There are few live bands quite as gripping as Swedish husband and wife duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums. While they wowed us particularly earlier this year when performing 'With Voices' - i.e. aided by a 12-piece choir - Mariam and Andreas were still in top form in the stripped down setting of London's Lexington venue. Anika Mottershaw was front and centre to capture their set and to view a sildeshow of her photos, just click on any of the photos below.   

Quietly converting listeners with their fine garage punk tunes - there's 16 of em packed into debut album Hippies - Nashville-originating Harlem made their Irish debut last week, playing to a receptive crowd at Dublin stronghold Whelans. Prolific Ragged Words photographer Fiona Diffley captured the evidence and to see a slideshow of her photos, just click on any of the pics below.

In Europe for a handful of festival dates including a turn at Green Man, Beirut went very much against the grain and skipped much of the rest of the UK in favour of a Dublin show. Supported by home favourite, the Choice Prize winning Adrian Crowley, Zach Condon and pals put in an impressive set and Fiona Diffley was on hand with camera to shoot the best of it. For a slideshow of her photos, just click on any of the pics below.

We don't give A+'s out too easily round these parts but Girls' "cracked heartbreak classic" debut Album was an obvious exception last year. It was so good it even made into our albums of the decade poll just a couple of months after its release. We were first through the doors when Christpher Owens and co. returned to Dublin last week and Fiona Diffley nudged her way through the Academy's crowd to take a few shots. For a gallery, just click on any of her photos below.  

Peddlers of some of the most towering guitarscapes around, Montrealers The Besnard Lakes filled Dublin's Academy 2 with a wall of sound on Tuesday. Regrettably there weren't too many about to hear it - the crowd was a disappointingly thin one - but head Ragged Words snapper Mark Earley was among them and to see a slideshow of his pictures, just click on any of the photos below.

Brooklyn duo Telepathe returned to Dublin haunt Whelans on Saturday night - big thanks to deadly Skinny Wolves for tempting them over and for grabbing the ever impressive Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands to support. Fiona Diffley was hanging out at the front of the stage for the night and to view a slideshow of her photos, just click on any of them below.

Before Corkonians headed for the August bank holiday weekend's Indiependence Festival (photos here), Skibbereen's Cork X Southwest one-dayer put on a hell of a bill. Jen O'Donovan's was there to capture the best of the bands and for a gallery of (from left to right) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, The Frank & Walters, Martha Wainwright, The Ambience Affair and Jinx Lennon, just click on the photos below. 

Ireland's smattering of boutique festivals - held smack bang in between the two big boys of Oxegen and The Electric Picnic - certainly upped their collective games this year. August bank holiday revellers in Cork were spoilt for choice with the Cork X Southwest one-dayer (pics here) and - captured below - the Indiependence Festival bringing great acts a plenty to the Rebel County. To see any of Jen O'Donovan's And So I Watch You From Afar and Adebisi Shank photos close up, just click on em. 

Jens Lekman kicked off his first European tour in over two years in rainy Dublin on Sunday night, mixing crowd pleasing classics with new material from his yet-to-be-announced follow up to 2007’s Night Falls Over Kortedala. Ragged Words snapper Fiona Diffley was front and centre and to view a gallery of her photos, just click on any of them below.

By all accounts - and we'll have a written one over the next few days - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy was in sensational form in Dublin over the past couple of nights, bringing his Cairo Gang into town for two sold-out shows in Whelans. It seems he also pulled a lot of faces. Hilarious faces. To see a collection of them, just click on any of Mark Earley's photos below. 

You can read all about Cut Copy's bizarrely brief set at Tripod here but Ragged Words didn't just hit the Dublin venue armed merely with one of those pens with a light on. As per usual, for a full slideshow of Mark Earley's photos, just click on any of the antipodean gentlemen you see below.

While the kids flocked to Oxegen at the weekend, the sensible 25-40 year-olds among us got our pipes and slippers out and headed for Whelans and the always reliable post rock sounds of venerated Chicago veterans Tortoise. To view a slideshow of Fiona Diffley's photos - there's a few lovely one's of support act Jeff Martin too - just click on any of the images below.

Part two of our photo series from last Friday's stellar lineup of Grizzly Bear, Midlake, Camera Obscura and Villagers at Cork's Marquee. And it's on to the big boys, the Americans, the albums-of-the-last-decade crashers. For a gallery of Mark Earley's Grizzly Bear and Midlake shots, just click on one of the images below.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a better lineup this year, certainly in the south of Ireland, than the one that graced Cork's Marquee last Friday evening. Indeed, so good was the combo of Grizzly Bear, Midlake, Camera Obscura and Villagers that we've had to split our photo sets into two parts. For a gallery of Mark Earley's Villagers and Camera Obscura shots, just click on one of the pictures below.

So no wonder Stevie Wonder found it tough going shifting all the tickets for his show down the road at the O2 cos R.S.A.G. drew a mean crowd for his biggest capital city show to date at The Academy. And banging his way impressively through new album Be It Right Or Wrong, he afforded a wry grin when one audience member shouted "you're better than Stevie." Click on any of Mark Earley's pics below for a full slideshow.

We're settling into our monthly hosting duties at The Twisted Pepper's POGO night and we brought one of our most exciting line-up's yet to the live room last week. Dubliners The Gorgeous Colours treated us to some VERY encouraging new songs while Belfast's Not Squares, well they just blew us away. To view a full slideshow of photo editor Mark Earley's pictures, just click on any of the images below.

It's not often that The Duke Speical - or Peter Wilson to his ma - gets outdone on the eccentric front but support act for Friday's show in Dublin's Tripod Thomas Traux certainly did his best. And yes, he is playing on a bar table in one picture and with a toy fan in another. Of course the Duke was pretty photogenic as usual too and to view a full slideshow of photo editor Mark Earley's pictures, just click on any of the images below.

Ragged Words hasn't seen the Dublin stronghold of Whelans this sweatily packed for quite some time, and whether you were one of many utterly bowled over by Kristian Matsson or one of the few who think his new album sounds a little too much like his first, you can't deny the power of that voice. So just imagine it filling the room as you flick through a slideshow of Mark Ealey's pictures by clicking on any of the images below.

Ragged Words tempted New Zealanders The Ruby Suns over to Dublin last night and - of course we're biased - but we thought they were rather brilliant. They covered Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' for god sake!! For a full slideshow of photo editor Mark Earley's pictures, just click on any of the images below.

Fresh from scoring a debut week number one in the Irish album charts, Conor O'Brien's Villagers played their biggest hometown headline show at Dublin's thoroughly sold out Button Factory and somehow were more astounding than ever before. For a full slideshow of Mark Earley's pictures - including a couple from support act Our Little Secrets - just click on any of the images below. 

Surely one of the best touring partnerships currently filling venues around Europe, Built To Spill and Dinosaur Jr. hit Dublin's Vicar Street last week armed with - and we're not just being kind 'cause they're getting on - cracking new records. You can see a full slideshow of Fiona Diffley's shots by clicking on any of the photos below.

Ted Leo makes the best faces when he sings. Seriously. He brought an array of expressions, plus his band The Pharmacists to Whelans on Saturday night, where he was ably supported by the mighty windings. For a full slideshow of Mark Earley's shots, click on any of the photos below.

The kind of show Divine Comedy fans dream about, Neil Hannon took to the stage at Dublin's cosy Sugar Club on Friday night, armed with two decades of hits and a piano. Helped briefly, as you shall see, by Thomas 'Duckworth' Walsh, you can see a full slideshow of Mark Earley's shots by clicking on any of the photos below.

After snapping him in the intimacy of Dublin's Whelans in 2009, last week Ragged Words was camped in the photographers' pit in the altogether more salubrious setting of the city's new Grand Canal Theatre for Josh Ritter's latest visit to his now adopted home. To view a slideshow of Mark Earley's photos, click on any of the images below.

After being one of Ragged Words' highlights of last year's Electric Picnic festival, we were front and centre for the bands return to Irish shores last week when they played Whelans. To view a slideshow of Mark Earley's photos - also featuring fellow Danes and support for the night Slaraffenland - click on any of the images below.

dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip returned to Dublin to play two rammed shows at Whelans last weekend - one an all-ages Sunday afternoon set, and the other (with support from B Dolan) running things later on the previous evening. To view a slideshow of Mark Earley's photos from the latter, click on any of the images below.

In typically thrilling style, Chicago's Hypnotic Brass Ensemble tore the roof off Whelans - and subsequent Dublin venues - when their stay in Ireland was extended by you know what. To view a slideshow of Mark Earley's photos from their first show, just click on any of the images below. Be sure to check out his review here too.

Read all about it here, but we also captured Panda Bear giving his new material a test run in Dublin on camera. To view a slideshow of Fiona Diffley's photos - there's a few of support act Kurt Vile in there too - just click on any of the images below.

What more can we tell you about Seastick Steve? Well needless to say, the one of a kind performer put on quite a show when he played two dates at Dublin's Tripod this week and Mark Earley was there to take some excellent photos. Click on anyone below to view a full slideshow.

Swedish electro king The Field, aka Axel Willner, brought a full-band to Dublin for a late night show to a fairly dimly lit Tripod on Friday, January 22. And by all accounts, the expanded line-up did Willner justice. Click on anyone of Mark Earley's photos below for a slideshow.

In the first of what we promise will be many Ragged Words Presents shows; perhaps soon-to-be Choice Prize nominated trio Adrian Crowley, The Holy Roman Army & Hunter-Gatherer played Dublin’s Twisted Pepper last December 20. A good (we hope) night was had by all. Click on any of Mark Earley's photos below for a slideshow.

The, quite simply, legendary Sonic Youth played a rare Irish show last Sunday, choosing Dublin's finest venue Vicar Street to air some tracks from their "ambitious" if "frustrating" new album Eternal as well as plenty of classics. Click on any of Mark Earley's photos below for a slideshow.

Enthusiastically lauded elsewhere, emotionally-charged Brooklyn three-piece received a decent but by no means outstanding review round these parts when debut album Hospice was released earlier this year. Nevertheless Ragged Words strolled down Academy Two way on Friday night to catch em live. Click on anyone of Mark Earley's photos below for a slideshow:

As part of Whelans 20 year celebrations, Josh Ritter players three nights at the Wexford Street venue with the Love Cannon String Band, performing a different album acoustically each night. Having played The Golden Age Of Radio the night before (with The Animal Years to follow the evening after), Ragged Words was on hand, with camera, for the Hello Starling night.

The fourth annual Castlepalooza independent festival took place at the quaint Charleville Castle in Tullamore, County Offaly over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Super Extra Bonus Party, David Kitt, Le Galexie and Robotnik were among the Ragged Words favourites who played and were snapped over both days. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Raucous Brooklynites O’Death returned to Dublin this week, armed with songs from last year’s Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin which did precisely that for the crowd at Whelans. Local support was ably provided by The Spook Of The Thirteenth Lock.  For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Cristiano Ronaldo's debut for Real Madrid wasn't the only show in town on Monday. Whelans welcomed the legendary Booker T to Dublin as he rolled out MG classics like 'Melting Pot' and 'Green Onions' aswell as covers of Sam & Dave's Hold On Outkast's Hey Ya and a finale of Sittin on the Dock of the Bay, to which he had the entire crowd whistling along. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Following his fantastic show at the Sugar Club in May - one in a long succession we must add - Adrian Crowley brough his equally spellbinding new records Season Of The Sparks down the road for a triumphant show at Whelans on Satruday night. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

With the kids at Oxegen and the grown ups watching The Boss in action, New Orleans' jazz and hip-hop enfused collective the Hot 8 Brass Band tore the house down in Whelans on Saturday, July 11, wielding buckets of brass and energy that were first seen by the masses in Spike Lee's poignent documentary When 'The Levee Breaks.' For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

The Dan Deacon ensemble captured playing a second sold out late night show at Dublin's Andrew's Lane theatre with the able support of fellow Baltimorians Future Islands. The following pictures contain images of audience participation. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Jape, Cathy Davey, Kila and a whole load of sunshine helped Dublin celebrate the Irish Aid-organised Africa Day in the capital's Iveagh Gardens. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Playing the first AU/State.ie co-promoted night upstairs at Purty in South Co. Dublin's Dun Laoghaire (April 24, 2009) are Villagers (solo), And So I Watch You From Afar and Alphastates. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Frightened Rabbit stop off at Dublin's Academy 2 (April 1, 2009) during their acoustic tour, supporting the stripped down Quietly Now!, a live album featuring songs from 2008's The Midnight Organ Fight. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.

Villagers play Dublin's Crawdaddy (February 21, 2009) during their first headline tour of Ireland on the back of their debut Hollow Kind EP. For a full slideshow, click on any photo below.