• Stream: Robocobra Quartet – Correct

    September 13, 2016 - By 

    There was a while there that the would-be implication that we were receiving some sort of financial injection from Belfast’s Robocobra Quartet to regularly fly the flag of their sonic wares wouldn’t have been entirely without reasoning.  After all, a quick search on TTA reveals that we have shared news specifically about the Chris Ryan-fronted project at least a dozen times in the space of a year. Frankly, normally, that kind of thing would border on – if not positively encroach – overkill, were they not such a consistently intriguing proposition. As we bide our time for their long-awaited cheque to clear (disclaimer: we jest), the…

  • Premiere: Son of the Hound – I.O.U

    August 23, 2016 - By 

    Not one to rest easy on one particular sound or approach, it’s safe to say there are many strings to Michael McCullagh AKA Son of the Hound’s proverbial bow. From his days as guitarist in Colenso Parade right through to his outfit in his previous musical nom de plume Meb Jon Sol, the Omagh musician is back with yet another change of direction in the form of 60s influenced indie rock n’ roll single ‘I.O.U’. Speaking to TTA, McCullagh said: “I.O.U was recorded in Milbank studios, with Mike Mormecha doubling up on drum and recording duties. It was recorded live initially and then cleaned…

  • Stream: Hot Cops – Dumbbo

    August 10, 2016 - By 

    A grinding, forlorn four-minutes wielding crescendo in fine fashion, ‘Dumbbo’ by Belfast trio Hot Cops is easily their most foreboding single to date. The follow-up to ‘Passive Passive’, the track – something of a recent live highlight for the Carl Eccles-fronted three-piece – steadily imparts backwashed thoughts and disorientated solipsism before yielding to a gusto of fuzzed-out resolve. This is a cunning, creeping effort that insists upon the repeated listen. Limited to 250 pink marble copies, ‘Dummbo’ will be released alongside ‘Auto’ via Paper Trail Records on September 2. Stream the A-side below.

  • Stream: Extra Fox – Ain’t That The Way

    August 9, 2016 - By 

    Dublin producer Neil Adams AKA Extra Fox was last on our radar back in February with ‘Lunar Float’, a spectral single we called “nigh on onomatopoetic”. With a rare live show expected to be announced over the next while, Adams has returned with the equally strong ‘Ain’t That The Way’, a brilliantly bobbing slice of electro-pop that, by virtue of its restrained, gradually layered repetition, burrows its way inside very nicely indeed.

  • Stream: Chris Hanna – And All Shall Be Well

    August 3, 2016 - By 

    Ahead of playing Sunflowerfest this weekend, Belfast producer Chris Hanna shared this track on SoundCloud. A bright and bouncy affair, it’s part of a live set he’ll be playing next month, made entirely of new material — having lost all his work he’s making everything again from scratch. Hanna describes it as “a wee Songs of Praise house tune”, and it’s not hard to see why. Hands in the air.

  • Stream: Life Goals – Wreck Less Nature / / Between the Lines

    July 8, 2016 - By 

    Comprising former & current members of Belfast-based punk & alt. rock bands Gascan Ruckus, Empty Lungs and Two Glass Eyes, brand new indie punk trio Life Goals have just put out their debut two-track release, Wreck Less Nature / / Between The Lines. US contemporaries like Menzingers, PUP & Modern Baseball are clearly a shared influence amongst the band, from their gritty, modern emo-tinged guitar lines to frontman Decky McBride’s heartfelt, hook-laden vocals. Having spent most of the year writing and rehearsing, their release was recorded in March at Start Together Studios with Niall Doran. Life Goals played their first show in Belfast’s new, intimate The Barracks, last Saturday. They play…

  • Stream: I Am The Cosmos – Letting It Go

    June 16, 2016 - By 

    Set to launch at Dublin’s Bello Bar on July 16 , ‘Letting It Go’ sees Dublin electronic duo Ross Turner and Cian Murphy AKA I Am The Cosmos re-capture the magic that set them apart on their 2013 debut album, Monochrome. Wilfully sparse to begin, the track unwinds in typically commanding fashion, each cyclical re-iteration yielding new shades of propulsive, synth-laden magic from the pair. Set for release via Happy Valley on July 1, there’s an almost mechanical simplicity to the track that proves delightfully deceptive with repeated listens. Mastered by Simon Cullen, the single comes with b-side Taciturning On You and a re-imagining of the…

  • Premiere: Warriors of the Dystotheque – Just Breathe

    June 7, 2016 - By 

    The follow-up to their March EP Return To Coney, ‘Just Breathe’ is the new single from multi-national outfit Warriors of the Dystotheque, founded by Derry’s Jonny Mac. Featuring vocals from Coventry singer Bella Deanie, it’s a slick, impressively produced soundscape relaying “the state of not giving up when everyone else has let you down.” Accompanying the release are remixes from the likes of Ubblahkan, Ken Fab Re and Brothers Nylon, each further revealing the track’s textural, cinematic prowess. According to Jonny Mac, the track – which we premiere in full below – came about “in a tiring drive home to Derry from a festival…

  • Stream: Arborist – A Man of My Age

    June 7, 2016 - By 

    Fronted by Mark McCambridge, Belfast’s Arborist are masters of the subtly-wielded phrase and burrowing melody. A year on from having the one and only Kim Deal feature on their single ‘Twisted Arrow’, the band have returned with ‘A Man of My Age’, a pleasantly reflective six-minute effort brilliantly bolstered by shivering strings and a layered Americana folk ambience that rewards with repeated listens. With fading youth, familial change and growing perspective at the heart of the McCambridge’s words here, we’re treated to something rather special; a carefully considered meditation imbued with a calm sense of acceptance that seals the deal in fine fashion. Stream the single…

  • Stream: Figure of 8 – The Migrant

    May 30, 2016 - By 

    A five-track release borne from “electronic blood, sweat and tears”, The Migrant is Derry producer Dermot McGowan AKA Figure of 8’s first EP in 4 years. From Trans Am-esque opener ‘Future Needs’ via emphatic highlight ‘Click Here To Save The World’ to restrained house closer ‘Celestial Bodies’, it’s a release illustrating remarkable progression, positing McGowan and his Todd Terje-evoking craft as an act that demands your immediate attention. Irish summer festival organisers: it’s never too late to add Figure of 8 to your bill. The Migrant by Figure of 8