By Scott Stephens Looking back on a year of music is always an odd endeavour. There is an incredibly wild variety of music, and yet when you pay attention to what is going on in the world of music for a whole year, everything looks almost cohesive. Music does not operate in an independent culture, it’s weaved into our lives in so many ways that ends up making us look … [Read more...] about The five best albums of 2023
Music
Grammy nominations 2023 announced
Image by Suvan Chowdhury on Pexels Another year rolls around, which means another year of musical talent is recognised by the Recording Academy. With 88 categories, there is seemingly an award for everyone. Below is a breakdown of the most prestigious music awards. The nominations in each category were cut from ten to eight, making it harder for artists to get … [Read more...] about Grammy nominations 2023 announced
Have concert films ever made sense? A new era
Crowds were pulsing with energy as they pranced around the seats of cinemas worldwide. Possessed by some form of magic, tickets for these cinema screenings sold out weeks in advance. Social media was gripped in a fervour of some kind. As I walked into the same screen in my local cinema here in Galway with a week’s difference, two completely different groups of people walked in … [Read more...] about Have concert films ever made sense? A new era
Riot grrrl, Kathleen Hanna and 30 years of Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill album 1993 was a massive year for music, some era defining albums were released such as Nirvana’s swansong In Utero, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) considered by many to be one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever and we were introduced to soon to become beloved artists Radiohead and Bjork. While these albums and artists … [Read more...] about Riot grrrl, Kathleen Hanna and 30 years of Bikini Kill
Album reviews
With the end of summer and the coming of fall colliding, many artists look to September for album releases and new music. This month has seen releases from musicians dominating the charts, such as the emerging pop talents of Olivia Rodrigo and the often-heartbreaking indie ballads of Mitski. GUTS Olivia Rodrigo returns with her sophomore album GUTS, a pop … [Read more...] about Album reviews