POSTS TAGGED : Irish

Elliott Mo – ‘Oceans’

Elliott Mo is an Irish producer / electronic musician who has a flair for dynamic dancefloor focused electronica.

Mo’s Latest single, ‘Oceans’ is a perfect example and is nothing short of stunning. A gorgeous marriage of epic euphoria, ethereal electronica and frosty, crisp elegance – it is spine-tingling immersive and hypnotic – majestically blurring the lines between exhilarating electro and ethereal electronica. A spectacular four minutes that is spearheaded by glistening tones, chimes and elegant splashes of electronics while a deep, propulsive groove bubbles away in tandem with solid beats – swerving energetically for the dancefloor. Lush, glistening and altogether alive, you will be consumed by waves of crunching beats, liquid blissfulness and boundless flourishes of crystalline percussion. ‘Oceans’ is a magnificent introduction to a very promising talent, no question.

Listen to ‘Oceans’ below – it does not disappoint:

Ailbhe Reddy – ‘Looking Happy’

Dubliner Ailbhe Reddy is gearing up to release her debut album, Personal History, on October 2 and has been teasing the record with singles ‘Time Difference’ and ‘Between Your Teeth’, and now ‘Looking Happy’.

‘Looking Happy’ is a buoyant and bouncy indie-pop jam that is simultaneously happy and sad.Punchy guitars dance above a bouncy beat, jerky groove and splashes of cosmic synth while Reddy’s vocals soar powerfully above. ‘Looking Happy’ is a bright and buoyant indie-pop-powerhouse, adorned with addictive hooks you could hang your hat on but with melancholic themes seeping through as lyrically, Reddy laments an ex’s life unfolding on social media. An irresistible jam that exquisitely blurs the lines of beauty and darkness.

Listen to ‘Looking Happy’ below and keep an eye out for debut album, Personal History, on October 2. 

Tebi Rex – ‘I Got My Whole’

Tebi Rex are a hip hop pairing – Max Zanga and Matt O – based in Maynooth, Co Kildare, who together craft slick and easy on the ear jams.

New single ‘I Got My Whole’ is a case in point; a lush, dreamy and sunny pop-infused track. It is a track of irresistible charm as the pair’s sweet, smooth and melodic vocals (delivering tongue in cheek lyrics) drift elegantly above a steady and seductive beat/groove al amid a plush and charming twinkling chime of shimmering synths and blanket of hazy electronic tones.It is a beautiful and delightfully addictive cut – one that will be stuck on your head for AGES.

Listen to  ‘I Got My Whole’ below.


Denise Chaila – ‘Chaila’

Limerick MC Denise Chaila has been on the up since the release of ‘Copper Bullet’ / ‘Duel Citizenship’ early last year but 2020 has been a big one.

In March Chaila appeared alongside other guests on God Know’s banger ‘Who’s Asking? South West Allstars Remix’ before a show stopping performance as part of Other Voices Courage 2020 series – and now, released a brilliant new single ‘Chaila’. A perfect blend of poise and poetry, it is slick, smooth and suave as it bobs along a ridiculously addicting groove and guitar riff – the latter is the hook that everything else is built on, providing an alluring platform for the syrupy smooth vocals to thrive as powerful and poignant lyrics. A superb track and one that’s been on constant rotation for the best part of the summer.

Listen to ‘Chaila’ below:

Sprints – ‘The Cheek’

Sprints are Dublin-based post-punk foursome of Karla Chubb (vocals/guitar), Colm O’Reilly (guitar), Sam McCann (bass) and Jack Callan (drums).

Together, Sprints create a raw, raucous and potent post-punk sound – one filled with a ferocious blend snarling vocals, driving rhythms, meaty riffs, swagger and noise. The aforementioned attributes are captured perfectly by their latest single ‘The Cheek’; re-released as part of  Nice Swan Records’ monthly singles club. ‘The Cheek’ is loud, confident, and defiant. Driven by a fierce and propulsive bass line, it grabs you from the off and refuses to relent as it swaggers along barrelling drumbeat. Guitars rumble, buzz and crunch amidst the hail of noise and feedback as Chubb’s vocals increase their bite, growing increasingly defiant, leading the charge to an electrifying climax. A huge, thrilling and furious jam, delivered with a swagger and laced with sarcasm, ‘The Cheek’ tackles sexuality head on.

An absolutely massive tune, listen ‘The Cheek’ below:

Silverbacks Announce Debut Album; Share ‘Muted Gold’

Yes, you read the headline correctly, Irish post-punk outfit Silverbacks have announced their long-awaited debut album will be released on July 17.

Entitled Fad, it was recorded with producer Daniel Fox (of Girl Band fame) and features previous singles ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Just In The Band’ and ‘Pink Tide’, and new one ‘Muted Gold’, which is every bit as brilliant as previous singles. Unspooling the ingredients of their sound is always an ask; there are touches of post-punk, art-rock, new wave and 90s indie to name but a few as they venture realms not many can tread (lyrically especially) to craft a colorful, vivid and exuberant sound. Built around a motorik rhythm and taut groove, ‘Muted Gold’ rushes past with a whirlwind of shifting multi-sensory sound as triple guitars attack. It is a peculiar, groovy, urgent and extremely catchy concoction up there with the very best of their output to date. Their debut album has been a while coming but judging how they gone from strength to strength over the past few years, one feels it will be worth the wait.

Listen to ‘Muted Gold’ below – and Fad is out on July 17.

FONDA – ‘No Begonias’

It’s been four years since we’ve heard new material from Irish post-punk outfit FONDA but the intervening period was anything but boring.

Lead singer and frontman Liam O’Connor did a stint with brilliant Limerick post-punk powerhouse Slow Riot through to their conclusion and subsequent posthumous album release, while Patrick Bourke & Laura Kelly left for pastures new in North America.

All that aside, O’Connor and FONDA are back with a new line-up featuring fellow Limerick musicians; John Ahern (Hey Rusty), Paul Cosgrave (Slow Riot) and Sean O’Mahony (Inner City Radio) and the first fruits from this new formation comes in the shape of powerful new single ‘No Begonias’. It is a huge and epic post-punk anthem with dark and dramatic vocal soaring stridently above as urgent guitars burn, riffs surge with intense and searing intensity, and meaty basslines relentless rhythm reverberate amid the distortion below. A gripping, insistent and emotionally charged post-punk fervour – a triumphant return from FONDA.

Listen to ‘No Begonias’ below:

Martha Ffion Announces New Album; shares ‘After the Fact’

Glasgow-based Irish singer-songwriter Martha Ffion (aka Claire McKay) has returned with a wonderful new single ‘After the Fact’.

Working with the excellent Lost Map Records again, ‘After the Fact’ is the first taste of from her forthcoming much-anticipated second album Nights to Forget, which will be released on August 14, 2020.

Ffion’s 2018 debut LP Sunday Best is a beautiful record, filled with gleaming guitar-pop, wistful-ballads, swooning sixties inspired indie-pop and touches of folk & country, and being as it was one the finest records of that year, the expectancy levels for its follow-up are set rather high. New single ‘After the Fact’ is magnificent; it is a glorious ray of gleaming indie-pop with an underbelly of melancholy and disquiet. A fractured pop song, Ffion’s honeyed lilting vocal is juxtaposed by the stuttering groove interspersed with angular riffs and stabs of off-kilter guitar, and the results are a glorious. This captures all that is greatest about Martha Ffion’s work in just three-and-a-half-minutes – a marvelous songwriting wrapped with bittersweet indie-pop.

Check out the new single below – and keep the eyes peeled for the new record coming in August:


Junk Drawer – ‘What I’ve Learned / What I’m Learning’

Junk Drawer have been creating unruly blasts of sonic fury since 2016 but the Belfast quartet are releasing their debut album Ready for the House this coming Friday (April 24th) via Art For Blind.

Ahead of the album’s arrival comes new single, and the album’s opening salvo, ‘What I’ve Learned / What I’m Learning’. Mixing it up with brush strokes of psych, post-punk, 90s indie, shoegaze, psych and post-punk Junk Drawer deliver a sprawling 7 minutes of relentless, frenzied delirium. Opening with a meandering array of slowburning guitars and riffs that melt the heart before subtly drifting away as rampaging rhythm, caustic guitar lines and barrage of relentless roar of searing riffs emerge through a swell of distortion, feedback and psychedelic drones. It is a raw and caustic thriller, an unrelenting electrifying juggernaut of a jam that screeches through serrated layers of sonic energy, squealing distortion and spiraling fuzz. As was previously stated, this is the album opener, and oh my, does this get you in the humour for the album. Yes sir. 

Taken from Junk Drawer’s debut LP Ready For The House, out April 24 via Art For Blind Records.

Jinx Lennon Shares ‘North Louth’; New Album Out Now

Jinx Lennon is a unique talent – a national treasure to be exact – and one of Ireland’s most insightful songwriters who is influenced as much by hip hop and post-punk, Jinx is the embodiment of a modern folk singer. 

Whether it is an acoustic guitar or sampled disco beat, raw garage noise or breakbeats his are songs of raw truth that push us to confront uncomfortable home truths in our society while kicking back against the humdrum bullshit of the modern world. Jinx’s new album Border Schizo Fffolk Songs for the Fuc**d was released on Friday last, and came accompanied by single ‘North Louth’. The tune, and the video, are immense. ‘North Louth’ is a hard-edged tune but one that has more than modicum of infectious allure, not to mention extremely danceable. While bristling with rawness as Jinx delivers his powerful lyrics in his distinct and brilliant manner, fizzing synths, frazzled electronics and break-beat add the dancey grooves.  Jinx Lennon’s music isn’t for everyone, sure but there is no one else quite like him and it hard to be unique nowadays but Jinx does it with ease and is searingly brilliant as always.

Border Schizo FFFolk Songs For The Fuc**d is out now – watch the superb video for ‘North Louth’ below: