The Last Mixed Tape

In 1990, Sinéad O’Connor released Black Boys on Mopeds, a song written in response to state violence, national myths, and the stories governments tell after tragedy. More than thirty years later, those stories feel disturbingly familiar. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore how Black Boys on Mopeds connects Thatcher-era Britain to the present day, examining how narratives around auth...

At the turn of the millennium, music became free and culture was changed forever. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we trace how capitalism slowly colonised music: from Napster and the backlash against Lars Ulrich, to streaming platforms that pay artists fractions of a penny, and finally to AI-generated music designed to replace creation entirely. This is a story about nostalgia how language...

Ten years after David Bowie’s death, Blackstar remains one of the most haunting and deliberate final works in modern music. Often framed as a farewell album, Blackstar feels closer to something far more intentional: an artist confronting not just mortality, but the loss of authorship over his own legacy. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White explores how Bowie used Blackstar to des...

Phil Lynott didn’t just write one of Dublin’s most beautiful songs, he revealed something deeper about identity, belonging, and culture. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White explores Old Town, Phil Lynott’s tender 1982 solo track, and why it remains one of the most intimate love letters ever written to Dublin. Moving through Lynott’s life, his work with Thin Lizzy, Irish mythology...

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) doesn’t sound like a protest song and that’s exactly the point. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore how John Lennon used Christmas, tradition, and familiarity to deliver one of the most quietly radical political messages in popular music. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, this episode traces Lennon’s shift from confrontation to persuasion — from t...

CMAT’s Euro Country is the standout Irish album of 2025 and a cultural moment. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen explores how CMAT’s songwriting, humour, and hyperreal pop persona captured the realities of modern Ireland: the housing crisis, post–Celtic Tiger disillusionment, political theatre, and the strange mix of chaos and hope that defines life in 2025. We unpack the album’s the...

In 2025, Irish musicians stepped into the political frontline. From Fontaines D.C. and Kneecap tartists across Ireland and the UK are taking a stand against the rise of far-right extremism, violence, and organised disinformation. With the launch of the TOGETHER Against The Far Right Alliance, more than 50 civil-society groups and hundreds of cultural workers are uniting to push back and 2026 could...

Syd Barrett was the genius who founded Pink Floyd… and the friend they lost long before he was gone. Fifty years after Wish You Were Here, the album still feels like a monument to grief, guilt, and a band trying to understand the collapse of someone they loved. This is the story of Syd, Pink Floyd, and the masterpiece shaped by trauma. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we dive into how the l...

Kneecap have returned with “No Comment” their latest music statement since the terrorism charge against Mo Chara was thrown out earlier this year. This episode breaks down why this song is hitting so hard, how it ties back to the case, and why “no comment” has become a form of cultural defiance. In this show, I explore: • how Kneecap use satire and Irish identity as political resistance • how the...

Charli XCX has entered her darkest era yet. With “House,” her new collaboration with The Velvet Underground legend John Cale for Emerald Fennell’s upcoming Wuthering Heights (2026), Charli steps into a world of gothic romance, decaying architecture, and emotional brutality, a complete reinvention from her Brat era. In this deep-dive, The Last Mixed Tape explores Charli’s career-defining pivot afte...

Four decades after The Specials captured Britain’s collapse, Irish folk collective Lankum have reimagined Ghost Town transforming it into a haunting reflection of modern Ireland. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we trace Ghost Town’s journey from 1981’s Two-Tone rebellion to today’s Dublin exploring how music becomes a document of its time, from racial tension and working-class despair in T...

In Berghain, Rosalía turns heartbreak into ritual. Set against the cultural backdrop of Berlin’s legendary club and her Catalan roots, this episode of The Last Mixed Tape examines how she translates loss into performance using sound, body, and movement to reclaim freedom. We look at how Berghain continues the evolution of Motomami, blending vulnerability with power, and how collaborators like Björ...

Róisín Murphy was once celebrated as a queer icon, a voice that echoed through the very clubs and communities that made her career. But her recent comments, and past posts, about trans people have shaken that bond to its core. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White explores how an artist so deeply embraced by queer culture could turn against it, what that says about allyship, and wh...

The announcement of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show sparked a wave of backlash from ICE threats to pundits questioning whether he’s even “American.” But this isn’t just about one artist or one performance. It’s about who gets to define America’s culture and who’s allowed to stand on its biggest stage. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore how Bad Bunny and Chappell Roan have beco...

AI music is about control. From record labels chasing profit to right-wing culture warriors pushing “neutral” art, this is the plan to replace real artists with machines. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White explores how the rise of AI in music is being weaponised by both corporate and political forces. Why are record labels and conservative commentators so interested in a world w...

Netflix’s new series House of Guinness has been slammed by Irish critics for its stereotypes and shallow storytelling. But there’s one part of the show that works the soundtrack. Featuring artists like Fontaines D.C., Kneecap, Lankum, Lisa O’Neill, and The Mary Wallopers, the music captures the rebellious poetry of Ireland far better than the drama itself. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, S...

Mo Chara (real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaid , a member of Belfast rap group Kneecap, has had terrorism charges against him  thrown out at Woolwich Crown Court . The case, which alleged that Mo Chara displayed a Hezbollah flag during a London performance, collapsed when the judge ruled the prosecution was unlawful because the Attorney General’s consent had not been sought. This verdict means no convictio...

Fascists can’t create. They can only silence, steal, and twist music into something hollow. From Nazi Germany banning jazz, to the Catholic Church blacklisting artists in Ireland, to punk, disco, and hip-hop being targeted, authoritarian regimes have always feared music. Because music is messy, imperfect, alive… everything fascism can’t stand. In this video, I explore how fascists try to erase or...

Emerald Fennell’s new Wuthering Heights film has already stirred controversy, but I want to make the case that the best adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece already exists and it isn’t on screen. In 1978, an 18-year-old Kate Bush captured the wild, haunting atmosphere of the novel in just four minutes of music, creating a version of Wuthering Heights that has outlived almost every film...

Kneecap’s brand new single “Sayōnara” is a cultural moment. In this video, Stephen White of The Last Mixed Tape breaks down why Kneecap are in their imperial phase, how their defiance on global stages like Glastonbury has made them cultural icons, and what Sayōnara tells us about Irish music and identity in 2025. From their stance on Gaza to the “Free Mo Chara” campaign, Kneecap’s mix of politics,...

CMAT’s Euro-Country is a generational reckoning. In this review, I explore why only CMAT could have made this record, and why it could only have been made now. From the scars of the Celtic Tiger to the contradictions of modern Europe, Euro-Country is witty, heartbreaking, and politically sharp, a pop record that laughs, cries, and critiques all at once. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I di...

Florence + The Machine is back with Everybody Scream the first single from their upcoming album, Everybody Scream, set for release this Halloween. In this video, I dive into the song’s gothic sound, its themes of witchcraft and ritual, and how Florence continues to reclaim mystical imagery in her music. From Stevie Nicks to Kate Bush, from Irish folklore the witch has always been a powerful figure...

In 1993, U2 used their stage to beam Sarajevo into the world during the Bosnian War. They gave space for civilians to speak under siege during their acclaimed ZooTV Tour. From that came ‘Miss Sarajevo’ with Luciano Pavarotti and one of the most powerful artistic responses to war. But in August 2025, when U2 spoke out on Gaza, their words told a different story, one that felt cautious, muted, and u...

If grief was the language of For Those I Love’s debut, Carving the Stone is its translation into the language of a nation. David Balfe returns after four years with an album that moves from the deeply personal into the generational, tackling grief, class, violence, toxic masculinity, and the systems that keep us trapped. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore how Carving the Stone spea...

Five years ago, Gemma Dunleavy released Up De Flats, an EP that did more than just tell her story. It told a place’s story. Sheriff Street. Dublin’s North Inner City. Communities flattened in headlines but still rising in rhythm. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White reflects on the legacy of Up De Flats, what it meant then, and what it means now—against a backdrop of ongoing redev...