For fans of: Royal Blood, Twin Atlantic, Circa Waves
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It's been a while since Lisburn's premier garage-rock band The Couth last unleashed a wave of their chaotic, ramshackle pop, but after a hiatus spent crafting new songs and a new sound, they're back this Summer with their latest EP, 'BURNOUT'.

Everything from frontman David McCrum's passionate delivery, to bassist and brother Matthew's Mac De Marco-esque lackadaisical charm marked The Couth out early on as one of the countries most exciting indie-secrets. Buoyed by the euphoric sound of runaway single 'Cycles', they followed it up with 'Casual Sex At The Omniplex', which offered more slices of highly addictive surf-pop, perfectly capturing a heatwave summer on record.

Fast forward a year and they've ripped up the rule book, the heart pounding 'Bloodbreaker' EP and it's follow up 'Friday Night Fever' showing a new harder-edged side to the band...and it's here we reacquaint ourselves with the quartet, no longer the new kids on the block, but one of the most established bands in the scene.

Opening with the heart pounding 'Coming After' shows the direction of this record straight away. A Clash-esque bass line kicks to life a punk song littered with screeching guitars and an aggressive streak we've not seen before. We're also treated to a Royal Blood inspired breakdown and, as it's a Couth record, a chorus designed to be blasted at full volume, getting more and more anthemic with each listen.

New single 'Fire' races out of the traps with a Black Keys swagger, frontman Dave McCrum's lackadaisical vocal dancing over thunderous drum and bass. It all makes way for another huge chorus, which see's bassist and younger brother Matt McCrum joining in for a venomous, bombastic finish. What 'Fire' really does though, is act is show The Couth are a band always willing to adapt, constantly evolving; and whilst it would be easy to churn out a 'Casual Sex At The Omniplex Part ii', Dave McCrum's conviction to write exactly how he's feeling remains integral to the band's appeal.

A perfect example is epic closer 'My Head's Wrecked', a two finger salute to the pressures of the modern age, soundtracked by more rattling guitars and tribal drumming from Kyle Irwin. It's unexplored territory for The Couth, as Dave McCrum bares his soul for all to see.


You can tell from the first listen it's a massive live tune, catchy verses and a runaway chorus, but it's heavier than we've heard before. It's FIDLAR meets 'First Impressions of Earth' era Strokes, gripping and fragile, as if this momentous noise could, in the best possible way, cave in on itself at any second.

Wrecked though their heads may be, The Couth have proven once again that they are at the forefront of the indie scene in Northern Ireland with this record.

'Burn Out' may just catch fire.

For fans of: Weezer, Martha

Step for a moment into the world of SALAD BOYZ, four best friends making vegetable-flavoured rock and roll with their tongues placed firmly in cheek. Their latest EP is titled 'Silly Guys Having A Fun Time' and that's exactly what they sound like on 'CROCODILE' a track of such pure at heart charm, it could be easy to overlook the gentle sadness percolating through.

From day one, SALAD BOYZ have represented all that is good about making music for the love of it. In many ways, they are the human embodiment of a 'Wholesome Meme', never seen without their matching vegetable tee's, beaming smiles and banter-a-plenty. This is a band who don't care how they may be perceived, as long as the music's good, and on 'CROCODILE' they sound more developed than ever.

Frontman Tommy Haghighi paints a painful picture, longing for a past he's not sure even exists anymore as he laments; "I'm fine on my own, no one's fine on their own...". Guitarist Simon Gilbert's lead guitar sits beautifully above the noise, further compounding the major key melancholy SALAD BOYZ have made their trademark through songs like 'T-4-2' and the eagerly anticipated 'OVER',  that's been doing the rounds on various setlists for months now.

The intrigue surrounding SALAD BOYZ, their unique merch and links to the SALORD* aside, this is a band with a heart and soul. Just four friends making music, great music at that.
*check out the band's Facebook page for more on that.

Our Krypton Son
For Fans Of: Andy Schauf, The Divine Comedy, Leonard Cohen

Derry singer-songwriter Chris McConaghy, Our Krypton Son's debut record sparked a tidal wave of acclaim too substantial to be ignored. Whilst Electric Mainline presenter Stephen McCauley claimed him to be "one of the best songwriters in the country",  cultural magazine/website The Thin Air went one further, calling the eponymous record "unparalleled in this country at present". Sophomoric effort 'Fleas and Diamonds' takes all the gentle genius of that first effort, whilst upping the dosage of love and loss just enough to break your heart even more than the first time around.

Haunting opener 'Winter Taunts Spring' eases to life a record that sits beautifully between Buckley and Cohen. Other highlights include the Divine Comedy inspired 'Alexandria' and the brilliantly titled 'Falling In Love Is A Suicide Mission'.  

Oddly, Our Krypton Son's delicate take on the Weezer classic 'Buddy Holly', which could so easily have gone wrong, lives almost as long in the memory as his originals; the touching re-arrangement sounding like a future wedding classic from the first listen.

On a record swimming in carefully constructed layers, Our Krypton Son has manages to maintain an endearing simplicity throughout 'Fleas & Diamonds'. The reference points feel warm, comforting even, as McConaghy's original voice is never buried by his influences, only enhanced by them, making for an all around gem of a record.

Foreign Owl
For Fans Of: Royal Blood, Pixies, Axis Of

It's probably fair to say the tiny village of Burt, in County Donegal, isn't known for it's pioneering alt-rock. It may also be fair to say the tiny village of Burt, in County Donegal, isn't really known for anything at all; yet it is here we find 'Foreign Owl', a brand new three piece hoping to change that perception of their home village as quickly as possible.

Despite being a new outfit to the local scene, Foreign Owl were almost immediately picked up by BBC Radio Foyle, where Stephen McCauley was quick to praise their innovative song structures and originality.

Explosions of noise burst amidst the delicate melodies found in their verses, this contrast proving pivotal to the Foreign Owl sound. The featured track from their BBC electric session, 'Flawed', dances between heavy riffs and quiet contemplation, the musicianship at their core watertight as ever.

If they can maintain the ferocity of their live performances on future releases, Foreign Owl may give the people of Burt something to be proud of very soon indeed...




To watch their live session with BBC Radio Foyle click here.
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The Winter Passing
For fans of: Yuck, Candy Hearts, Cloud Nothings

As one of Ireland's most exciting bands, Tipperary natives The Winter Passing have had a significant weight of expectation thrusted on their young shoulders in recent times; and whilst for some this expectation can turn into pressure, The Winter Passing use it as rocket fuel on 'Significance', their latest single and possibly best release to date.

A DIY band at heart, they've built a loyal following through tours with the likes of Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms and Moose Blood, achieving plaudits wherever they've been. Explosive live shows, palpable energy and radiant enthusiasm prove integral to The Winter Passing experience, a difficult thing to capture on record. On this occasion they manage to do so effortlessly, as brother and sister vocalists Rob and Katie Flynn sound happier than ever before, even if their lyrics tell a different story.


'Significance', their first release since debut LP 'A Different Space Of Mind', is proof this is a band evolving at their own pace and on their own terms, as shimmering guitars merge beautifully with a driving bass line. Lyrically we see shades of self doubt dipped in colour as Rob sings "Sunshine follows my lonely mind, hold your hand til you let go...". 

We also hear one of the most uplifting chorus' of the year so far, as Katie Flynn's resplendent vocals explode alongside the noise beneath them. We hear clever dynamics at play too, making you wait for the final burst before fading to black.


A fresh and exciting step on from their first record, 'Significance' somehow manages to feel nostalgic too, as if the soundtrack to a happy time you've never had (or haven't had yet).

As an introduction to new EP 'Double Exposure' (released 21st April), this is a near perfect first impression.

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Pre order 'Double Exposure' here.

'Cicatrix' 
Various Artists / Over The Hill Collective
For fans of: The Travelling Wilburys, Kate Bush, Tom Petty

Based in the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, the 'Over The Hill Collective' are a band of older musicians collaborating and writing original music purely for the love of it.

The brain child of Oh Yeah's outreach development officer and lead guitarist Paul Kane, the concept grew out of a desire to get older musicians involved in music in a safe, exciting and productive environment. Together they write and record original albums entirely from scratch, with each member contributing a track.

As wonderful a concept as that is, the reality of taking a group of musicians, who haven't been playing together for very long, and expecting them to gel on a record together, is always going to be a tall order. Thankfully 'Cicatrix' proves to be a boisterous, spirit raising throwdown with enough heart to keep you listening straight through to the end...


What makes 'Cicatrix' such a joy to listen to is it's utter spontaneity. Any preconceptions you may have about an album written by a group called 'The Over The Hill Collective' is thrown out the window completely by Bernard Jackson's foot to the floor opener 'Next Time'; An upbeat strummer that could sit as comfortably on an Elvis Costello record as it could on (wait for it) the latest Weezer album, as is Rivers Cuomo's love of The Beach Boys and classic pop melodies.

Other highlights include the hauntingly beautiful ragtime of Liz Kelly's 'Jump In', which warns of the choppy waters of a failed relationship. All the while Kelly's theatrical charm remains reminiscent of American pop songstress Regina Spektor, a fifties swinging beat gently tiding the track to it's conclusion.

Paul Kane's own contribution 'Wash My Hands' provides a folk-driven stomp to proceedings, complete with the most catchy chorus about someone coping with OCD as your likely to hear this year. Elsewhere Rab Wishart's country-tinged ode to missing home could be straight out of a Disney film, whilst Neil Lavery and Danielle Ireland's 'If I Could' brings a floating Pink Floyd-effect to an album brimming with influences from across the decades, and most genres.

'Ultimatly 'Cicatrix' is a record of such unbridled, eclectic, joy that it's near impossible not to take something away from it. It serves as an example too, that it's never to late to go after your dreams, as summed up perfectly by twenty one pilots frontman Tyler Joseph during his Grammys acceptance speech recently;

For more information on Over The Hill & how you can get involved, click here.

Listen to 'Cicatrix' on Spotify here: //open.spotify.com/album/2KXr36Aif6aaoUy8vsIHGS

The Oh Yeah Music Centre's fantastic Women's Work project is coordinating a fun, exciting and ambitious photo call on Saturday 11th March!

They are inviting as many women involved in music and other creative projects as possible to be in a photo which will then go on to feature in an upcoming festival booklet, to be launched at the end of March (date tbc). Dates and content for Women's Work will all be revealed at the launch.

The final photo will also be added to the walls of the Oh Yeah Music Exhibition. 

Want to get involved? Simply turn up at the Oh Yeah Music Centre with a piece of paper stating your name, job title and/or involvement with music; this is in order to ensure you get a mention in the booklet. 

Don't miss out!

Date: Saturday 11th March
Time: 3pm-4pm
Location: Oh Yeah.