Brendan Benson should really know better. As someone who has collaborated with indie great Jack White and cracked the lucrative advertising and television drama music market with gems such as ‘Good to Me’ and ‘Cold Hands, Warm Heart’, one might assume that he would have perfected the formula for a credible solo album. Alas,…

The Wexford Opera House is not the first place that springs to mind for a gig review. However, the doors of this grand venue are open not only to the great and the good of the classical realm, but also to members of a more contemporary music scene.
This plush setting for The Swell…

Jon McClure and co. proved with their debut that respectable indie rock was something that they were more than capable of doing, and follow-up French Kiss in the Chaos is another indication that his Makers deserve to make it.
Single ‘Silence is Talking’ has the sound of a potential indie-disco floor filler, as does…

Professional classical musician turned solo artist Julie Feeney turned heads with her debut 13 Songs, even if it didn’t exactly achieve mass commercial success. The Choice Music Prize winning record has now been followed up with the equally interesting Pages, which is perhaps even slighter more accessible than its predecessor. Opener ‘Love Is A…

A certain Eurovision entry may have made the music-loving public wary of brother and sister combinations, but Carlow duo Chris and Laura Coffey are here to break the corny stereotype with their debut LP.
Laid back opening track ‘Berlin’ sets the tone for what is to follow – should we have a summer, this…

Skruff – EP
Lead track ‘Fabulous Weapon’ might not do anything of mind-blowing musical note but is radio-friendly fare from the Derry indie rock foursome that will at least stick in its listener’s head, if not in their long-term memory.
‘Set it All on Fire’ tests vocal strengths and suffers a little from over-repetition…

Patrick Wolf isn’t known for being understated, and from the opening of this album it is clear that he is out to arrest his listener’s attention. The fast-paced strings and ominous tones of both ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Oblivion’ are striking enough without even considering the obvious rhetoric of revolt that permeates the record.
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Niall Colfer might not be a name known to many, but as an ex-member of long-time south-east favourites Salthouse he has plenty of experience stored up behind this solo debut. Opening track ‘After All That’s Happened’ is a promising and uplifting start, whereas ‘Hohumming’ is as laidback as it gets, and is perhaps as…

The Academy was worryingly empty when at little before 8pm support act Le Galaxie arrived onstage. The band took the absence of an audience in their stride however, and treated the few present to new tracks from their upcoming EP. Synth-tastic noise their weapon of choice, this Dublin based band would be worth a…

After an Oasis-inspired but impressive set from Dublin-based support act The Brothers Movement the quietly psychedelic spectacle that is the Dandy Warhols took to the stage at Tripod, looking their boho-rock best and ready to teach the would-be indie kids a thing or two. A typically downbeat start gave little away, and even the…