• Premiere: Strange Boy – Waiting

    April 14, 2021 - By 

    A self-proclaimed “1000-year-old poet channelling through the body of a young man from Limerick,” Strange Boy (FKA Jonen Dekay) is well and truly a rapper on a mission. Having paired up with Rusangano Family and Naive Ted on his acclaimed 2016 mixtape, Passionate Example, he has since signed with Berlin-based label Welcome To The New World and collaborated with PX Music, as well as Hazey Haze, Citrus Fresh, GavinDaVinci, among others. It’s a forward-moving trajectory that’s been racing head long in one direction: the release of his debut album, HOLY / UNHOLY, in the summer. Working alongside producer Enda Gallery, it’s certain to lay bare Strange Boy’s singular nuance…

  • Stream: Chris Con – Around She Goes

    April 14, 2021 - By 

    As one of the country’s most accomplished drummers, working with the likes of Solar Bears, Contour, Leo Drezden and Pierce Turner, Chris Con has long been known for his dexterity and finesse. Now, the musician is stepping out on his own. Marking his first foray as a fully-fledged solo proposition, ‘Around She Goes’ is a deftly composed gem filtering that refined subtlety across a full spectrum of sounds. Taken from an EP, which is set to be released in the summer, the track is almost Wild Beasts-ian in its marriage of scopic pop and sublime falsetto. While it feels freeing –…

  • Revisit Katie Kim & Radie Peat’s NTS Show

    April 13, 2021 - By 

    Back in January, Katie Kim and Lankum’s Radie Peat teamed up with Percolator’s Eleanor Myler, Lankum producer John Spud Murphy and multi-disciplinary artist Vicky Langan for a truly breathtaking performance as part of this year’s Nollaig na mBan (if you missed that, you could do much worse than checking out Cathal McBride’s live report). Three months on, the pair ventured out together once more as co-presenters of a wonderfully genre-spanning special on NTS on Sunday evening past. Taking in Enya, Beak>, Robert Wyatt, Sonic Youth, ‘In Heaven’ from Eraserhead and more, it made for a suitably spectral hour of escapism. Thanks to the powers that be,…

  • MusicTown 2021

    April 13, 2021 - By 

    Of the myriad annual events, series and festivals that tap into what makes Dublin a truly world-beating creative city, MusicTown feels special. Suffice to say,  shining a light on the city – and the Irish music and arc community at large – has never felt more important, which is why the series’ return across April 15th-25th is one we’re marking down as unmissable. Setting out, as ever, to celebrate the rich music heritage and contemporary artistic lifeblood of the city, the series boasts yet another masterfully mottled schedule across ten days and nights. Kicking off with Cathy Davey, live at the Pepper Canister…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – April 9

    April 9, 2021 - By 

    It’s been another stellar week for new releases in every corner of the island. Delve into the best of the lot, featuring Katie Kim & Sean Mac Erlaine, D. McCabe, Beoga, Maria Kelly, TAYNE, Sinéad O’Brien, Elkin, James Bruce and more Katie Kim & Sean Mac Erlaine – Empire One Empire One by Katie Kim & Seán Mac Erlaine D. McCabe – The One They Couldn’t Fix The One They Couldn’t Fix by D. McCabe Maria Kelly – Martha Martha by Maria Kelly Sinéad O’Brien – Kid Stuff Beoga – Breathe EP James Bruce – Elephant Elephant by James Bruce…

  • Iron Maiden Set For Belfast Return

    April 13, 2021 - By 

    English heavy metal legends Iron Maiden have announced their return to Belfast. The Bruce Dickinson-fronted band, who last played the city back in 2018, will headline Belsonic at Ormeau Park on Monday, June 13, 2022. The show is one of many dates in the band’s rescheduled The Legacy of the Beast tour throughout next year. Tickets go on sale on Friday, at 9am.

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – April 2nd

    April 2, 2021 - By 

    Happy Bandcamp Friday AKA the only day that means anything anymore. There’s a lot of great new Irish music out there this week, so we’ve whittled it all down ten of the best, featuring M.CAMBRIDGE, Cryan, Laurie Shaw, licehead, Comrade Hat, Amerik w/ Travi the Native & more. M.CAMBRIDGE – Land Songs: The Ballad of Sok le Boy EP Land Songs: The Ballad of Sok le Boy by M.CAMBRIDGE licehead – Beta Male Fever (Pilot Episode) BETA MALE FEVER! – Reality Climax (pilot episode -21 mins) by Licehead Cormorant Tree Oh – Zip Issues Cryan – Rodeo Queen Rodeo Queen…

  • Premiere: Cormorant Tree Oh – Zip Issues

    April 1, 2021 - By 

    Cormorant Tree Oh is the music-making moniker of Dublin-based multi-disciplinary artist Mary Keane. Three years on from the release of her self-titled debut album, today she confirms she’s one of the country’s most compelling experimental solo artists. Taken from her forthcoming second album, new single ‘Zip Issues’ mines Keane’s command of folk horror revivalism, and plays like a four-minute phantasm in song. Marrying skeletal balalaika and disembodied samples with low-lying synth organ lines and – a focal point here – Keane’s arresting vocals, it doubles as one of our favourite Irish tracks of the year thus far. According to Keane, the song – which in…

  • Praxis, A New Artists’ Union of Ireland Launches

    March 30, 2021 - By 

    A new artists’ union of Ireland has been launched. Launched as a trade union today (March 30th) Praxis was initially founded a year ago by a group of artists who came together to create a united democratic representation for their trade. A year on, 400 artists have expressed an interest in membership. The union aims to unite artists working across all disciplines, including visual art, theatre, literature, comedy, dance, circus, and craft, among others, to improve their living and working conditions. A central concern early on is the Arts Council of Ireland’s funding process, which has drawn considerable criticism from the Irish…

  • Video Premiere: Invaderband – I Won’t Remember You

    March 23, 2021 - By 

    One of the most idiosyncratic garage/art-rock propositions anywhere on the island, Invaderband is the music-making moniker of Derry-based Mancunian Adam Leonard. Backed by the likes of fellow Derry artist Chris McConaghy aka Our Krypton Son on guitar, he’s been responsible for some irrestisible punk-pop gems over the last few years. Clocking in at just over two minutes, new single ‘I Won’t Remember You’ is a textbook case in point. The lead single from the band’s second LP, Peter Gabriel, it’s a breakneck burst of garage-pop evoking late-70s English punk immediacy à la Buzzcocks and Wire. Speaking about the track, Leonard said, “It’s not about…