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Powys County Times
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Montgomeryshire sisters win at National Eisteddfod
Two Montgomeryshire sisters won the Battle of the Folk Bands at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham. Elin and Carys were selected as the winners by judges Gwenan Gibbard and Iestyn Tyne in a competition with four participants. Danny Sioned from Pontarddulais came second, and Paul Magee from Holyhead, third. Folk music is a family tradition for the sisters, as their father, John Gittins, was a member of Plethyn. They have been performing as a duo with influences from Lankum to Fairport Convention. Their songs have a Welsh, Celtic, and international style. The audience at Ty Gwerin enjoyed a full set by the sisters later on Tuesday evening (August 5). The Battle of the Folk Bands is a new competition, launched two years ago at the Llŷn and Eifionydd National Eisteddfod. The organisers aimed to replicate the success of the Battle of the Bands competition by providing a platform for folk musicians to develop and grow the folk scene. This competition is a partnership between the National Eisteddfod and the BBC, aimed at discovering new Welsh folk music talent. Folk music is defined as traditional Welsh songs and melodies or new songs in the folk style. Elin and Carys won a cash prize of £600, donated by Bethan Rhiannon and Huw Williams in memory of Angharad, Bethan's mother from the band Calan.
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
National Eisteddfod 2025: Sisters win Battle of the Folk Bands
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Two sisters have emerged victorious in Brwydr y Bandiau Gwerin (Battle of the Folk Bands) at the National Eisteddfod, which is being held this year in Wrexham. Elin and Carys from Montgomeryshire were deemed the winners by adjudicators Gwenan Gibbard and Iestyn Tyne to win the first prize in a lively competition between four competitors. Danny Sioned from Pontarddulais near Swansea was awarded second and Paul Magee from Holyhead, Anglesey, third. Folk music runs deep in the sisters' blood with their father, John Gittins, a member of Plethyn, and starting to perform as a duo was a natural step for them. With influences stretching from Lankum to Fairport Convention, their songs have a strong Welsh, Celtic and international feel. The Ty Gwerin audience had the opportunity to enjoy a full set by the two sisters later on Tuesday evening. Brwydr y Bandiau Gwerin is a new competition launched for the first time at the Llŷn and Eifionydd National Eisteddfod two years ago. The organisers say the intention is to follow the example of the success of the Battle of the Bands competition by creating a similar scheme for folk musicians, which offers an opportunity to develop artists and strengthen the folk scene for the future. The competition is a partnership between the National Eisteddfod and the BBC and is an attempt to discover new Welsh folk music talent. Folk is defined as traditional Welsh songs and melodies or new songs in the folk style. Elin and Carys received a cash prize of £600, a donation from Bethan Rhiannon and Huw Williams in memory of Angharad, Bethan's mother from the band Calan. She contributed her own tunes to the folk music tradition and accompanied a number of dancers on the Eisteddfod stage. Elin and Carys will also have the opportunity to record and film two songs to be broadcast on BBC Radio Cymru and on the digital platforms of the Eisteddfod. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Look for places near you
North Wales Live
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
National Eisteddfod 2025: Sisters win Battle of the Folk Bands
Two sisters have emerged victorious in Brwydr y Bandiau Gwerin (Battle of the Folk Bands) at the National Eisteddfod, which is being held this year in Wrexham. Elin and Carys from Montgomeryshire were deemed the winners by adjudicators Gwenan Gibbard and Iestyn Tyne to win the first prize in a lively competition between four competitors. Danny Sioned from Pontarddulais near Swansea was awarded second and Paul Magee from Holyhead, Anglesey, third. Folk music runs deep in the sisters' blood with their father, John Gittins, a member of Plethyn, and starting to perform as a duo was a natural step for them. With influences stretching from Lankum to Fairport Convention, their songs have a strong Welsh, Celtic and international feel. The Ty Gwerin audience had the opportunity to enjoy a full set by the two sisters later on Tuesday evening. Brwydr y Bandiau Gwerin is a new competition launched for the first time at the Llŷn and Eifionydd National Eisteddfod two years ago. The organisers say the intention is to follow the example of the success of the Battle of the Bands competition by creating a similar scheme for folk musicians, which offers an opportunity to develop artists and strengthen the folk scene for the future. The competition is a partnership between the National Eisteddfod and the BBC and is an attempt to discover new Welsh folk music talent. Folk is defined as traditional Welsh songs and melodies or new songs in the folk style. Elin and Carys received a cash prize of £600, a donation from Bethan Rhiannon and Huw Williams in memory of Angharad, Bethan's mother from the band Calan. She contributed her own tunes to the folk music tradition and accompanied a number of dancers on the Eisteddfod stage. Elin and Carys will also have the opportunity to record and film two songs to be broadcast on BBC Radio Cymru and on the digital platforms of the Eisteddfod.
RTÉ News
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
10 great Irish albums you might have missed so far in 2025
The Irish music scene continues to flourish, and it's a beautiful thing to see some of our biggest acts - from Fontaines DC, to Hozier, to CMAT, to Kneecap - making such a huge impact on the global stage. That said, in the mad rush to proclaim the Next Big Thing, it can be all too easy to overlook the plethora of wonderful bands and artists releasing albums, who might not have a big profile or a label's PR department to push their work out to the masses. Considering we're past the halfway mark of the year, here are ten Irish albums that may have escaped your attention in 2025… 1. George Houston - TODC (The Original Death Card) Having spent part of 2024 supporting Paul Weller on his North American tour, this young Donegal musician decamped to Weller's Black Barn studio to record his fourth album. Interwoven with themes of tarot, TODC is a record that blazes with incandescent fury at the Catholic Church on the title track, yet also explores the more vulnerable aspects of growing up within the LGBT community in rural Ireland (Drag Queen). Houston deals with big topics, but as seen on his recent appearance on Later… with Jools Holland, he has the charisma and presence to draw you into his world. 2. M(h)aol - Something Soft Their 2023 debut Attachment Styles made quite a statement: this Dublin trio came out of the traps all guns blazing with a record that was uncompromising as it was brashly experimental. Their punky ethos continues apace with another collection of tense, nervy songs that tackle everything from animal welfare to consumerism. These are short, sharp blasts of propulsive punk, tinged with both fuzzy discordance and deep grooves. 3. Poor Creature - All Smiles Tonight The latest Irish act to be signed to Rough Trade's River Lea imprint is this supergroup of-sorts, comprising Cormac MacDiarmada and John Dermody (Lankum) and Ruth Clinton (Landless). Produced by John 'Spud' Murphy (Lankum/Oxn), Poor Creature's incursions into trad, folk and bluegrass are astonishing at times, eliciting comparisons to Cocteau Twins and even covering a Ray Lynam and Philomena Begley song for good measure. Whoever would've thought, etc… 4. Kean Kavanagh - The County Star You may have already seen comedian Peter McGann's memorable turn in the video for Kavanagh's single The Whistle; the good news is that the rest of the Portlaoise native's debut album is as good as that song suggests. This is a seriously accomplished record that sticks to its creative vision from start to finish, drawing in influences from country music, soul, indie and pop. Songs like Melting and Never are straight out of Beck's songbook, while A Country Song plunders from 1980s heartland rock. Throughout it all, Kavanagh's lyric sheet never strays far from his midlands hometown, as heard on 45s. 5. Paddy Hanna - Oylegate A long-term fixture on Ireland's indie and DIY scene, Dubliner Hanna has forged an impressive solo career after years in and out of bands like Grand Pocket Orchestra, Skelocrats and Autre Monde. His fifth album, named for a small village in Wexford and produced once again by Gilla Band's Daniel Fox, has all of Hanna's songwriting quirks - from the soft synthy throb of Harry Dean, to the loungey Caterpillar Wine and the clipped, XTC-esque Oylegate Station. 6. Curtisy - Beauty in the Beast He made quite a big impression with 2024's What Was the Question, which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize; Tallaght rapper Gavin Curtis, aka Curtisy, is a breath of fresh air on the Irish hip-hop scene. His mixtape with producer hikii showcases the best of his creativity, as he gets ultra-vulnerable on songs like W!, which sees him reflect upon his relationship with booze, and the title track which delves into the issue of addiction. It's thoughtful and thought-provoking fare, delivered in his idiosyncratic laidback style and infused with a healthy streak of humour. 7. Maria Somerville - Luster It seems criminal that such a superb album could possibly be overlooked, so don't let Maria Somerville's stunning work fall between the cracks of 2025. The Galway native signed to the prestigious 4AD label for Luster, a record heavily influenced by her native Connemara. You can well imagine gazing out onto a misty lough as the breathy Corrib or the propulsive, dream-like reverberations of Garden play over headphones. This is a finely-tuned, evocative collection. 8. Skinner - New Wave Vaudeville Skinner is the project of the Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Aaron Corcoran who has been inspired by the New York no-wave scene in the late '70s/early '80s. On his debut album, Corcoran draws in influences from the likes of The B52s, The Rapture and even Pixies, all filtered through an Irish art-rock lens (there's even a song called Tell My Ma.) An enjoyably diverse mix of sounds - plus added saxophone, for good measure. 9. Bren Berry - In Hope Our Stars Align You may know Berry from his former guise as frontman of '90s alt-rock band Revelino, who released three albums during their seven-year tenure. It's taken until now for the Dubliner to go solo - but as this beautifully-crafted record proves, it's better late than never. Berry's odes to the simple pleasures of life - family, music, love - are funnelled into songs like Beautiful Losers, the slouchy soulfulness of We Have it All and the gently sweeping orchestration of Winter Song, while his experience in both the music business and life itself gives both character and depth to this collection. 10. Alanna Thornburgh - Shapeshifter We all know that Irish folk and trad is undergoing a major renaissance, but this album may have flown under many people's radars. Inspired by Irish fairy folklore and mythology, Mayo artist Alannah Thornburgh collected stories from a variety of historians, storytellers and locals; their tales are woven through this striking, mostly instrumental album, many of its songs composed on harp. An album that leans into the traditional side rather than the experimental, it's well worth a listen.
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
New Irish albums reviewed: Sons of Southern Ulster, Poor Creature, Darragh Morgan, The Swell Season and California Irish
Sons of Southern Ulster: Through the Bridewell Gate (SOSU) ★★★★☆ Through the Bridewell Gate by Sons of Southern Ulster The malcontents of Co Cavan resurface with the aim of once again visualising young dreams in middle age. Three albums in (and 10 years from their formation), Sons of Southern Ulster can safely lay claim to be as authentically Irish post-punk as any of the current native crop touting a similar validity. Sprechgesang songs such as Billyhill Hall, Royal Breffni, and the especially lyrical To the New World and Back ('I heard the voice of Joe Dolan – 'make me an island,' he cried'), place mainstays David Meagher and Justin Kelly in a league and a psycho-geographic place of their own. Poor Creature: All Smiles Tonight (River Lea Records) ★★★★★ All Smiles Tonight by Poor Creature Cormac MacDiarmada , John Dermody, and Ruth Clinton may have their limbs in other contemporary experimental folk bands ( Lankum , Landless), but their eyes remain firmly focused on recalibrating songs from many years past and adding unexpected sonic twists and turns without making you reach for the smelling salts. Psyche-folk might be the applicable category or genre, but there's something else filtering through on multilayered tracks such as Willie O, Bury Me Not, Adieu Lovely Eireann and Hick's Farewell. Think more kosmische variations of Cocteau Twins, Enya and several spectral others, imbued with sean-nós, drone, and artists such as Sandy Paton, Jean Ritchie, and Karen Dalton. Producer John 'Spud' Murphy sets the controls for the dark heart of the sun, while Clinton (whose father, incidentally, was once a member of Ireland's finest R&B band, The Rhythm Kings) delivers vocal shivers and delights in equal measure. Definite Album of the Year vibrations from this one. Darragh Morgan: For Violin and Electronics Vol II (Diatribe Records) ★★☆☆☆ Cover of For Violin and Electronics Vol II by Darragh Morgan New music violinist Darragh Morgan has quite the professional career, performing not only with numerous contemporary music groups (including Ensemble Modern, Icebreaker and London Sinfonietta) but also with The Divine Comedy, the Spice Girls and Sigur Ros. The sequel to his 2017 album showcases examples of what could be, for some, taxing. There are shades of that throughout the 10 minutes of Zack Browning's Sole Injection (think repetitive hiccups with occasional stabs of police car alarms). Conversely, in Scanner's A Cantegral Segment, Morgan's playing is peak elegance, but the album's longueurs far outweigh the best moments. The Swell Season: Forward (Masterkey Sounds) ★★★★☆ Forward by The Swell Season Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova reunite as The Swell Season for their first album in 16 years, and to say the results are equal parts bittersweet, heartwarming and wise is a piercing understatement. The pair's personal history is (presumably) well enough known to view Forward as a story-driven sequence of confessional regret and acceptance. Whatever the truth, there's no denying the empathy and common threads that connect not just the songwriters but also their folksy songs. Listen to People We Used to Be, Stuck in Reverse, I Leave Everything to You and A Little Sugar without your eyes brimming, and you have a heart of stone. READ MORE California Irish: The Mountains Are My Friends (7Hz Productions) ★★★☆☆ The Mountains Are My Friends by California Irish From bullish hard rock to harmonic folk is a turn we didn't expect Belfast's Cormac Neeson to take, but the former frontman of The Answer has taken to the sensibilities of Laurel Canyon like the proverbial duck to water. Gathering a bunch of musicians with similar influences, the mood enveloping the debut album by California Irish is, says Neeson, 'the opposite of boring AI-generated, no-soul perfection'. There is throughout, then, not only genuine creative instinct but also the kind of sonic warmth that comes only from musicians in a room taking cues and empathetic hints from each other.
