Irish week: Donal Dineen’s top 10 Irish acts right now
All this week, we’re having guest posts from various people involved in different strands of Irish music – record shop owners, writers, bloggers, promoters, radio presenters, bands and more, telling us what Irish bands or artists they are really into right now.
Donal Dineen is a Radio DJ, music curator, filmmaker and photographer. Currently presenting The Small Hours on Today FM from midnight – 2am, he also has a monthly DJ residency for Twisted Pepper. His curated irish music series Fresh Air returns in May with four live shows around the country and a month of live on-air interviews and music sessions from some of Ireland’s freshest soundmakers. Donal publishes mixes as Fresh Air on Soundcloud.
1. Patrick Kelleher
Paints from a different palette, the results so far have been staggering.
2. Katie Kim
An artist cut from an ancient cloth, she mesmerises with a magic all her own. The brightest star in the firmament.
3. B-Movie Lightning
This is the return of the criminally underrated Mike Smalle. The shapes he throws are ultra funky and eternally fresh.
4.Deaf Joe
Joe harney emerges pearl-like from his shell. Sublime songs and divine inspiration; a potent mix.
5. John Daly
Working under the radar, the quality of his productions will be making waves overground in the near future.
6. Jennifer Evans
Hers is a voice you have to hear.
Jennifer Evans – ‘Scattered’ by Nialler9
7. Sunken Foal
The debut record whetted the appetite for all intriguing chapters to come.
Fun with guitar harmonics by sunken_foal
8. Natural History Museum
This particular marriage of voice and electronics has the hallmarks of one made in heaven.
9. Cian Nugent
An elegant guitarist with a deftness of touch rarely seen, an intriguing prospect.
10. Sean Og
Enormous potential, whichever road he chooses to take, people will follow.
Others to watch:
Stefan Galt, Son Green, Dinah Brand, Beautiful Unit, John Haggis, Hulk, Kevin Blake, I am The Cosmos.
Donal Dineen profiled many of the above artists as part of his Fresh Air Festival in November 2009. An archive of their live radio sessions, in studio interviews and video footage from live shows is available on http://freshairfestival.wordpress.com. Fresh Air will run again in May with live radio sessions and live gigs around the country.
