Blog
Top 10 Irish Albums of 2025
The third of three posts cataloguing vinyl purchases in 2025. This is my Top 10 Irish Albums of 2025, Best Irish Single of 2024 and three Special Mentions.
Top 10 Reissues of 2025
The second of three posts cataloguing vinyl purchases in 2025. This Top 10 is a countdown of my favourite reissues from 2025 including a best of, two live albums, two expanded reissues and a various artists compilation.
Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2025
The first of three posts cataloguing vinyl purchases in 2025. A Top 10 of secondhand vinyl finds in 2025. These were picked up in record shops in London, Puglia, Arles, Dublin and Cork. There is nothing rare here, just a bunch of records I couldn’t leave behind.
Top 10 Live Albums
A Top 10 of live albums prompted by the realisation that I bought Rank by The Smiths 37 years ago this week. Taking in: the reasons why live albums are released, The Fall supporting Talk Talk in 1986, Galaxie 500 and Luna, the 5-piece Smiths, Van Morrison, bootleg live albums, John Cale in Vicar Street, Manu Chao in the Ambassador, 16 Horsepower in Whelan’s and a whole lot more.
‘The Rats’ by Stump
A few words on ‘The Rats’ by Stump taking in: Rob McKahey, Kaught at the Karpark, ‘The Waterford Boys’, The Dubliners, Stephen Street, Ron Kavana and ‘Charlton Heston’.
16 Horsepower
From the archives: An interview with 16 Horsepower’s David Eugene Edwards from 2001. Edwards chats about the albums Secret South and Hoarse, 16HP’s sound and shares his thoughts on Americana.
The Sentimental Tourists
A few words on The Sentimental Tourists taking in: Dave Long, Paul Page, Into Paradise and Whipping Boy.
Michael O’Shea - Listen Back
A talk from February 2025 about Michael O’Shea’s 1982 self-titled album as part of Cork City Library’s “Listen Back” series in the Rory Gallagher Music Library.
Top 10 Movie 7” Singles
A Top 10 of movie 7” singles taking in: Irish pressings, Czechoslovakian New Wave cinema, film noir, folk horror, a flea market in Brussels, Venice’s side streets, Doris Day, Sly Stone, Brian Wilson and “the worst song ever written”.
Factory Records: Top 10 Comps
Factory Records - Top 10 Comps, taking in: Cian Ó Cíobháin’s An Taobh Tuathail Factory special, New Order, Joy Division, Section 25, Happy Mondays, A Certain Radio, Anthony H. Wilson, Ian Curtis, Martin Hannett and a whole lot more.
The Fall at Sir Henry’s
A few words on The Fall taking in: The Fall at the Arcadia in 1980, The Fall at Sir Henry’s in 1997. Mark E. Smith, Dave Simpson’s The Fallen, Freakscene and Gigantic at Sir Henry’s, The Beatles, Freakscene flyers, Uaneen Fitzsimons and No Disco, The Fall at The Pavilion in 2012, and Rob Anthony’s Number One Fan comic strip.
Record Store Day: A Top 10
A Top 10 of Record Store Day releases taking in: New Order, Joy Division, The Wicker Man, Alfred Hitchcock, Fontaines DC, Low, The The, Nick Cave, Pulp, Clint Mansell, and Chris Bell.
The Go-Betweens, Leonard Cohen, U2 and Boston Celtics’ Reggie Lewis
A few words on The Go-Betweens, Leonard Cohen, U2, Boston Celtics’ Reggie Lewis and my greatest vinyl find.
Top 10 Reissues of 2024
The third and final Top 10 of 2024. This one is a countdown of my favourite reissues from 2024, including three collections of previously unreleased songs.
Top 10 Irish Albums of 2024
Top 10 Irish Albums of 2024. Best Irish Compilation of 2024, Best Irish Single of 2024 and two Special Mentions. Songs from all ten of these albums were featured on Songs To Learn And Sing on 103.2 Dublin City FM throughout 2024 and Episode 990 featured some of my favourite songs from these albums.
Top 10 Vinyl Finds of 2024
A Top 10 of secondhand #VinylFinds I purchased in 2024. These were picked up in record shops in Manchester, Sydney, Tarragona, Dublin and Cork. There are a couple rare collectables here but mostly it’s just a bunch of records I couldn’t leave behind.
Peel Sessions
On the 20th anniversary of Peel’s passing, a few words on John Peel Sessions taking in: Irish bands recording Peel Sessions, Irish Trad and Folk, Punk and beyond, Strange Fruit Records, The Smiths, The Go-Betweens, New Order, Joy Division, Microdisney, Jubilee Allstars, Billy Bragg, Stump, The Would Be’s, Finbar & Eddie Furey, LMNO Pelican, Na Filí, The Fall, Five Go Down to the Sea? and more.
Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus
A few words on Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus taking in: Paul Hanley’s Sixteen Again: How Pete Shelley & Buzzcocks Changed Manchester Music (and me), Joy Division, Buzzcocks, The Fall, John Cooper Clarke, The Lobby bar, Leeside Music on Cork’s MacCurtain Street, price stickers, Ultravox’s ‘Vienna’ and Joe Dolce’s ‘Shaddup Your Face’.
Oasis - Knebworth setlist
An Instagram post by Alan McGee mentioned that today was the 28th anniversary of Oasis’ gig at Knebworth. Oasis played two shows at the famed venue on the 10 and 11 of August 1996 to a combined audience of 250,000, a weekend that is often described as the climax of the Britpop movement. After Knebworth the band flew to Cork for two gigs at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 14 and 15 August.
Top 10 Irish Songs*
Top 10 Irish songs taking in: “best of” lists, subjectivity, lost 80s classics, cover versions, The Royal Showband, an orange and cream 1970s Fidelity turntable and keeping music evil. Last week the Irish Independent published a “best of” list titled “The best Irish songs of all time”. Their list was subtitled “ranked: the definitive top 50”. Let’s agree on one thing straight away, “best of” lists are ridiculous, they’re also simultaneously highly entertaining and incredibly frustrating.
*Today