Ireland
Tracing a somewhat unconventional route to music, through physiology and pharmacology, Anna Mieke is most comfortable on the level ground of a trad session - that is when she isn't swapping folk songs with locals in Eastern Europe.
As the imminent closure of District 8 ebbs ever closer, the future of some of the city's biggest electronic music promoters are entering into a new realm of uncertainty. Dublin's shameful lack of late-night venues has been an established topic of (justified) pissing and moaning since time immemorial.
It's approaching that time of year again. There is a noticeable chill in the air and road conditions are changing accordingly. As Autumn draws to a close having a winter ready car is a must. Don't worry, we're not going to leave you out in the cold.
To really experience Ireland, sometimes you need to get behind the wheel. This series of blog posts will explore some of Ireland's most breath-taking driving routes, from the wild and rugged to the idyllic and tranquil. In this post, we explore the Ring of Kerry. An important tip before you begin?
Greta Kline is an anomaly. The offspring of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, she's a celebrity progeny that couldn't be further from a "brat". Despite being plagued by self-admitted shyness , Kline remains one of the most open and approachable figures in modern indie - picking up wide-eyed, teenage penpals with the same regularity as she accrues plaudits from jaded critical cognoscenti.
The last few years haven't been easy on Jens Lekman. Despite having built an enviably devout fanbase over the course of the last decade or so, Lekman was plagued by doubts. These misgivings, born of the comparatively lukewarm reception to his 2012 LP, I Know What Love Isn't, threw Lekman into something of a tailspin.
the first release from Eorðeslajyr - a project of Simon Bird (synths), Tom Morris (formerly of Turning Down Sex, guitars) and Sam Burton (of Spud Gun, vocals) - was originally conceived as a once-off live score for Benjamin Chirstensen's 1922 classic silent proto-horror film of the same name.
Cate Le Bon isn't looking to repeat herself. Or anyone else for that matter. Originally hailing from rural Wales, Le Bon is now a fully sworn in member of fertile Los Angelino psych, folk and psychy-folk scenes. Over the course of four albums Le Bon has stretched to breaking point the assumed constraints of the singer-songwriter model.
It's safe to say that over the last number of years the people's collective relationship with the acoustic guitar has been somewhat tumultuous. There was a time when the zenith of authenticity in our domestic music scene was watching some bootcutted no-name warble his way through Hallelujah.
Earlier this year, Ruban Nielson had to make a decision; to be honest about a complicated and painful aspect of his personal life, or to merely go through the motions of another record release without tipping his hand.