Michael Handreas will release the follow up to Learning – his emotionally crushing debut record – on February 17th, 2012 via Matador Records.
His second album is entitled Put Your Back N 2 It… and ‘All Waters’ is the first cut.
With organ keys and swelling synths, it has a fuller, more lush, arrangement than

In a bout of anonymity, so as not to detract from the music, SBTRKT’s eponymous debut LP was released in June of this year – a fresh-cut collection from a style-mashing experimentalist producer – and somehow, a ceremonial tribal-mask became the face of post-dubstep.
Playing The Workman’s Club in Dublin as part of Heineken Green…

With a reputation for soft rock, the latest material from Waterford crew O Emperor may come as a bit of surprise.
It’s still vintage in its leaning but ‘Some Small Mater’ is shift in decades for the band, stepping out of the ’70s and into the ’80s. Percussion nods to kraut but the buzz-saw guitar…

We recently ran a feature on abnormal associations and few collaborations are more unexpected than arena ravers, such as The Japanese Popstars, jamming with a folky, such as James Vincent McMorrow. But it happened and ‘Shells Of Silver’ wass the outcome, a beautiful falsetto harmonised over ambient reverbed piano.
‘Shells Of Silver’ is the latest…

Never underestimate the troubled life of a platinum-selling superstar artiste: dealing with excess, squandering millions and record company pressure – it’s proverbial fodder for that difficult second album and Aubrey Graham is chowing down.
Take Care works off the same template as Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy…, sharing the thematics of boastful celebration

Constructors of soaring electronic pop, Clock Opera will play The Academy 2 in Dublin of December 2nd – tickets are priced at €13 (avalaible from Ticketmaster) and we have two pairs to giveaway. Mail giveaway@state.ie with your contact details and we will be in touch with the winners by Thursday.
Singer Guy Connolly has a…

Self-described as “night-pop”, Alpines are Catherine Pockson and Robert Matthews from South West London. Earlier this year the duo released their debut Night Drive EP…, a stylish blend of wraithlike vocals and sharp synth production. The song ‘Cocoon’ followed, more dance orientated with darker shades while screaming classy sophistication.
Keen to experiment, Alpines have

Poet, singer, songwriter Leonard Cohen is set to release a new record in January 2012. Entitled Old Ideas…, the album will be his first in eight years.
Cohen won the Principe de Asturias Prize for literature in Spain in October of this year, on receipt he remarked:
“As I grew older, I understood that

Fleet Foxes are set to release Helplessness Blues…‘ track ‘The Shrine / An Argument’ as a limited edition 12″ on Bella Union. The single will include live versions of the ‘The Shrine / An Argument’ and ‘Blue Spotted Tail’ as well as ‘Montezuma’, available from December 9th.
With a story line rich in pastoral

Returning with Mr. M…, their eleventh studio album, Kurt Wagner and the rest of Lambchop will play Vicar Street in Dubin on Saturday, March 3rd 2012.
Tickets are priced at €28 and go on sale Monday, November 21st at 9.00 am from Ticketmaster and other outlets.

One-time alt-country champions, Nashville collective Lambchop have steadily moved into unclassifiable terrain.
Their latest single has sweeping strings, loungey piano and gauzy brushed rhythms. It could be from a classic movie starring Bing Crosby (or Perry Como at a stretch) if it were not for Kurt Wagner’s curt lyricism; “Don’t know what they fuck they…

New soul with a old voice or a new voice with an old soul, Michael Kiwanuka is a modern-day Bill Withers.
‘Home Again’ has been part of his live set since early summer. It’s acoustic soul with hints of grandiose, rolling with folk guitar, loose dusty beats and some choice cello.
“So I close my…

A couple of years ago a bunch of Rhode Islanders relocated to Brooklyn, New York. As Twin Sister they released Vampires With Dreaming Kids, a four song collection of expansive shoegaze with foggy rhythms and an icy disposition. This was followed by Colour Your Life…, featuring vaseline-lensed space-disco. Last year the band re-released

For her most recent appearance on US television, Lykke Li is joined the Söderberg sisters, Johanna and Klara, on backing vocals. The girls of course make up First Aid Kit, who are touring with Lykke Li as support around the States.
Lykke Li was on David Letterman performing ‘Silent My Song’, the closing track off…