Featuring Sloucho, Rory Sweeney, Ezra Williams, Faxe On Faxe, Blimp, HY:LY, Sean Parnell, Elephant, Anamoe Drive, Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra, Blue Whale, Man Like Strange.
A lot of Irish music comes our way and every week, we listen through it all, sift the list down to a manageable list and share the best new tracks from emerging artists and some more established acts that deserve to be heard by you.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section for individual track features.
Sloucho, Rory Sweeney
Come Around
The Irish producer Sloucho likes to play with form and identity in their artwork, and that idea has extended to the naming of the artist’s debut album NPC, (Non-Playing Character in video game terms ofc), and “explores the duality of his main character and non-playable lives.”
‘Come Around’ is the first track from the record, a collaboration with Rory Sweeney, on an bass-driven alien two-step wub-featuring track.
The album also features EMBY, Curtisy, Zack Oke, Yamagōchi, Rhosi, Vaticanjail and k-Caz.
Seán Parnell
Right Before I Leave
Bright full-band soul-pop from the Cork-based Kerry artist Seán Parnell, who released a new EP Taller last week.
‘Right Before I Leave’ was produced with Brién, and hits some of the Brién-produced indie-R&B vibe of Kean Kavanagh.
Seán Parnell plays Coughlans in Cork on Friday March 15th.
Ezra Williams
Quick Fix
Having kicked off the Choice Music Prize live ceremony last week, where their album Supernumeraries, Ezra Williams drops a new song that showcases a new sweet rambling vibe for the artist.
It’s from the new EP Socks, out April 19th.
Blimp, Faxe On Faxe
Faded
Two Dublin producers hook up for a swerving house cut collab.
It’s the second time that Shane Smyth aka Blimp and Josh Allotey aka Faxe On Faxe (The Shed Residents) have teamed up, sa heard on previous cut ‘Stay’ and there’s an EP out soon.
Anamoe Drive
The Same Asylum
The solo project of Oisín Leahy Furlong of Thumper, Anamoe Drive, released the debut album Breakfast in Bed on Faction Records last week.
‘The Same Asylum’ is the introspective and lush opener from the record.
Breakfast in Bed is “a breakup album told in 3 parts. The non-linear narrative flits between the throes of heartbreak to the bliss of new love, from the depths of loneliness, to the slow dissipating of these feelings in the rearview mirror. The album’s title reflects different meanings depending on which song you view it through – from a kind gesture, to a lonely act, to the masticating of these themes in solitude. It also doubles as the place where most of these songs were written – perched on a bed, the morning after the night before, recapping these events in song.”
Anamoe Drive shows
March 14th – Roisin Dubh (Upstairs), Galway
March 15th – Dolans, Limerick
Blue Whale
Carpet Man
Belfast jazz-punk band Blue Whale have a second album Last Immediate Images on the way, that was produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox.
The band (guitarists Michael O’Halloran and Ben Behzadafshar, drummer John Macormac and bassist Andrew Melville) bring a garage grunge math-rock swing to their music, as heard on ‘Carpet Man’.
Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra
Problem Child
Dublin band Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra have a retro melodic rock/pop sound on the new single ‘Problem Child’ (also on Bandcamp) is about “being young and making mistakes.”
A debut album, coming soon via Anon Records, purports to recall the likes of Cocteau Twins, Snail Mail and Lush.
Elephant
Tide
Dundalk-based multi-instrumentalist Shane Clarke aka Elephant continues to confound expectations with ‘Tide’, the first song from a forthcoming fourth record Keeping Well, due May 17th on Pizza Pizza Records.
The track features Glas Quartet on the arrangement and is “about finding one’s way back from the depths of uncertainty.”
“Tide is a song about finding your way back. Back from where? Different for everyone I imagine.
Take Faith for example. Who wouldn’t want to believe and I mean truly believe that there is a place you go after? A paradise, brimming with love and compassion and presumably no hangovers… a perfect place to spend eternity. Why would I not want to believe in that?
Yes! of course I do! But I don’t. I did. At least I think I did? When I was young. I think it’s easier to believe when you’re young. Easier to have faith. Maybe someday I will be able to just believe. Maybe someday I’ll find my way back. Until then, I’ll just have to put up with the hangover”
HY:LY
Blindsided
Belfast artist Hayley McConaghy. aka HY:LY comes through with a shiny and iced production filled with smoky vocals and drum and bass music.
I previously featured ‘Secrets’ from the artist.
HY:LY is one of the Oh Yeah’ Centre’s acts for this year’s Scratch My Progress programme alongside Beat Up Car, Garrett Laurie and Martha Greer. There’s a four-track EP of the songs and I can also recommend the Martha Greer song on the release.
Scratch My Progress is a mentoring, showcase and practical support programme for new music artists now in its 12th year, supported by the PRS Foundation.
Man Like Strange
Funky Chowder
A fine funky indie pop track from Man Like Strange, who is Dublin multi-instrumentalist and producer Donncha Garvey.
A debut EP Pilot is forthcoming.
Garvey and his band played Whelan’s Upstairs last night, March 13th.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, hit up the Irish section for individual track features…
For this and more Irish songs, follow the Nialler9 New Irish Spotify playlist.
New additions not featured above:
- New Jackson – Out of Reach
- Caleb & Walshy – My Mates
- The Swedish Railway Orchestra – Obelisco
- Gemma Cox – What If?
- cbakl; SOLOMON – FAMILY TREES
- Susan O’Neill – Drive
- Martha Greer – Mary
- LARKS – QUEEN
- Calum Agnew – Never
- DUMB POSH HIPPIES – Bellyache
- Big Sleep – Two Cents
- Matt Ó – It’s Raining
- Fia Moon – blue skies
- Fintan James – Grace
- Death Milkshake – Algorithm
- Forty Avenues – Say
- dryeyes – in time
