Alphabetical certainly picks up where United left us; the Americana idiom is still there, juxtaposed with drum machines, synths and playful pop structures.
After repeated listens, Squarepusher’s latest offering conjures up an image of shaven-headed nerds smirking knowingly to themselves as they rearrange their collection of Skam rarities into alphabetical order while Tom Jenkinson heads off on another extended live bass guitar solo.
Currently on sabbatical from The Cranberries, Noel Hogan has recently been spending time working on a new project, Mono Band , in his large period house in Limerick. Though not without keeping abreast of developments in The Sopranos and 24, of course. Photography Liam Burke
Backed by apparently damning new scientific findings, there is a move across Europe to outlaw ‘Spice’ and other legal smokes. Will this bring an end to the booming legal high industry – or encourage smokers to look further afield for their chemical buzz?
It seemed like a good idea, if only for a moment or two. Jackie Hayden had volunteered to sample a number of well-known liqueurs for an article for Hot Press and someone decided that Blink frontperson Dermot Lambert should accompany him, to offer, as it were, a second opinion. So we sent a very sober Chris Donovan to clean up the mess. In the interests of good taste we decided not to use a photographer.
Irish labels, bands and artists often face an uphill struggle to garner recognition, even on their home turf. Which is why hotpress and HMV have undertaken their own combined initiative, to coincide with the announcement of the shortlist for the first Choice Irish music prize. As a product of this initiative, all ten albums will be specially stocked and displayed in HMV stores all over Ireland on the run-in to the announcement of the winning album later this month. Here, we take a look at the list – and reflect on those that have been omitted.
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE THAT OFTEN DAUNTING LEAP FROM SCHOOL TO COLLEGE. HERE, THE HOT PRESS STUDENT SPECIAL OFFERS ITS OWN INIMITABLE SAFETY NET.
EVERY YEAR, AND FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE SOUTH DECIDE TO GO ON TO THIRD LEVEL EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND. EMMA FLYNN REPORTS ON THE REALITIES OF ACADEMIC LIFE OVER THE BORDER.
The future is here. Well, somehow it always is. And, as usual, it is both familiar and strange. Nothing seems to change, but one day you turn around, it is 1995, and you are cybersurfing on the internet, summer seems to last all winter, ambient-acid-techno is bubbling away on the radio, your fax machine shows up on the Antiques Roadshow and papa’s got a brand new drug.
David Kitt [pictured right], The Frank And Walters, The Walls and Royseven are among the artists who have been selected to have their videos made, in a special programme run by New York University, in association with Hot Press. Royseven's recently released debut album, The Art Of Insincerity, entered the Irish album charts at No.17 this week.
