On June 20, Irish rock band Florence Road released their latest album, “Fall Back.” The album consists of five (or six or seven) songs and is the band’s debut mixtape. It was released via Warner Records. The all-female band features Lily Aron on vocals, Emma Brandon on guitar, Ailbhe Barry on bass, and Hannah Kelly on drums.
“Irish Wish” tells the story of a book editor who travels to Ireland for the wedding of her friend and the author of a book she edited. She makes a wish, and things do not turn out how they were planned. The movie was directed by Janeen Damien and stars Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speleers, and Alexander Vlahos. It was written by Kirsten Hansen and released in 2024.
On February 27, 2026, Tennessee-based band Boxing Robin released their second album, “Land of the Noon-Day Moon.” The album features music from the Irish, Scottish, French, English, and Breton traditions. The songs that have words and vocals are sung in English and French.
“The Hug” is the debut book by Irish author Eoin McLaughlin. The book was released in 2019. It tells the tale of two animals who are feeling sad and are asking other animals for a hug. Their journey is upsetting, but then something truly special happens. It was named a 'Book of the Year' by The Guardian and has been translated in over 25 languages.
On July 11, 2025, Swell Season released their latest album, “Forward.” The rock duo consists of Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. The album consists of eight songs and is available across streaming platforms. It was produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson.
Anyone who watches PBS often will likely be familiar with Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder. While many people may be able to notice small similarities, there are connections between the two groups that go beyond what meets the eye.
Irish rock band Crow Black Chicken released their latest album, “Ghost Dance,” on June 13, 2025. They are a blues rock trio from Ireland’s deep south, playing music inspired by Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Gov’t Mule. “Ghost Dance” is the band’s fourth album
The album was produced and mixed by Philip Magee, who has
worked with bands like Kodaline and The Script. It was recorded in GAF Studios in
County Tipperary, Ireland. This was the band’s first time in the studio since
the release of their 2016 album. Crow Black Chicken features Christ O'Hanlon on
guitar and vocals, Stephen McGrath on bass, and Gev Barrett on drums.
Right off the bat with “Bottom Feeders,” this album lets listeners
know that it means serious rock business. Each song has a different feel and
vibe, but they all echo back to the band’s overall voice that they have honed. Not
every song is a hard-hitting rock song, but this shows the band’s skill in
doing different things and doing them well. The slower songs show that the band
can do several things well.
The album only has eight songs, but each song is so jam-packed
with music that it feels like it has more songs. While artists generally want
their listeners to crave more of their music once an album ends, that is not
always a good thing. This album fills the listeners’ cups up without overflowing
them or leaving listeners thirsting for more. It is solid as it is, with only
eight songs.
This album’s mixing is exquisite. It is obvious that Magee
has worked hard to perfect his craft, and his success with other groups has
been rightfully earned. The vocals are crystal clear, and the backing
instruments are in perfect balance with the vocal track.
Overall, this album is a great album for rock fans,
especially those who love the likes of Thin Lizzy or even Pearl Jam. “Bottom
Feeders” is the only song that is labeled as explicit. There is a wide diversity
of rock songs on the album, so listeners who are not fans of the hard rock songs
like “Bottom Feeders” will still find something they enjoy.
Track List:
1. Bottom Feeders
2. Fire and Blood
3. Hot Molasses
4. The Longest Time
5. Dark Matters
6. Make It Right
7. Terlingua
8. Heavy Rain
Related Articles:
- Review: "Very Human Features" by Bug Club: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/02/album-review-very-human-features-by-bug-club.html
-Album Review: "The Belfast Sessions" by The Irish Rovers: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/02/kiltedowl.blogspot.com202602album-review-belfast-sessions-by-irish-rovers.html
-Album Review: "In Terra's Keep" by TRIP: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/02/album-review-in-terras-keep-by-trip.html
“From That Small Island’ is a TV show about Ireland that is aired on PBS. The first episode is called “From the Beginning” and talks about the beginnings of Ireland, from ancient times to Viking rule. The rest of the
The show is very informative. Not only does it talk about Ireland, but it also talks about other things going on near Ireland and how those things influenced Irish history. It brings in archaeology to talk about Ireland’s earliest inhabitants.
“The Cross of Thoth” is a book by Crichton E. M. Miller. It talks about the origins of the Celtic Cross, which has become a symbol for Celtic spirituality. This cross has been used to solve mysteries that have been around for centuries.
The audiobook sounds like it was made by amateurs. The production quality is low, and the speakers are hard to hear at times. This is made worse by the music playing in the background. The audiobook feels more like a podcast or talk show than an audiobook.
“Galtee Mountain Boy” is an Irish rebel song that was written Patsy O’Halloran and was made famous when Christy Moore and other artists sang it. The song continues to resonate today because it talks about a shared experience of those who fought in the Flying Columns during the Irish Civil War and the Black and Tan War.
The song takes place in the Galtee Mountains, a mountain range on the border between Tipperary and Limerick. This mountain range provided cover for IRA volunteers during the Irish War of Independence.
On June 13, 2025, Welsh indie band Bug Club released their latest album, “Very Human Features,” via Sub Pop Records. The album contains 13 tracks and is the band’s fourth LP. It is the band’s second release through Sub Pop.
On November 28, 2025, the Irish Rovers released their latest album, “The Belfast Sessions.” The album was recorded at RedBox Studios in Belfast and features songs that are all about Belfast. The band is a group of Irish musicians that formed in Canada in 1963.
“Dublin Whiskey Fire” is an original song by the O’McPub Band. The song tells the story of the incident of the same name that occurred in the 1800s in Ireland. This incident is also referred to as the Liberties Whiskey Fire.
On April 11, Scottish band TRIP released their latest album, “In Terra’s Keep.” The album consists of 10 songs. The band features Craig Baxter on bodhran, Michael Biggins on accordion, Isla Callister on fiddle, Tiernan Courell on flute and whistle, Rory Matheson on guitar and voice, and Alasdair Mackenzie on piano. This is the band’s second studio album.
“Thousands Are Sailing” is a song by the Pogues and is featured on their acclaimed 1988 album, “If I Should Fall From Grace With God.” It is a tribute to those who left Ireland in search of a better life for themselves in America.
“Lost in Ireland” is a book written by Cindy Callaghan. It
tells the story of Meghan McGlinchey, a superstitious teenager from Delaware
who goes to Ireland for spring break after a series of misfortunes over the
course of a day. Her goal on the trip was to find the sender of the chain letter
after taking a shortcut in passing on the email. The book is geared towards
younger readers.
The audiobook version was read by Brenda Scott Wlazlo. Wlazlo added a lot of drama to the story and made it interesting. She used different voices for the characters, which brought them to life.
“Men Behind The Wire” was written in 1971 by Paddy McGuigan, a member of the Irish folk band Barleycorn. It became an anthem of resistance during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
On Monday, August 9, 1971, the British government enacted a
policy of mass arrests known as “internment”. Because of this, hundreds of men
suspected of being Irish Republican paramilitaries were arrested and detained
without trial or without an exact cause. They were to be interned for an
indefinite period of time.
2,000 Irishmen, most of whom were Catholics, were taken from
their homes at 4:30 in the morning the day the policy went into effect. They
were taken to Long Kesh Concentration Camp. Many of the men were still imprisoned 10 years after
internment. These men were known as the “men behind the wire,” which is how the
song got its name.
Even though the goal of the policy was to suppress the growing violence that was occurring in Northern Ireland, it
disproportionately targeted the community of Catholic nationalists. The policy
led to outrage that caused protests and increased support for the Irish
Republican Army (IRA). The internment policy also sparked the start of the
Civil Resistance Campaign.
While the people were imprisoned, prisoners were exposed to scientifically
sophisticated torture methods. This included sensory deprivation. The goal of
these torture methods was to paralyze any resistance and stop prisoners from
gaining an independent identity. However, prisoners left the prisons and
concentration camps stronger fighters than ever before.
“Men Behind the Wire” was written by McGuigan of Barleycorn and
recorded by the Wolfe Tones. McGuigan himself was interned for simply writing Irish songs in
Ireland, particularly about things that were happening.
Barleycorn’s single of the song has sold more copies than
any other single record in Ireland’s history. The Irish population, numbering
at slightly more than four million people, have bought 250,000 copies of the
song.
The song was banned from being played across the airwaves of
the BBC and RTÉ. However, this did not prevent it from gaining popularity. It
became an anthem of Irish resistance and was, and is, sung in pubs, at marches,
and by the prisoners inside Long Kesh.
Related Articles:
-Beyond the Song: "Back Home in Derry": https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/02/beyond-song-back-home-in-derry.html
-Beyond the Song: "The Patriot Game": https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/07/beyond-song-patriot-game.html
-Beyond the Song: "Four Green Fields" by Tommy Makem: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/05/beyond-song-four-green-fields-tommy-makem.html
On October 3, 2025, Scottish indie rock band Idlewild
released their latest album, “Idlewild,” which is the band’s 10th studio
album. The album was produced by Idlewild and Rod Jones, and mixed by Ed Jones.
While the songs have a cohesive sound, they are all a little bit different. The songs may remind listeners of other artists they know and love. For example, there are times when the band resembles the Cars and the Go-Go’s. This allows listeners to attach to something that is a bit familiar, bringing them into the world of Idlewild in a comfortable way.
“Scots Wha Hae” is a song about the Wars of Scottish Independence. It was written by poet and song collector Robert Burns and is set to the traditional Scots air, “Hey Tuttie Tatie.” It is a patriotic song that was considered the unofficial national anthem of Scotland.