Dwayne Woods is an artist manager and music publicist at Butter Wouldn’t Melt and has worked with an eclectic mix of Irish artists like Meljoann, ZOiD, Paddy Mulcahy, Naoise Roo and more.
See all Guestlist of 2022 choices
1.
Barry Can’t Swim ft. Laurence Guy – Can We Still Be Friends?
An artist I discovered and fell in love with for the first time this year was Scottish producer Barry Can’t Swim. This particular track stayed with me and has helped me through some tough times this year. The whole More Content EP is fab. I’ve had it on repeat since its release. Sadly, I missed his recent Dublin show.
2.
Fever Ray – Carbon Dioxide
I have been eagerly awaiting the return of Fever Ray and this absolute banger paired with lead single ‘What They Call Us’ did not disappoint and have me hyped for the album to drop in spring. Holding out for an Irish festival set too hopefully. Excited to hear the collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the album too.
3.
Mykki Blanco ft. Michael Stipe. – Family Ties
A big fan of Mykki Blanco’s work and their activism, particularly with HIV stigma.
Stay Close to the Music is a fantastic album. A bit of a head spin at times with the number of collaborators featured on it and I found it difficult to pick just one track from it. But I chose this track as it’s nice to hear Michael Stipe singing again. So much Queer representation here.
4.
Pip Millet – Ride with Me
I could listen to Pip Millet all day, such a dreamy vocalist. I see great things for this artist. When Everything is Better, I’ll Let You Know is one of the best albums of 2022.
5.
Aldous Harding – Passion Babe
I’m such a massive Aldous Harding fan. Everything she does captivates me. Her Warm Chris album from earlier this year was simplistic in its production, as always, but oozing with charisma and quirky lyrical jaunts. This is one of my faves from that record. I was gutted when she cancelled her gig at the National Stadium earlier this year. Hope she returns soon. [Luckily she’s playing in April – Niall]
6.
Shy Girl – Shlut
Shlut – Spelled like some one from the west of Ireland would pronounce it. Just another sexually liberated #banger I loved. Great for house cleaning. Actually, stick on the whole Nymph album it’s fantastic.
7.
Jape – Eugh
This track makes me feel nostalgic and maybe a little woozy. I’m not sure why, but I like it a lot. Just Eugh. Good to have Jape back too.
8.
Weyes Blood – It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody
Becoming more and more of a Weyes Blood fan with each record. This 6:16 album opener has been on repeat in Butter Wouldn’t melt HQ these last few weeks.
9.
Maija Sofia – O Theremin
I’m a huge Maija Sofia fan. I think she is most definitely one of our greatest songwriters and lyricists. I was delighted when this spooky single ‘O Theremin’ dropped back in July. It’s a pleasure to watch her artistry progress with each release.
10.
ZOiD ft. Meljoann. – Portal
There is a bit of a bias here as I worked on this single, but I truly love these collaborations that ZOiD is putting together. I love everything about this one with Meljoann. Beats, soaring vocals and lush strings. I’m excited for the album which is out in Springtime and will feature collabs with several Irish female vocalists.
See all Guestlist of 2022 choices
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Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.