• Stream: Slomatics – Rat Chariot

    August 22, 2016 - By 

    With their admirable aim of crushing everything in sight with their monumentally heavy – surprisingly bassist-less – brand of sludge-doom, Belfast trio Slomatics will release their fifth studio album, Future Echo Returns, via Black Bow Records on September 2. The latest reveal of what to expect from that (and it’s safe to say no chins are likely to be rubbed) ‘Rat Chariot’ – featuring vocals from ex-Conan bassist/vocalist Phil Coumbe – bears all the alchemical traits of their flattening, fuzzed out craft. Ear-drum batteringly brilliant stuff. David Majury from the band said, “This was one of the first songs we wrote for Future Echo Returns and in…

  • Stream: Ciaran Lavery – Return To Form

    February 17, 2016 - By 

    At the risk of (really) repeating ourselves, Ciaran Lavery is easily one of the country’s most naturally gifted, hugely endearing singer-songwriters. From his days in Captain Kennedy up until the present day, we’ve seen the Aghagallon songsmith silence the most bustling venue with the the slightest of syllables and all but seduce innumerable crowds with his brilliantly charming badinage. At the root of all that is Lavery’s extraordinary grasp of the human condition, masterfully bolstered by an enviable harmonic grasp and compositional flair that continues to blossom unabated. The latest – and quite possibly greatest – manifestation of that is his new single, ‘Return To…

  • Premiere: Hot Cops – Scared of Everything

    February 11, 2016 - By 

    It’s no coincidence that we’ve hosted Belfast indie rock trio Hot Cops in four different TTA shows over the last couple of years, most recently at a packed-out show at Belfast’s Lavery’s on Tuesday night for the launch of their stellar new single ‘Passive Passive‘. The b-side to that, ‘Scared of Everything’ is an equally emphatic effort from the fast-rising threesome, forging pounding, fuzzed-out chords and frontman Carl Eccles’ admissions of apprehension (“I’m afraid to go outside/I don’t want to see your skin/I’m afraid to let you in”). Conjuring the likes of Pinkerton-era Weezer and Cloud Nothings’ more tuneful throwdowns, it gives everyday quasi-agoraphobic dread yet another…

  • Stream: The Mad Dalton – The Little Belfry

    November 10, 2015 - By 

    Recorded with the likes of Michael Mormecha of Mojo Fury and Jonny Woods of R51 – and launched in style on the Belfast Barge at the weekend – The Little Belfry is the debut EP from Belfast-based singer-songwriter Peter Sumadh AKA The Mad Dalton. A five-track release of ruminating, Americana-tinged folk in the vein of Wilco, Pedro The Lion, Sparklehorse and Ron Sexsmith, it’s a wonderfully-realised release bursting with carefully-crafted pathos and soul. Here’s hoping release number two from Sumadh – an artist of Scots/Canadian heritage – doesn’t incur quite as long a gestation period. Stream/download The Little Belfry below. The Little…

  • Watch: Blue Whale – Jack Irons

    September 25, 2015 - By 

    Ex-drummer for the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and Eleven, Jack Irons has an interesting and illustrious CV – one which he can (yet probably won’t) now add, “Title of instrumental banger by Belfast-based experimental band Blue Whale” to. A collaboration between the band, filmmaker Tom Hughes and contemporary dancer Maeve McGreevy, the quartet’s new single is a potent, wonderfully emphatic audio-visual creation, fusing Blue Whale’s bombastic, Battles-esque experimental instrumental rock with Hughes’ sublime directorial eye and a truly compelling performance by McGreevy throughout. The track was recorded by Start Together’s Ben McAuley and is available to download here. Blue Whale play…

  • Stream: And So I Watch You From Afar – Redesigned A Million Times

    April 15, 2015 - By 

    A few days on from playing new material to a handful of fans and friends at a secret show in Belfast, And So I Watch You From Afar are streaming the triumphant ‘Redesigned A Million Times’. Taken from their new album, Heirs, is track has a distinctly more linear, pop-centric feel to previous material, whilst maintaining some of the classic hallmarks of the Northern Irish quartet’s sound. ASIWYFA play Dublin’s Olympia on June 19 and Belfast’s Mandela Hall on June 20 as part of a massive European tour. Go here to win tickets to the former show.

  • TTA Session #004: Robocobra Quartet

    November 18, 2014 - By 

    Undoubtedly one of the more ambitious and inimitable acts to emerge from Belfast this year, jazz-rap-punk four-piece Robocobra Quartet are a guitarless, sax -and-bass led, cymbal-spattered, improv-leaning, off-kilter time and rhyme-melding, Zorn-summoning, Mingus-hinting, Isotope 217 and Soul Coughing-echoing, decidedly forward-thinking force to be reckoned with. In the fourth of many more live sessions in the making, our resident videographer Colm Laverty captures the band perform two of their best tracks, as well as in conversation about their approach to songwriting, their “place” within local music, what the future holds in store and more. Keep an eye out for these guys…

  • Stream: Southern – Cool Kid

    October 20, 2014 - By 

    With new Irish dates expected to be announced soon, Belfast-derived, Liverpool-based brother and sister band (Thom and Lucy) Southern have really grown in stature and repute over the last few months. Currently doing the rounds supporting Jake Bugg on his UK and Irish tour, the band – also featuring Eoghan Clifford on drums – really hit home with their new single, ‘Cool Kid’. At just under three minutes in length, the track is all business – catchy, digestible, immediately familiar, it bears no sonic fat to trim, encouraging repeated listens from the get-go. We’re also a fan of the claps. Where…

  • FLAWS – Harsh Words Through Tangled Wires

    June 19, 2014 - By 

    On Wednesday, June 25, The Menagerie, Belfast, plays host to the new project of ex-Mojo Fury member Thomas Camblin, FLAWS. The three piece from Belfast are releasing their new EP Harsh Words Through Tangled Wires through Thomas’ new label OLD FANG which has given us the EP from Little Rivers amongst other singles. Their new record deals with “the rawness of human relationships, from broken friendships to loss and regret – peeling back appearances to show the cracks underneath”. They’ll also be supported by Michael Mormecha of Mojo Fury who will be playing his new solo material on the night. Entry…

  • EP Stream: Making Monsters – Attention

    June 16, 2014 - By 

    Having released the stellar ‘Nosebleed’ just last week, Derry alt-metal band Making Monsters have released their new five-track EP, Attention. Produced, mixed and mastered by Neal Calderwood at Manor Park Studios, the EP – an extremely impressive and powerfully attacking release – is the follow-up to the band’s promising 2012 self-titled debut EP. Check out the band’s forthcoming tour dates and stream Attention via Bandcamp below. Attention by MakingMonsters