We’ve been keeping a paternal eye on Reii whose new ‘endofthesummer’ single finds him hanging in the studio with pals Baby Blue, GNS and V-Sensei.

With mellow beats, tight bars, feelgood harmonies and a hook that once heard will never be forgotten, it’s pure aural sunshine from the prodigiously talented 21-year old.

It follows on from previous cuts ‘bleed’ and ‘fairytale’, which share all of those attributes.

Talking of Baby Bleu, we’re loving her ‘Honey’ single and accompanying hanging with her homies video…

AR Dept. fave Efé has signed to Fader, the independent New York label who’ve previously enjoyed success with the likes of Clairo, Bikini, Ella Jane and Matt and Kim.

They’re pulling out all the promotional stops for ‘2000SEVEN’, the Dubliner’s new single which has a decidedly old school indie rock feel, albeit with a side order of funky grooves.

Early champions include Zane Lowe who premiered it on his Apple Music show.

Efé at IMRO Awards 2024 at The Sugar Club. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

All kinds of wonderful at this year’s IMRO Live Music Awards bash in the Sugar Club, the Artist Also Known As Anita Ikharo has previously collaborated with Rex Orange County and Little Simz producer Ben Baptie which, needless to say, has opened quite a few industry doors…

We’re loving ‘Reasons’, the seriously addictive second single from Norn Iron quartet Vera who cite Wet Leg, Talking Heads, Theo Katzman and St. Vincent as some of their key influences.

We’d add Garbage to that list with lead singer Sarah Toner possessed of that same wonderful snarl as Shirley Manson.

She describes the song as a “big, noisy, explosive representation of the barrage of excuses we’re up against trying to date in the modern world. The unimaginative and monotonous convictions we give and receive when cutting ties romantically”…

Making waves in the UK is Derry producer maXlon whose new ‘Memories’ single features a potent guest turn from PORTS singer Steve McCool.

Redolent of early Orbital, it follows on from the two equally delicious tunes, ‘Out Of Sight’ and ‘Scalar’, that he recorded recently with Reevah’s Aoife Boyle. It’s a year since he released his debut Curvatures album which well and truly put him on the electronica map…

MaXlon isn’t the only Stroke City DJ and producer blowing up on the other side of the Irish Sea with Or:la signing to fabric Originals, the spinoff label launched recently by the London superclub of the same name.

Dropping on September 20, their debut Trusting Theta album is inspired by Greek mythology and sapphic love and includes guest appearances by SOAK, Mary Lake and Eliza Boom.

It’s a genre-bending affair with garage, acid house, old skool techno, breakbeat and dub all thrown into the heady mix…

Soulful grooves and Sam Smith-esque vocals are the order of the day as the Limerick-born NIYL – these crazy kids with their spellings and CAPS! – releases ‘Won’t Let My Lover Down’.

SWEETS

The latest taster from his Parish Is Burning album which follows in November, it’s part of his quest to shed light on growing up queer in rural Ireland… Staying in Limrick and assorted members of Tooth, Giveamanakick, Windings and Japanese Jesus have joined forces as SWEETS and released an eponymous eight-tracker that reminds us of primetime Husker Du, which is an extremely good thing. Their recent Dolan’s Warehouse gig merely added to the sense of something big brewing down by the Shannon…

Described by our New Irish Songs To Hear This Week colleagues as “a psychedelic, hypnotic groove, melodic rock banger” – they’ve a way with words, don’t they? – the new Thee U.F.O. single, ‘Flutter (I Found Love)’, is loads of Tame Impala-ish fun. The unique freaks in question, Darragh Hansard and Elizabeth Doyle, also have a bit of a Syd-era Pink Floyd thing going on and in February’s Beaming A Moments Reflection have a 2025 Choice Music Prize contender…

Meryl Streek

If you didn’t believe our earlier utterances about Meryl Streek being the real punk deal, check out the Dublin singer/ranter’s new single, ‘Paddy’, which was recorded with former Fontaines D.C. producer Dan Doherty and is dedicated to his beloved uncle who “knew full well how backwards this place was ran.”

It’s the latest taster from Songs For The Deceased, his second album which Veen Records are releasing on October 25 and will be accompanied by a lengthy UK tour that includes a September 21 stop-off in the Manchester O2 Ritz with The Sultans Of Ping FC…

Check out the A & R Department in our latest issue of Hot Press. Buy your copy now!