Saturday, January 18th
Ryan Bingham
Róisín Dubh, Galway; roisindubh.net
Cyprus Avenue, Cork on January 20th; eventbrite.ie
Straddling the hybrid areas of roots/rock and Americana, New Mexico-born and Los Angeles-based Ryan Bingham came to major prominence about ten years ago when he collaborated with producer/musician T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack for the 2009 movie Crazy Heart (which starred Jeff Bridges as a luckless country singer). One of his songs (The Weary Kind) subsequently nabbed Academy, Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Best Song awards, leading Bingham to enjoy a sizeable boost in profile and popularity. His most recent album, American Love Song, was released almost a year ago, so expect tunes from that record as well as new tunes he has hiding up his shirt sleeve. TCL
Happy birthday Dolly!
Kino, Cork; uticket.ie
On the eve of Dolly Parton turning 74, the Kino is celebrating all things Backwoods Barbie. With doors opening at 7pm, things will kick off with a screening of 9 to 5, Parton-centric games and tomfoolery, a quick dash of line dancing and some very special guests performing songs from her back catalogue that spans 50 (ish) years. Finishing off the night is a DJ set from the one and only Western Girls, the "unfettered DJ collective" that puts fun at the forefront of everything they do. LB
Tuesday, January 21st
Caravan Palace
Vicar St, Dublin; ticketmaster.ie
Formed as a trio when, as session musicians, they were recruited to create a soundtrack for a porn movie, Paris quartet Caravan Palace sway and swing their way between electronic and jazz music. With influences ranging from Daft Punk and Vitalic to Django Reinhardt and Lionel Hamilton, for over ten years the band have achieved considerable success outside their native France. Their latest album, Chronologic, will no doubt be ripped apart for tunes, but three other records will join the party – ready and willing to be associated with the band's good electro-swing vibes. TCL
Insomnium
Dolan's, Limerick; dolans.yapsody.com
Whelan's, Dublin on January 22nd ; whelanslive.com
From "beyond the vast forests of eastern Finland", Insomnium formed over 20 years ago as a bunch of teenage metalheads out for a laugh and loud music. Since then, the band have produced a singular Scandinavian form of music that references not only the roots of fierce death metal but also (they note on their website) "Finnish melancholy, drawing inspiration from some of the bleakest tales, lyrics and poems of the north." The band rarely visit Ireland, so this is a golden opportunity for fans. TCL
Wednesday, January 22nd
Petrol Girls
Whelan's Upstairs, Dublin; whelanslive.com
Dolan's, Limerick on January 23rd; dolans.yapsody.com
Formed in London eight years ago (but now living in Austria), this politically motivated, blister-popping post-hardcore band really know how to get under the skin, stay there, and agitate. Last year's album, Cut & Stitch – their second – was praised by many for its ambitious musical and lyrical flourishes, while singer Ren Aldridge garnered much admiration for the way in which she combined rage and deliberation in equal measure. This year will present new challenges and, perhaps, directions, as original co-founding member Liepa Kuraité left the band at the end of 2019. TCL
DJ Seinfeld
Seven Bar, Galway; eventbrite.ie
Cyprus Avenue, Cork on January 24th; eventbrite.ie
39/40, Dublin on January 25th; eventbrite.ie
Swedish DJ Armand Jakobsson, aka DJ Seinfeld, is hitting the road and taking the country by storm – or a mild gale, at least – with his Irish tour. After some fast-paced and truly energetic sets at the likes of Forbidden Fruit, Electric Picnic, Life Festival and sold out shows in Galway, Dublin and Cork, he's back once again to spread the joy with some feel-good sets built around house music that comes with a fuzzy edge. LB
Felice Brothers
Limelight 2, Belfast; ticketmaster.ie
Whelan's, Dublin on January 23rd; whelanslive.com
From the Catskill Mountains to Greenwich Village, and subsequently all across the world, the Felice Brothers have become quite skilled in the art of extemporisation. Aligning their music with folk-rock, Americana and roots, there is (perhaps unavoidably) a strong whiff of The Band here, but the musicians negotiate their way around the genres in a very persuasive (and sometimes political) manner. Their latest album, Undress, continues their path from ragamuffin subway performers to smartly dishevelled professionals. Go see – highly recommended. TCL
Thursday, January 23
Xylouris White
Black Box, Belfast; cqaf.com
Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny on January 24th; regionalculturalcentre.com
Whelan's, Dublin on January 25th; whelanslive.com
If you're looking for something that little bit different from guitar shreds or techno bounces, then we guarantee that Xylouris White are just the ticket. The clues are in the name, which is a surname composite of Georgios Xylouris and Jim White. The former is a Crete-born multi-instrumentalist that has rarely strayed from his traditional roots; the latter is an Australian drummer best known, perhaps, for his work with The Dirty Three. Disparate on paper they may be but in a live setting the pair fuse to create music that Rolling Stone writer David Fricke has described as having "the empathy and elevation of saxophonist John Coltrane's iconic duets." TCL
The Midnight Disco with Donna Leake
Yamamori Tengu, Dublin; eventbrite.ie
Going strong since 2016, the Midnight Disco is all about showcasing local and international talent that can sometimes be overlooked, with a heavy emphasis on electronic music of all varieties. For their first party of 2020, they've called in London DJ, NTS radio resident and Boiler Room regular Donna Leake to select the tunes. With a massively versatile taste in music, she plays songs from far and wide to suit the mood around her. Support on the night comes from Kilkenny local Eloise. LB
Friday, January 24
Waterparks
Academy, Dublin; ticketmaster.ie
Waterfront Studio, Belfast on January 25th; waterfront.co.uk
Stop the punk/pop clocks! Texas band Waterparks cite their primary influences as Sum 41, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Blink-182, Good Charlotte, and My Chemical Romance. It's little surprise, then, that the band – which formed almost ten years ago – have close management ties with Good Charlotte twins, Joel and Benji Madden, and musical associations with Mikey Way, co-founder of My Chemical Romance. Now three albums into their career, Waterparks tie up the loose ends of various alt.rock genres and neatly present them to the listener. It's nothing you haven't heard before, of course, but the clincher here is the undercurrent of bubble-gum pop melodies that invade the tunes and run riot over them. Nice. TCL
Laurent Garnier
Jam Park, Dublin; eventbrite.ie
French DJ Laurent Garnier has been a constant on the house and techno scene from the last 25 years. Cutting his teeth in Manchester during the Madchester heydays of the 1980s, he found spiritual homes behind the decks in New York, Chicago and even Cork's Sir Henry's with his impassioned sets. No stranger to our shores or our festivals by any means, this will be his first visit to District 8's new home in Jam Park. Join him for a masterclass in consistency. LB
Saturday, January 25
The Teskey Brothers
Academy, Dublin; mcd.ie/artists/the-teskey-brothers
You could be forgiven for presuming that the Teskey Brothers originate from Memphis, Tennessee and that because of this their music is soaked in the torrents of soul and blues you'll hear from Stax Records catalogues. You would be forgiven, but you would also be mistaken, as this soul/blues outfit formed in Yara Valley, outside Melbourne. Founded in 2008 and named after two brothers (Josh and Sam Teskey), last year they signed to Glassnote Records, one of America's most high-profile independent labels, and romped home with three awards (out of seven nominations) in their country's ARIA Music Awards. In keeping with such an increasingly accomplished output, this show is sold out. Special guest is Melbourne soul singer, Wilsn, who we suggest you check out. TCL
CHC & PX Music Present: Hazey Haze – Is Mise Tour
Plugd, Cork; facebook.com
Limerick rapper Hazey Haze first stepped onto the scene as part of Same D4Ence, the hip-hop trio that have opened up for acts like Ghostface Killah, Nelly and Beardyman. Solo since 2018, he released Spillin' Beans, The Drug and Somewhere in Ireland as part of an EP series through PX Music. Is Mise is his latest LP and in his own words, "If ye don't get to see a show of the Is Mise tour, you're missing out on Irish history. Facts". LB
The Scratch
Live in De Barra's, Cork; eventbrite.ie
If there's one band you need to keep a check on this year, it's the Dublin-Cork trad-rock four-piece The Scratch. Having released their debut EP The Whole Buzz last year, they're creating an even bigger buzz on the live circuit. Their set at Other Voices in December was considered the set of the weekend. Initially scheduled for December 6th, this is the new date for De Barra's and if you haven't ingested The Whole Buzz yet, we implore you to dig in. LB
Deno
Academy 2, Dublin; ticketmaster.ie
Known to his parents as Deno Michael Mebrahitu, this 17-year-old British songwriter/rapper really came to prominence a couple of years ago when Stormzy not only retweeted one of his videos but also had him as a contributor on his debut studio album, Gang Signs & Prayer. There is more to Deno than music (he's an actor and is involved with a global fashion brand), yet it's clear he has sidelined most of his non-music activities for some serious outings in hip-hop, R&B and Afro-swing. Most definitely one to pay attention to. TCL
