Bangor-based indie four-piece Kowalski have made a preview track from their forthcoming album available for free download. Having received its first radio outing on BBC Radio 1 Introducing last night, ‘While We Drive’ is yet another shimmering and sun-kissed effort suggesting great things to come for the full-length album. Stream or download the track below.

Animal Collective continue a typically-intriguing run with a brand-new 7″ single coming out on June 25. The two-tracker consists of ‘Honeycomb’ and ‘Gotham’, the first of which you can check out via YouTube below.

Their last release was the Transverse Temporal Gyrus 12″, packaged for Record Store Day, the music coming from Danny Perez’ 2010 Guggenheim installation. Check it out at the Transverse Temporal Gyrus website.

In the meantime check out ‘Honeycomb’ below, and keep up with the eclectic group via their official website.

Reykjavik five-piece Apparat Organ Quartet (yep, there’s five of them) aren’t your standard Icelandic act, forgoing the delicacy of countrymen Sigur Rós and Múm for the altogether poppier vibe of songs like ’123 Forever’, below.

The group, made up of four keyboardists and a drummer, came together in 1999 to play well-known minimalist works but found they had enough ideas of their own.

Their self-titled debut arrived in 2008, every sound hand-played without a computer or sequencer in sight. ’123 Forever’ is from second album Pólýfónía, available from their official website.

Bangor electro-indie band Kowalski (above) and Richter Collective-signed four-piece Enemies are amongst 18 new acts announced to play this year’s Glasgowbury festival. Coming almost three weeks since the likes of LaFaro, Silhouette and Northern Irish alt-rock legends Therapy? were confirmed, the line-up for the annual Draperstown festival, which will take place on the weekend of July 21,  is shaping up to one the best to date.

With more acts still to be announced, below are the latest additions.

Kowalski
Enemies
Katie & The Carnival
The Man Whom
Droids
Master & Dog
Tied To Machines
The Dead Presidents
Tucan
The 1930s
The Jepettos
Scorpion Jack
Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters
John Deery & The Heads
Humanshield
Mojo Gogo
Intermission
4 Conors

For more information regarding tickets and the full line-up to date, check out the official Glasgowbury website or Facebook page.

Armagh rockers Gascan Ruckus have unveiled the video for their latest single, ‘Pieces’. Directed by Tristan Crowe, the same man behind their previous video for ‘Vitamins’, it’s yet another distinctly fierce effort from the Middletown-based four-piece, who play Belfast’s Radar at QUBSU on Thursday, May 24

‘Pieces’ will available from all major stores on the 24th May.

Check out the video below!

A new five-track collaboration from Glasgow producer Hudson Mohawke and Montreal man Lunice has been announced for the summer.

With the track ‘Bugg’n’ currently setting fire to dancefloors from America to Australia, the TNGHT EP coincides with the duo’s London live debut in July.

The pair, who have between them remixed the likes of Bjork and Diplo, first performed together at this year’s South by Southwest.

Check out ‘Bugg’n’ below, and keep an eye on the Warp Records website ahead of the July 20 release date.
 

The organisers of the Titanic Lockdown festival in Belfast have announced its cancellation owing to poor ticket sales.

The festival, which was due to take place at the T13 complex on the weekend of June 1-2, was to feature headliners New Order and Happy Mondays, with a support bill including Anna Calvi, Errors, Ghostpoet, Factory Floor and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.

A statement has just been released:

Due to poor ticket sales in a challenging economic climate, it is with great regret and disappointment that we must announce the cancellation of the 2012 Titanic Lockdown summer festival.

Despite a huge wave of goodwill, ticket sales have been significantly slower than forecast for an event featuring such high profile acts. As a result, it will not be possible to deliver the event.

We would like to offer our sincere thanks to all who have supported, endorsed and believed in the project. In addition, we offer good wishes to all local festival organisers, such as CQAF, Belsonic, Sunflower Fest, T Vital, Glasgowbury, Open House, Seedhead Arts, T13 and all local promoters and artists currently beating the drum for the Arts in Northern Ireland. They make a wonderful contribution to the cultural life of our city in these bleak economic times.

No one is more disappointed than us that the event will not now be taking place, but unfortunately the circumstances are simply beyond our control.

All tickets will be fully refunded – please contact your ticket provider for details.

Titanic Lockdown Festival Team.

Belfast-based alt-folk band Master & Dog have signed with Matchless Minds records. Following in the tracks of Tony Wright aka VerseChorusVerse in joining the roster of the independent record label jointly based in Ottawa and Belfast, the band (formerly John, Shelly & the Creatures) will release their second self-titled album in September.

Master & Dog gained widespread acclaim with their self-released debut, Dinosaur, and now look set to bring their impressive blend of folk and alternative to Canadian audiences.

Watch the video for ‘Long May You Reign’ by Master & Dog below (if you watch TV, you might recognise it…)

Belfast techno duo Psycatron (Paul Hamill and Dave Lievense) recently launched a label of their own, Inflyte Records, by releasing a single collaboration with Detroit Grand Pubahs – check some samples here.

The pair have also kicked off a mix series with a mammoth three-hour set – stream or download it below.

Expect Inflyte releases in the pipeline from Claude Young, Locked Groove (Hotflush/Turbo), Secret Cinema, Jokers Of The Scene, Ian O’Donovan, Kirk Degiorgio (Planet E) and Simian Mobile Disco.

Former Gallows frontman Frank Carter has unveiled the first video from his new group Pure Love, available to watch below. The band, with core members Carter and ex-Hope Conspiracy guitarist Jim Carroll, came together in 2011 when Carter left Gallows after their second album Grey Britain.

More rock than punk, ‘Bury My Bones’ sees Carter in a more melodic mode, with the same vim and vigour which made Gallows performances so exhilarating. Pure Love have been well-received, and this month begin a series of headline shows and festival dates.

Check out the video below, and you can download ‘Bury My Bones’ with an email signup over at the Pure Love website.

It’s been announced that the Northern Ireland edition of BBC Introducing on Radio 1 is set to end amidst a fresh wave of cuts within the broadcasting corporation. Presented by Phily Taggart (above), the weekly two-hour radio showcase of local musical talent will cease broadcast on Sunday May 27.

The surprise announce comes several months after the initial news that the BBC had intentions of scrapping the Introducing in Northern Ireland show (then hosted by Rory McConnell), an announcement which immediately provoked an online petition to save the programme.