• Irish Tracks of the Week – March 5th

    March 5, 2021 - By 

    It’s been yet another banner week for Irish music. Dig into the best new sounds of the past seven days below, featuring new sounds from Choice Music Prize Album of the Year winner Denise Chaila with God Knows and MuRli, Lighght, Laurie Shaw, Kojaque, Tolü Makay, CATALAN! and more God Knows x Denise Chaila x MuRli – Water Hatfield Field – Survival Is Triumph Enough EP Survival Is Triumph Enough by Hatchet Field Laurie Shaw – Forest Floor Forest Floor (Single) by Laurie Shaw Slomatics – Kaān Split with Ungraven by Slomatics Tolü Makay – Used To Be Conchur White…

  • Denise Chaila Wins Choice Music Prize

    March 4, 2021 - By 

    Denise Chaila has scooped this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize. The Limerick artist won the prize for her mixtape, Go Bravely. The news was announced via the RTÉ player this afternoon. Chaila was up against albums by artists including Silverbacks, Niamh Regan, Pillow Queens and Nealo. As well as the prize, the band walked away with a €10,000 cheque jointly funded by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). The Choice Prize song of the year went to Niall Horan for ‘No Judgement’. Revisit Go Bravely below. Go Bravely by Denise Chaila

  • Monday Mixtape: Niall Jackson

    February 22, 2021 - By 

    London-based Dublin musician and broadcaster Niall Jackson aka Swimmers Jackson selects some of the songs featured on his excellent new radio show/podcast Pears For Lunch. I’m doing a new radio show/podcast on Islington Radio talking to Irish Musicians for an hour. A deep dive, breaking down songs, talking about influences and approach and getting some funny tour stories. The first seven have already been recorded with three episodes out so far. It’s called ‘Pears For Lunch’ and goes out on Mixcloud every Thursday on @IslingtonRadio so far here I’m delighted to give you an exclusive on songs looked at so…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – February 19th

    February 19, 2021 - By 

    It’s safe to say it’s been another stacked week for world-beating Irish music. Here’s the very best of the lot, featuring tracks from Hannah Peel, Plaice, Elaine & Maykay x Daithi, Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra, New Pagans, HAVVK, Christian Cohle, Sal Dulu, Fya Fox and more. Plaice – Gabriel (Ascending) Hannah Peel – Evovocative Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra – I didn’t love you when I said I did and I don’t now Elaine Mai & MayKay – No Forever (Daithí Ambient Mix) New Pagans – Harbour HAVVK – Home Christian Cohle – Holy Trouble Fya Fox – BODY Sal Dulu…

  • EP Premiere: Christopher Hockey – Closed System

    February 18, 2021 - By 

    Bearing the subtle influence of shoegaze and electronic music, Christopher Hockey is a Cork indie-pop artist swiftly on the rise. Tomorrow (February 19th) the 20-year-old unveils his debut EP, Closed System. Off the back of recent single ‘After Dark’ – which features on the release – it’s a carefully-crafted, five-track effort from a singer-songwriter whose knack for a slow-burning earworm is matched by real lyrical finesse. Deftly exploring, in Hockey’s own words, “longing, adolescence, identity and exclusion as well as a guarded hope to improve one’s self for the better,” have an exclusive first listen to the EP below. Closed…

  • Playlist: The Songs That Inspired Body & Soul’s Ériu’s Threshold

    February 17, 2021 - By 

    Created entirely during the Stage 5 Lockdown, Ériu’s Threshold is a majestic, multi-disciplinary project by the team behind leading Irish festival Body & Soul. Originally conceived by festival founder Avril Stanley and Creative Director Mary Hickson during a site visit at Ballinlough Castle, Co. Westmeath, the project “interprets the past in response to the current global pandemic” via an outstanding cast of renowned Irish female talent from the worlds of theatre, dance, music, film, literature and fashion design. Presented as a film, filmed by award-winning director Mia Mullarkey, the project features a re-interpretation of Henry Purcell’s aria Dido’s Lament, which…

  • Video Premiere: Pretty Happy – Salami

    February 11, 2021 - By 

    We last heard from Cork art-punk threesome Pretty Happy early last year with the release of their single ‘Shmuck’. It was a scintillating four-minute effort from a band promising much more of the same. Fast forward a few months and the band’s new single, ‘Salami’, is the sound of a band very much delivering on that promise. A sub-three minute blitz of full-blown, face-melting Pixies worship, it’s accompanied by a video that extols the virtues (or, if you’re a vegan, iniquities) of the food product in question. Have a first look below.

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – February 12th

    February 12, 2021 - By 

    Here are the very best Irish tracks released this week, featuring Dani Larkin, étáin, Anna’s Anchor, Gavin Da Vinci, Daithi, Cherym, Teishi-1, Amerik with Gareth Dunlop and more. étáin – bone house Dani Larkin – Love Part Three Anna’s Anchor – Thomond Bridge Cherym – Kisses On My Cards Kisses on My Cards by CHERYM Daithi – An Irish Goodbye Gavin Da Vinci – Superman SUPERMAN by GavinDaVinci Teishi-1 – Haptic 3 Acid Break Haptic 3 Acid Break by Teishi-1 Aeons – Smile Amerik w/ Gareth Dunlop – Olive SHOCKS – Crocodile Tears Pretty Happy – Salami

  • Monday Mixtape: Loner Deluxe

    February 8, 2021 - By 

    Ahead of the release of his third album next month, Galway’s Loner Deluxe aka Keith Wallace (also founder of independent label Rusted Rail) guides us through his all-time favourite songs from Nico, Can, Mercury Rev, Silver Jews, Neu! and more Loner Deluxe’s Field Recordings is released on March 5th Mercury Rev – Frittering   I’ve loved this song for so long that when I heard Cian Ó Cíobháin play it recently on air on his An Taobh Tuathail radio show on RnaG I nearly levitated off the couch. This song and its parent album turn 30 this year and I’ve…

  • Pillow Queens Sign to Sub Pop

    February 10, 2021 - By 

    Pillow Queens have signed a publishing deal with legendary Seattle label Sub Pop. The Dublin indie-rock quartet, who released their debut album, In Waiting, last year, announced the news via social media. “Very excited to announce that we’ve just signed a deal with Sub Pop Publishing,” they said. “We’re over the moon that our album is getting recognition we couldn’t have even dreamed of when we decided to self release during a pandemic but we’re really feeling the love.” Sub Pop initially rose to prominence in the late 1980s via acts such as Nirvana, Mudhoney and Soundgarden. Since then, the…