The Last Mixed Tape

CMAT’s new single Euro-Country is a cultural reckoning. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White breaks down how CMAT takes aim at the ghosts of the Celtic Tiger, the fallout of the 2008 crash, and the legacy of Bertie Ahern. From the fluorescent ruins of Santry’s OMNI Shopping Centre to Ireland’s Celtic Tiger past, this video explores why Euro-Country has struck such a deep chord acr...

The Oasis reunion is no longer a rumour, it’s happening. With shows already underway in Manchester, Cardiff and soon Dublin’s Croke Park, fans are once again screaming Champagne Supernova like no time has passed. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I revisit the song that captured Oasis on the edge of everything, before Be Here Now, before the implosion, before break-up and the 2025 reunion. I...

“Let God Sort Em Out” isn’t just a comeback it’s a calculated strike. Clipse have returned with one of the most competitive, ruthless rap records in years, and they brought Pharrell and Kendrick Lamar into the ring with them. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we dive into the philosophy behind the album, how Pusha T and Malice weaponise precision, and why this record proves that hip-hop is s...

Glastonbury 2025 became one of the most politically charged festivals in recent memory from Bob Vylan’s explosive set being investigated by police, to Kneecap’s BBC censorship, and Rod Stewart backing Nigel Farage in the press. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we explore the growing tension between protest art and platform control, and ask:Who gets to speak freely on the biggest stages and...

In 1992, Sinéad O’Connor tore up a photo of the Pope live on Saturday Night Live and paid the price for telling the truth. Booed at Madison Square Garden. Silenced by the industry. Mocked by the media. But what if she was right all along? In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we revisit that moment not as scandal, but as protest, an act of defiance rooted in Ireland’s painful history with the Ca...

In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we break down the powerful courtroom moment when Kneecap’s Mo Chara demanded to speak Irish during his trial in London and why that decision echoes far beyond the courtroom. From The Pogues to Johnny Rotten, Shane MacGowan to Fontaines D.C., this is a history of Irish voices using British stages to express defiance, identity, and survival. Mo Chara’s stand i...

Ireland’s housing crisis. The ghost of Dublin. The music of frustration. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we dive into Fontaines D.C.’s “In The Modern World” and explore how it captures the voice of a generation let down by their country. With echoes of Gertrude Stein’s “Lost Generation”, this episode connects the cultural disillusionment of Hemingway and Joyce with Ireland’s own Generation...

Gilla Band are not the most commercially successful band of their generation but they might be the most influential. In this deep dive from The Last Mixed Tape, through the lens of Franics Bacon I explore how this uncompromising Dublin four-piece rewrote the rules for noise, post-punk, and experimental rock and why their contorted, chaotic sound is being echoed in a new wave of artists like Fontai...

This week on The Last Mixed Tape, I explore my personal connection to Kanye West’s Through the Wire, a song that helped me survive a near-fatal accident 20 years ago and reckon with what it means to love a piece of art when the artist behind it becomes indefensible. Kanye West’s most recent release, featuring praise of Hitler, crosses every line and forces a deeper conversation about artistic inte...

Irish rapper Mo Chara of Kneecap is facing terror charges in the UK for a performance in London. But what does this case really say about freedom of expression, cultural identity, and the criminalisation of art? In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore the history of artists on trial from John Lennon to Pussy Riot and ask what happens when the state decides where art ends and extremism be...

One of modern music’s most haunting voices is Maria Somerville, whose new album Luster captures the tension between dreams and memory, tradition and distortion. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White explores how Irish artists like Somerville, Katie Kim, and Virgins are carrying the echo of shoegaze, dream pop, and drone into something uniquely Irish. With nods to My Bloody Valentin...

From rebel ballads to queer anthems, Irish folk and protest music are being reborn for a new generation. In this episode, we explore how artists like Lankum, Lisa O’Neill, Pillow Queens, the Mary Wallopers, Kneecap, Bambi Thug, and more are reclaiming Irish identity from right-wing ideology, rewriting what Irishness sounds and looks like. ANSEO, here, in the present tense. We trace the roots of mo...

Kneecap are facing calls to be dropped from Glastonbury Festival after backlash over controversial past performances. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore the deeper implications of this moment not just for Kneecap, but for the future of protest in music. Using comedian Josh Johnson’s quote “Everything you thought was revolutionary was approved by a corporate lawyer” we look at how tr...

Kneecap’s explosive Coachella performance wasn’t just a set — it was a protest. When the Belfast rap group called out genocide and colonial violence from one of music’s biggest stages, the backlash was immediate: investigations, media smears, and coordinated attempts to silence them. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White breaks down why Kneecap’s protest matters, why real resistanc...

Lana Del Rey has just quietly dropped two haunting new singles: Henry, Come On and Bluebird. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White explores the dreamlike mood, stripped-back sound, and emotional undercurrents of these tracks and what they reveal about the next chapter in Lana’s evolution. From the hushed reverb-drenched acoustics to the unraveling of the American myth she’s long be...

Bon Iver’s new album SABLE, fABLE feels like a closing chapter—part epilogue, part rebirth. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, I explore how Justin Vernon blends folk, R&B, ambient, and pop into something both deeply personal and genre-defying. From the quiet intimacy of the Sable EP tracks to the lush pop clarity of Everything Is Peaceful Love, this is Bon Iver’s most emotionally resonan...

Drake’s new single Nokia is dominating the charts—but has the long shadow of Kendrick Lamar’s silence redefined what Drake’s success even means? In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, Stephen White dives into the power dynamics of the Drake vs Kendrick beef, and asks whether Drake’s legacy is now being shaped by a rivalry he can’t escape. Featuring analysis of Nokia, the history of their lyrical...

I’ll admit it—I was wrong about CMAT. When I first heard her early singles like Rodney and I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby, I wasn’t convinced. It felt like the humor was overshadowing the music. But everything changed when I heard If My Wife New I’d Be Dead. From Nashville to Peter Bogdanovich, I finally saw the depth behind the persona. Then came Crazymad, For Me—and by the time Stay For Something bec...

U2’s Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is more than just a forgotten ‘90s anthem—it’s a dark and prophetic take on fame, excess, and rock stardom. Released at the height of U2’s most theatrical era, the song saw Bono channeling his alter ego MacPhisto, a devilish rockstar inspired by Elvis and Jim Morrison, warning of the dangers of celebrity culture. In this episode of The Last Mixed Tape, we...

Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club wasn’t an instant hit. In fact, when it was released in 2020, it barely made a dent in the charts. But years later, the song has become an anthem—thanks to her audience, not the industry. In this deep dive, we explore how Pink Pony Club slowly found its people, why streaming algorithms bury great music, and what this says about the modern music industry. SWe also com...

Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush’s Don’t Give Up is more than just a duet—it’s a masterclass in emotional storytelling. In this deep dive, we explore the song’s themes of resilience, how toxic masculinity prevents men from seeking support, and why Kate Bush’s voice became a musical safe space for so many. We also uncover Peter Gabriel’s original vision for the track, including his attempt to recruit Do...

With their latest single, It’s Amazing To Be Young, Fontaines D.C. continue their sonic evolution—embracing Britpop’s anthemic scale while remaining deeply rooted in their Irish identity. But how does an Irish band fit into Britpop’s legacy? And what does it mean for a band shaped by Dublin to make their mark in London? In this deep dive, we trace the band’s shift from post-punk outsiders to arena...

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance wasn’t just a show—it was a power struggle in real time. Behind the corporate spectacle, Kendrick delivered a performance loaded with subversive messages, playing with ideas of control, propaganda, and rebellion. But did the audience—and the system—fall right into his trap? In this deep dive, Steve breaks down: • The hidden symbolism behind Kendrick...

Kendrick Lamar is about to step onto the biggest stage in music—the Super Bowl Halftime Show—and it could be a career-defining moment. In his recent Apple Music interview, Kendrick made it clear; “Hip-hop is not just music. It’s an art form. It’s high art.” With “Not Like Us” dominating the culture, the weight of hip-hop’s fight for recognition, and the legacy of past Super Bowl performances that...

Marianne Faithfull’s haunting voice in Metallica’s The Memory Remains is unforgettable—but the story behind it is even more powerful. When Metallica needed a voice that sounded like time itself—worn, fractured, yet unshakable—they turned to Marianne Faithfull. But how did a former ‘60s pop star, once known for her angelic voice and tragic downfall, end up shaping one of Metallica’s most haunting s...