• Irish Tracks of the Week – 26th July

    It’s once again been a ridiculously prolific week for new music from across the island. Here’s the best of it, featuring releases by PostLast, Meljoann, Rejjie Snow, Buí, Thee U.F.O, Arvo Party, cbakl, God Is An Astronaut, and more. Meljoann – Bye Bye by Meljoann PostLast – Hollywood Ending Hypnic Jerk – Hypnic Jerk Hypnic Jerk by Hypnic Jerk Selu & Living Things – Merry Go Arvo Party – to evening kleio – mercury HEALTH GOTH WIFE – Where Did I Go When You Stopped passersby – leaveing leaveing by passersby Thee U.F.O – Glowing Friends EP Glowing Friends by…

  • The Rare Magic of Soft Gut Song Camp

    Since 2021, Soft Gut Song Camp has emerged as a wonderfully unique initiative to unlock the collaborative potential of artists, songwriters, and producers on the island of Ireland. Held at Julie McLarnon’s world-beating analogue recording studio, Analogue Catalogue, in rural Rathfriland, Co. Down, it has sealed its status as a sanctuary for genre-spanning songwriters from every corner of the island. Brian Coney reflects on time spent at its most recent edition in late June, highlighting the singular sense of creative solidarity that he witnessed at the camp. All photos by Graham Maree Back in the mists of time—2021—a spark ignited…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 19th July

    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

    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…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 12th July

    We’ve been spoiled with essential new sounds from every corner of the island this week. Dig into new Silverbacks, Or:la, And So I Watch You From Afar, Sun Mahshene and more Photo by Róisín Murphy O’Sullivan Silverbacks – Selling Shovels And So I Watch You From Afar – Years Ago Sun Mahshene – Pale Azure Or:la – Chant Laurie Shaw – Power Cut Keeley – Inga Hauser Ahmed, With Love. – WHATCHIMACALLIT Sweets – Sweets Callum Orr – The Trials of Knowing Lost Cities D.C. – Monsters

  • Monday Mixtape: Callum Orr

    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

    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

    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

    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…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 14th June

    There’s heaps of new Irish music out there. Dive into the very best of it here, featuring new tracks and releases by Ciaran Lavery, The Redneck Manifesto, Elaine Mai feat. MuRli, And So I Watch You From Afar and Conn Thornton Elaine Mai (feat. MuRli) – Echo And So I Watch You From Afar – North Coast Megafauna Ciaran Lavery feat. Morgana – Oh My God (No, Your God) The Redneck Manifesto – Hidden Hands Caolán Austin – Walking Into The Furname (feat. Our Krypton Son) Caolán Austin · Walking Into The Furnace (ft. Our Krypton Son) Conn Thornton –…