William Michael Joseph Whelan is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The result, "Riverdance", was a seven-minute piece of original music accompanying a new take on traditional Irish stepdance that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for Irish traditional music and dance. The corresponding soundtrack album earned him a Grammy. "Riverdance" was released as a single in 1994, credited to "Bill Whelan and Anúna featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra". It reached number one in Ireland for 18 weeks and number nine in the UK. The album of the same title reached number 31 in the album charts in 1995.
Adam Leonard is an English singer-songwriter working mainly in the folk, psychedelic and electronic music fields. His style is often described as lo-fi and the subject matter of his songs somewhat unconventional. Since his debut album How Music Sounds in 2003, he has released many EPs, albums and mini-albums on various small labels. Live performances, which have so far been limited to the UK are as intriguing as they are rare. In 2008 he opened for British folk musician Steve Ashley. He regularly collaborates with other musicians, most notably Pat Gubler, Ashley Cooke (Pulco), Gareth Davies, and Steven Collins of The Owl Service, a band for which Leonard provided vocals for their 2010 album The View From A Hill. At the close of 2010, a limited edition album entitled Nature Recordings was released on vinyl only by the London label The Great Pop Supplement. In 2011, Leonard provided the soundtrack to Claudia Heindel's award-winning independent film, Lucky Seven. In 2012, Nature Recordings was issued on CD by Manchester-based label The Northwestern Series.
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in the Republic of Ireland including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990 and holds the record for the country's all-time biggest-selling single. On 15 February 2008, they received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards.
Nina Sky is an American musical duo consisting of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino. Their debut single "Move Ya Body", released from their self-titled debut album in 2004, was a success, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album, Nicole & Natalie, was released in July 2012. Their third studio album, Brightest Gold, was announced for 2016 release through Tommy Boy Entertainment.
Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from County Kildare. The group consists of Paul Noonan, David Geraghty and Dominic Phillips.
Au Revoir Simone is an American indie pop band from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The group is composed of Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard/bass) and Heather D'Angelo.
The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy (drums), Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran, Louize Carroll (bass) and Aidan Lynch (keyboards). They have achieved multiple platinum record sales and have won numerous awards.
Delorentos are a Dublin-based Irish alternative rock band, formed in 2005. They consist of Rónan Yourell, Kieran McGuinness, Níal Conlan and Ross McCormick. The band's debut album In Love with Detail was critically acclaimed in Ireland, being nominated for the Choice Music Prize and in the Best Irish Album category at the 2007 Meteor Awards, at which Delorentos were also nominated for Best New Irish Band. Two extended plays have also been released; their debut release, titled Leave It On, in October 2005, and the follow-up EP, titled Do You Realise, came out in November 2007. The Delorentos discography consists of a selection of singles which impacted on the Irish Singles Chart, such as "The Rules" in May 2006 and "Stop" in July 2007.
Galaxie is a Francophone indie garage rock band formed in 2002 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Formerly known as Galaxie 500, they should not be confused with the American alternative rock band Galaxie 500.
The Fades are an English indie rock band from London, England, comprising Dave Lightfoot on guitar and vocals, James Lightfoot on bass, Jonathan "Jonny" Barnard on guitar and Alastair "Flash" Thorpe on drums.
Castlepalooza was an annual Irish independent music & Arts Festival, held at Charleville Castle in Tullamore, County Offaly. The festival began in 2005 and was held annually until 2019.
"My Love Is Pink" is a song by English girl group Sugababes from their fifth studio album, Change (2007). It was written by band members Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range in collaboration with the songwriting and production team Xenomania, who produced the song. "My Love Is Pink" is an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song, reminiscent of those performed by British girl group, Girls Aloud. The song was released on 10 December 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the second single from Change. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the composition and sound, but criticised its lyrical content. The song peaked at number five on the UK Commercial Pop Club chart and number 51 on the Slovakian Singles Chart.
The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx, and formerly Baria Qureshi. They are known for their distinct and minimalist sound that blends indie rock, indie electronic, indie pop, dream pop and electro-rock and the dual vocalist setup of both Madley Croft and Sim. Their music employs soft, echoed guitar, prominent bass, light electronic beats and ambient soundscape backgrounds.
Shouting At Planes are an Irish alternative indie band from Cavan, Ireland.
Sweet Jane are an Irish band formed in 2008. The current line-up consists of Danda Paxton, Neil Paxton, Ruairi Paxton (bass), Conor Paxton (guitar) and Donagh O Brien (drums).
Reekus Records is an Irish independent record label and publishing company based in Dublin, founded by Elvera Butler in 1981. The label specializes in the promotion of mostly Irish rock and alternative music.
Little Green Cars were an Irish indie rock band formed in Dublin in 2008. The band announced on 21 March 2019 that they were disbanding. In the wake of the band's breakup, several past members formed Soda Blonde.
Pearse McGloughlin is a songwriter and artist from Sligo, Ireland. He has released five studio albums; Busy Whisper (2009), In Movement (2012) and Idiot Songs (2013) which was a concept album based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'The Idiot' in collaboration with composer Justin Grounds. McGloughlin draws on literary and philosophical influences in his work. His aesthetic is described as atmospheric or ethereal. McGloughlin released 'The Soft Animal' in 2016 under the artist name of 'Nocturnes'. ‘The Rest’ was released in 2020.
Aoife McCarthy, known professionally as Aoife Nessa Frances, is a singer, songwriter, and musician from Dublin, Ireland.
Elaine Mai is a songwriter, musician, and producer from County Mayo, Ireland, now based in Dublin. Mai has been referred to as "one of Ireland's top electronic music producers" by RTE Radio One and Today FM. In January 2022, her debut album Home was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize.
