A lot music from Ireland and Northern Ireland comes Nialler9’s way and every week, we listen through it all and select the tracks from emerging artists and some 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.
1.
Junior Brother
Good Friday
There are few singer-songwriters, nay artists, as singularly pitched as Kerry’s Ronan Kealy aka Junior Brother. His second album The Great Irish Famine digs its heels further into idiosyncratic soil with a surreal lyrical tongue.
See ‘This Is My Body’ for an example of that. ‘Good Friday’ is a simple song, an example of Kealy’s base level accomplishment in songwriting and a fine introduction into this record.
2.
Ahmed With Love, Curtisy, Rory Sweeney
Men On A Mission Kojaque Remix
As he did on stage at the recent fundraiser gig in the 3Olympia, Kojaque jumps onboard the posse cut of ‘Men On A Mission’, from Dublin heads Ahmed With Love, Curtisy and Rory Sweeney.
The original dropped in January.
3.
Cruel Sister
Sister Sister
Following the release of single ‘Chihiro’, Dubliner Faith Nico released the EP girls my age EP, and the coinciding single ‘Sister Sister’ encapsulates the alt-grungey fuzz that the Cruel Sister project likes to wear like a cape.
Cruel Sister also announced a debut headline show Upstairs at Whelans in Dublin on October 28th.
The EP title, “girls my age” pertains to the self-perceived trajectory of one’s life & through the female gaze, comparing yourself to peers. Faith muses “am I successful enough? Do I have enough money? Have I travelled enough? Have I loved enough? Is my brain okay? Is my life “normal” for someone my age? That “age” can be any age at all, I feel we all find ourselves questioning what our existence means, and I feel that this EP is me contemplating the existential.”
Faith Nico
4.
James Shannon, Noremac, Absentee
What Ya Doin?
“Hey! What ya doin? What you dimming your light down for?”
Dublin rappers James Shannon, Noremac with guest Absentee are here to dust you off and give you a lift on their new collaborative tune.
5.
AC3
Dublin Not London
Irish drill continues to set itself apart from the UK scene. On AC30’s ‘Dublin Not London’ things are literally set apart from the London scene with a celebration of what’s happening here in the Irish capital. The irish flute sample also helps.
6.
KhakiKid
Babybrown
Dublin artist KhakiKid has set out his stall with the release of the Elevator Music EP. From it, and arriving with a bright video directed by Willow Kennedy, KhakiKid channels laid-back American rap vocal style of Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak on the funk bump of ‘Babybrown’.
7.
Mount Palomar, Joshua Burnside
Simmer
An “Celtic-electronic folk mutation,” is how this collaboration between Belfast-based producer Mount Palomar and songwriter Joshua Burnside is pitched.
Mount Palomar’s back story includes an art installation he put outside the XL Recordings studios in London in 2013, in an attempt to get signed. Afer placing it at 5am, he returned later that morning to see staff outside taking photos, an undertaking that coincided with the death of his brother and left him emotionally exhausted.
Since then, Mount Palomar has played Berghain in Berlin for his second ever gig.
“It’s only now on reflection I realise how special that was. It defined my musical journey and can’t overstate how profound it was to play in Berghain as a gay guy who came out so late. Other mates how have gone in there and said its complete escapism, and it is, but from a gay guys perspective there’s an added level to it. When I went to Lab there was a sense of complete freedom that was so far removed from what I grew up with.”
An EP is forthcoming.
8.
Nuxsense
Survey
The collective Nuxsense are Luthorist, sivv, Rem$, Jehnova and AL.I have some of the best voices and verses in Irish rap.
Witness the fitness on their new video for ‘Servey’, which was shot in London with videographer Honey JD.
There’s also a run of Nuxsense merch to coincide with the release.
9.
Becky McNeice
In my Head
Taking inspiration from the drum’n’bass/ garage pop revival happening at the moment, Belfast artist Becky McNeice’s ‘In My Head’ is breakbeat pop you can get smitten with. Production is by Spireview & Eulogy.
10.
Somebody’s Child
Broken Record
Dublin indie power-pop artist Cian Godfrey returns with his first Somebody’s Child song this year.
‘Broken Record’ marks the artsist’s first release on indie label Frenchkiss Records, as well as a big EU and UK tour early next year.
UK/IRL/EU Tour Dates On sale this Friday, 9th September at 10am
8th Feb 2023 – Night & Day Cafe, Manchester
9th Feb 2023 – Foundry Studio, Sheffield
11th Feb 2023 – Joiners, Southampton
12th Feb 2023 – Exchange, Bristol
14th Feb 2023 – Omeara, London
17th Feb 2023 – Jimmy’s, Liverpool
18th Feb 2023 – Think Thank, Newcastle
19th Feb 2023 – King Tut’s, Glasgow
21st Feb 2023 – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
24th Feb 2023 – Róisín Dubh, Galway
25th Feb 2023 – Dolan’s, Limerick
1st March 2023 – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
2nd March 2023 – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
3rd March 2023 – The Academy, Dublin
4th March 2023 – Spirit Store, Dundalk
8th March 2023 – Le POPUP du Label, Paris
9th March 2023 – Trix Bar, Antwerp
10th March 2023 – Paradiso (Upstairs), Amsterdam
11th March 2023 – Privatclub, Berlin
11.
Ispíní na hÉireann
Talk To Joe
Born from the trad sessions of the Cobblestone and the love of a good meme, Ispíní na hÉireann (Sausages of Ireland) have finally released some recorded music in the form of the humorous trad ‘Talk To Joe’, a song about ringing up Joe Duffy Liveline to air your grievances.
The band say, a debut album is on the way:
“This debut album of Ispíní na hÉireann is a combination of original songs and reimagined covers of songs and tunes from the Irish tradition. There is subtext, commentary, and method to all of the madness, which we are leaving open to the interpretation of the listener. It is up to you to decide whether or not this is all waffle, or if there is deeper meaning among all this noise. All art is open to interpretation, and we are excited to find out how this speaks to you. We are proud to bring this to you. It is the result of years of effort, frustration, and spontaneous brainfarts, and we hope that somewhere along the way it can make you crack a smile.”
12.
Seánie Bermingham
Call The Coroner
South Tipperary folk singer-songwriter Seánie Bermingham idropped into my inbox with ‘Call the Coroner’ a beaut of a song from an upcoming EP, that has a quiet grace to it.
The four track EP was produced and recorded in its entirety by Seánie, mixed by Cian Hamilton in Middle Ridge Studios, California and mastered by Richard Dowling.
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.
