We made it. Another year, another chapter in the ever-expanding story of extraordinary Irish music. At the close of last year’s list, we dared 2024 to rise to the challenge. Twelve months later, this island’s unstoppable scene hasn’t just answered the call – it’s once again shattered expectations. Emerging voices and seasoned icons, bedroom producers and global trailblazers alike have flipped the script, raised the bar and delivered a tapestry of sound as diverse as it is thrilling.
In our 2022 round-up, we noted how Irish music seemed to channel the chaos of the world, and that urgency hasn’t let up. This year brought releases that stretched sonic boundaries, sparked essential conversations and proved – once again – why this community feels genuinely vital and legitimately world-beating.
Sure, we could delve into the challenges – AI’s looming shadow, tectonic shifts in how music is made and shared – but today, we’d rather focus on something more powerful: the unwavering vision, resilience and artistry of Ireland’s music-makers. For over a decade, The Thin Air has been devoted to documenting and celebrating the music of this island, and the spirit behind that mission hasn’t changed.
What follows is the culmination of a year spent listening, debating and curating – a showcase of the sheer breadth and brilliance of Irish music in 2024. From albums and EPs to compilations, it’s not just a snapshot of the year’s output but a celebration of the artists who’ve not only pushed forward but thrived in the face of industry and worldly uncertainty. With (mostly) Bandcamp embeds for easy discovery, we hope you find a few new favourites – and look ahead with us to another groundbreaking year for Irish music. Nollaig shona dhuit!
100. Optic Chain – The Shadow of a Snakepit
99. Sack – Wake Up People!
98. TRAMP – BIMBOFICATION
97. Wastefellow – Wastee
96. Gurriers – Come and See
95. Cold Soviets – Memories of Year Zero
94. Christy Moore – A Terrible Beauty
93. Hatchet Field – Gather Them Home
92. And So I Watch You From Afar – Megafauna
91. Cherym – Take It Or Leave It
90. Boyfrens – Dublin Based Icon
89. Adjunct Ensemble – Habits Of Assembly: Live at Cafe OTO
88. Sun Mahshene – A Place We’ve Never Been
87. Akrobat – Shank
86. Toby Kaar – That Was Then
85. HAVVK – You Say You Won’t
84. Skinner – Calling In Sick
83. Cathal Roche – Essential Tremors
82. A Lazarus Soul – Wildflowers
81. Thee U.F.O – Beaming A Moments Reflection
80. Rejjie Snow – PEACE 2 DA WORLD
79. Arvo Party – Devotions VII
78. Tongue Bundle – Second Hand Banger
77. Niamh Regan – Come As You Are
76. Myles O’Reilly – Music From The Threshold/Thirty Minutes To Departure
75. Niwel Tsumbu – Milimo
74. Autumns – Dyslexia Sound Source
73. Fontaines D.C. – Romance
72. Alpha Chrome Yayo – Constant Night
71. SLOUCHO – NPC
70. Connor McCann – Without Wax
69. New Jackson – Oops!... Pop
68. Messyng FC – Lisselton John Street Football 2k12
67. Niamh Bury – Yellow Roses
66. bog band – Vanity Project
65. Villagers – That Golden Time
64. Polytunnel – The Word for World is Forest
63. Lemoncello – Lemoncello
62. Tr One – Is This The End
61. PostLast – Pull Me Into The Open Sea
60. pigbaby – I Don’t Care If Anyone Listens To This Shit Unless You Do
59. Pillow Queens – Name Your Sorrow
58. Córas Trio – Córas Trio
57. The Sleeveens – The Sleeveens
56. Bill Karnation – Guided Automation
55. Minced Oath – Two Way Silver
54. Gareth Quinn Redmond & Albert Karch – Warszawa
53. Chalk – Conditions II
52. Fierce Shook – Something Sophisticated
51. Pippa Molony – Hungry Ghost
50. NewDad – MADRA
49. Carlos Danger – Irish Hash Mafia
48. The Deadlians – Rid The Land of Greedy Toads
47. Curtisy – What Was The Question
46. Mel Keane – Airs
45. Soft On Crime – Street Hardware
44. Coolgirl – Road Closures
43. Post Punk Podge & the Technohippies – KEEP ON RAVING IN THE FIRST WORLD
42. Ciaran Lavery – Light Entertainment
41. Neil Ó Lochlain & Cuar – Tairseach
40. Various Artists – Hunger is Violence [Diet of Worms]
39. Danny Carroll – I Am The Cheese
38. PANIKATAX – A Sudden And Unpleasant Change
37. So Cow – Affected Services
36. Deathbed Convert – Inverse Field Vol. 1 – Inishowen
35. Sprints – Letter To Self
34. Fears – Affinity
33. Anenome – Human Remains
32. Search Results – Hot Night
31. Various Artists – Ar Ais Arís Volume 1
30. Seamas Hyland – Maidin Domhnaigh
29. Various Artists – Moot Tapes Single Series Vol. 1
28. Crispy Jason – Shadowcon One
27. Ahmed, With Love. – COMMA, FULLSTOP.
26. MELTS – Field Theory
25. Princ€ss – Princ€ss
24. His Father’s Voice – Black Poison Morning
23. Spit – Suffocate Yrself
22. Jane Deasy – Pink Noise/Ool
21. Oisin Leech – Cold Sea
20. Cormorant Tree Oh – Moonish
19. Oh Boland – Western Leisure
18. Fohn – Seanteach
17. Natalia Beylis – Lost – For Annie
16. Fixity – Fixity 8
15. pôt-pot – Going Insane
14. Henry Earnest – Big Blue
13. Robbie Stickland – Lastingness
12. Blue Whale – Last Immediate Images
11. Macdara Yeates – Traditional Singing from Dublin
10. Or:la – Trusting Theata
9. The Personal Vanity Project – The Personal Vanity Project
8. Shiv – the defiance of a sadgirl
7. exmagician – Sit Tight
6. Bedrooms – Perfectly Still
5. David Murphy – Cuimhe Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar
4. Landless – Lúireach
3. Silverbacks – Easy Being A Winner
2. RÓIS – MO LÉAN
1. Mohammad Syfkhan – I Am Kurdish
