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

    December 19, 2019 - By 

    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)

    December 18, 2019 - By 

    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)

    December 17, 2019 - By 

    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)

    December 16, 2019 - By 

    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

    December 6, 2019 - By 

    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…

  • Temples To Play Button Factory

    December 4, 2019 - By 

    English neo-psych maestros Temples will play Dublin in the spring. The trio, who released one of the albums of the year in Hot Motion in September, will return to the city to play the Button Factory on 2nd March 2020. Tickets cost €18.50 and go on sale on Friday at 10am.

  • Video Premiere: Dear Drinks Man – Sprite Cranberry

    December 3, 2019 - By 

    In our role as a music & culture outlet, we realise the importance of uncovering the profound truths of the everyday. So, with great joy we’ve decided to premiere the first episode of Dear Drinks Man, a soft drink review webseries filmed live on location, in the internet, from Music Hall Pictures. Often inconspicuously, yet invariably-placed; promoter, publisher & man about town Saul Delmore Philbin Bowman is to Dublin gigs what expensive American imported soft drinks are to its convenience stores. Its name came from a moment when host Saul’s local shopkeeper saw him in his shop one day and exclaimed “If it isn’t the [colloquial definition] Dear Drinks Man.” The video…

  • Spilt Milk Festival 2019

    November 21, 2019 - By 

    The brainchild of one of the country’s finest imprints, Art For Blind, Split Milk is a brand new audio-visual festival in Sligo. Bringing together national and international artists to perform and exhibit in intimate venues across Sligo Town alongside emerging local artists, the three-day festival will take place across November 22-24. And the festival’s inaugural line-up is quite something. Including several TTA favourites, Percolator, Landless (pictured), Aoife Nessa Frances, Katie Geraldine O’Neill, Problem Patterns, Ensemble Economique, Jusme ft. Farid Williams, Gulpt, BB84, Dult, Spekulativ Fiktion, Rachael Lavelle, Diarmuid McDiarmada and Marge Bouvier will perform across the weekend. Better yet, there will be film…

  • A Litany of Failures Announce Volume III and Fundraising Gig

    October 21, 2019 - By 

    After triumphant failures in 2018 and 2016, A Litany Of Failures – an independent, cross-border compilation series featuring the best in alternative Irish music – is back.  Ahead of another double-vinyl release in July 2020, A Litany Of Failures is curating a series of fundraiser gigs around Ireland. These will feature the curdled cream of the indie scene, with the first gig taking place on Friday 25th October in JaJa Studios in Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.  A BYOB show, music on the night comes from Belfast indie psych quartet Junk Drawer – check out their NI Music Prize-nominated single ‘Year of the Sofa‘ – the Paddy Hanna fronted…

  • Video Premiere: Rory Nellis – When I Sleep

    October 17, 2019 - By 

    Over the last few years, Belfast artist Rory Nellis has steadily emerged as one of the country’s most respected songwriting voices. On albums Ready For You Now and 2017’s There’s Enough Songs In The World, his thoughtful, earworming craft has garnered comparisons to everyone from Conor O’Brien Villagers to Grandaddy at their most gossamer and contemplative. Nellis’ forthcoming new single, ‘When I Sleep’ is a meditative and delicately-crafted case in point. Released ahead of a new album in the works for release next year – and mixed by and featuring backing vocals from long-time friend collaborator Philip Watts d’Alton (Master…