By Cathal Donovan O’Neill – Music Editor This year’s RTÉ Choice Prize is coming up soon, with both the album and single shortlists having recently been released. Here’s the lowdown on who’s up for the prize, what they can win, and how you can help your favourite. The RTÉ Choice Prize has been going since…

Cork DJ Stevie G’s dropped his Soul Ireland 2020 mixtape, and it’s well worth listening to. A longtime advocate for Ireland’s rap, hip-hop, R&B and soul musicians, Stevie’s led club nights and primetime radio shows, but is best known for Black on Red on RedFM, where he mixes classics with new cuts. Collaborating with MC…

On the 13th of February, Matt Corrigan played his first headliner upstairs at the Roundy, which he sold out. Wearing a white shirt, dark jeans and a look of intense solemnity, he lilted out the ‘dah, da-da dah’ bridge of ‘Tokyo’. A room dimly lit by stage lights, crammed full of friends, and their friends…

2020’s been a milestone for Irish music, even in a year without gigs. Denise Chaila’s gone from underground to RTÉ darling, while artists like Jafaris and Nealo are making airplay and playlist waves, disproving notions about race and heavy brogue in Irish rap. But meanwhile—and more importantly—the fight against Direct Provision has become more prominent,…

Welcome to UCC, or welcome back! I’m hoping this finds you in good health and with an inbox free of emails that contain the line ‘In These Troubled Times’. Unless Fiona, Maeve or Fergal have used it in their editorials. Jesus, am I going to get fired before we even go to print? Forget it….

The live music industry has been devastated by COVID-19. Cyprus Avenue, The Roundy, Cork Opera House: They’ve all been shut since March, and the future is uncertain as phase four stretches into the future. With the law restricting indoor gatherings of fifty-plus (inclusive of staff and band), many venues are waiting it out or still…

If you live in Cork, you’ve probably walked Half Moon Street hundreds of times. It’s the road joining the Crawford Art Gallery’s square to the city’s quays, running alongside the Opera House and multinational shopping venues. On your right as you walk from the square to the Lee, you’ll see a plethora of Irish writers…

It’s a proper summer. The sun is shining. Beaches are open again. It’s RAG Week: Icebergers Edition. All in all, a great summer for festivals to be literally illegal. Fortunately, Half Moon Festival will be here to fill that gap in the last days of June. Named after the road next to the Crawford Art…

In the past three years, one of the hallmarks of Irish music has been ‘collectives’, collaborative indie labels growing connected audiences and trading advice. Most of these are based in a specific county: rap/hip-hop label PX Music in Limerick, for example. Lots of good music comes out of it, but these micro-scenes can feel very separate,…