If You Like The Raincoats, Wet Leg, Kathleen Hanna, Dry Cleaning, or Bush Tetras...
An "If You Like [X] Then You'll Like [Y]" quick hit for the Irish post-punk lover.
With so much critical sound and fury surrounding Irish bands over the last few years — Fontaines D.C., SPRINTS, The Murder Capital, NewDad, Lankum, Chalk, Gurriers (seriously, I’m sure you can name a dozen more) — there is one I’m surprised to see so rarely on the rosters.
If you like post-punk, noise rock, riot grrrl, or no wave, then you’ll like M(h)aol.
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Cheekily pronouncing their name “male1,” and named after Gráinne Mhaol, the legendary Irish pirate queen, M(h)aol released their 2023 debut Attachment Styles to a very modest critical reception. I, on the other hand, loved it.
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It’s (still! ridiculously!) quite easy to dismiss “feminist bands” as all tell no show. We love to slap a riot grrrl label on any music that deals with women’s issues in a suitably rancorous fashion and call it a day.
So while the band was very plainly influenced by the movement — you can hear echoes of Bikini Kill all over the rowdier moments of tracks like “Asking for It” or “Therapy” — calling them punk or riot grrrl does a disservice to the full richness of their sound.2
What M(h)aol does so well is play with negative space in their music. Part of why I would hesitate to associate them fully with genres like punk and riot grrrl is that they have a collage-like, found sound quality, weaving in silence and noise as their own instruments.
This year’s follow-up release, Something Soft, saw a lineup shakeup that left many worried, especially about the future of their live performances. I admit it’s the lead vocalist’s departure that’s most obviously felt, but when a group thrives in its sparest moments, stripping back five members to three may actually be a boon.
One of my favorite tracks of 2025 comes from this new iteration of M(h)aol:
This record leans harder into the no wave influences that — for me, at least — make them a more interesting listen. The riot grrrl message remains (“[m]ost of our songs are about feminism or dogs to be honest”), but their music now reminds me much more of The Slits, The Raincoats, or Delta 5 than Le Tigre.
Let me know what you think.
Is M(h)aol new to you?
Have you seen them live since they became a trio?
Do you prefer the old lineup or have you embraced change?
xo
Gabbie
P.S. New music recommendations (whether freshly released or just relatively recent) are always hand-picked and curated with love. If you like what you’re reading, a like or reshare goes a long way.
Listening party! Celestial Grunge from Stargazr
Listen to Stargazr’s new record while chatting with the bandleader Leeni Ramadan.
WHEN: Saturday October 18th at 3pm Eastern
WHERE: NBfOH Discord Server
HOW: Paid subs, you have the link. Everyone else, get your ticket below.
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I got a lot of grief for this by some Irish speakers last time I mentioned this, so I’ll just say that it’s the band itself that insist on this coy wordplay.
And yes, I realize that’s exactly what I did, too — but I’ve had time to reflect in the last two years!
Do you know Library Card? Dutch band with similar sound, although more overtly postpunk influence (jagged bleats of angular guitar). Their new single, Art School, totally kicks ass, and Sunflowers was my favorite single of 2023.
Their live performance on KEXP earlier this year is amazing. FYI: It can be found on You Tube.