The Thin Air’s Top 50 Irish Releases of 2020
In years to come, when someone asks me what The Thin Air was and represented, I’ll likely direct them to features like the one you have just opened. Much like other publications of our ilk – Nialler9, The Last Mixed Tape, Goldenplec and others – we spend 52 weeks of the year relentlessly championing what truly makes Irish music special and, very occasionally, genuinely world-beating. We all do it in different ways, and to slightly different audiences, but the impetus and desire to shine a light on what we have is one and the very same.
Although they’re almost never without their complications, annual end-of-year lists are always a unique opportunity to take stock not simply of the rich, diverse, and ever-evolving music community across the island, but also the bigger picture. Indeed, it becomes clearer with every year: that which defines and sets Irish music apart is a huge nexus of creative independents who invariably do it – and do it well – for the sheer love of it. Sure, money is always good (everybody should be paid for doing what they love after all) but when the arse falls out of it as it has this year, we push forward with eyes firmly fixed on the horizon.
As a whole, the following rundown of our top 50 Irish releases of the year is just a small snapshot of that unchanging and undauntable spirit. To the musicians, promoters, venues, managers, broadcasters, PR representatives, music writers, photographers, illustrators, and industry crew hanging on, working hard, taking countless knocks but dusting themselves down and going back at it, we commend you. May these songs rouse within you new visions of much better days – of gigs, festivals and experiences – soon to come. Fucking onwards.
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50. Bitch Falcon – Staring At Clocks
49. Patrúin – For MASI
48. RSAG – Chroma
47. The Velvet Vortex – ベルベットボルテ 渦
46. Malojian – HUMM
45. Stano – Anthology
44. Kobina – For Nora
43. Paddy Hanna – The Hill
42. Still, Life – Cork’s Lockdown Sounds
41. Brontis – Peak Grot
40. Queef – Presence
39. Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
38. Senior Infants – Sorry Excuse Me Can I Get Through There
37. Local Gods – Aghavrick Acid
36. UD – Fruitless Grapevine
35. Joshua Burnside – Into The Depths of Hell
34. Arborist – A Northern View
33. Gemma Dunleavy – Up De Flats
32. Kean Kavanagh – Dog Person
31. Sinead O’Brien – Drowning in Blessings
30. Alpha Chrome Yayo – Sunset Heat
29. Shammen Delly – The Peoples Temple OV Big Tom
28. Declan Synnott – Old Lavender
27. Nashpaints – Blindman The Gambler
26. All Times Now Nothing – Tears Voyeur
25. Olan Monk – Love/Dead
24. Trá Pháidín – blúiríní beaga
23. Katie Kim – Charles / VV11
22. MuRli – Till The Wheels Fall Off EP
21. Ten Past Seven – Long Live The Bogwalrus
20. Shifting – It Was Good
19. Arvo Party – Love Above All
18. Hilary Woods – Birthmarks
17. Natalia Beylis – The Steadfast Starry Universe
16. Fixity – 6
15. Mark Waldron-Hyden – Future Life Continuity
14. Son Zept – B
13. Roslyn Steer – Someone’s Yesterday
12. Kilian O’Kelly – Luzhny’s Layer
11. Various – A Litany of Failures Vol. 3
10. Nealo – All the Leaves Are Falling
9. Silverbacks – Fad
8. Brigid Mae Power – Head Above The Water
7. Bleeding Heart Pigeons – Stir
6. Denise Chaila – GO Bravely
5. Myles Manley – Cometh The Softies
4. The Bonk – Songs For The Mean Time Vol. 1
3. Pillow Queens – In Waiting
2. Aoife Nessa Frances – Land of No Junction
1. Rising Damp – Petrol Factory
About the Author
Brian Coney is the editor of The Thin Air. Talk to him about Philip Glass and/or follow him on Twitter @brianconey.
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