• Speedy Ortiz w/ Oh Boland & Trust Fund @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    October 20, 2015 - By 

    It is a mild enough night for October and the already-sweltering Whelan’s is slow to fill as garage-maestros Oh Boland take the stage but this doesn’t stop the three Tuam lads from throwing everything at the gathered few. This is never clearer than in the sweat dripping from the floppy hair of bassist Eanna MacDonnacha or the spit clinging to the mic from Niall Murphy’s rapid-fire vocals. Oh Boland own the stage with their diminutive frontman clattering about the stage as though he is about to collapse but always keeps it together – nearly a metaphor for their entire set.…

  • Parquet Courts w/ Oh Boland, Cian Nugent & The Cosmos @ Roisin Dubh, Galway

    September 4, 2015 - By 

    From the offset of tonight’s festivities it is made plainly clear that no one will be leaving this room with ears as healthy as they were when they came in. Getting things going, local institution and ever-progressing garage maestros Oh Boland (below) break into their brand of screechy, uplifting and loud jams. Guitarist and vocalist Niall Murphy flaps about the stage like a moustachioed Crash Bandicoot while the rhythm section of Eanna MacDonnacha (bass) and Simon McDonagh (drums, backing vocals) provide equal measures of sweaty energy. The songs sound like taking a trip to the beach on a sunny day, except…

  • An Áit Eile: That’s How It Starts

    June 8, 2015 - By 

    Saturday, June 13 hosts a showcase for Galway’s local arts, crafts and music at the Nuns Island Theatre, organised by the grassroots not-for-profit organisation, An Áit Eile, who wish to foster the creative community of the west of Ireland. Teaming up with see many of Galway’s local organisations like Access Music Project, Citóg Records, Jamaica Joe’s, there will also be a series of acoustic artists performing at the show,  including My Fellow Sponges, Rivers and Crows, Steven Sharpe, Dylan Murphy, Majestic Bears and Tracy Bruen, as well as an indoor marketplace from 1pm-6pm, featuring locally-produced arts, crafts and food. Performances will be accompanied by DJs Ray Wingnut, Stroller and Fuz.…

  • 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…

  • Track Record: Oh Boland

    December 19, 2014 - By 

    We head back to Galway for Track Record, this time to hang out with Oh Boland, where Niall Murphy (vocals) mostly discusses his favourite albums and Eanna (MacDonnacha, bass/vocals) sneaks in with a few words about Weezer’s Blue Album. Photos by Sean McCormack. The Sonics – Here Are The Sonics One of the first garage bands they say. It’s hard to disagree, and what a band. That super primitive sound, mad rackety rock n’ roll played by pimples on a one day studio bender. That guitar sound is just to die for! Total belligerence. The beat is total energy and Gerry Roslie…

  • Album stream: Oh Boland/Me and My Dog – Delpi

    June 6, 2014 - By 

    Ahead of its official launch tomorrow night, Popical Island are streaming the brand new split between Galway’s Oh Boland and Mayo’s Me and My Dog. Featuring five tracks by each band, the album will be released as a pro-dubbed pale blue cassette tape, each hand-titled by the band. Musically, the split is a rather typically (in the best way possible, that is) collection of starry-eyed jangle-pop, indie rock and surf from two of Popical Island’s finest acts. The split is released at Dublin’s The Pop Inn tomorrow night (Saturday, June 7). Go here for the show’s Facebook event page and stream the…