• Record Store Day 2016

    April 18, 2016 - By 

    In the early years of Record Store Day, depending on where you lived in Ireland your choice of independent record shops to visit may have been limited or even nonexistent. But despite the growth of downloads and streaming in the eight years since the day started, while some old shops have died away, many more have sprung up in their place, and many of those who had nowhere to go in 2008 are now spoiled for choice. As the number of limited edition releases grow and major labels further muscle in on the event it’s easy to grow cynical and…

  • Track Record: Andy Connolly (Deviant & Naive Ted)

    March 31, 2016 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, we head to Limerick to hang out with Andy Connolly of Deviant & Naive Ted to reveal the man behind the mask’s music tastes, from Chick Corea to DJ Faust. Photos by Moira Reilly. Lews Tewns & Nobsta Nuts – Poverty is Thirsty Work The answer to ‘what’s your favourite record’ changes daily but today it’s most definitely this. Lews Tewns & Nobsta Nuts, AKA the Headcase Ladz, are the best rap posse to ever come out of Wales and one of my favourite rap groups of all time. They are sadly under-represented by…

  • Track Record: Shane Murphy (Land Lovers/No Monster Club/Switzerland)

    March 10, 2016 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record we hang out with Shane Murphy to chat about his record collection, while he’s not too busy playing in three of Popical Island’s finest bands: Land Lovers, No Monster Club and Switzerland. Photos by Aidan Kelly Murphy. Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model I discovered Elvis Costello pretty late in life, and when I say discovered, I mean after Land Lovers were compared to him, Padraig of the band quickly gave me some homework to do. At his best with The Attractions, this was the first pairing of the two. It’s a frantic and…

  • Track Record: Eoin Dolan

    February 16, 2016 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, we head West to visit nostalgia pop enthusiast Eoin Dolan in his apartment in Galway as he selects ranging from Rufus Wainwright to The Beach Boys by way of classic Irish folk music. Photos by Sean McCormack. Rufus Wainwright –  I Want One I first heard of Rufus Wainwright when he performed ‘Vibrate’ on Jools Holland a few years back. It was just him and the piano and it sounded amazing. When I eventually picked up the album I was pleasantly surprised by the lush string arrangements that accompanied each song. It showed how his writing…

  • Track Record: Gavin Glass

    October 15, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, we head over to the lovely home of Gavin Glass to have a rummage around his eclectic record collection (and a nosey at his collection of guitars too!) Elvis Presley – Aloha, From Hawaii I have to put one in from The King of Rock N’Roll. I’ve been a huge Elvis fan since I was really young.  I used to constantly draw pictures of Elvis on primary school books. This album was recorded live as part of a satellite broadcast which was one of the first live concerts broadcast live worldwide. Elvis’ TCB band…

  • Track Record: Al Higgins (Le Galaxie)

    October 13, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, we call into to Al Higgins from Le Galaxie for a cup of tea and a chat about some of his most favourite and influential records from The Cars to Chromeo. Photos by Francisco Michel. Deutsch Electronische Musik – Volume 1 I bought this after watching one of those BBC4 music documentaries on Krautrock. That’s term that still doesn’t make sense to me and it’s also a bit offensive, but then I suppose it is easier to say than Deutsch Electronische Musik. This always goes down well at parties and I am constantly having to…

  • Track Record: Gib Cassidy (Girls Names)

    June 25, 2015 - By 

    When we came up with the idea for Track Record as a feature, Gib Cassidy was top of our list. He has spent years working in all the best record shops in Dublin and even set up his very own, Elastic Witch (sadly missed) so his taste is unparalleled. We’re delighted we’ve finally pinned him down due to his busy schedule playing with Girl Names for a rummage through his records. Here, he selects the key choices representing his broad collection, from Arthur Russell to Alice Coltrane. Photos by Aaron Corr. The Slits – Cut (Island, 1979) The Slits debut album is…

  • Track Record: Roy Duffy (Squarehead)

    June 2, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, Roy Duffy from Squarehead takes us through some of his most influential and inspiring records in his collection from The Wipers to Vivian Girls.  Photos by Aaron Corr. Disclaimer: Nowhere in this article will I refer to “tones” “riffs” “licks” or to any aspects of technical proficiency. Radioactivity – Radioactivity I just recently moved into my current abode and my house mate was playing this relentlessly in the next room for the first few weeks. When he stopped I had to find out what it was and go buy it so I could do the…

  • Track Record: Veda

    May 22, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, we go backstage at The George in Dublin with Veda, one of our favourite drag queens to discuss the records that have influenced her own music and act. Photos by Brian Mulligan. Soft Cell – The Singles Soft Cell have some great albums, but I don’t think it’s philistinism to say that they’re really a singles act. There’s something about the short, sharp shock of the single that works for Soft Cell. What’s great about them is that however shamelessly pervy they get, there’s always a sincerity and heart to their music. You can hear that on…

  • Track Record: Kieran McGuinness (Delorentos)

    April 29, 2015 - By 

    In this installment of Track Record, we hang out with Kieran McGuinness from Delorentos to discuss some of his favourite records from Arcade Fire to Television. Photos by Derek Kennedy. Paul Simon – Graceland People talking about this album often talk about the politics of it, and the controversy, or the African influences, but I love it because of the melancholy heart that lives below the happy surface. The title track alone never fails to give me goosebumps. This is the second album with African influences on this list, but I dunno why. Beach House – Teen Dream This is…