Delivering rainbows.. Soul music – or at least what we commonly refer to as soul music – is dead. The days of stars like Marvin Gaye, Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland and Aretha Franklin travelling the world backed by big bands full of unionised session musicians just aren’t sustainable anymore. Soul music has eaten and regurgitated itself. […]
Sports is the debut record from Iceland’s Fufanu. Formerly operating under the moniker of Captain Fufanu they’re a band firmly rooted in electronica. A change of name and direction – neither wholesale – sees them lean more towards alternative rock. They’ve added what bunny boss Ian McCulloch refers to as ‘twiddly guitars’ but there’s a […]
London based beat builder Sampha has been popping up in the work of some of the fore figures in the pop/hip-hop world over the last few years. Beyonce, Kayne, Drake and Solange have all enlisted his dulcet tones in the hope that some of the unique vulnerability that characterises his voice will rub off. Within […]
Gypsies on the Autobahn release their debut album Born Brief in late February; a record that crystalizes everything the band have done since they formed in school. We caught up with the band to get the skinny on Born Brief, musical influences and future plans for world dominance. Born Brief is a ball of frantic, […]
Whelan’s upper deck is nicely wedged for the launch of Davis’ debut EP Simple Words, Complex World tonight. Intent on giving punters serious bang for their buck, three acts are deployed to warm up the slowly multiplying crowd. Oh Joy’s melodic garage pop – akin to some of The Cribs more lo-fi material – a particular highlight. […]
Mick Harvey has been lurking in the background of independent music and film since the early 70’s. Perpetually over Nick Cave’s shoulder as a Bad Seed, matrimonial gift giver and neighbour Harvey has played sidekick on most of Cave’s monolithic body of work. He’s also scored several films including Eric Bana’s break-through role as psychopathic […]
Simple Words, Complex World is the debut EP from DAVIS. Cousins Gavin and Keith Davis decided to forgo the torturous process of choosing a catchy moniker, operating under the flag of the clan instead. Time saved allowed them to dive straight into Simple Words, Complex World a freshman release as crisply defined in idea and […]
Conceived in 1988, Nine Inch Nails have been through the ringer of rock and roll cliché more times than most. Enjoying massive success tacked on to the early 90’s grunge scene they have tangled with superstardom, wrestled with drugs, and operated a revolving door system for every lost and haunted musician that could stand up […]
Back in the first decade of this century there wasn’t a late-night, skinny-jeaned, shrink-wrapped in leather debauched escapade that wasn’t sound tracked by Pete(r) Doherty. Grubby fingernails scratched the walls of grubbier apartments, clothes were lost to long dark nights. All to the clumsy intricacy of his guitar playing and those feral screams that punctuated […]
It’s been over a decade since The Rolling Stones’ last studio album, maybe three since one, Tattoo You ‘81, managed to force a song (‘Start Me Up’) into their mammoth set list. With a combined age of 289 they’ve decided to throw their hat at writing new material and have released Blue and Lonesome, a […]
If a nuclear bomb was dropped tomorrow there’d only be cockroaches and Primal Scream left standing. Since Bobby Gillespie vacated the Jesus and Mary Chain drum stool to front his own disparate gang of soul survivors, Primal Scream have gone through many members, shape shifting in and out of countless genres. Some hits, some misses […]
Dublin’s Olympia Theatre is already heaving as support act Chris Farren takes to the stage armed only with a guitar, a sample box full of tricks and an infectious level of exuberance. Enchanting the crowd with his stage presence, genre straddling cannon of songs and charismatic patter he certainly left the stage with a lot […]
Every good party comes to an end but there’s always that period where the most hardened hedonists can’t quite let it go. The post-party, pre-pity purgatory. The night’s come and gone, a tornado full of half remembered vignettes, flashing lights, silhouetted friends and drawn curtains. Natural light enters the equation again, its blades chase stockinged […]
There’s always been a sense of reservation amongst the crowd in the Button Factory whether it’s the setting or the people. It’s something that’s addressed a couple of songs in tonight as drummer Conall Breachain, one half of We Cut Corners, politely insists the audience takes one big collective step forward. The band waste little […]