A stacked Friday round-up of essential new Irish sounds, featuring Chalk, Maria Somerville, The Null Club, Garrett Laurie, and more. Chalk – Conditions III The Null Club feat. Valentine Caulfield – Slip Angle Maria Somerville – Garden Garrett Laurie – Natalie Lucy Gaffney – Sigh Akrobat – Trumpet Ain’t No Gun Monday’s Child – Problem Girl Barry Peak – Ode to Pulman Ode to Pulman by Barry Peak
Without Alan Duggan Borges, the shape of contemporary Irish guitar music would be very different indeed. If you’ve even slightly followed Irish music over the last decade, you’ve heard Alan Duggan Borges. His work in Gilla Band hasn’t just pushed the boundaries of noise and post-punk (a term that has of course been curiously appropriated left, right and centre in recent times): it redrew the map entirely. Without him, the current wave of young Irish guitar bands simply wouldn’t exist in the same way. But with The Null Club, his new project, Borges steps away from six-string obliteration and into…
The Cúirt International Festival of Literature returns to Galway this April for its 40th edition – and what a programme it is. Since its beginnings as a three-day poetry festival in 1985, Cúirt has grown into an essential fixture in the literary calendar, a meeting ground for world-class writers and new voices alike. This year, the festival honours its past while celebrating the future of literature from April 8th-13th. Kicking things off in fitting style, Paul Muldoon and Sally Rooney will open proceedings at the Town Hall Theatre, setting the tone for a week of remarkable conversations, readings and performances.…
Kim Deal has announced her long-awaited solo Dublin headliner. Having played the city numerous times over the years with The Breeders and Pixies, the legendary Ohio musician will play Vicar Street on 16th June 2025. Tickets go on sale next Friday, 27th February at 10am, priced at €45. The news comes a year after the release of Deal’s long-awaited – and truly wonderful – solo debut album, Nobody Loves You More. Some jerk Brian Coney reviewed it for The Quietus if you fancy a read. Photo Alex Da Corte
This week’s Monday Mixtape comes courtesy of Cork maestro Cian Sweeney, the mind behind 1000 Beasts. Known for his collaborative ethos – bringing together a rotating cast of vocalists and musicians to craft genre-blurring electronic pop – Sweeney has racked up over 13 million streams, proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. With the release of his new single ‘Twin 47’ last Friday, it marks a first for 1000 Beasts – featuring his own (heavily manipulated) vocals and closing the chapter on last year’s Burning Flower project. Dive into his handpicked selections – from Men…
We’ve just about come down from Pulp’s long-awaited return to Dublin at St Anne’s Park in 2023. Now, Jarvis and co. are keeping the momentum going with a massive Dublin show this summer. The Sheffield legends will take over 3Arena on 10th June 2025 as part of their UK and Ireland arena tour. Explaining the decision to extend the reunion — and perhaps hinting at new material – Cocker said (presumably typed): “You deserve more – & we have more. In fact, we have More – (but that’s a whole other story… you’ll have to wait a little more time…
It’s Valentine’s Day once again and we certainly LOVE hahahah this new Irish music by the likes of Natalia Beylis, Alpha Chrome Yayo, Alannah Thornburgh, Crash Ensemble + Ann Cleare, Daithí and more. Seriously though, we do yeah Have a listen below. Natalia Beylis – Coy-Koi Coy-Koi by Natalia Beylis Alpha Chrome Yayo – Dream Chaser Dream Chaser by Alpha Chrome Yayo Alannah Thornburgh – Shapeshifter Shapeshifter by Alannah Thornburgh Crash Ensemble + Ann Cleare – TERRARIUM TERRARIUM by Crash Ensemble Daithí – Valentine 1000 Beasts – Twin 47 Dose – Parallelogram Blue Slate – This is How I Sleep…
Belfast City Council is considering bringing back Culture Night Belfast – but what shape it takes is up to you. When we were starting as a publication, Culture Night wasn’t just another date in the city’s calendar – it was essential. The streets pulsed with music, art and performance, pulling 100,000 people into the heart of something bigger than themselves. More than just an event, it always felt like a moment – a collision of creativity, community and possibility – something that, elsewhere, Output Belfast reliably taps into, year in and year out for music. But is that enough? Now, the…
Ahead of their Dublin show tonight, Anton Newcombe’s The Brian Jonestown Massacre returned to Belfast last night for a set at Ulster Hall, with support from Dublin’s Sun Mahshene. Photos by Seán Kelly.
A year after casting a two-night spell over Vicar Street, Patti Smith returns to Dublin this autumn for a special show marking the 50th anniversary of Horses. Joined by her band, she’ll take over 3Arena on Monday, 6th October for what promises to be a landmark performance celebrating her revered 1975 debut. By our count, this will be her 14th time playing the city, and it’s set to go down as one of the most memorable. Presented by Foggy Notions, tickets go on sale this Monday, 6th October.