• Goat Girl Set For Whelan’s Show

    January 19, 2021 - By 

    South London post-punk foursome Goat Girl are set to play Dublin later this year. The band, who release their second studio album On All Fours via Rough Trade on January 29, will – all being well in the world – play Whelan’s on September 18. Tickets for the show are €15 and go on sale this Thursday (January 21) at 10am. Described by Goat Girl’s Lottie Cream as a song centering “around the idea of losing a grip on reality and how often this can happen” watch the video for ‘Sad Cowboy’ from On All Fours below.

  • Monday Mixtape: Fears

    January 18, 2021 - By 

    Musician, producer and TULLE Collective founder Constance Keane aka Fears gives us a run-down of some of her favourite tracks right now, from Mitski and Francois Hardy, to Laura Groves and Hannah Peel. Laura Groves – Foolish Game This is off A Private Road, which came out in December. The entire EP is stun, but this video transports me to a world I wanna be in. Laura is an incredible songwriter and I’m really excited seeing her release self-produced music now too. Hannah Peel – Emergence in Nature From her upcoming album Fir Wave. This song only came out but I…

  • Watch: Hannah Peel – Emergence in Nature

    January 15, 2021 - By 

    As one of the country’s most masterfully explorative composers, Hannah Peel has delivered some forward-pushing gems over the years. From 2011’s The Broken Wave, to last year’s Chalk Hill Blue, she has always delivered sounds that push beyond the here and now. On March 26th, the Northern Irish musician returns with a brand new album, Fir Wave. Lifted from that, lead single ‘Emergence in Nature’ is an exercise in pure ingenuity. Across four and a bit minutes, it makes for an unravelling tapestry of curveballing electronica, sealed by Peel’s compositional Midas touch. Pre-order Fir Wave here and watch the video for ‘Emergence in Nature’ below.

  • Moving on Music Launches Middle Aisle Music Agency and Development Project

    January 14, 2021 - By 

    One of the country’s most reliable promoters, Belfast’s Moving On Music have today launched a new music agency and development project. Working with a selection of folk, jazz, classic, trad and ‘other’ music from these shores, the aim of Middle Aisle is to “support and develop a selection of artists, introduce more ears to incredible music, and help musicians move forward in their careers.” Already, the initiative has added Arborist, Bairie, Blue Whale, Cahal Masterson, Gráinne Meyer, Jack Joseph James, Jack Warnock, Junk Drawer, Laytha, Réalta with Myles McCormack, Robocobra Quartet, Ruth McGinley, Scott Flanigan Trio, and TRÚ to its roster. Fair payment,…

  • An End-of-Year Catch-up With Ray Blackwell of DeBarra’s Folk Club

    December 31, 2020 - By 

    Back in 2015, we had a wonderfully insightful chat with Ray Blackwell, the manager of beloved Clonakilty venue DeBarra’s Folk Club. Five years on, the landscape of Irish live music is – if only temporarily – barely recognisable. Ahead of what will hopefully be the steady resurgence of the live music industry, we catch up with Blackwell to discuss the challenges, highlights and future of De Barra’s in 2021 and beyond. Photos by Bríd O’Donovan Hi Ray. It’s hard to believe that we last spoke to you back in 2015. A lot has changed in the meantime. Before touching on this…

  • Download: The Tan Jackets – Here Are The Tan Jackets

    December 23, 2020 - By 

    There we were, hanging up the proverbial keyboard for 2020 and Irish supergroup par excellence The Tan Jackets swing by with other ideas. And blessed we are they did. Spanning traditional blues, punk, garage and straight up rock and roll, Here Are The Tan Jackets masterfully distils what makes the Cork band one of the country’s most-loved live acts. Recorded in Rebel County between 2017 and 2020, proceeds from the album – which features versions of songs from The Sonics, Velvet Underground, Suicide’s Alan Vega and more – goes to supporting the incredible work of Cork Penny Dinners this Christmas. Founded…

  • Stream: Bad Operator & Artois – 130 University Street EP

    December 22, 2020 - By 

    If you’re in any way au fait with Irish drum & bass, you’ll most likely be familiar with Crilli. A Belfast clubbing institution, specialising in DnB, jungle and footwork, its residents and rotating cast of guests have been responsible for some downright legendary nights in venues including Black Box, Voodoo and the Menagerie. The address of the latter space – which sadly recently closed its doors after yet another rebirth – gives its name to the debut release by Crilli residents Bad Operator aka David Campbell and Artois, otherwise known as Seamus Barnett. Across four tracks, 130 University Street offers…

  • The Thin Air’s Alternative Christmas Playlist 2020

    December 21, 2020 - By 

    It may seem like a curse, but surely it’s more of a blessing that we’re not being collectively subjected to the same ten Christmas songs blasting from club and pub PAs on loop this year. In fact, if you ask us, the continuing shiteshow that is 2020 is yet more reason to take musical roads less travelled. For our part, we’re pleased to present our Alternative Christmas Playlist, featuring Yo La Tengo, Big Star and Mazzy Star to The Fall, Galaxie 500 and Deerhoof.

  • Watch: Tuath & Lunch Machine – Mountains and Grooves

    December 21, 2020 - By 

    If, when civilization returns to some vague semblance of normality, you ever find yourself in the supreme liminal realm that is Letterkenny, you could do much worse than seeking out two of the town’s finest bands, Tuath and Lunch Machine. Led by Rob Mulhern and Jude Barriscale respectively, they embody what makes their particular neck of the woods a bit of a scene unto itself. Today, we’re pleased to share the visuals for Tuath and Lunch Machine’s new collaboration, ‘Mountains and Grooves’. Spaced-out and sorcerous in all the right places, it’s a shapeshifting gem that – among other things – gives due consideration to the lesser-heard…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 50 Irish Releases of 2020

    December 20, 2020 - By 

    In years to come, when someone asks me what The Thin Air was and represented, I’ll likely direct them to features like the one you have just opened. Much like other publications of our ilk – Nialler9, The Last Mixed Tape, Goldenplec and others – we spend 52 weeks of the year relentlessly championing what truly makes Irish music special and, very occasionally, genuinely world-beating. We all do it in different ways, and to slightly different audiences, but the impetus and desire to shine a light on what we have is one and the very same. Although they’re almost never…