Highlights

Ireland to allow gatherings up to 50 people indoors & 200 people outdoors from June 29th; 100 people indoors & 500 people outdoors from July 20th

With the Coronavirus restrictions suddenly being rapidly accelerated with the various stages being amalgamated –…

14 new Irish songs you should hear this week

New music from EFÉ, Roisin El Cherif, Tension, Animal Party, KEHLI, Jordan Run, Reggie, Sun Collective, Tebi Rex, & more.

Podcast: The dignified doubt of Phoebe Bridgers

Episode 95 and we review Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher, tell Andrea the news while she’s been on a social media break and discuss songs from Idles, Pillow Queens, Jafaris and NewDad.

Here’s what the programme for government says about plans for Irish night-life

With the passing months since the election and the outcome dulled by a worldwide pandemic,…

IDLES’ new album Ultra Mono is “is a big f**k off ox that carries us through the sludge and doubt”; hear ‘Grounds’

IDLES have made their reputation with visceral live shows and vitriolic albums of toxic masculinity-dismantling…

10 great new songs you should hear this week

Featuring tracks from Leon Bridges, Yotam Avni, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Kelsey Lu, Naeem, Darkstar, Mary Lattimore & more.

Gatherings of up to 5000 people may be allowed from September says Taoiseach; €25 million arts support package announced

In April, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar banned mass gatherings of up to 5,000 people until…

EXIT Festival announces acts & is planning on going ahead in August. How?

The European festival outlier in 2020 is Serbia’s EXIT Festival. As recounted last month, the…

The best online live streams happening this week

Highlights: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, District 8 party, Greenpeace AAA, Angel Olsen.

Watch The Blaze perform 2 miles above sea level on a mountain in the French Alps

Parisian electronic duo The Blaze have made one of the best live streamed gigs we’ve…

Labels, awards and acts change racially insensitive names after Black Lives Matter protests

Lady Antebellum, The Grammys, Whities and One Little Indian among those who have changed insensitive names.

Nialler9 Podcast: Run The Jewels are the soundtrack to the trash fire of the world

Episode 94 of the Nialler9 podcast and we’re mostly about RTJ4 along with discussion about Black Lives Matter, representation and perception of Black Irish voices, and the End Direct Provision movement. New songs from Leon Bridges, MuRli, Roosevelt and His Holiness The Dalai Lama and a frank recommend for the Beethoven movie. Yep, the one about the St. Bernard dog.

Pillow Queens announce debut album In Waiting and new song ‘Handsome Wife’

The PQs are back. Announcing their long-awaited (around these parts) debut album, Pillow Queens have…

14 new Irish songs you should hear this week

New music from Fehdah, Our Krypton Son, BARQ, Skinner, Brigid Mae Power, Evans Junior, Jordan Adetunji.

Fontaines D.C. share the Whipping Boy-esque album opening track ‘I Don’t Belong’

After news of A Hero’s Death, album number two from the Fontaines D.C. to come…

Listen to the Black Artists Who Are Absolutely Running the Irish Music Scene playlist

Kelly Doherty aka the Cork electronic artist Gadget and the Cloud and recent Nialler9 writer…

Watch the Nialler9 DJ set from Cabal’s Behind Closed Doors live streamed event now

A few weeks ago, I participated in Limerick promoter Cabal’s impressive three-city live stream DJ…

The best online live streams happening this week

Highlights: Empress Of, Lisa O’Neill, Waxahatchee, Perfume Genius, Kelly-Anne Byrne.

The 25 best songs of the month

The best of May 2020.

Nialler9 Podcast: Black Irish creatives speak up on racism & inequality in Ireland

Instead of our regular podcast, you will hear, in this order – the voices from the protesters on Monday along with words of Black Irish musicians and creatives Erica Cody, Loah, Denise Chaila and Amanda Ade.