• Under The Drum Festival Announces First Ever Programme

    July 26, 2024 - By 

    A brand new music festival set at the foot of the County Antrim Hills, just thirty minutes from Belfast, is set to hold its first ever iteration on Saturday 28th September. Set just outside Ballyclare, it takes its name from Drumadarragh, one of the hills overlooking its intimate setting of Breckenhill. Atop the bill are NI Music Prize-winning alternative folk artists, the supremely talented Joshua Burnside and Arborist, with the likes of indie-psych quartet Junk Drawer, Galway garage punk masters Oh Boland, Derry alt-pop artist Roe, experimental rock quartet Blue Whale, Brand New Friend, Cian Nugent, London act Arliston, Susie Blue, jangle-pop master Neil Brogan, Demi O’Hara…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 19th July

    July 19, 2024 - By 

    It’s a hefty week for new music from across the island. Here’s the best of it, featuring releases by Shiv, Ciaran Lavery, His Father’s Voice, Slomatics, Tongue Bundle, Robbie Stickland, Cold Soviets and more Photo by David Willis Shiv feat. Kojaque – Cherry Pie His Father’s Voice – The Blues Ciaran Lavery – Heart Malaise Slomatics – Silvers Ship Into the Past Silver Ships Into The Past by Slomatics Cold Soviets – A Decade of the Devil’s Rosary Tongue Bundle – Second Hand Banger Second Hand Banger by Tongue Bundle Robbie Stickland – The Revenge of Nosepicker The Revenge Of…

  • Monday Mixtape: how r u

    July 15, 2024 - By 

    how r u, the new slowcore project by Belfast singer-songwriter Thom Southern, unveiled his stellar debut LP moot last Friday. Ahead of an intimate show alongside lovver and ghoulgirl at the Black Box in Belfast on 31st July, he takes us on a guided journey through some of the tracks that inspired the project, from Duster and The American Analog Set to Grouper and Porch Kiss. Duster – Inside Out I first discovered Duster when someone told me my productions sounded like them and when I listened to them it took things to another level for me with new ideas…

  • Monday Mixtape: Callum Orr

    July 8, 2024 - By 

    Ahead of the release of his highly-anticipated debut album The Trials of Knowing this Friday, Dublin folk artist Callum Orr waxes lyrical on soe of his all-time favourite songs, featuring Tom Waits, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Frightened Rabbit and more Photo by Tadhg O Brien Ann Mayo Muir, Gordon Bok & Ed Trickett – How Can I Keep From Singing I came across this song only in the last year, but this recording immediately imprinted on me. It’s an old hymn from the 1800s, but a new verse was added in the 1950s in protest of McCarthyism, which I think balances its…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – July 5th

    July 5, 2024 - By 

    The very best Irish music of the week is here, featuring FIXITY, Thee U.F.O., A Lazarus Soul, Meryl Streek and more Fixity – FIXTY 8 FIXITY 8 by Fixity Thee U.F.O. – Flutter (I Found Love) Glowing Friends Find Love by Unique Freaks A Lazarus Soul – Factory Fada Meryl Streek – Paddy Love Command0 – Integration Dogpond – Hanging out with A-Tray Diane Anglim – River Armour by Diane Anglim Bren Berry – Beautiful Losers (David Kitt remix)

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 28th June

    June 28, 2024 - By 

    Arvo Party, Problem Patterns, Chubby Cat, Spit and Córas Trio line up as the big-hitters in another stacked week for new Irish music Arvo Party – OPTICS OPTICS by Arvo Party Córas Trio – Jackie Fitzpatrick’s Jackie Fitzpatrick’s by Córas Trio Spit – Suffocate Yrself Suffocate Yrself by Spit how r u – superstar Chubby Cat – Oh Honey Callum Orr – Floorboards Yenkee – Los Angelus Problem Patterns – I Think You Should Leave I Think You Should Leave by Problem Patterns Rodney Paz – Hold On Kayleigh Noble – Notice Me Malaki – Pasta

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 21st June

    June 21, 2024 - By 

    We’ve been a bit blessed with some world-beating Irish music this week. Here’s essential new releases by exmagician (did someone say one of the albums of the year?), Lankum, Stray Planets, The Mary Wallopers, Cold Soviets, Beauty Sleep and more exmagician – Sit Tight Sit Tight by exmagician Stray Planets – Messed Up Cold Soviets – Memories of Year Zero Memories of Year Zero by Cold Soviets Lankum – Live in Dublin The Mary Wallopers – Home Boys Home Fixity – WHY WAIT WHY WAIT by Fixity Beauty Sleep – Big Sky Hazey Haze & mankyy – SHY BOII GETS…