2009 was the year of electro influenced beats and saw the likes of David Guetta, Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris ruling the charts and airwaves, taking the sound to mass appeal. 

Cream Future Electro is a collection of the year's biggest hits. Read on for a review of the album. 

Following the release of his sophomore album, Rebuilt By Humans last year, Newton Faulkner returned to Dublin's Olympia theatre to enthrall all with his own unique live show, replete with pie chart, feet cam and an alien... But was it any good?

Do you enjoy using helium regularly for your and perhaps everyone else around you's enetrtainment? Then Alvin And The Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel Soundtrack is for YOU. This one might be for the kids but if you're at all curious you can read the review here...

Ke$ha is your all-American thrashy not classy girl whose album reeks of attitude and raucous behaviour. Animal is her record breaking debut album and you can read alllllllllll about it here...

Cocky singer-songwriter Jamie T rolled into town with his band The Pacemakers and made a bee-line straight for The Academy to have a right good go at tearin' the place up... Check out what we made of the magnificent carnage here...

Given that this is their third album in just two years, it is pretty clear that Los Campesinos! are an exceptionally prolific indie outfit with a laudable work ethic. Apparently, Romance Is Boring has been described by the band as being about "death and football". Find out just how accurate that summary is by reading our review here... 

If Eels' last record found Mark 'E' Everett luxuriating in the intensity of desire, then End Times sees him plumbing the depths of despair. The talented singer-songwriter has been around a good 15 years or so now, and he's still at his best when examining the more painful aspects involved in affairs of the heart. See if he nailed it this time...

The five lads from Minneapolis return with their fourth studio album, My Dinosaur Life. Although the pop-punk outfit have been around for more than a decade, Motion City Soundtrack still haven't attained the kind of mainstream recognition that similar-but-inferior groups have enjoyed in recent years. Is that all about to change?

Graffiti is an album full of regret, apologies and promises to change and let's not forget the topics: love and women. Chris Brown. What more is there to say? Lots...and you can read all about it here...

Mick Flannery hails from Cork, boy, his newest album White Lies contains self written songs played using guitar, piano and violin and back up vocals from Yvonne Daly. This album isn't just droning on in the way you'd expect most Irish singer-songwriters, there's a bit of a mix in here...

Alicia Keys is not your average popstar. She writes her own music, lyrics and has produced and "conceptualised" (?!) her new album The Element Of Freedom. The final song on this album, Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down is sampled on Jay-Z's newest release as well as being the soundtrack for Sex And The City 2. This album is allllright, check out the review here...

The Strokes' charismatic former frontman Julian Casablancas has released his debut solo effort, Phrazes for the Young. The album title is a reference to an Oscar Wilde quote, apparently. So would Casablancas' material live up to such a lofty connection? Indeed, would Julian be able to hit the same heights on his tobler that he did with one of the best bands of the Noughties? Click here to find out...

Those collegiate cleverclogs from NY have returned with the successor to their 2008 self-titled debut and it seems Vampire Weekend have avoided all the pitfalls that come with crafting a follow-up to a well-received album. See what our reviewer made of Contra...  

Flush with presents, wine and good cheer, and having consumed a quite alarming quantity of turkey, oxygen turns its thoughts to the New Year. However, before that is to be safely navigated, it is necessary to have a look back at 2009. So, without further cunctation, here’s what we reckon are the 5 best albums of this past year...

Fed up with Simon Cowell having a hegemony when it comes to the Christmas #1? Tired of his X Factor clones seizing the coveted top spot year after year? Sick to death of the cynical, money-grabbing, plastic, commercial, shallow, artistically bankrupt awfulness of it all?
Well, maybe you should check this out...
 

Given that his romantic exploits have earned him a reputation as something of a modern-day Casanova it's little wonder that much of John Mayer's material revolves around affairs of the heart. Indeed he calls his latest album Battle Studies "a heartbreak handbook". See if it teaches you lessons in magnificence or mundanity... 

Boasting the Scottish rockers’ by-now-familiarly broad, bombastic sound, Biffy Clyro’s fifth studio album might not be revolutionary per se but it is pretty damn magnificent. ‘Mon the Biffy! Ahem. Give our review a cursory glance anyway...

Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett... Michael Bublé. The comparisons have been made and there's no doubt that the relative newcomer (he first broke through nine years ago and has been on the rise ever since) certainly has the voice for it. Read on to see if the Canadian star is cementing his place alongside such stellar names...

Between the 30th of June and the 5th of July in 2007, REM performed a series of 'working rehearsals' in our very own Olympia theatre. Eschewing the usual 'greatest-hits-in-front-of-a-live-audience' format, REM chose to test out their works-in-progess and play some of the lesser-known songs of their back catalogue. 2 years later, the resultant release is finally here, and doesn't disappoint... 

Haven't heard of The Swell Season? Take a look at the album cover to the right there. I mean, take a really good look. Those two look familiar don't they? Can't quite place where you know them from? Annoying that, innit? Almost as annoying as the duo themselves. You know them alright, they won a sodding Oscar a few years ago - and now they're back. Read the increasingly-irascible Stevo Tuohy's bile-flecked review...

The Colombian star, Shakira, has once again released a catalogue of musical snapshots. With She Wolf, her third European album, the singer has proved not to be just another one hit wonder. Along with her music career, Shakira has worked with and set up foundations supporting child education, like Alas and the Barefoot Foundation. Find out if the music is as impressive as the activism here...

The multi-talented David Turpin launched his second album, Haunted! in the Hugh Lane Gallery, and we sent along our reviewer to see if the quality of the music would match that of the venue...

Returning with their second full-length release, Delorentos certainly have reason to be cheerful; after all, the band was supposed to split up eight months ago. It's probable that our reviewer of You Can Make Sound wishes that had indeed been the case, judging by his review...

Two years on from his impressive debut, London lad Jamie T tackles the notoriously difficult follow-up record with Kings & Queens. So, any sign of the dreaded 'sophomore slump' or 'second album syndrome'? Check out the review here...

The elaborately-titled Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City represents Ghostface Killah's latest foray into more R'n'B-defined territory. It would have to be fairly magic if it is to live up to the rapper's well-regarded back catalogue. See what our reviewer made of it, here...

English troubadour Newton Faulkner returns with the follow-up to his 2007 debut Hand Built by Robots, cunningly named Rebuilt by Humans. Aha! Dya see what he did there?! Ahem. Anyway, we reckon it's rather well-crafted, so have a gander...

The final instalment in The Blueprint trilogy, Jay-Z's latest offering has been hyped to blazes and rocketed to #1 in the US upon its release. So far, so commercially successful. Find out if the record's music is as distinguished as its chart achievements here...

Fourteen years and two other solo albums later, the Wu-Tang Clan's very own Raekwon has finally released the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut album from 1995, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Packed with numerous collaborations and guest appearances, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II weighs in at twenty-four tracks and more than seventy-five minutes. Does its quality match its quantity? Find out here...

Deptford's finest musical export, Ivor Novello Award-winning indie rockers Athlete are back with Black Swan. A brave name for an album if you ask me; I can just hear the "More like an ugly duckling, wha?!" comments now. Unfortunately for the quipsters, a little birdie reckons it's actually a nifty enough album. Check out the review here...

That teenager who scored a #1 single with the annoyingly ubiquitous Beautiful Girls is back - Sean Kingston has released his second album, Tomorrow, and we decided to see if this shit be whack or pimp... Find out for yourself here

English rockers Muse have returned with The Resistance, an album as politically charged as its title suggests. Is the resulting fare revolutionary or stale though? One way to find out would be to click here...

After four long, arduous, anxious years of longing, nay, yearning for Sean Paul to release a new studio album, it is with pleasure and relief in equal measure that we can finally review Imperial Blaze. Truly, this is a great day, and you can all tell your grandchildren you were here, at this seminal moment... Click here to find out if I'm being sarcastic

Oxygen managed to catch Deerhunter at Whelan's a few weeks ago, and was mightily impressed with the ambient American quartet. With the audience, however... Not so much. Click here to find out why...

The Arctic Monkeys are back, and have undergone somewhat of a change if our reviewer is to be believed. Find out whether their growing maturity has been a help or a hindrance to their overall sound by reading our review of Humbug...

Temporary Pleasure really does sound like a remarkably honest title for an album don't it? Fair play to Simian Mobile Disco, refreshingly upfront of them to highlight their sophomore effort's entertaining nature and ultimate lack of staying power... Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Either way, read the review...

Four years on from their last studio release, Healthy in Paranoid Times, alt-rockers Our Lady Peace return with their seventh album, Burn Burn. See if the Canadian quartet's effort fired us with enthusiasm or turned out to be a damp squib here...

Aussie alt-rockers Sick Puppies have released their third studio album, Tri-Polar. So is the record manic or depressing? Or, indeed, the third possibility. Whatever that may be, they never specified... Have a gander anyway

Canadian emo merchants Billy Talent return with their third album in six years, following up Billy Talent I and II with the equally imaginatively-titled Billy Talent III. See what our reviewer made of it...

Dublin based multinational three-piece Audio, currently pitching their impressive sound to a growing number of satisfied audiences around the city.  They release their E.P. in Whelan's on August 6th.  We like these guys.  Read more here...

The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and Pugwash's Thomas Walsh teamed up to record a concept album inspired by the sport of cricket. The Duckworth Lewis Method was the result. See if the pair put on a unbroken stand or were bowled out cheaply here...

English indie rockers The Maccabees played Dublin's Academy and we decided to see whether they would create a wall of sound or turn out to be rather off-colour... Check out the review here

The Spikes' phlegmatic frontman Tom Dunne (no, not that one) took time out to have a bit of a natter with Sebastian Clare about all things Rock n' Roll ahead of his band's gig at the Academy on the 17th of July.

Click here for the full interview

The Hard Working Class Heroes 2009 festival is just a few - well, 3 - months away, and two Oxygen journalists were so starved of unsigned musical talent - as well as just starved, period - that they decided to attend the festival launch. This is their story...

Three years after Louder Now, Long Island rockers Taking Back Sunday return with New Again. So is it a gem or a dud? Find out here...

A belated appraisal, for your delectation, of Jarvis Cocker's second solo album, Further Complications. Read Stephen Tuohy's verdict here...

Anti-folk artist Regina Spektor returns with Far, her fifth - count 'em - studio album, and Brian Mahon runs the rule over the contents here...

Legendary Australian rockers AC/DC brought their classic rock n' roll train steaming into town, and waiting at the station was our very own Simon Keating. Read what he made of it all here...

Fresh from picking up the Critic's Choice Award at the Brits, indie newcomers Florence and the Machine have released their debut album, Lungs. Read just what all the fuss is about here...

In 2006, Rage Against The Machine's guitar genius Tom Morello hooked up with The Coup’s charismatic emcee Boots Riley to form Street Sweeper Social Club. We review their recently-released debut album here…

Already acclaimed as a rising star and future 'queen of pop', Little Boots has released her debut album, Hands. Find out if it lived up to expectations here...

Armed with a new drummer, Placebo released Battle For The Sun. Did it see the trio emerge victorious, or end up like a collective musical Icarus? Check out our review here...

The food-and-drink festival, Taste descended on Dublin last weekend, and Oxygen sent our most intrepid reporter to sample some of what was on offer. Read his report here...

Thousands of fans flocked to the stands of Croke Park to see pop legends Take That perform in our capital. Many waited in excitement outside the main gates to experience the Irish leg of The Circus UK tour. But were the Manchester boys all that? Find out here...

Emo, alternative, post-hardcore, trance... Call them what you will, Enter Shikari have released their sophomore album, Common Dreads. Find out if it was uncommonly good or quite simply dreadful here...

Californian rockers Green Day follow up 2004's smash success American Idiot with yet another concept album. Epic in scope, is 21st Century Breakdown also epic in execution? Find out here...

Kasabian - the Real Thing or simply pretenders to the crown? Click here to see what we thought...

Prolific indie troubadour Spencer Krug returns with Sunset Rubdown's latest release, Dragonslayer. John Flynn reveals whether he slayed like St. George or was burnt to a crisp here...

It's Blitz! has garnered considerable critical acclaim - but is it worth the hype? Stephen Tuohy runs the rule over Yeah Yeah Yeahs' latest release here...

British garage rockers The Horrors returned with Primary Colours and Stephen Tuohy cast an objective ear over the results. Check it out here...

Toots & The Maytals played Tripod last Wednesday and our reviewer was greatly impressed with what he saw…

Slick art-rock poseurs or the genuine article? Lisa Hughes disects The Virgins eponymous debut >>>here<<<

Check out our interview with indie band du jour, Red Light Company >>>here<<<

We cornered the elusive electro DJ Dr. Lektroluv for a bit of an old interview ahead of his March 20th gig in The Academy. Click here to read it.

We had a chat with Messiah J from Irish hip-hop duo Messiah J and The Expert. Find out how it went here.

Oxygen.ie interviews Rankin Roger of legendary Ska-Reggae act The Beat...Click the pic to read the interview

An interview with A Day To Remember - Lead singer Jeremy talks to oxygen about touring, selling out and the reviews that should give them enough angst for at least another 2 albums>>>

Techno whiz kid James Zabiela played Tripod on January 23rd, Oxygen was there to soak up the atmosphere, click here to find out what we thought...

First things first- It's ok. The ominously cruddy-sounding Eagles of Death Metal are NOT, repeat NOT a metal band. With Eagles of Death Metal, everything from their name, to the music, to their whole image, is laced with irony. We review their stonking third album, Heart On, here...

Although a few members short of a supergroup, The Gutter Twins, comprising of Mark Lannegan from Queens of The Stone Age and Dulli from The Afghan Whigs, still impressed at their January 16th gig at the Academy. Find out how it went here....

Bob Dylan is an artist whose work has spanned generations and will ultimately live on for years. But how does the latest installment of his Bootleg series, Tell Tale Signs, measure up? Click here to find out

Aussie pop rockers Cut Copy played a rather interesting show at The Village recently. Oxygen.ie was there to witness all the excitement. Click Here for the review...

So new kids on the block…no not that band, these guys White Lies, they are the latest and greatest. The kid of band Morrisey has been checking out and Jools Holland the piano man. They played Whelans Thursday night the 13th. Unlucky thirteen perhaps? Click for review

Elliot Minor rocked out in front of a packed house at The Academy on Wednesday night. Oxygen.ie was there to watch it all happen, Click here for the review...

Californian indie rockers Cold War Kids recently carried their act over to Dublin and played a hell of a show at The Academy. Naturally Oxygen.ie stopped by to get a review. Click here to read it...

Have you ever been harrassed by somebody with the internet and no music taste telling you that Daft Punk ripped off all their tunes? Well then read our review of Discovered: A collection of Daft Funk samples

Click on the Smokey faces to read our  review  of Booka Shade's installment in the DJ Kicks series...

David Holmes launched a new album in Andrew's Lane Theatre earlier this month and oxygen.ie went along to check out the talented Belfast DJ

Dirty Pretty Things are wrapping up their time together as a band. Lucky for us they played one of their final shows at The Academy, but are the boys going out with a bang? Click here to read the review...

Hmm, are the Kills REALLY cool now because of the whole Kate Moss thing? Was the crowd made of muscle jocks and beauty queens? Find out here...

Mercury Rev: Fifteen years, two lead men, drug abuse, revolving door of key members, and the heady heights of commercialism. This was destined to be brilliant before I even got there...Click here for review

American Country and Blues performer Seasick Steve has recently released a new album, I Started Out With Nothin and I Still Got Most of it Left. Oxygen took a little time to kick back and give it a listen, Click here for the review...

One slice of the DFA label geniuses LCD Soundsystem returned to Dublin for a late night disco/electro party. Was it worth staying up for? Click here to find out...

French duo Justice may have an easier time stumbling upon controversy then most, but their electric/hip hop/disco/rock..etc. sound rocked the Ambassador, and of course Oxygen was right in the middle of the action. Click to read how it all went down...

Holy F**k manage to sneak in a neatly-packed Irish date just before they jet back to Canada. The press drooled on them as one of the live bands to watch in 2008, were they right to? Click here to find out...

Oxygen.ie caught up with Elliot Minor lead singer Alex Davies. Hear what he thinks about the band's sound, their most memorable moments, and how he thinks they've matured as artists. Click here for the interview...

UK rockers Funeral for a Friend play an incredible show on the eve of their new CD release. With the help of some top-notch openers, the boys gave everyone in The Academy a hell of a good show. Oxygen was there to see it all go down, click here for the review...

He may not the biggest name in rap yet...and chances are he never will be. Want to hear more about rapper Plies, click here...

Humming synths, manic drums, good-looking Australian rockers. And of course, oxygen.ie. We review the Midnight Juggernauts gig at CrawDaddy...click here

British Sea Power played their usually taxidermy-stuffed fare at The Academy and oxygen.ie's finest went along to sample the air with our serpentine tongue...click here for more

House legend Danny Tenaglia rocked Tripod last weekend and Oxygen.ie's own Billy Brinkly was there to soak up the wholesome base...click here to see what we thought of it

Carlsberg do comedy festivals, and it turns out they're the worst organsied, underwhelming, rage-inducing piles of tripe ever. For an expletive-heavy take on what went down, click here

After a week of sore heads, vitamin enriched squash drinks and scattered retrospection, we've recovered to the point of presenting you with an account of the mayhem we thoroughly enjoyed in a sun-scorched Punchestown last weekend. We call it recuperative-admission-journalism... others may call it Oxygen on Oxegen, our comprehensive review of this year's festival! Click here for more...

To some he's a generic looking rastafarian with a funny name, but to his fans he's a genuine superstar. Oxygen.ie saw Toots & The Maytals at Tripod and we were suitably impressed...click here to read the review

Featured Event: Club NME Dublin

The Button Factory opened it's doors to Club NME and hopefully a long line of quality acts. The first line up featured Cadence Weapon and Super Extra Bonus Party. It's planned that the night will feature a host of international and Irish acts, and become a major fixture on the student circuit, promising cheap drinks, good music and energetic performances. Oxygen.ie went along and you can see what we thought here...

The Hunger Mountain Boys played Belfast's Black Box and oxygen.ie went along...

Veteran anarcho-punk rocker Siouxsie Sioux played Crawdaddy and oxygen.ie was there, ever so slightly underwhelmed. Click here to see what we thought...

Genre hopping DJ Claude Von Stroke played to a packed Button Factory and oxygen.ie went along to see Claude drop a clanger as well as some serious beats...check out our take on it here

Pedigree heavy singer-songwriter Joan As Policewoman played Tripod and oxygen.ie sent their finest along to get their teeth into the heart of the matter... click here to see how we got on

Legendary poet-songwriter Leonard Cohen spanned the generational gap to blow crowds away over 3 nights, click here for our take on things

Mr. Scruff played an epic set at the Button Factory and oxygen.ie was in full effect...

Oxygen.ie raved their minimal faces off at Hot Chip, click here to see how we got on

DJ Mehdi and Busy P played to a packed out Button Factory, click here to see what we thought

Electro legend Felix Da Housecat played the Academy (the world's loudest club) and oxygen.ie went along to lend an ear to the latest electro stylings of the black cat. Read what we thought here...

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The Dirty Pretty Things packed out the Academy for an early kick off and oxygen.ie went along to see what the craic was...