• Premiere: Nocturnes – Whale Song

    October 3, 2016 - By 

    Inspired by the song whales use to communicate, ‘Whale Song’ by Sligo singer-songwriter Pearse McGloughlin AKA Nocturnes draws parallels between these great creatures of the ocean with our human selves. An oceanic ode that borders on the hymnal in its sublime, altogether delicate delivery and nigh on reverential tone, the single is accompanied by a video courtesy of McGloughlin’s brother, Kevin. Forging animated footage and live action footage to impressive effect,”creating an imagined astro-aquatic environment which is both the sea and the cosmos, the aquatic and the astronomic”, the video was borne from lengthy discussion between the brothers. Kevin said: “After many a chat with Pearse over…

  • Premiere: Pale Rivers – August 6th

    October 3, 2016 - By 

    As debut singles go ‘August 6th’ by Cork five-piece Pale Rivers is a real statement of intent. Accompanied by a typically slick (and warning: flashing imagery-heavy) video by Brendan Canty’s masterful Feel Good Lost, the track – with its subtle synth textures, harmonic flourishes and burrowing chorus refrain – is cunningly anthemic alt-pop at its finest. The track is the first in a string of forthcoming singles produced with Gavin Glass in his studio and mixed by Kieran Lynch, who has worked with U2, Elvis Costello and R.E.M. With more shows soon set to be announced, you can catch Pale Rivers – who will almost certainly be…

  • Premiere: New Pope – The Claddagh

    October 3, 2016 - By 

    Almost like a victim of self-sabotage in the vein of Dostoyevsky or Sartre, Galway’s David Boland AKA New Pope confronts the sheer nausea of the dreaded next day in the Gavin Martyn-directed video for his new single ‘The Claddagh’. But despite the track’s shroud of heartbreak via wonderfully wearied reflections and crushing guitar shapes, Boland sieves gold from the quite literal stoney shore in subtle, masterfully soul-lifting fashion. Boland said: “The Claddagh, meaning “stoney shore”, was once an old fishing village in the heart of Galway city. It is still a little area with a lot of character and a confusing layout. The song is about falling for someone…

  • Watch: Enemies – itsallwaves

    September 29, 2016 - By 

    Kilcoole math-pop maestros Enemies may as well have ripped out our heart yesterday when they announced that they’re set to play their final show at Dublin’s Vicar Street on December 18 following the release of their third and final album, Valuables, via Topshelf Records on December 9. Now, less than 24 hours to digest the news, the band have cushioned the blow by unveiled the video for ‘itsallwaves’, the lead track from their forthcoming swansong. Featuring positively life-affirming tour footage courtesy of the band, Wez Evans, Darragh Bambrick and Niall O’Kelly, the video – directed by Evans – perfectly accompanies the track, a…

  • Premiere: Patrick Gardiner – Riverside Remark

    September 29, 2016 - By 

    When we premiered his Carcassonne EP back in April last year, we praised Co. Down singer-songwriter Patrick Gardiner‘s “subtly eclectic mix of incisive, occasionally wry and consistently considered acoustic tale-telling”. Nineteen months – and a whole lot of writing and recording – later, the songsmith has resurfaced with its accomplished, not to mention considerably more stripped-back and song-centric follow-up, ‘Riverside Remark’. A departure from the fleshed-out, full-band sound of the aforementioned EP, this new effort sees Gardiner and his guitar take centre-stage much like his early ruminations. A considerably less impressionistic – or indeed jazz-tinged – tale than many will be…

  • Premiere: Maija Sofia – Dreamscape

    September 29, 2016 - By 

    Dublin-based Galway antifolk singer-songwriter Maija Sofia is an artist whose craft fully benefits from taking the road less travelled. A self-proclaimed “surreal romance interweaving music with samples from an interview with the poet Anne Sexton” ‘Dreamscape, her new audio-visual effort with London independent filmmaking duo Will & Joe, is a short but striking abstracted meditation on truth, sex, The End, the transience of existence and Earth, as well as intersubjective role we play ‘neath the gossamer-like fabric of this mortal coil. Speaking about the collaboration, Will & Joe said: “‘Dreamscape’ has been a labour of love in-between other jobs and commitments for over a year. It is the shortest music video we’ve…

  • Stream: Lie Ins – Potatoes/Back on the Clock

    September 28, 2016 - By 

    It’s sometimes good to remember: Lie Ins aren’t just for Sundays. And nowhere is that more evident than quickly glancing at the calendar before stumbling upon ‘Potatoes’ and ‘Back on the Clock’, a new double-single from the Dublin indie pop band of the same name. Sure, that doesn’t aeally make a whole lot of sense but in the words of Aerosmith, let the music – insistent, merry and earworming as ever – do the talking (via Bandcamp below). Potatoes b/w Back on the Clock by Lie Ins

  • Premiere: Galants – Evergreen

    September 28, 2016 - By 

    Dublin noise-pop quartet Galants are a band that proudly – and very impressively – wear their influences on their collective sleeve. Forging the fuzzed-out, forward-moving indie rock of Dinosaur Jr. and early Yo La Tengo with the nebulous ‘gaze of My Bloody Valentine and tight, Byrds-influenced harmonies of Teenage Fanclub, their sound is unabashed hero worship but with more than enough deviation and departure to make it all their own. The first track from their forthcoming debut EP, ‘Evergreen’ is a perfect case in point. Have an exclusive first listen to that below and make sure to catch the guys at Dublin’s The Workman’s Club on Saturday, October 8…

  • Inbound: BDBR

    September 27, 2016 - By 

    Following a several-odd year nadir for Northern Irish music, it looks once more like there’s an emergent wave of genuinely interesting Northern acts influenced by a whole new set of cult favourites. BDBR is a bedroom project and the pseudonym under which singer-songwriter Ryan Mills operates, armed only with his telecaster, pedalboard and back-of-the-throat vocal tones. So far, he’s got a five track EP of demos so far, none of which reach the 3 minute mark, recorded in his bedroom and mixed by Robocobra Quartet’s Chris Ryan. His sound, he tells us “came around through trial and error and playing…

  • Stream: Bad Sea – Solid Air

    September 27, 2016 - By 

    The debut single from Dublin’s Ciara Thompson AKA CMAT and Alan Farrell AKA Bad Sea, ‘Solid Air’ is a wistful quality that evokes nostalgic memories of hazy summer days. With the slightest tinge of sadness, CMAT’s soft voice is dulcet and bright against guitar and synth, combining to make a song that doesn’t leave your head, and leaves you wanting more. It’s an exciting start from the pair who, having been steadily building up this moment via sets at the likes of Castlepalooza and Working Class Heroes, as well as recently supporting Mitski in the Workmans. Stream the track – produced by Oli…