece groove ensemble Shookrah, among so, so much more, and it’ll be available exclusively at…

  • Watch: Kerbdog – Electricity

    Sixteen long years in the making, Kilkenny alt-rock heroes Kerbdog released a new track, ‘Electricity’. Accompanying by a straight-and-to-the-point video of the band recording the track – a seminal moment in itself, let’s be honest – comes ahead of the release of the quartet’s Pledge campaign-funded live album, Congregation, which is set for release on October 6. Cormac Battle and co. will also hit the road in November, playing the following Irish and UK shows. November 14: Dublin Academy November 15: Manchester Ritz w/ Amplifier, Nine Black Alps, Hawk Eyes, Hey You Guys! November 16: London Forum w/ Amplifier, Hawk Eyes, Jamie Lenman, Hey You Guys! November 17: Bristol Bierkeller w/…

  • Dan Hegarty: Trans-Eurosonic Express

    You always know that the end of the year is never far away when the announcement for the annual Eurosonic festival is made. It was officially announced this week that The Strypes will represent Ireland at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, The Netherlands next January. The Cavan band were named alongside 27 other acts from around Europe to perform at the festival. Eurosonic is Europe’s most influential new music festival; having previously introduced acts like Franz Ferdinand, Marina & The Diamonds, Villagers, and countless others to a larger European audience.   While we’re on the subject of The Netherlands, those…

  • Dan Hegarty: Sweet 95

    It was a time when the Blur Vs Oasis nonsense was reaching its peak; the Battle of Britpop as it was called. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart was WWF (now WWE) Champion, and it would be just a number of years before Irish Rugby fans would become familiar with a man by the name of Brian O’Driscoll. Kerbdog – ‘Sally’   1995 was a year when the grit of what was known as grunge had been replaced by the aforementioned Britpop bands of varying merit. While on these shores bands like Rollerskate Skinny, Whipping Boy, Kerbdog, and Watercress were doing their respective…