The bar was bustling in Raheen House Hotel after Foghorn Stringband had finished playing. They were rubbing shoulders with people who had been singing along with them half an hour earlier. Gerry Lawless who runs Clonmel World Music was explaining why, after travelling the length and breadth of Ireland to catch bands and attend gigs, […]
With the arrival of each passing month comes the promise of plenty more concerts to catch around the country for any and all music heads, so let’s take a look at the best options you’ve got this month and see if you can’t find something to suit your needs. Below we’ve got a list of […]
John Peel once said of the Fall that “They are always different, they are always the same”. It is a sentiment that often holds true for post-punk groups of every variety, whether referring to those that formed during the late ’70s and early ’80s, or those that emerged during the early 2000’s revival. Certainly, when […]
So here we are, once again drawing ever closer to Ireland’s most mammoth music and arts festival. Electric Picnic have pretty much knocked it out of the park in terms of lineup, as well as with their selection of non-music offerings taking place from 1-3 September in Stradbally. Read State’s preview here of our top picks […]
As the summer draws to a close, this means one thing for Ireland’s live music industry – Electric Picnic. The biggest music festival of the summer, Electric Picnic will draw over 50,000 culture hungry punters to Stradbally for the annual end of summer hooley. The event brands itself as a ‘music and arts festival’ and […]
RMCK is the eponymous EP from a Belfast artist that wishes to remain anonymous. Making use of distorted banjo and loops he states that: “RMCK works alone and is solely interested in crafting music that they find interesting.” Music with a manifesto is what rock should be all about, after all. Opener ‘Mercer’ hits heavy with […]
Sad City. The musical moniker of Gary Caruth seems to relate perfectly to the situation that the seaside town of Bangor finds itself in. By no means am I saying that Bangor is in dire need of emergency aid, or is depressing in any shape or form; merely suggesting that the salty aired surroundings have […]
Matt Black is taking a rare moment to enjoy the fruits of his efforts. All the projects that he was “just not finishing” in recent years have come together at the same time. “As of today I’m feeling like I’ve successfully given birth after a long gestation.” But there’s plenty of work still to be […]
Paranoid Visions formed in ‘81. Heavily influenced by bands like CRASS and the DIY ethic/music of the Anarcho Punk movement, they caught the second wave in the early eighties. For that first decade they were synonymous with punk in Ireland, playing shows both at home and across the UK – often with bands that inspired […]
The last in this year’s run of fine singles from our Faces of 2017 Tebi Rex, ‘She Hated Love Songs II’ is perhaps the duo’s most complete release yet, combining sweet pop melodies (courtesy of Elkin) and a hookier than hooky rap chorus. The video’s something special too, featuring Taylor Swift amongst others.
Author: Lizzy Goodman Publisher: Faber & Faber RRP: €22.99 When LCD Soundsystem wind-up three furiously over-subscribed comeback shows in Dublin’s Olympia theatre at the end of September, a nearby venue will stage an “I Didn’t Get a Ticket Party”. Six and half years on from James Murphy’s spectacular mic drop in Madison Square Garden, even […]
Walking onto the wrong travelator at Schiphol and booking accommodation without realising it was in the Red Light District notwithstanding, my experience at this year’s Dekmantel festival in Amsterdam was marked by its smoothness. Short queues, barely noticeable security, an easily navigable site unburdened by sound bleeding from one stage to the next, the fifth […]
The last time we spoke to Public Service Broadcasting – ahead of their Button Factory show in the summer of 2015 – they were on the cusp of making a substantial breakthrough. The Race For Space album had been out for a few months, warmly received by critics (State included) and finding a new audience […]
The difference between art, and the ever so elusive “ART”, is the ability to orchestrate one’s composure as they traverse that fine line between creating something for the self, as well as the masses. It should, or perhaps need to, strike that balance between crafting a personal narrative that can also be directly reflected into […]