• EP Stream: Pôt-Pôt – Ode To A

    May 5, 2023 - By 

    Following their first gig as a four-piece in March for the Port-To-Port festival in Lisbon, we’re delighted to give you a first listen to Ode To A, the debut EP from Cork-based experimental project pôt-pôt. Its four swirling, oneiric songs are based entirely around the note of A, with it being the only musical note used across the whole record. Cork’s Mark Waldron-Hyden (drums, synth, vocals) created pôt-pôt initially as a solo project – with the goal of writing only music that could be recreated as a solo act – during lockdown, before moving to Lisbon, where he met and recruited bassist Joe Armitage and guitarist Michael…

  • Robocobra Quartet Announce Irish Dates

    March 8, 2023 - By 

    Acclaimed Belfast experimental jazz-punk project Robocobra Quartet have announced a pair of Irish dates sure to be packed for September. This follows a year that’s seen them win the NI Music Prize for their phenomenal third LP, Living Isn’t Easy, and continue touring international clubs and festivals alike; meanwhile frontman/drummer Chris W Ryan has quickly become one of the most in-demand producers in Ireland for his work on the likes of Just Mustard and NewDad. The group set off for Austin for SXSW this weekend, before a further series of festival appearances leading into summer. Their two Irish dates are: Fri 22 Sep – Belfast – Limelight 2…

  • Brilliant Corners 2023: A Festival of Jazz in Belfast

    February 8, 2023 - By 

    Belfast’s finest annual jazz event is back this March for its eleventh outing, courtesy of the perennially-reliable Moving On Music. This year’s Brilliant Corners festival features thirteen concerts – and two free events – across nine days from March 2nd-11th set predominately in the Black Box and Accidental Theatre. As ever, the programming will appeal to all manner of audiences, from the pure experimentalism of Belfast’s monthly Handmade Music, to the futuristic, urgent eclecticism of Run Logan Run and Sarathy Korwar, to rising masters of pure jazz like Binker Golding and Fergus McCreadie. The full schedule for Brilliant Corners is as follows – with each concert set to begin within 20 minutes of door times: Thursday 2 March…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 20th January

    January 20, 2023 - By 

    It’s a real red letter day for Irish music, with new music from some Ireland’s finest acts. Check out our pick of them, featuring Lisa O’Neill, Arborist, New Pagans, Frog of Earth, David Kitt, CMAT, Danny Carroll, Ailbhe Reddy, Hands Up Who Wants To Die, No Spill Blood and more. Lisa O’Neill – Silver Seed Arborist – Dreaming In Another Language CMAT – Mayday Robbie Stickland – Time To Say Goodbye To My Old Self Time To Say Goodbye To My Old Self by Robbie Stickland Hands Up Who Wants To Die – L’inconnue New Pagans – There We Are John No Spill Blood –…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 13th January

    January 13, 2023 - By 

    The first new track drop of 2023 already has already provided a few gems, with fresh cuts from exciting new records from M(h)aol, Meltybrains, modernlove and many more. Mhaol – Therapy Meltybrains? – Ease That Mind Curtisy x Cillian – 7PM Five to Two w/ JarJarJr – Song 50,000 modernlove. – Ruin Your Night Somebody’s Child – I Need Ya Abe Soare – Oasis

  • RTÉ Choice Music Prize Shortlist Revealed

    January 9, 2023 - By 

    The shortlist for the 18th annual Irish Album of the Year in association with IMRO and IRMA has been revealed, as well as the announcement of three new prizes. The nominees for the main prize are as follows: Anna Mieke – Theatre (Anna Mieke under license to Nettwerk Music Group) Aoife Nessa Frances – Protector (Partisan Records) CMAT – If My Wife New I’d Be Dead (CMATBABY) Dermot Kennedy – Sonder (Island) Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia (Partisan Records) Just Mustard – Heart Under (Partisan Records) Pillow Queens – Leave the Light On (Royal Mountain Records) Sorcha Richardson – Smiling Like An Idiot (Faction Records) The Mary Wallopers – The Mary Wallopers (The Mary Wallopers) Thumper – Delusions of…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Irish Releases of 2022

    December 28, 2022 - By 

    As we rapidly approach our 10th birthday in May, it’s safe to say we’ve never been as assured of the game-changing depth and breadth of independent music on these shores. Granted, it could well be a hallucination caused by the sway of the ever-present now, but has it truly ever been better? Spending time with the following albums, EPs & compilations, spanning every sub-genre under the winter sun, we would need some persuading. Your move, 2023. Revisit our Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2022 100. Peng Weng – Six Of The Best Of The Worst Of Peng Weng Six Of…

  • Video Premiere: The Bonk – Trying On Oblivion

    December 12, 2022 - By 

    Long one of our favourite acts in Ireland, The Bonk‘s modus operandi is endlessly fascinating, playful experimentation in song and improvisation, led by (former O Emperor) songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Phil Christie. Gathering influences from 60’s garage, jazz and experimental pop, the band bring recursive rhythms and improvised melodies together in minimalist song forms. Their first record, 2017’s The Bonk Seems To Be A Verb had a limited cassette run through label thirtythree-45, and was a collection of one-off live studio takes patched together from various sessions over an 18-month period. Today, we’re pleased to announce that for their second long player, the Bonk have again teamed up with the thirtythree-45 imprint…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 30th September

    September 30, 2022 - By 

    In another excellent week of Irish music, dig into the best new sounds of the past seven days, including The Mary Wallopers, Fujiya & Miyagi feat. Everything Shook, banríon, Bedrooms, HamsandwicH and more. The Mary Wallopers – Cod Liver Oil and The Orange Juice banríon – dare to crush EP fooling by banríon Actual Acid – Half Time Bedrooms – huffing huffing by Bedrooms AILSHA – R.I.P. (Dead 2 Me) Paddy Hanna – Nightmares Imagine I'm Hoping by Paddy Hanna Ali Comerford – Cool Girl Pádraig Cooney – Centuries of Learning Centuries of Learning by Padraig Cooney This Throat – I sent it…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 12th August

    August 12, 2022 - By 

    With new EPs and albums from the likes of Elaine Howley and God Knows, and some incredible new singles from the likes of Anna Mieke, Stratford Rise, Kyoto Love Hotel and more, get a look at our picks of the week. Elaine Howley – The Distance Between Heart and Mouth The Distance Between Heart And Mouth by Elaine Howley Kyoto Love Hotel – Settling (July) Settling (July) by Kyoto Love Hotel Local Boy – Get Up (Out of Bed) Stratford Rise – Water Running Through Faucet Anna Mieke – For A Time God Knows – We Move The Needle EP…