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
99. David Keenan – Crude
98. Myles O’Reilly – Cocooning Heart
97.Ben Flavelle-Cobain – electric//emotion
96. Ailbhe Reddy – Shitshow
95. Meryl Streek – 796
94. INNI-K – Iníon
93. Daithí – I’m Here Now
92. Wallis Bird – Hands
91. No Oil Paintings – Too Close To The Sun
90. Kormac – Equivalent Exchange
89. Sorcha Richardson – Smiling Like An Idiot
88. Rory Nellis – Written & Underlined
87. Yenkee – Yen
86. Laurie Shaw – Bat Sanctuary
85. Nine Raths – EP2
84. Phil Kieran – Nightride OST
83. Joey Gavin – Between the Mountains and The Mystery
82. Padraig Cooney – Centuries of Learning
81. Thom Southern – Plaza
80. Moving Statues – You Look Like You’ve Seen A Ghost
79. Jackie Beverly – Temporary State
78. Tuath – Iarlais
77. Oliveyolive – Life of Colour
76. Wynona Bleach – Moonsoake
75. Martian Subculture – Bank Prologue
74. Mount Palomar – Brace for Impact EP
73. Tr One – Never Be As Much Fun
72. Akrobat – Jammed Space Movement
71. Cobra Truth – Saturations
70. M Stevens & The Ghasts – Birds
69. Deaf Joe – Kalachuchi
68. Cruel Sister – girls my age EP
67. Kynsy – Something To Do With Love EP
66. Kyoto Love Hotel – When Do You Think It Begins EP
65. Anna Mieke – Theatre
64. Joshua Burnside – Late Afternoon In The Meadow (1887)
63. Cormac Begley – B
62. ROE – That’s When The Panic Sets In
61. SOAK – If I never know you like this again
60. Talos – Dear Chaos
59. Fontaines DC – Skinty Fia
58. Hatchet Field – Beneath The Black Mountain
57. Extravision – Land of a Thousand Unwelcome Advances
56. Thumper – Delusions of Grandeur
55. God Alone. – ETC
54. Jermiside & The Expert – The Overview Effect
53. Mob Wife – Eat With Your Eyes
52. Comrade Hat – Old Gods, Vol. 2
51. Ye Vagabonds – Nine Waves
50. Aonair – Loveheart Birthmark
49. Telifís – a Dó
48. Ciaran Lavery – Another Night at the Self-Indulgence Hotel EP
47. Two Nice Catholic Boys – Seconds
46. Frank & Beans – Nectar No More EP
45. Belacqua – Sand & Coppers
44. Melts – Maelstrom
43. Thee U.F.O. – Ponderous Fug
42. And So I Watch You From Afar – Jettison
41. Wild Rocket – Formless Abyss
40. Jane Deasy – Mouth of the Sound
39. Michael Lightborne – Slí na Fírinne
38. The Bonk – Songs For The Mean Time Vol. 2
37. Paddy Hanna – Imagine I’m Hoping
36. CMAT – If My Wife New I’d Be Dead
35. Seán Being – FAUX WINDOW
34. Alpha Chrome Yayo – Private Garden
33. Sinead O’Brien – Time Bend and Break The Bower
32. Natalia Beylis – Prophecy of the Beetle
31. Arvo Party – Heirlooms
30. Declan Synnott – Everything Lost In The Image
29. BB84 – Ardnacrusha
28. Henry Earnest – Dream River
27. Aoife Wolf – The Wetlands
26. Crispy Jason – Laminated Jason
25. Moot Tapes – Signs of Life 1-4
24. Hannah Peel & Paraorchestra – The Unfolding
23. Farah Elle – Fatima
22. Trick Mist – The Hedge Maze and The Spade
21. Pretty Happy – Echo Boy EP
20. Arthur Itis – Neglected Ambient Shirts Vol. II
19.Various Artists [Wah Wah Wino] – Kwalk
18. The Department of Energy – May Day (Landscape Mixtape)
17. Aonghus McEvoy – Under & Cracked
16. Lighgt – Seodra
15. Pillow Queens – Leave The Light On
14. Just Mustard – Heart Under
13. Icebear – White Dove Dream
12. Cormorant Tree Oh – Swoontide
11. Whozyerman? – Blink
10. Robocobra Quartet – Living Isn’t Easy
9. Clara Tracey – Black Forest
8. The Mary Wallopers – The Mary Wallopers
7. Silverbacks – Archive Material
6. Aoife Nessa Frances – Protector
5. Gilla Band – Most Normal
4. Junior Brother – The Great Irish Famine
3. One Leg One Eye – … And Take The Black Worm With Me
2. Katie Kim – Hour of the Ox
1. Elaine Howley – The Distance Between Heart and Mouth
