• Monday Mixtape: Joel Harkin

    In the latest installment of Monday Mixtape, fast-rising Letterkenny alternative ambient folk artist Joel Harkin waxes lyrical on some of his favourite songs, from Phoebe Bridgers and Kitt Philippa, to John Martyn and SOAK. John Martyn – Small Hours I really like how if you didn’t know that there would be singing later in this song that it would surprise you, it doesn’t give you much indication from the start that there will be. It’s very relaxing and it feels very poignant. I love all of the ambient sound and the interesting vocal style. Kitt Philippa – Moth This song…

  • Output Belfast Reveal 2020 Line-Up

    More than 40 Irish acts have been announced to play this year’s Output Belfast. Returning to various venues across the city on Thursday, February 13th, the county’s leading music conference will team up with the likes of The Thin Air, Nialler9, Music Venues Alliance, Pizza Pizza Records, PRS for Music and IMRO for its annual evening showcase. Running from 8pm-midnight, venues including Bullitt, the Black Box, Ulster Sports Club and the Oh Yeah Centre will host the likes of Silverbacks, Porphyry, Arvo Party, Sister Ghost, Tebi Rex and Cherym. This year, we’re teaming up with Sentric to host Son Zept, Junk Drawer, Fears and…

  • Line-Up For Quarter Block Party 2020 Announced

    The full line-up for this year’s Quarter Block Party has been announced. Taking place in various venues across Cork City from February 6-9, Cork’s leading celebration of music and arts features 100 artists performing over 50 events across 3 days. Festival organiser Caoilian Sherlock says: “We are really delighted to have Jameson involved in the festival this year, it means that Quarter Block Party can offer more free performances to audiences throughout the weekend and that we can support even more talented young artists and bands that will I am sure we will hear a lot of over the course…

  • Kosmische Kristmas 6

    That most seasonal of Irish underground krautrock supergroups celebrate that special time of the year with a night of “music that never happens again not happening again” for the sixth year running at Plugd this Sunday, 22nd December. The band features Cruiser’s Chris Quigley & The Sunshine Factory’s Jack Horgan on guitar, The Altered Hours’ Cathal MacGabhann on keys, Gilbert & Trá Pháidín’s Micheál Fitzgerald on Bass, Fixity/The Bonk man Dan Walsh on Drums & Flute. For just five euros, you can join them as they seek freedom through repetition until 1am. Walsh and MacGabhan will spin appropriate tunes before and after. Doors open…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Tracks of 2019 (#25-1)

    Whittling what has been a frankly exceptional year in Irish music down to a square 100 tracks was never going to be easy. It never is, after all. We say it every year and yet it genuinely bears repeating: the last 12 months have been something else. In fact, don’t be surprised if we roll out a Top 200 next year. Of course, end-of-year lists like these might well seem inherently arbitrary on the surface (it is, after all, not a competition) but scrolling through – seeing the sheer variety and scope and intent and vision of acts from all across the…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Tracks of 2019 (#50-26)

    In the second of a four-part series, we continue our island-spanning, genre-leaping countdown of the best Irish tracks released in 2019, from the spectral chamber pop of Rachael Lavelle to the masterful indie sway of Tandem Felix. Catch up on #100-76 and #75-51. 50. Rachael Lavelle – Perpetual Party 49. Zeropunkt – Bitch Nails Bitch Nails (free download) by ZEROPUNKT 48. Like Chandeliers – Scars 47. Rachael Boyd – Blind Spot 46. Kitt Philippa – Fahrenheit 45. Cherym – Abigail Abigail by CHERYM 44. Jordan Adetunji – Questions 43. Tau – Craw 42. James Joys – Fugitive Wound Fugitive Wound…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Tracks of 2019 (#75-51)

    In the second of a four-part series, we continue our island-spanning, genre-leaping countdown of the best Irish tracks released in 2019, from Belfast alt-pop trailblazer Rebekah Fitch to a truly stellar track courtesy of Ordnance Survey. Miss out on 100-76? Go here to catch up. 75. Rebekah Fitch – Poison 74. New Pagans – Charlie Has the Face of a Saint 73. Casavettes – Imposter Syndrome Imposter Syndrome by Casavettes 72. Not I – Please, No Kindness, Please 71. Sorbet – Born Purple (feat. mickeykiiatein) Born Purple by SORBET 70. Autre Monde – On The Record 69. His Father’s Voice – In…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Tracks of 2019 (#100-76)

    Ahead of our annual Top 50 Irish Releases of the Year (that is to say EPs, compilations, reissues & albums) list later this week, we’re counting down our Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2019 daily. While we always say it, we had a hard time cutting down the list – however, we hope this list will highlight the ongoing mission to promote island-wide solidarity between musicians and listeners alike, turning you on to something you otherwise might never have listened to, whether that be hip-hop loaded with kitchen sink realism, fist-clenched DIY LK indie rock, boundary-crushing experimental composition, or any flavour in between. And rather than giving the game away too soon, we’ve opted for the age-old descending option, starting with 100-76. Dig…

  • Album Premiere: Alpha Chrome Yayo – Twirl

    To say that it’s been a busy 2019 for Belfast’s Alpha Chrome Yayo would be something of an understatement. The one-man, full-blown synthwave whizz has very kindly drip-fed us a string of masterfully shapeshifting releases, from Lithobreakin‘ and Malediction Boulevard, to Komorebi and After Dinner Cigar last month. And what better way to round off 2019 than with Twirl, ACY’s new, ten-track album? This is the part where we normally wax lyrical about a release but, in this instance, we’ll happily defer to the artist, who sums up the release as so: With a sound-palette straight out of the Encarta era, it’s…