• 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: 25th March

    March 25, 2022 - By 

    Here’s the very best Irish tracks to drop this week, featuring Ciaran Lavery, Axis Of, Niamh Regan, Buí, EFÉ, Fontaines D.C, April, The Wicc, Stomptown Brass, Laytha and more Ciaran Lavery – I Am Old Enough To Know What Love Is Axis Of – Blackcomber EFÉ – KIWI ​​ Buí – Walls Stomptown Brass – Let Me Stay The Wicc – Wolf Fontaines D.C – Skinty Fia Niamh Regan – Late Nights Zaska w/ Jess Kav – Calm Down Laytha – Wavey Gamey Fizzy Orange – Oh Carling! Zapho – Tell Your Mother April – When It Comes To You…

  • Other Voices to Make Dingle Return

    November 4, 2021 - By 

    Other Voices will return to Dingle later this month. Celebrating its twentieth year, the Irish music institution will return for a four-day series of live shows in West Kerry across November 25-28th. Taking place both online and in-person at the Church of St James and the IMRO Other Room, Other Voices Twenty/Fiche Bliain Ag Fás will feature performances by the likes of John Grant, Fontaines D.C., Kay Young, Houseplants and Gemma Dunleavy. With many more acts are to be announced, all of these sets will be streamed live to venues throughout Dingle and will also be available to view free of…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 50 Irish Releases of 2020

    December 20, 2020 - By 

    In years to come, when someone asks me what The Thin Air was and represented, I’ll likely direct them to features like the one you have just opened. Much like other publications of our ilk – Nialler9, The Last Mixed Tape, Goldenplec and others – we spend 52 weeks of the year relentlessly championing what truly makes Irish music special and, very occasionally, genuinely world-beating. We all do it in different ways, and to slightly different audiences, but the impetus and desire to shine a light on what we have is one and the very same. Although they’re almost never…

  • Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death

    August 26, 2020 - By 

    Veteran YouTuber and renowned online personality Tom Scott has an interesting point about the double-edged sword of Internet virality. He posits that if you want to be a successful content creator, then a viral smash hit at an early point in your journey can derail you just as you’re leaving the station. His argument fundamentally rests on the belief that most artists and creators don’t have a clear enough idea of who they are, or what exactly it is they want to say, at that early stage. It’s better, he believes, to spend time honing your craft and developing a distinct identity, rather…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – July 31st

    July 31, 2020 - By 

    It’s been another stellar week for new releases in every corner of the island. Delve into the best of the lot, featuring SOAK, Ailbhe Reddy, God Knows, Róisín Murphy, Sinead White, Fontaines D.C., Colm Warren and more SOAK ft. Gemma Doherty – I’m Alive Ailbhe Reddy – Between Your Teeth God Knows ft. BONY & MuRli – We Move The Needle Róisín Murphy – Something More Sinead White – Giant Spiders Uly – why did you go use your head? Fontaines D.C. – Love Is The Main Thing Bitch Falcon – Gaslight Colm Warren – Void KPZhhl-qJps

  • Franz Ferdinand @ Olympia Theatre, Dublin

    February 13, 2018 - By 

    You get the impression Alex Kapranos enjoys this kind of thing. The frontman strutted on stage, fully decked out in signature skinny suit and tie, looking like he was born there. Sporting a newly bleached quiff and rockstar pout, the Scot had a heavy whiff of Bill Nighy’s character in Love Actually about him. There were hips thrusts; there were finger wags; there were even Eddie Van Halen style guitar jumps. And like the aforementioned Nighy, you can’t help but be endeared by his performance. Before the Dublin crowd got this show of old school entertainment, there were some young…