Warpaint live at the National Stadium in Dublin with support from Low Hum. Photos by Stuart Hayes
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On the last day of the June bank holiday, also one of the hottest days of the year, a modest gathering assembled at Forbidden Fruit. The line-up for day three differed greatly from Saturday and Sunday’s bill, as it catered devotees of guitar-led indie-rock with Philadelphia based The War on Drugs headlining and veteran (and nostalgia inducing) acts like Spoon, Warpaint and Grizzly Bear performing, also. David Kitt, whose set predominantly drew from his most recent record, Yous, eased the early attendees into the day’s marathon of live music. His set-up was minimal; comprised of Kitt switching between acoustic and…
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The June Bank Holiday weekend returns, and with it comes Bulmers Forbidden Fruit Festival, which runs from Saturday, June 2 until Monday, June 4. Amongst the first wave of indie-heavy announcements are Monday headliners, mellowed-out stadium-fillers The War On Drugs. This follows the release of their latest album, A Deeper Understanding. Sharing the bill on Monday are Grizzly Bear – just off the back of 2 tremendously well-received sold-out dates at Vicar Street – Warpaint, Thundercat, Spoon and Superorganism. Stay tuned for more announcements. Tickets for 1, 2 & 3 days are available from Ticketmaster, priced from €64.50, €109 & €162.50 respectively.
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There comes a point where the visage of being inscrutable begins to wear off, even the most beguiling cool kids have runny shits some days and when your defining trait over ten years into your career remains a kind inscrutableness, the trick risks wearing thin. The backing music is very Cure-esque, the singing is soft, melodic, harmonious, channelling any number of 90’s female vocalists from Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval to Dolores O’Riordan. Seeing them live (and indoors) is a significant clip ahead of listening to them on record, that distant echo quality reverberates satisfyingly. It’s nice; lovely even, like being…
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Warpaint are a band that divide opinion. In 2010, they became an almost instant underground success with ‘Undertow’, the lead single from their abstractly alternative album, The Fool. The album stood out in the year when Beach House released Teen Dream, Vampire Weekend’s Contra and Broken Social Scene’s Forgiveness Rock Record dominated radio airtime. Warpaint sought to be different with a sombre and grittier edge in the midst of bands shedding lightness and exuberance lyrically and musically. Unfortunately, they lost momentum with their subsequent self-titled album from 2013, which was met with mixed reviews, upon which the Californian quartet went on a…
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There are dozens of details, both obvious and seemingly insignificant, that help to define a gig experience. The size and attitude of the audience, the choice of setlist and, of course, the individual performances of band members can elevate a run of the mill tour stop to something truly memorable. The importance of venue, though, can’t be understated. There’s a giddy thrill to be gained from catching a band in a sweaty bar, warm in the knowledge they’ll soon be arena headliners. Alternatively, poor sound or unhelpful staff can drain away any enthusiasm you might have had on the night,…
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With the final acts being announced at the start of the month, the stage-times and running order for this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival have just been announced. Featuring the likes of The Flaming Lips, Flying Lotus and Public Enemy, this year’s festival will also include sets from Irish acts including Girls Names and And So I Watch You From Afar. Set to take place on the grounds of Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin on the June bank holiday weekend of Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1. Check out the final poster and stage-times for the festival, as well as our…
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With Warpaint taking three years to produce the follow up to their 2010 debut The Fool, and allegedly drawing inspiration from a desert recording session somewhere in the vicinity of The Joshua Tree, the history of popular music would suggest that any lingering doubts about the accessibility of their self-titled second album may not be entirely misplaced. And while the output is not as experimental as its recording process and subsequent promotion may suggest, if The Fool was slightly detached, on first listen Warpaint emotes the kind of welcome usually reserved for the most reticent of hermitages. Delve deeper however…
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James Goulden, our eyes in Austin, captured the Psych Fest for your visual pleasure. Check out his fantastic photo essay on the event with highlights from Deap Vally (above), Warpaint and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to mention a few!