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Electric Picnic sweeps the Irish Festival Awards
Voted for by over 19,000 music fans, the Irish Festival Awards were set up in 2007 by the people behind the Castlepalooza event. This year’s results have just been announced and see the Electric Picnic dominate proceedings:
Best Large Festival: Electric Picnic
Best Medium Festival: Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival
Best Small Festival: Body & Soul…
State vs Loudmouth Collective free gig
Having taken a small break in January, State returns to live action later this month with the latest in our series of Vs… shows. Joining us on Friday Feb 17th are the Loud Mouth collective, a bunch of like minded musicians, producers, DJ’s, vocalists, artists, designers, photographers and film makers. Musically LM crosses several genres…
Listen to the new Grand Pocket Orchestra single ‘Wednesday’
Welcome to a new month and yet more quality Irish music here on State. Grand Pocket Orchestra release their second album Ronald & Sylma… on 24th and we’re delighted to bring you the stream of lead single ‘Wednesday’. Having spent their time off indulging in various side projects, the track sees one of our favourite
The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know
On their third album No One Can Ever Know…, Scottish indie rockers the Twilight Sad tunnel further into the psychic muck that they have made their own, a poisoned world of abused trust and defiled innocence. As with their previous work, particularly their astonishing debut, the album’s lyrics often hint at that darkest of
Incoming: Django Django
Based in East London but, as we shall see, with an Irish connection, Django Django have just released their self-titled debut album and play Crawdaddy in Dublin on Feb 23rd. We already know that they make an intriguing electronic rock ‘n’ roll sound, but what else makes them tick?
Who are you and where are …
Various – Reekus Records: Too Late To Stop Now! 1981-2011
Every decent music compilation should tell a story. In the case of Too Late To Stop Now! 1981-2011…, a birthday celebration for indie label Reekus Records, the story is writ large across each of these 40 tracks cherry-picked from their stable over the past 30 years. It’s a sweet yarn too, for the large
The Cast Of Cheers – London
The young and beautiful of London town are gathered in to see a four band bill of the up and the coming. Recent blog exposure means the bulk of the crowd at the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen are here for hotly tipped Theme Park but State is more interested in the return of The…
Lana Del Rey – Born to Die
Lana Del Rey does not really need to release an album. Due to the warp speed of the internet she’s had a whole career in a matter of months but it seems that we have already tired of her before Born to Die… has actually been heard in full. All this, after two songs: the
Casiokids – Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen
Who knows what these Norwegian electro-pop kids are so happy about – we thought their home town of Bergen was full of black metallers stabbing each other in the face and burning churches. Crass generalisations aside, Casiokids’ third album Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen… (‘Revelation Over the Mountain’) is a hyperactive day-glo summer jamboree that’s on general
The 2 Bears – Be Strong
Although The 2 Bears, the cheeky London duo of Raf Rundell and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, often do press, videos and performances in pink-mouthed bear suits, like plush escapees from Anthrocon, the Winnie-the-Pooh schtick doesn’t mean the duo’s playful debut, Be Strong, is mere folderol. Be Strong… is a deadly serious – and seriously
Choice Music Prize live show details
It’s always one of the highlights of the Irish music year – certainly in terms of a discussion point – and March 8th will see the Choice Music Prize host its first live event in new home the Olympia Theatre. All ten nominees for the album of year (And So I Watch You From Afar,…
Update: New Cast Of Cheers video ‘Family’ / Jape remix
Having moved to London last year, The Cast Of Cheers take their first step into the world of traditional record releases with new single ‘Family’, due on February 3rd via School Boy Error.
As previously reported, the quartet tour their new homeland in support of the release along with new-wavers Theme Park.
The video for…
Delorentos – Little Sparks
Since the shenanigans surrounding their second album release, Delorentos have found everything they do framed by that certain part of their back story. It didn’t help that, despite the promise of lead single ‘S.E.C.R.E.T.’, You Can Make Sound… was not quite the record it could have been. Since its release, the band have maintained their
The Score: contemporary and classical news
Concerts of contemporary music are notoriously poorly advertised. The reasons why remain a mystery, though it seems that contemporary composers and musicians continually underestimate Irish music fans. Yet this country has wide-open ears, and an audience that’s open to discovering anything that’s new or exciting, regardless of the tag that comes with it. Modern music …
