• Stream: Tuath – pAy Ur TaXeS! (Feat. Post Punk Podge)

    February 20, 2020 - By 

    Having been called psych, noise rock, trip-hop, industrial, and any other lysergic-laced subgenre under our dying sun, Letterkenny’s Tuath continue to defy classification. They remain as shapeshifting an entity as the likes of Mr Bungle, Ween, and Primus – the latter of whose bulbous low-end shares a lot in common with their pulverising, singular new ‘doomer metal’ single ‘Pay Ur Taxes!’. The release, part of the forthcoming The Fuckening EP, sees frontman Robert Mulhern continue to laugh into the void, distilling their 2020 modus operandi into one easy to understand – unless you’re a conglomerate – mantra. Mulhern has submitted to us an essay on the origin…

  • Premiere: Zizou – Living On A Plateau

    February 14, 2020 - By 

    Zizou is the brand new solo project of Mathieu Doogan – also singer & multi-instrumentalist with Dublin slack post-punks Angular Hank. Today marks the grand unveiling of his debut single, ‘Living On A Plateau’. Recorded and produced by Mark Belsky, and written in Montreál before Doogan relocated to Dublin, the project’s name comes from Mathieu’s French granny (“born before Zidane”). Striking that perfect combination of the emotional nuance and songwriting mastery of Sparklehorse and Wilco, it’s a wistful series of vivid, scattershot, kitchen sink portraits of those 20s wilderness years. The blurb reads: “It’s partly about nudity, partly about urban planning, mainly about the…

  • Video Premiere: Problem Patterns – Gal Pals

    February 14, 2020 - By 

    A silver lining to the three year cloud of political deadlock in Northern Ireland, today marks the first Valentine’s Day with equal marriage laws, with the first same-sex marriages having taken place earlier this week. Belfast punk quartet Problem Patterns have chosen to celebrate that fact with a video for catchiest single to date, ‘Gal Pals’ whose bubblegum exterior belies an incisive social satire – or in their own words: “Part social commentary, part potential theme tune for a cult queer romcom”. Each member of the band – which comprises Alanah Smith, Ciara King, Beverley Boal & Bethany Crooks – leads a verse, each of which deals with various stages in the…

  • Stream: Bedrooms – Bus Lanes

    February 4, 2020 - By 

    One listen to ‘Bus Lanes’ and it may comes as no surprise to discover that Dublin indie quartet Bedrooms tip their sonic hat to such luminaries such as Dinosaur Jr, Galaxie 500, Guided by Voices and Pavement. In fact, they go one further and wear the imprint of Galaxie 500 firmly on their sleeve on their new single (reader: this will never be a bad thing.) Doubling up as their third single to date – following ‘Chico’s Bodega’ and ‘Chunky’ last year – the band’s latest effort is the first of two tracks recently recorded with Daniel Fox of Girl Band. Clocking…

  • Video Premiere: Arthuritis – Left Over Seas

    January 31, 2020 - By 

    Experimental electronic auteur Arthuritis has released his first new music of 2020, the jarringly spacious, let claustrophobic second single from his new Ornament of the World EP, ‘Left Over Seas’. The masterfully edited 3D-animated blend of the real and digital was created by Aodhagán O Riabhaigh, accompanying Arthuritis’ mesmerisingly glitch-laden work to a tee. Continuing on the conversation opened in the abstract anti-capitalistic satire of previous single ‘Condo‘, Arthur says “the single deals with the separation in our society between those in corporate business/celebrities/etc and the average person and how either could easily be in each others position. I like to try to see from other perspectives,…

  • Stream: Ciaran Lavery – Can I Begin Again

    January 27, 2020 - By 

    Over the last few years, Ciaran Lavery has proven himself to be, in both song and approach, much more than your cut-and-dry, run-of-the-mill singer-songwriter. The globetrotting Northern Irish artist’s gestation as a songwriting voice, from the days of his old band, Captain Kennedy, via albums such as Sweet Decay and Let Bad In, right up until the present moment has been nothing short of remarkable. All along the way, his clear reluctance to kowtow to expectation has informed easily one of the most colourful and consistently rewarding trajectories of any Irish solo artist in recent years. Lavery’s new single ‘Can…

  • Premiere: Robbie Stickland – Lizard

    January 16, 2020 - By 

    We’re pleased to present a first listen to the debut single from Dublin musician Robbie Stickland. Tackling issues of body dysmorphia and self-care head-on, ‘Lizard’ is a compelling opening gambit from the artist, who is something of a cult figure in Dublin’s indie scene. Having already supported the likes of Fontaines D.C and Paddy Hanna under his previous moniker Spongebob Eyelashes, the song is the first to be taken from Stickland’s forthcoming debut LP, Warm Jeans in the Morning. Speaking about the self-produced track, Stickland said, “I wrote it to explore the relationship I have had with myself over the…

  • Video Premiere: Aul Boy – Because

    December 18, 2019 - By 

    Slack Ramelton indie rock outfit Aul Boy are back with another intricately crafted lounge-pop gem in new single ‘Because’. We’re delighted to unveil its very much on-brand video, which captures the dressing-gown-clad Aul Boy himself roaming in glorious Super 8. Channelling the interminable wilderness period of the twenty-something in the ‘forgotten county’, it gladly shuts its eyes in the face of reality, escaping into a sea of wonderful Grandaddy-recalling synth arpeggios, melancholy & chord mastery. ‘Because’ is the first single to be taken from their forthcoming Making Strange EP, recorded at Attica Studios [SOAK/Villagers]. Download it on a name-your-price basis here.

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Tracks of 2019 (#75-51)

    December 17, 2019 - By 

    In the second of a four-part series, we continue our island-spanning, genre-leaping countdown of the best Irish tracks released in 2019, from Belfast alt-pop trailblazer Rebekah Fitch to a truly stellar track courtesy of Ordnance Survey. Miss out on 100-76? Go here to catch up. 75. Rebekah Fitch – Poison 74. New Pagans – Charlie Has the Face of a Saint 73. Casavettes – Imposter Syndrome Imposter Syndrome by Casavettes 72. Not I – Please, No Kindness, Please 71. Sorbet – Born Purple (feat. mickeykiiatein) Born Purple by SORBET 70. Autre Monde – On The Record 69. His Father’s Voice – In…

  • Premiere: Not I – At The Beach

    December 20, 2019 - By 

    Dublin indie rock noisenik duo Not I are back with ‘At The Beach’, the second single taken from their forthcoming debut album – reportedly due next year. Produced by Christopher Barry at Ailfionn Studio and artwork from Linden Pomeroy, it conjures the no-peak malaise of The Microphones and Pavement at their most jittery. A singularly voiced lyricist, Thomas O’Reilly’s vaguely-pitched Lee Ranaldo-esque sing-talk has never been more convincing. Listen below: