A lot of music from Ireland and Northern Ireland 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.
1.
Valerie Rose
RIP Your Calendar
The Dublin alt-pop artist Valerie Rose brandishes Olivia Rodrigo vibes on the -pop-punk song ‘Rip My Calendar’, a track produced by Diffusion Lab’s Chris Bubenzer AKA Benza and Adam Cooke
Rose says the song is “a song” about not wanting to put pressure on yourself anymore. It’s about doing what you want to do, instead of prioritising other needs over your emotions. Sometimes you need a break from it all.”
“I wanted to write something based on how I was feeling at the time. I was a bit overwhelmed by how busy my schedule was, coming back to school and exams coming soon. I wanted to express my frustration and for it to come across in the song.”
Valerie Rose previously released ‘My Head’.
2.
Trá Pháidín
m’anam go b’ea
Trá Pháidín are a 9-piece band based between Connemara and Cork city, whose music has folk, brass and an improvisational bent, who have quietly been release interesting and engaging music on Bandcamp for a while now.
If you the names Black Country, New Road; The Jimmy Cake or you enjoy slightly absurd big band post-rock jazz arrangements, get on board with Trá Pháidín.
3.
NUXSENSE
Visions
Dublin rap collective Nuxsense continue to eek out some of the best Irish rap music around these parts with Jehnova and Luthorist taking the lead on ‘Visions’.
The track comes with a video made in London with their pal Honey JD.
I featured ‘Survey’ with a video by the same videographer in September.
4.
Happyalone.
You Are
You’re never quite sure what kind of sounds are going to come out of the speaker when you press play on a track from the Cork trio Happyalone. ‘You Are’ is a mix of live alternative band running on a hip-hop beat with autotuned vocals.
5.
Outsider YP
Boy In Rage
Cork alt-rap artist Outsider YP has dropped three singles already this year to follow up last year’s album Sadboy Ultra, and I dig the chip(tune) hop vibe of new song ‘Boy In Rage’.
6.
Slightly Dishevelled
Chaos
Five-piece Dublin punk band Slightly Dishevelled’s debut single ‘Chaos’ strides into the house party just before the guards get there, with just enough time to grab a few cans and leggit.
“Chaos tells a story of the guards being called on a house party, forcing the narrator to flee the scene. The romanticization of anti-authoritarianism and petty rebellion in the song brings feelings of nostalgia and youth, told in a gritty and disorderly way. The improvised noise sections accentuate the chaotic nature of the song as driving rhythms to emulate the movement of being on the run, with dynamic shifts between cold, calculated hits and free-flowing expressions. The punk-inspired delivery layered with atmospheric noise brings the story to life, mirroring the DIY ethics.”
7.
BENJAMYN
Midnight Chemistry
Slinky electronic disco pop with a lovely bassline and a soaring vocal from Dublin-based singer/songwriter and producer Ben Hogan aka BENJAMYN. The tune is from a forthcoming album Flow out February 23rd.
The song was co-written with Conor Hamilton-Long at a BlueTide Songwriting Camp in 2021.
8.
Dollface
Good Damage
Only last month, we featured Irish singer-songwriter Aimée Rose aka Dollface’s ‘Tired’, a sweet Cocteau Twin-esque DIY shoegaze song, and here she’s at it again with the sweet indie pop of ‘Good Damage’.
9.
Adam Mohamed
QNA
Ballymun spoken word/rap artist Adam Mohamed describes ‘QNA’ as his anthem, using the haters, and solidifying his day ones as fuel for greater things.
Previously: ‘Me And I’
10.
Neosupervital
Back To What
Tim O’Donovan is back once again as Neosupervital, his ’80s synth pop project with a long history. ‘Back To What’ is a playful electro-pop throwback to another time, and song that teases the third Neosupervital album, titled 3, to come out, this year.
The dog in the video is having a grand old time.
Tim has released two Neosupervital albums previously ‘Neosupervital’ (2006) and ‘Battery Power’ (2010), and when not making synth-pop, Tim plays drums with Bell X1, Join Me In The Pines and Keeley, and is formerly of Buffalo Woman.
(There was a 2020 song too)
11.
Jamie D’Arcy
Let You Know
Newbridge, Kildare indie-folk artist Jamie D’Arcy follows up the ‘The Sea’ with the lilting ‘Let You Know’. It’s from an EP called Learning To Live (Part I) out February 16th.
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.
