ØXN is a new experimental 'doom-folk' project featuring a quartet of unique Irish musical talents: Katie Kim, Radie Peat, Eleanor Myler and John 'Spud' Murphy. The band’s first single Love Henry is available now.
RTE Choice Music Award-nominated musician, songwriter and composer Katie Kim has released four studio albums to date, among them Twelve (2008), Cover & Flood (2012), Salt (2016) and most recently, the acclaimed Hour Of The Ox in 2022.
We need your consent to load this Spotify contentWe use Spotify to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
We asked Katie for her choice cultural picks...
FILM
The Laurie Anderson film Heart of a Dog. Laurie Anderson is one of my favourite artists. And an important one in my life. I remember watching it on my own in the Lighthouse Cinema with 2 other strangers and just being transported into Laurie's world for an hour and 15 minutes. It's a love letter to her dog Lolabelle, who passed away but also to Lou Reed, her long time partner and husband in a subconscious way and the mother she thought she didn't love. I could listen to Laurie speak forever.
MUSIC
Rachael Lavelle. Rachael played as part of our short film/soundtrack event at The Lighthouse Cinema last month and it was my first time seeing her live. I was completely captivated. Her whole musical aesthetic is so wonderful and strange and funny at parts. It's hard to describe but it really reminded me of early 4AD years releases. But completely authentic at the same time. Bob Gallagher just directed an absolutely deadly video they just released for Let Me Unlock Your Full Potential.
BOOK
Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison. No easy subject matters here with fractured family life in South Carolina and a the little girl narrator, Bone Boathright, whose mother can't stop loving her abusive partner.
THEATRE
Much to my disdain, I haven't been to a play since I was living in Waterford many years ago so I'm definitely not going to recommend one but does it count if I recommend John Cassavetes' Opening Night? Set a few days before the opening night of a play, it's an amazing film starring Gena Rowlands as an ageing actress and functioning alcoholic dealing with the trauma of witnessing a young fan being knocked down on a rainy night, who ends up haunting her while she's preparing for the play. John & Gena are king.
TV
It's very difficult for me not to always say The Sopranos as I watch it once a year religiously, but I thought Halt and Catch Fire completely went under a lot of peoples' radars. I think I just saw it advertised again recently on Channel 4 possibly? But it's a brilliant show about the rise of the tech industry in the 80's when IBM cornered the market, before Google or Apple. I think i watched it all in a few days. 10/10.
GIG
The last gig I attended was Lankum in Vicar St. I don't really have words. I didn't move for the whole show. The lads have really created their own world live. They're the best live band in Ireland at the moment.
Also really looking forward to Elaine Howley & Maija Sofia playing on the same bill for Quarter Block Party in Cork on 15th July.
ART
4ever Francis Bacon. The original.
PODCAST
Fire Draw Near is Ian Lynch of Lankum's podcast exploring Irish Traditional Music and the history of the song, this podcast has some unforgettable playlists. I keep going back over older episodes.
We need your consent to load this Spotify contentWe use Spotify to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
TECH
I'm a little obsessed with the Cargo site that showcases some really exceptional graphic designers and artists. I find myself loosing hours diving into them.
This week, Liam Gillick, abstraction, and The Wheel of Fortune!https://t.co/F55E9dRtNg pic.twitter.com/37V10UhOYr
— Cargo (@cargocollective) February 2, 2021
THE NEXT BIG THING...
Irish Wine? Why don't we have more Irish wine?
Love Henry by ØXN is available now.
