John Francis Flynn – My Son Tim
Folk singer, guitarist and flautist John Francis Flynn has announced the release of his debut album I Would Not Live Always, out on 30 July on River Lea Records. ‘My Son Tim’, a traditional folk song, will feature on the album and is out now, with an accompanying music video. The album will feature a collection of folk songs learned from recordings of Shirley Collins, Frank Harte and Paddy Quilligan, as well as two songs written by Ewan MacColl. I Would Not Live Always is the fourth album to be released on River Lea Records – an imprint of Rough Trade – following records by Brìghde Chaimbeul, Ye Vagabonds and Lisa O’Neill. Visit: https://store.roughtraderecords.com/collections/river-lea/products/john-francis-flynn-i-would-not-live-always

Cubs – River of Amber / Frozen Waterfall 
River of Amber / Frozen Waterfall is the new album from psychedelic folk band Cubs. The twenty-track double record, which is released on Galway indie label Rusted Rail, is the band’s fourth album and was written and recorded during the pandemic, reflecting life during that time. Frozen Waterfall was originally a download-only release in July 2020, and is now included on this record with a new suite of recordings that make up River of Amber. Both parts of the album correspond to the other, and the sound is built on instrumentation such as guitar, banjo, drones, cello, clarinet and electronics. Purchase the album on Bandcamp: https://rustedrail.bandcamp.com/album/river-of-amber-frozen-waterfall

Nnic – Chase Dream
Dublin electronic artist Nnic today releases ‘Chase Dream’, the second single from her upcoming debut EP Slow Motion Fantasy, out on 30 July. The new song sees the artist convey her experiences of anxiety attacks, and trying to overcome them. She explains: ‘the song is a peculiar ode to the experience of day-time anxiety running rampant into nighttime, which often ends in disruptive and disturbing dreams. Countless conversations were had with friends who were also experiencing flashbacks of uncomfortable and unsavoury moments in their past and felt completely lost in how to deal with them. It was comforting to know that so many people were going through the same thing and we were all forced into a self assessment of past and present self.’ Slow Motion Fantasy is synth-pop blending Nnic’s sleek, electronic soundscapes with lyrical explorations of distorted realities, examinations of traditional gender roles and reappropriations of suburban attitudes. Visit: https://twitter.com/Nnicofficial 

Izumi Kimura, Cora Venus Lunny, Anthony Kelly – Folding
Folding is a new record of collective compositions featuring Izumi Kimura (piano), Cora Venus Lunny (violin and viola) and field recordings by Anthony Kelly in response to the coastal townlands of Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. This new collection of work offers a deeper exploration of ideas generated during Kimura’s Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Musician in Residence Scheme in 2019, discovering connections between environmental and musical sounds through improvisation and composition. Bird song, snowstorms, bees, thunder, rain and other sounds feature prominently, reflecting the rich sonic environment of the area. Folding is out now on Farpoint Recordings: https://digital.farpointrecordings.com/album/folding 

Ardú – To Feel the Power of Love
Contemporary vocal group Ardú have recently released a new song ‘To Feel the Power of Love’. The song was written by Carl Corcoran, composer, broadcaster and Director of the MA in Songwriting at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at UL, and this version was arranged by Ciarán Kelly, Musical Director of Ardú. According to Corcoran, the song ‘was born in the early days of Covid Lockdown 2020. Sunrise walks; some Covid cave ruminations and meditations; observations of dedicated front-line workers; everyday displays of simple acts in common purpose… The greatest thrill that one can experience as a songwriter is to hear one’s song performed by others. That thrill was heightened when I heard Ciarán Kelly’s arrangement of “To Feel The Power of Love”, and the subsequent performance by Ardú’. Purchase the track on Bandcamp: https://ardumusic.bandcamp.com/track/to-feel-the-power-of-love 

Robert Curgenven – Tailte Cré-Umha (Bronze Lands) - Live at Cork Midsummer Festival
Australian composer Robert Curgenven’s record Tailte Cré-Umha (Bronze Lands) – Live at Cork Midsummer Festival was released late last month. The large-scale work for pipe organ and soundsystem was recorded live during a performance at the festival in 2018. The work was inspired by Ireland’s relations with Cornwall and Mediterranean Europe 5,000 years ago during the Bronze Age. At the time, Ireland’s copper and Cornwall’s tin was sold across Europe to make bronze. The shape and movement of the score derives from the shape and movements of those trade routes. Purchase Tailte Cré-Umha (Bronze Lands) – Live at Cork Midsummer Festival on Bandcamp: https://robertcurgenven.bandcamp.com/

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