A lot of Irish music comes Nialler9’s way and there’s little time to feature everything we think is worthy of a thumbs up or more ears. Every week, we collate the songs that pass our writers that deserve to be heard by you. For more extensive Irish coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section for individual track features.
1.
Fehdah
Day In Shock
We’re big fans of Emma Garnet’s unique productions around here, with recent tracks like ‘Saharakungoh’ and ‘Buffer Fly’ with her sister Loah, perfectly encapsulating her future afro-soul electronic style.
‘Day In Shock’ is yet another exemplary example of her craft.
While we’re on the Fehdah tip, check out her live performance from the rooftop of The Clarence Hotel for Forbidden Fruit last week.
2.
Our Krypton Son
White Sun
Derry singer-songwriter Chris McConaghy AKA Our Krypton Son has a third album incoming called Modern Ruins, and ‘White Sun’ delicately balances its electronic production with organic singer-songwriting flourishes. It was mixed by Ryan Vail.
3.
RUNOFFBROKE
Wish You Knew
A slick rap/house track about a toxic releationship from 21-year-old rapper Jordan Wilson aka RUNOFFBROKE with a production by FEEL.FACTORY (aka NINETY7HERTZ).
4.
BARQ
Dive
Dublin band BARQ’s latest single ‘Dive’ takes inspiration from Brainfeeder producer Flying Lotus, albeit with their live band take on that kind of textured hip-hop funk-soul. Production from Diffusion Lab producer Marcin Ciszczon gives an extra lift to Jess Kav’s vocals too.
5.
Skinner
Dislocation
Kildare multi-instrumentalist Skinner returns with a fine grungy alt-rock track.
“The song is about defiance and questioning every aspect of why we do things if ultimately they make us unhappy. It was written by splicing up lines from a few different songs I had and arranging them on a page, just like Bowie used to do. You’re told you can do anything and be anything so long as it doesn’t piss anyone off too much and you don’t go too far outside the role society has given you. I feel like the song addresses the feelings of frustration you get from playing along to everyone else’s expectations.”
*DOI – Site founder Niall manages Skinner.
6.
UD
Felt (feat. Mick Jenkins)
Taken from the FaR Collective artist’s recent EP Fruitless Grapevine, the watery production of ‘Felt’ is one of quite a few highlights from the six-track and is notable also for its Mick Jenkins feature.
UD’s music flows between R&B, rap and pop and is one to really keep an eye going forward into 2020.
7.
Brigid Mae Power
Wearing Red That Eve
Cork folk artist Brigid Mae Power just released her third album Head Above The Water, garnering a four-star review from Kitty Empire in The Guardian last week.
‘Wearing Red That Eve’ mentions an incident in New York where a group of men shouted profanities at the artist, although the exact details remain elliptical in favour of Mae Power focusing on the triviality of what she was wearing that day. Much like her music, the details are ethereal and that is the strength of her art.
Head Above The Water was recorded in the analogue studio The Green Door in Glasgow with Alasdair Roberts coproducing alongside Brigid and Peter Broderick.
8.
Sive feat. Dowry
Storybook Moon
Kildare singer-songwriter Sive is joined by Éna Brennan (Dowry) for a quietly moving acoustic song that sounds like it was conceived in the magic hour of the night.
9.
Evans Junior, Jordan Adetunji, JYellowL
Shock ‘Em
The best MC from Longford, Evans Junior enlists Belfast’s Jordan Adetunji and Kildare artist JYellowL for this absolute rap banger.
10.
Jordan Adetunji
Flintstone
A second entry this week for the Belfast MC with a production that features mournful brass contrasted by Jordan’s hard rap verses.
11.
Luunah
Just Give Enough
A sweet pop tune from Cork-based alt-pop five-piece Luunah who will release a debut album when all this madness is over.
12.
Jonathan Crean
Dial-a-Devotion
Cork multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Crean’s solo debut EP Wander Back In is released on June 21st and ‘Dial-a-Devotion’ is a lovely dreamy song track from it. Creancites the likes of Neil Young and The Blue Nile as influences.
Also, check out Crean’s Y2K website.
13.
Awkward Z
Fuego
Anomaly Collective Wexford MC Awkward Z brings the summer heat on the hook-filled ‘Fuego’.
14.
DAY_S
F*#king With My Friends
Diffusion Lab’s DAY_S melds guitar riffs and R&B production on a new song with Dillistone and Crooks that has big pop vibes for… you guessed it, DAYS.
