• Irish Tracks of the Week – 28th July

    July 28, 2023 - By 

    As we try to come to terms with the collective sucker punch that is Sinéad O’Connor’s passing, we also band together and celebrate the very best Irish music of the week from Naoise Roo, Alpha Chrome Yayo, Cruel Sister, Aislinn Logan and more. Naoise Roo – Sacred Cow Elaine Malone – Eat Out of Your Hand Alpha Chrome Yayo – Baby Steps Baby Steps by Alpha Chrome Yayo Cruel Sister – Hands Infinite Left – Infinite Bliss Infinite Bliss by Infinite Left Aislinn Logan – Tír na nÓg Nara – Scarlet Moncrieff – Love Somebody

  • Inbound: Chubby Cat

    July 27, 2023 - By 

    The last year has been markedly transitional for Cat Doran aka Chubby Cat; a new name, new city, and new vibe to contextualise the alt-pop artist’s emergence as she builds on the hype that’s followed her 2021 debut ‘slipping’.  The Cork-born artist made her Belfast debut at Output in 2022, showcasing to an impressively-sized crowd of listeners left reeling by her vocal riffs. A year on, having made the move up from Dublin at the start of this spring to work on new music, what’s to come is certainly Belfast’s gain. The BIMM graduate’s artistic ethic and approach are both…

  • Small Trans Library

    July 24, 2023 - By 

    Librarians James Hudson, Julian Bernard and Greta Jursys write on the forward-pushing goings-on of the Small Trans Library Dublin Photos by David McEneaney Founded in 2018 as the offshoot of a Dublin Fringe project, the Small Trans Library is an all-trans collective of artists and organisers working to bring Ireland a lending library of over 500 trans- and queer-authored books, a host of trans-led events open alternately to Dublin’s trans community and to the public at large, and a radical mutual aid fund which has redistributed over €40,000 over the last three years. The political mission of the library is…

  • Inbound: Lunch Machine

    July 21, 2023 - By 

    “I was working as a waitress when it came to me”, says Jude Barriscale of the origin of her band’s name. “It was really busy all the time, so I felt like a machine that brings you lunch. Lunch is also the break in the working day, the break we all look forward to.” Apt, given how much there is to look forward to from the Belfast-based quartet. Frontwoman Barriscale and company – guitarist Pearse Owens, Robert Mulhern of Tuath on bass, and drummer Kieran Devlin – channel disparate influences like Courtney Barnett, Deftones, Bicep, and “lo-fi hip hop to…

  • The Colour and the Shape: An Interview with The Bonk

    July 21, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of the release of their second LP, Greater Than Or Equal To The Bonk, and a much-hyped Irish tour, The Bonk’s Phil Christie talks with Jack Rudden about the orbits of rhythm, language as music and what it means to improvise Photos by Sean McMahon From time to time, you will come across a band that makes you rediscover why you love music. They’ll unearth that little spark that makes you go, “Of course, this is why we listen. This feeling is why our species decided to organise sound in the first place”. Other times, a band…

  • Irish Tracks of The Week – 21st July

    July 21, 2023 - By 

    It’s a stacked week for Irish music, with some new music from some of the best names around, including Maija Sofia, Jape, The Mary Wallopers, Kojaque, Nealo, Sweetlemondae, Moondiver and more. The Mary Wallopers – Wexford Maija Sofia – Telling The Bees Space Shepherds – What Fabric? What Fabric? by Space Shepherds Sweetlemondae – Turn The World Jape – Heal These Wounds Kojaque – Bambi (Feat. Gotts Street Park) Connor McCann – I Believe Al Reddan – Galtee Mountain Boy Galtee Mountain Boy by al reddan Moondiver – When U Land moondiver · When U Land Nealo & Jehnova – Tears…

  • Irish Tracks of The Week – 15th July

    July 14, 2023 - By 

    Here’s the very best Irish tracks and videos of the week, from Joel Harkin, CMAT and John Grant, Krea, Soda Blonde and more Joel Harkin – Letters From Alan To George The Sleeveens – Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls CMAT and John Grant – Where Are Your Kids Tonight? Krea – The Callows Soda Blonde – Bad Machine Drew Makes Noise – Flame I Have A Tribe – Fly Like a Bird

  • Fall Right Into Place 2023

    July 13, 2023 - By 

    The highly-anticipated second installment of Galway festival Fall Right Into Place will take place on 16th and 17 September 2023. After a hugely successful first outing last year with New Dad, The Mary Wallopers and The Scratch, the festival will once again take over the wonderfully imposing Claregalway Castle for two nights of top-tier live music, food and drink. Headlining the first night of this year’s outing on Saturday, 16th September are recent TTA cover stars Pillow Queens. Expect nothing less than a set of worldbeating indie-rock from the fast-rising Dublin four-piece. The following night, 17th September, sees The Murder Capital…

  • Some Buzz! An Interview With Honeypot

    July 11, 2023 - By 

    Kelly Doherty chats to the founders of club night and community Honeypot about providing welcoming and accessible events for queer women and their friends in Dublin Photo by Kate Lawlor A new series of parties proving community for “gay girls and friends” has taken the Dublin sapphic scene by storm. Honeypot, founded by couple Kerry Mahony and Emma Murphy – aka Rhyzine – just last summer, has already sold out numerous events and built a steady online following with its irreverent, bubbly branding. In a Irish queer scene where almost every other night primarily serves a male audience, Honeypot is…

  • Breaking The Waves: An Interview with Brìghde Chaimbeul

    July 10, 2023 - By 

    Off the back of playing Glastonbury, and the release of her thrilling new album Carry Them With Us, Christine Costello speaks with acclaimed smallpipes player Brìghde Chaimbeul about the sounds and inspirations behind her singular craft Photos by Monika Ruman  Carry Them With Us is Brìghde Chaimbeul’s second solo album and features a combination of original compositions and songs inspired by Gaelic folklore and archive recordings. The album is as dark as it is whimsical from the soaring lilts of ‘Banish the Giant’ to weighted tragedies of ‘Oran an Eich Uisge’. Chaimbeul’s rich understanding of her instrument adds a new layer…