Elaine Howley first came to my attention (writes Timmy Stewart) via the heartbreakingly good The Distance Between Heart and Mouth on the always on point Irish imprint, Touch Sensitive. It’s a beautifully emotive collection of work that shifts between ethereal folk, hazy psyche and otherworldly electronics. An album I return to time and time again and know it’s got a classic yet unique sound that will have me coming back forever. I managed to catch Elaine’s live show at the Courthouse in Bangor last Summer and exactly like the album, it’s impressive how she builds layers of such rich warm audio tapestry while flying solo. What makes the album so incredible, also truly carries over to the live experience.
Continue Reading…
Fancy the greatest commission? Stuart Bailie took the call in 1987 to meet The Pogues in NYC, preparing for their breakthrough moment, ‘Fairytale of New York’. What follows is a remembrance of that visit, with some pictures from his personal archive plus an extract from the original Record Mirror cover story…
In a local electronic music landscape often dominated by house and techno, Emma Hart stands out as an electronic artist ploughing a different kind of groove. Whether pushing more laidback tempos and textures fusing elements of hip-hop and jazz as HART (check her excellent, choppy audio collage Moon Jazz album, for some hazy summer soul) or as Nyphaea, where she ups the energy level with faster UK garage influences. Timmy Stewart caught up with Emma to give Dig With It the overview, in five. Continue Reading…
They’ve been dropping bombs on libraries, they’ve destroyed the university and many thousands of homes. The death toll in Gaza for the month is currently 15,000. Whole families have been obliterated from the civil registry. This IDF response to the Hamas killings is horrendous, vengeful and at times, gloating. We know there’s a whole other narrative, a twisted back story and there’s even nuance below the dust of those sickening craters. But in the now, the analysis is simple: this is wrong. Continue Reading…
Connor Dougan has been producing incredibly emotive music for a while now, under a range of pseudonyms.
Timmy Stewart caught up with Connor for a quick chat about his various projects and what inspires him to be creative. Continue Reading…
You hear the crackle of a Palestinian ambulance driver, reporting from the worst of it. There are voices from Ukraine and Afghanistan. Later, a French speaker will ask you to chose a direction – “Enfer ou paradis?” Will you tolerate this very hell, or struggle for a higher position? In response, the new David Holmes record is reaching for love and transcendence in the face of unrelenting dread. Continue Reading…
*Dial tone*
‘Hello, you’re through to Blouse Club!’
Given the way Problem Patterns sell their imaginary ad company on the song ‘Advertising Services’, from their new LP, also titled Blouse Club, it’s not exactly what you’d want to hear on the other end of the phone line. Continue Reading…
STEVIE NICKS
Talk To Me
Stevie Nicks is an iconoclast. She pours spirit and tenacity into every vocal performance, and I have been enchanted by her ever since I heard ‘Edge of Seventeen’ in the bar scene of School of Rock, as Jack Black and Joan Cusack sip beer and bond over their shared love of Stevie. When I was a child, my dad gave me a Rock A Little cassette that he had kept in his briefcase from the 80s. He used to listen to it on his Walkman while travelling around Italy as a teenager. Although her work with Fleetwood Mac is iconic, her solo music will always be special to me. It reminds me of being a child, mesmerised by the fire-throated siren in a boho skirt. Continue Reading…
Reevah has transformed her dream-folk sensibilities into a more vibrant, indie-pop approach with Daylight Savings. Tracks are packed with huge choruses, pulsing synths and hooks that nod to late 80s MTV pop-rock. While drawing upon these influences, she nevertheless manages to maintain a sound that feels fresh. Continue Reading…
It’s an exciting time for the Belfast Trad scene. Not that it hasn’t always had a vibrant energy that has you stomping your feet and swaying for hours on end. But these days when I head to a trad gig there’s the added element of having no idea what to expect. It’s a thrill in itself.
Lonesome George played the Empire Music Hall last Saturday. Thinking back to the concert, I’ve come to the conclusion that the band has this unique quality of keeping you feeling right at home whilst keeping you guessing. Continue Reading…
Twitter