• In Photos: The Choice Music Prize 2023

    March 10, 2023 - By 

    The RTE Choice Music Prize 2023 took place at Vicar Street in Dublin last night, with CMAT winning the coveted Irish Album of the Year award, accepted on her behalf by drag artist Lavender. In other awards, Moncrieff took home the Irish Song of the Year prize for ‘Warm,’ Fontaines D.C. won Irish Artist of the Year, Cian Ducrot scooped the Irish Breakthrough Artist and Sinéad O’Connor made an appearance to be awarded the inaugural Irish Classic Album for ‘I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. Live performances on the night came from Pillow Queens, Just Mustard, Aoife Nessa…

  • RTÉ Choice Music Prize Shortlist Revealed

    January 9, 2023 - By 

    The shortlist for the 18th annual Irish Album of the Year in association with IMRO and IRMA has been revealed, as well as the announcement of three new prizes. The nominees for the main prize are as follows: Anna Mieke – Theatre (Anna Mieke under license to Nettwerk Music Group) Aoife Nessa Frances – Protector (Partisan Records) CMAT – If My Wife New I’d Be Dead (CMATBABY) Dermot Kennedy – Sonder (Island) Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia (Partisan Records) Just Mustard – Heart Under (Partisan Records) Pillow Queens – Leave the Light On (Royal Mountain Records) Sorcha Richardson – Smiling Like An Idiot (Faction Records) The Mary Wallopers – The Mary Wallopers (The Mary Wallopers) Thumper – Delusions of…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 18th November

    November 18, 2022 - By 

    Here’s the very best Irish tracks of the week, featuring Joshua Burnside, Nine Raths, Lisa O’Neill, Mount Palomar, Anna Mieke and more Joshua Burnside – Late Afternoon In The Meadow (1887) Nine Raths – EP002 EP2 by Nine Raths Lisa O’Neill – Old Note Mount Palomar – Brace for Impact EP Lauren Ann – Adelaide Anna Mieke – Theatre Theatre by Anna Mieke M Stevens & The Ghasts – Birds Def Nettle – Architecture The Barbiturates – Pollitricks Pollitricks (Single) by The Barbiturates

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 12th August

    August 12, 2022 - By 

    With new EPs and albums from the likes of Elaine Howley and God Knows, and some incredible new singles from the likes of Anna Mieke, Stratford Rise, Kyoto Love Hotel and more, get a look at our picks of the week. Elaine Howley – The Distance Between Heart and Mouth The Distance Between Heart And Mouth by Elaine Howley Kyoto Love Hotel – Settling (July) Settling (July) by Kyoto Love Hotel Local Boy – Get Up (Out of Bed) Stratford Rise – Water Running Through Faucet Anna Mieke – For A Time God Knows – We Move The Needle EP…

  • Islander Announce Live From Home Concert Set For This Friday

    March 25, 2020 - By 

    Islander draws together four of the finest singer-songwriters in Ireland for a special 2-hour online concert on Friday, March 27. Performing – in half hour increments – are Choice-nominated Maija Sofia, the ambient experimental folk of John Francis Flynn, bouzouki, guitar & piano player Anna Mieke and Junior Brother, who wrote our Irish album of 2019, Pull The Right Rope. Viewers are encouraged to donate whatever you can, if you can, to these artists who have lost at least a month of work, with events cancelled and weekly gigs gone for the foreseeable future. All donations will be split evenly between the artists – you can donate here. Links…

  • This Month in Irish Music: April

    May 6, 2019 - By 

    Colin Gannon rounds up the very best Irish tracks released of the month just gone, featuring Eomac, Joni ft. The Cyclist, Bitflower Bb, Blusher, Fixity, Repeater, Fynch, Just Mustard, Anna Mieke, Leo Miyagee and more. Eomac — Drawn in Sand / Joni Ft. The Cyclist — Hapsi (DDR2) Last month, in a not-so-enlightened Irish Times article, an Irish music industry figure deduced from her experience that the advent of a new radio station dedicated entirely to playing Irish music is necessitated (in part) by the “fragmented and disjointed” state of independent music in Ireland. At best, this assertion is dumb…

  • Anna Mieke – Idle Mind

    April 30, 2019 - By 

    Hailing from the hills of Co. Wicklow, singer/songwriter Anna Mieke independently released her stunning debut full length LP Idle Mind in April; fusing elements of Irish folk music with those of global  traditions and alternative pop, Mieke’s debut is a tremendously promising effort. Folk influences abound Idle Mind’s soundscapes: Mieke’s cello drones underneath neatly percussive guitars and a layered arrangement of auxiliary instruments such as harmonium (played here by Ye Vagabonds’ Brian Mac Gloinn), bouzouki, piano, drums and fiddle. The bulk of the instrumentation on the album is provided by Mieke and Mac Gloinn, with additional players Matthew Jacobson, Sonny Sampson,…