Two of the very best Irish releases of the year so far from Stratford Rise and Search Results, and essential new tracks by Thumper, Monday’s Child, Laura Duff, Foreign Mornings and more. Stratford Rise – Stratford Rise Stratford Rise by Stratford Rise Search Results – Go Mutant Go Mutant by Search Results Thumper – The Drip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Tsig43okIs Monday’s Child – In My Own Time Laura Duff – Sea Legs Foreign Mornings – Born to Be This Way Born To Be This Way by Foreign Mornings Daithí and Sinead White – Can’t Even Tell Me For Those I Love – Of…

Ennis, Co. Clare singer-songwriter and filmmaker Susan O’Neill, live at Vicar Street in Dublin. Photos by David McEneaney.

The highly-anticipated second LP by M(h)aol, the debut collaborative album from Confirmation Setup, aka Paul Morrin and Dunk Murphy, and essential new releases by YARD, Our Krypton Son, Tebi Rex (IRELAND IS NOT FULL!) and more. M(h)aol – Something Soft Something Soft by M(h)aol AOIBHA – Saturn’s Return Saturn's Return by AOIBHA Confirmation Getup – Style Time Style Time by Confirmation Getup Our Krypton Son – Trouble in Ward 4 Trouble In Ward 4 by Our Krypton Son YARD – YARD YARD by YARD Brigid Mae Power – Silver Strand Tapes Silver Strand Tapes by Brigid Mae Power Tebi Rex…

In the seemingly blink of an eye, The Great Escape is once again back to take over every corner of Brighton this week. And as ever, the UK’s very music new music showcase has delivered, and then some, on a serious span of emerging acts from right across Ireland. Running from tomorrow, Wednesday May 14th, to Friday, 17th, this year’s outing has quite literally just about something for everyone keen to hear the acts reshaping the scene right now – all thanks to week-long showcases courtesy of Music From Ireland returning as well as a very strong showing from the…

Atlanta, Georgia indie-punk trio Michael Cera Palin with support by Problem Patterns at Workmans Club in Dublin. Photos by Seán Kelly.

Living legends don’t come more legendary than Michael Rother. Thanks to Foggy Notions, the founding member of NEU!, Harmonia, and early Kraftwerk will perform a career-spanning set at the Button Factory on 19th September, drawing from NEU!, Harmonia, and his solo work. Expect deep dives into the Motorik grooves and ambient experiments that have made him a godfather of forward-pushing sound. From the Autobahn to the outer reaches, Rother’s influence runs deep – Bowie, Eno, Sonic Youth have all tuned into the frequency he helped invent. Joined by Hans Lampe (La Düsseldorf), Franz Bargmann (ex-Camera), and the brilliant Vittoria Maccabruni…

Dive into the very best new Irish music of the week, from Adore, VARO, CMAT, Laurie Shaw and more. Adore – Show Me Your Teeth VARO – The World That I Knew The World that I knew by VARO CMAT – Take a Sexy Picture of Me Laurie Shaw – Your Side of the Bed Fiona Lucia – Fire Fire by Fiona Lucia Aonair – Bittersweet Rescue Barry Peak – The Odes EP The odes e.p. by Barry Peak

Across recent years, Connor McCann has quietly carved out a rare space as one of Ireland’s most potent songwriting voices. Not simply admired within Belfast’s folk and session circles, he’s someone whose craft speaks directly to that uneasy place where memory, melancholy and perseverance meet. Whether threading grand themes through hushed confessionals or finding wry humour in post-crisis survival, McCann has shown again and again that he’s not just in the business of writing songs: he’s offering an ongoing document of what it means to live honestly, awkwardly, and sometimes gloriously, in this place and time. With After the End,…

Elaine Howley, Search Results, NewDad, Tolü Makay, YINYANG, Anthony Layde and others all hit the mark this week, but let’s not kid ourselves. The real headline is Mark McCabe, back behind the decks with the 25th anniversary of our de facto national anthem, ‘Maniac 2000’. Sambuca? Mark McCabe – Maniac 2000 (25th Anniversary Edition)