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The Devil is a Songbird
Ports' long-awaited debut album is one to fall into and appreciate in full, placing them amongst the modern masters of sophisticated and heart-breaking alt rock -
The Zombies
It's the time of the season as the sixties pop survivors kick off the summer festival calendar under the twinkling lights at CQAF -
Two Door Cinema Club
There's no sign of new songs, but under the tongue-in-cheek guise of a tribute act the Bangor boys make a long-awaited reconnection with their roots -
The Sessions
Beatlemania returns to Belfast as the Fab Four's kaleidoscopic catalogue comes to life in a joyous re-staging of their Abbey Road exploits -
Transatlantic Sessions
The revolving folk ensemble leave little to be desired in a showcase proving them to be the crown jewel of the first Derry International Irish Music Festival -
Food and Folksong
Award-winning chef Emmett McCourt brings out the forward-thinking flavours of Derry's new music festival in a night where the menu matches the performances -
Mydidae
Martin Byrne's instrumental score for the harrowing Prime Cut theatre production stands strong even when removed from its dramatic visual context -
U2
For all their waning studio powers, Bono and his merry band still hit the mark on a politically poignant return to Belfast -
Beat Root
Robyn G Shiels and Richard Dawson turn folk on its head as Moving On Music's weekend takeover at the Crescent Arts Centre concludes -
Matthew Whiteside - Dichroic Light
Melding chamber aesthetics with electronic minimalism, the Lisburn-born composer's debut strikes a rewarding balance of abstract subtlety and melodic power -
Duets: Re-working the Catalogue
Van Morrison celebrates his 70th birthday with a committed, joyous collection of vocal collaborations featuring Michael Buble, Bobby Womack and a whole lot of soul -
Pound Music Club
The spirit of the Belfast institution lives on in the lungs of Kenny McDowell, whose voice still enraptures a faithful following after 50 years -
City of Derry International Choral Festival
New Festival Chorus reaffirms the city's musical status in a pitch perfect opening gala performance -
I Was An Astronaut
Derry singer-songwriter Conor McAteer takes a giant leap forward in a controlled and cohesive fourth album bursting with love in all its forms -
The Wild Swan
Recorded in Nashville and rich in variety, the third album from Foy Vance isn't just his finest yet, it bears all the markings of a contemporary classic -
Neil Young
He's taken half a century to get here, but backed by Promise of the Real the Canadian is still the hurricane force of old, and shows no signs of quitting -
Kathryn Stott & Martin Roscoe
Seventh annual Walled City Music Festival off to a thunderous start with two of the UK's finest pianists at University of Ulster Magee's Great Hall -
Ash - Kablammo!
By no means a perfect comeback, but there is much to admire about Downpatrick's most famous sons' 'back to basics' first album in almost a decade -
Donal Scullion
Though sonically on point, the folk singer's debut album is a game of two halves with middling lyricism revealing little of the artist himself -
Look Out Machines!
Duke Special goes electro on captivating new studio album, his most personal to date, propelled by synths and marked by a romantic, optimistic lyricism -
Lunch With Bowie
Writers and musicians pay tribute to the divisive, chameleonic rock icon at the Ulster Hall's latest Literary Lunchtime event. 'He was the human equivalent of a Google search' -
Disquiet
Therapy? release 'a sequel of sorts' to 1994's seminal Troublegum, a fearsome album that deals with addiction, ageing and expectation with typical vigour -
Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival
Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, featuring trumpeter Linley Hamilton, get into the swing of things at the Crescent Arts Centre – find out what else is happening over the coming days -
BBC St Patrick's Day Concert
Ulster Orchestra support Soak, Paul Brady, Duke Special and a host of others as BBC Northern Ireland prerecord a Waterfront Hall concert to be broadcast on March 17 -
Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival
Trevor Hodgett attends three gigs at the Empire and Holiday Inn as Cara Dillon, Foy Vance, Ken Haddock and others share stages with America's finest -
The Killer Instinct
Featuring former members of legendary rock group Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders produce a hard rock album that is derivative but essential listening for any fan of the genre -
Soak and Duke Special at McGrory's
Young starlet from Derry supports established artist from Belfast as guitar meets piano in a battle of the solo performers -
The Fureys
Celtic roots music aristocracy attract tourists from across Europe to Belfast's Waterfront Hall for a rousing evening of laments and reels -
Goons
The remnants of Fighting With Fire and LaFaro incorporate synths in new supergroup but ultimately stay true to their alt-rock roots -
Homegrown '15
A wealth of Derry's finest acts perform in the Millennium Forum in tangible legacy from City of Culture 2013 -
Piaf
Christine Bovill's emotional tribute to the famous French chanteuse leaves the Black Box in tears -
Niamh McGlinchey
The country singer entertains at Out To Lunch -
By Any Means
Two of Northern Ireland's most promising metal acts get the New Year under way at Voodoo in Belfast -
The Lost Brothers
Mark McCausland and Oisin Leech channel the finest songwriters in Derry -
Lit Up Inside
Van Morrison launches a book of his lyrics in London joined by Michael Longley, Edna O'Brien and Ian Rankin -
NI Music Prize
Robyn G Shiels scoops album of the year, while alt-metal icons Therapy? perform Troublegum -
SOAK
Derry's finest returns home after a year in the spotlight -
Lost Domain
Ash frontman Tim Wheeler produces a cathartic solo album following his father's battle with dementia -
The Gloaming
Trad supergroup play out the 2014 Belfast Festival at Queen's with support from Hannah McPhillimy -
Remembering Gerry
A host of musicians indebted to the late Radio Ulster presenter Gerry Anderson perform in Belfast
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