• Inbound: Lunch Machine

    “I was working as a waitress when it came to me”, says Jude Barriscale of the origin of her band’s name. “It was really busy all the time, so I felt like a machine that brings you lunch. Lunch is also the break in the working day, the break we all look forward to.” Apt, given how much there is to look forward to from the Belfast-based quartet. Frontwoman Barriscale and company – guitarist Pearse Owens, Robert Mulhern of Tuath on bass, and drummer Kieran Devlin – channel disparate influences like Courtney Barnett, Deftones, Bicep, and “lo-fi hip hop to…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 10th March

    It’s been another stacked seven days on the new Irish music front. Here’s the best tracks of the week, from Lunch Machine, Problem Patterns, Brigid Mae Power, girlfriend., The Mary Wallopers and more Lunch Machine – Pipedream Graveyard Problem Patterns – Who Do We Not Save? Chubby Cat – Big Dog Barking Brigid Mae Power – Dream From The Deep Well girlfriend. – Trust Trust by girlfriend. The Mary Wallopers – Building Up and Tearing England Down New Jackson – Sanyo Shinkansen New Jackson – Sanyo Shinkansen (+ ELLLL & Lumigraph Rmxs) by Apartment Records Kneecap – It’s Been Ages Michael…

  • Watch: Tuath & Lunch Machine – Mountains and Grooves

    If, when civilization returns to some vague semblance of normality, you ever find yourself in the supreme liminal realm that is Letterkenny, you could do much worse than seeking out two of the town’s finest bands, Tuath and Lunch Machine. Led by Rob Mulhern and Jude Barriscale respectively, they embody what makes their particular neck of the woods a bit of a scene unto itself. Today, we’re pleased to share the visuals for Tuath and Lunch Machine’s new collaboration, ‘Mountains and Grooves’. Spaced-out and sorcerous in all the right places, it’s a shapeshifting gem that – among other things – gives due consideration to the lesser-heard…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Irish Tracks of 2020 (#100-51)

    Ah, 2020 eh? Unless you were living off the grid in a self-made banana bread house whilst rocking yourself gently to various iterations of ‘Happy Birthday’ as you washed your hands, then you will know that despite collectively living through the pandemic there were plenty of Irish songs to get excited about. 100 to be precise. We’ve listened to them on repeat since we couldn’t attend gigs, raves, or house parties so we’re certain we’ve selected the finest this little locked down island has to offer. It’s safe to say this year epitomised the true meaning of community in this country…

  • Irish Releases of the Week – October 30th

    Another phenomenal week of Irish music, we’ve expanded this time around to feature full length releases, including Nealo’s long-awaited debut LP, Kobina’s phenomenal charity compilation -featuring Jape, Arvo Party and more – a Tuath & Lunch Machine collaboration, Bitch Falcon, Dunluvly, Rebekah Fitch, Mick Flannery, Jackie Beverly, Silent Ghost and more. Nealo – All The Leaves Are Falling Kobina – For Nora For Nora by Kobina Tuath & Lunch Machine – Mountains and Grooves Dunluvly – Something On My Mind Mick Flannery & Anais – Minnesota Rebekah Fitch – Game Over A.S. Fanning – All Time Jackie Beverly – Sea Glass…

  • Lunch Machine – Alt Facts

    Letterkenny garage indie rock trio Lunch Machine have just released their debut EP, the five track Alt Facts, produced by Fugue State & Tuath. The band is led by Jude Barriscale, whose laconic delivery recalls earlier (and best) Courtney Barnett, Barriscale’s knack for injecting personal, universal truths with a detached sincerity elevates what could be slack meanderings into idiosyncratically-woven pieces, that veer from frustration at rural isolation, political outrage and, in the evocatively smoky, poignant-in-the-AM closer ‘Obi Wan for the Road’, love and loss. Take, for example, the 7> minute highlight ‘Yellow Door’, which is, in her own words “about me being humbled by my past mistakes and about how…