Everyone’s eyes are on Barcelona (for various reasons). I find myself heading to Primavera Sound Porto — and that suits me nicely.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Primavera Sound only happens in one city. The Barcelona edition — held at Parc del Fòrum from 4th to 6th June — announced The Cure, Doja Cat, My Bloody Valentine and Gorillaz as headliners and had sold out in record time. All of the focus understandably pointed to Catalonia.

All eyes may be on Barcelona. But mine are on Porto.

Yet later this week, Primavera Sound Porto 2026 runs from 11th to 14th June at the Parque da Cidade. The younger sister festival has a trimmed down yet still heavy-hitting line-up that would hold its own against anything happening this summer if there was a pound-for-pound match-up. And I’m delighted, and unexpectedly, to find myself heading along.

Primavera Porto

It’s crazy to think that this is the 13th edition of Primavera Sound Porto — a festival with its own identity, its own pace, and its own argument to make about what the best week of the European summer looks like. It doesn’t feature 100+ acts, but the standard of the entire line-up is of the highest level. Porto also operates at a more considered register. The Parque da Cidade, a vast Atlantic-facing urban park on the city’s western edge, is a different kind of space. Porto operates at a more considered register. Less arena, more open air. Less queue management exercise, more festival.

“Porto operates at a more considered register. Less arena, more open air. Less queue management exercise, more festival.”

The Headliners

The xx make their long-awaited return — fourteen years since their last Primavera appearance. Gorillaz arrive in touring mode for The Mountain, their new album. I am particularly excited about catching their all-in, multimedia extravaganza. I’ve never had the pleasure of attending a standalone Gorillaz show so it makes it a special treat to be able to catch them in Porto. And then there’s Massive Attack, making their Primavera Sound Porto debut. A Bristol institution playing Atlantic-facing Portugal at dusk creeps up on the definition of idyllic.

The So Called Tier Two

And then we drop down a level, but we’re only talking the font size on the poster here. I consider a festival good if you have the privilege of catching at least five really good acts. Looking below, at the end of Thursday night alone we could tick that box as the incendiary Idles, world-in-their-pocket Kneecap, fiery Viagra Boys and swoony Nation of Language launch day one of the festival

Have I even mentioned Agriculture, Gelli Haha, Panda Bear, The New Eves, Melt-Banana? Excitement is building. All eyes may be on Barcelona. But mine are on Porto.

Primavera Sound Porto 2026 takes place 11–14 June at Parque da Cidade, Porto.
Tickets and full lineup at primaverasound.com/porto

Nation of Language are on the bill on opening night — and if you haven’t heard their recent cover of Bruce Springsteen‘s Tougher Than The Rest, it’s worth your time.

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Last month, Brooklyn’s Nation of Language slipped out a cover of a lesser known Bruce Springsteen tune. Turning to The Boss’ much misunderstood 1987 release, Tunnel of Love, the trio have released a striking version of Tougher Than The Rest. Having made their debut on the label last year with Dance Called Memory, Ian Richard Devaney (vocals, guitar, synth), Aidan Noell (synth, backing vocals), and Alex MacKay (bass) have made the single available in a limited run of 1000 copies via Sub Pop. Recorded using a Yamaha CS-80 — the same synth used on Springsteen’s original Tunnel of Love sessions in 1987, singer Ian Richard Devaney had this to say:

Like any good New Jersey resident I grew up listening to Springsteen, but this song somehow slipped by me during that formative era. I was really only exposed to it within the last few years, and it’s followed me around since then. I can remember finishing a particularly emotional show somewhere deep in last year’s tour, and our sound engineer Skinny started playing it as our exit music. It caught me so hard that I stayed there, just offstage, and listened to the rest of the song blasting, mixed with the sounds of all of the people milling about the venue.
Ian Richard Devaney

Ian Richard Devaney (Nation of Language)

The release is available via subpop.com

Listen to Nation of Language’s version of Tougher Than The Rest on the player below.

• Nation of Language play Primavera Sound Porto 11th June 2026.

For more on Nation of Language visit nationoflanguage.com

The Original

Listen to Bruce Springsteen perform Tougher Than the Rest below.

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New Music

David Byrne kicking things off (with guest Hayley Williams) sets us up nicely ahead of the Talking Heads legend bringing his Who Is the Sky? tour back to Ireland in a fortnight’s time (Saint Anne’s Park, Dublin, 7th June). Gilla Band are back with Giraffe after a long silence, still doing the thing nobody else does. The Belair Lip Bombs appeared on my radar only recently thanks to an impressive KEXP session. St. Vincent keeps going bigger. Kristin Hersh has a new album incoming, and she’s coming to Ireland (and Cork) in October. Aja Monet closes it out on a completely different frequency.

Click on the player below to start the playlist.

Tour News

Gigs on the way:

• David Byrne: 7th June 2026 — St. Anne’s Park, Dublin (outdoor show, with Arlo Parks)
• Kristin Hersh — a whole run of Irish dates confirmed: 8 Oct — Spirit Store, Dundalk 9 Oct — Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo 10 Oct — Cleeres, Kilkenny 11 Oct — Skelper Quane’s, Kerry 12 Oct — Róisín Dubh, Galway 13 Oct — Cyprus Avenue, Cork
• Gilla Band — All Together Now festival, Curraghmore House, Portlaw, 31 July 2026.

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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New Music

Playlist 777 — lucky for some. Kneecap kick things off with Fenian, as Belfast’s finest continue their unstoppable run into arena and festival headliner territory. Have you heard that they’re coming to Cork? Death Cab for Cutie return with Punching the Flowers, the first taste of their new album I Built You A Tower — and they’re coming to Dublin in September, so worth noting. Cat Clyde brings some moody Canadiana with Dark Back, and The Love Buzz keep it loose with Freeloaded (Cool Kitten). The Last Dinner Party‘s Big Dog (On The Road) from From The Pyre is hot off the presses too. Laurie Shaw and Lemoncello both float through nicely, while The Messsthetics and James Brandon Lewisteam-up brings something altogether more angular to close things out.

Click on the player below to start the playlist.

Tour News

Gigs on the way:

• Kneecap — 6th July 2026, Live at the Marquee, Cork (on-sale today)
• Death Cab for Cutie — 16th & 17th September 2026, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin
• Lemoncello – 23rd September, Cyprus Avenue Cork and more Irish dates

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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New Music

This week opens with the first new music from the inimitable Beck in quite some time — his first release since 2023 (I think). Ride Lonesome sits in the same quiet(er) corner as Sea Change and Morning Phase. Man/Woman/Chainsaw are on there too with Nosedive — the lead single from their debut album Cannonball, out 7th August on Fiction Records. I caught them last summer at End of the Road, where they played the Piano Stage secret session — squeezed in right after their afternoon set in the Big Top, finishing with a ludicrously wonderful cover of Lola Young’s Conceited. Jana Horn‘s Come On, new music from Modest Mouse, Die Spitz, Swapmeet, Mikaela Davis and DIVIL‘s Thanks A Million round things out — fanning from the tender to the wired.

Click on the player below to start the playlist.

Tour News

Gigs on the way:

• Man/Woman/Chainsaw play Whelan’s, Dublin Sun 20 September. Tickets from whelanslive.com.

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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New Music

Playlist #775 opens with deary‘s Alma — it’s a track from their debut album Birding, which just dropped earlier this month on Bella Union. A big surprise this week is the unexpected but very welcome collaboration between Massive Attack and Tom Waits. Champions Bore Me from Gurry Wurry is on there too, sitting nicely alongside Juha Mäki-Patola and a new track from the formidable Fatoumata Diawara. Rounding things out: Panic Shack‘s Pockets, Work Money Death‘s sprawling A Portal To Here – Sometimes It’s Death, and Body Type. Welcome to the week.

Tour News

Gigs on the way:

• deary play The Button Factory, Dublin on 9th May appearing as special guests for The Twilight Sad as part of their spring 2026 UK/EU tour. Tickets are on sale now.

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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New Music

Welcome to another batch of new music via playlist #774. Eight tracks this week with a real thread running through — unhurried, a little cinematic. Alela Diane kicks things off with the new single In My Own Time. Kevin Morby‘s Die Young has me looking forward to the album in May. Aldous Harding doing her (very) own thing, Seamus Fogarty sounding like he found the song somewhere and just carried it home. Kim Gordon, Acolyte, Nerves — and closing with Avalon Emerson, who featured on the previous playlist, which was too long ago.

Tour News

Gigs on the way:

• Aldous Harding plays Vicar Street, Dublin on 5th June as part of her spring 2026 Ireland/UK tour. Tickets are on sale now.

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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New Music from Khruangbin, Avalon Emerson, Geckos & more.

Welcome to another batch of new music in the package of playlist #773. Begin the week afresh with new music and videos from Avalon Emerson & the Charm, Khruangbin, Geckos, Ethel Cain, ZENA, faetooth, Dove Ellis, Áine Tyrrell on this week’s video playlist.

Click on the player below to start the playlist.

Tour News

The following gigs from the included artists are scheduled:

• Avalon Emerson: 22nd November, Fidelity Studio, Dublin
• Áine Tyrrell: 22nd November, Luke Kelly tribute, Doolin
• Faetooth: 1st February, The Pav, Cork
• Ethel Cain: 27th June, Fairview Park, Dublin

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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See Nubya Garcia’s Tiny Desk session.

Nubya Garcia schooled listeners with a recent Tiny Desk performance, the saxophonist and band leader wooing from the intimate confines of the now famous NPR series with a selection of tunes mostly taken from 2024’s wonderful Odyssey. The full setlist:

• Dawn
• Solstice
• Clarity
• Odyssey
• Triumphance

[Nubya Garcia] has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.
Jazzwise Live Review

Watch the session using the player below.

Nubya Garcia plays Cork Jazz Festival 2025

At the height of the 2020 lockdown and intensely missing the cancelled Cork Jazz Festival, I pondered here over a set of perfect guests for the annual Cork celebration of jazz. The London musician featured not only for her solo work but also as part of drummer Jake Long’s Maisha. That’s how integral Garcia is to the current jazz moment. It was such a joy then to hear the announcement that Nubya Garcia will play this year’s festival, playing The Everyman on Saturday 26th October.

For tickets for Nubya Garcia at The Everyman Cork, see everymancork.com

For more on Nubya Garcia visit nubyagarcia.com

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Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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New Music from Wednesday, NewDad, Jeff Tweedy & more.

Wednesday photo by Graham Tolbert

Welcome to another batch of new music in the package of playlist #772. Begin the week afresh with new music and videos from Wednesday, NewDad, Jeff Tweedy, Flock of Dimes, Courtney Marie Andrews, Snooper, Rocket, TEKE::TEKE on this week’s video playlist.

Click on the player below to start the playlist.

Tour News

NewDad are set to play a number of dates in Ireland to promote the new record:

• 31st October 2025 (Friday) – 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin
• 1st November 2025 (Saturday) – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
• 2nd November 2025 (Sunday) – Leisureland, Galway
• 4th November 2025 (Tuesday) – Mandela Hall, Belfast

See the Cork Gig Guide for more.

Like any of the above artists? Why not pencil in a reminder to pick up some merch the next time Bandcamp Friday comes around.

Support low trees by becoming a patron: thegmanworld.substack.com

Based in Cork? Why not support your local record shop by picking a new record up from one of these great record shops?

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