• Stream: Cloud Castle Lake – Glacier

    February 6, 2015 - By 

    Firmly commanding our attention with their debut EP, Dandelion, last year, Dublin trio Cloud Castle Lake have returned with ‘Glacier’, a tracking evoking Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Cinematic Orchestra and Do Make Say Think. A wonderfully-layered effort, beautifully disentangling over five-and-a-half minutes, the track sees Daniel McAuley’s high falsetto vocals take centre-stage yet again – and how. Recorded and mixed by Solar Bears’ Rian Trench, the track will be released via Happy Valley Records on March 16. With shows also taking place in England, the band will play Galway’s Roisin Dubh on March 26, Dublin’s Workman’s Club on March 27 and Limerick’s Kasbah…

  • Stream: Le Carousel – Destroy Us

    January 25, 2015 - By 

    Belfast-based producer and DJ Phil Kieran isn’t one to rest on his laurels. Having dropped some of the biggest techno bombs around over the years, Le Carousel has seen Phil moving in a slightly different creative direction, with the focus more on the possibilities of live production and building layers of groove. ‘Destroy Us’, his latest single under the Le Carousel alias is snappy, tight and the flourishes of melody are so bright and cheery, you’d be hard pressed not to tap along. It’s a slice of electro-pop loveliness, basically. Don’t take our word for it though, have a listen…

  • Stream: Myles Manley – Pay Me What I’m Worth

    January 19, 2015 - By 

    Having debuted on BBC Radio 1 last week, ‘Pay Me What I’m Worth’ by Sligo singer-songwriter Myles Manley is a terse and terrific little tale of self-worth. The first song to be taken from his forthcoming EP – set for release via Trout Records – the track, despite being rather slight at 1.52, perfectly encapsulates what makes Manley so comprehensively endearing as an artist: the abject chords, the wry wording and Manley’s remarkable, instantly recognisable vocals. Read our feature on Trout Records, featuring Manley, in the second issue of our physical magazine here.

  • Stream: Myronik – String Tension

    January 15, 2015 - By 

    Based in Celbridge, just outside, producer Liam Myers AKA Myronik has just unveiled his latest track, ‘String Tension’. Having impressed on earlier efforts including ‘You Me You’ and ‘Joyless’, ‘String Tension’ is a nicely simmering, minimalist synth affair, featuring an acapella recording by one Courtney Odom found on Soundcloud. Keep an eye out for Colm Moore’s forthcoming Track Record feature with Myers. In the meantime, stream ‘String Tension’ below.

  • Stream: Skelocrats – Lyin’ Eyes

    January 12, 2015 - By 

    With their recently-completed new album, Charles II, set for released in March, Dublin quartet Skelocrats have released a self-proclaimed “yearning folk-rock ballad.” Having listened to it a handful of times already, that about perfectly sums it up in our ears. Driven forth by Bronwyn Murphy-White’s lamenting vocals, the track is a short and sweet 50s-echoing tale, all swooning and jangly and positively delightful. The last twenty seconds are particularly satisfying. Stream the track by the Popical Island band below.

  • 15 For ’15: Oh Boland

    January 5, 2015 - By 

    Set to feature in physical form in our forthcoming January magazine, we continue 15 for ’15, a feature looking at fifteen Irish acts we’re absolutely convinced are going places in 2015. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll going to be previewing each of those acts, accompanied by words from our writers and an original photograph by our wonderful team of photographers. Next up is Galway garage-pop trio Oh Boland. Photo by Sean McCormack. What with ‘garage rock/pop’ being one of the three/four musical styles currently en vogue, Tuam’s Oh Boland are likely to leap on most of these ‘to watch’ lists as a matter…

  • Stream: Sleep Thieves – November Christmas

    December 16, 2014 - By 

    We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: even remotely attempting to write a decent Christmas song is tricky business. Thankfully, there’s some acts more cut out for the job than others – acts like Dublin electro-pop trio Sleep Thieves, who have just released an ultra-lovely, synth-driven effort called ‘November Christmas’. A self-proclaimed “dreamy, bittersweet jam”, the track is diametrically opposed to any kind of festival frivolity – which, as you might expect, works very much in its favour. You can download the track now via Soundcloud.  Stream the track below and treat yourself to the band’s debut album,…

  • Stream: Lantern For A Gale – Captain

    December 15, 2014 - By 

    Taken from their forthcoming debut album, From Adversity, Belfast-based hardcore five-piece Lantern For A Gale are streaming the blistering ‘Captain’. Stream the track below and make sure to catch them at Atlantic Lounge, Portrush on December 23 with 7.5 Tonnes of Beard and PigsAsPeople. Photo by Tom McGeehan.

  • Watch: I Heart The Monster Hero – Bozo vs Slug

    December 14, 2014 - By 

    Directed by Sean Zissou, Dublin lo-fi indie-pop band I Heart The Monster Hero have unveiled the video to their new single, ‘Bozo vs Slug’. It features lots of swirling camera angles and dogs – we couldn’t remotely disapprove. Watch the video for the track below, buy IHTMH’s debut album, Rhythm & Pals, via Bandcamp here and make pop into Dublin’s new-fangled Little Gem records to pick up a physical copy of ‘Bozo vs Slug’ (artwork above) from tomorrow, Monday, December 15. I Heart The Monster Hero play upstairs in Whelan’s on Friday, December 19.

  • Watch: Not Squares – Oops Said Hi

    December 12, 2014 - By 

    Featuring a sweetly simple and – for fans of their earlier material – compositionally familiar video by their drummer/vocalist Keith Winter, Belfast electro-pop dons Not Squares have resurfaced with a new track, ‘Oops Said Hi’. Taken from their forthcoming second, Strange Brew-released Bolts, it is the sound of a band simultaneously staying true to their (instantly recognisable, Vocoder and beat-driven) sound whilst breaking some new territory. Not Squares will play an all-ages show at Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre on December 18 and the next installment of Seven Quarters at Dublin’s Whelans on December 19. Watch the video for ‘Oops Said Hi’…