Something Old...
It’s actually harder than it seems to pick a track by a band from a island so relatively small. Many narrow minded opinions seem to believe (as mentioned in something for the weekend...) that modern Irish music is from the vaults of the Louis Walsh pop-machine. With acts like b*witches, o-zone, wonderbra, boylife and westzone these examples only stem as evidence to the less informed case. However, to the more discerning music lover and readers alike you would know a very different story! For the counter case, I present this case to you, your honour...
The 1960+70’s saw a phenomenal change in the Irish music scene, spawning timelessly classic artists such as Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher. Whilst the 1980’s saw the Pogues hit the big time and also one of the most successful artists in world music history emerge from the emerald isle, U2’s ‘boy' and ‘joshua tree' are still to date some of the all time classic albums. Its just a shame that, in recent years their music has spiralled into commercial drivel after Bono's head disappeared up his own arse.
However, despite the downfall of U2, the 90' s were a much better time for Irish music with many awesome bands emerging. My personal favourite being the frames - since my other half introduced me to them a couple of years ago barely a week goes by when I dont listen to them! Picking a track by them would be virtually impossible, I would highly recomend their entire back catalogue. Instead, i'm gonna go with one of my all time favourite song by another Irish band the Cranberries. Zombie is a protest song released in 94, the song laments the troubles in Northern Ireland in particular the killing of two children in an IRA bombing in Warrington, very close to my hometown of Chester. The track was written by the female singer Dolores O'Rioden and features a HUGE riff, uncharacteristic of the bands usual sound and more akin to the grunge/alt metal scene...much more up my street!
Something New...
Many new alternative bands have emerged from Eire in recent years, including most notably, Two door cinema club, villagers, ash and early snow patrol (before they went all 'U2'). However, last week I discovered a new artist that instantly made love to my ears! After a shit day at work I was trolling some music forums and I discovered him whislt reading a blog from Radio 1 DJ and Bestival organiser Rob da Bank. Describing this fella as ‘Ireland’s answer to Bon Iver’, however, I would argue with de Bank and big him up further as...‘the new jeff Buckley' and if i ever do get around to being a famous music journo, you can quote that ok?
After hearing his vocals and the musical arrangement, although being generically acoustically driven melodic like many other ‘singer/songwritters’ it keeps you both transfixed, interested and shook me to my bones! His 1st single ‘follow you down to the red oak tree’ was featured on the charity Banardo’s advert which propelled his popularity in Ireland to make his debut album 'Early in the morning' go straight in at No.1 and has since gone onto to huge sucess over there, but yet still remains relatively unheard of in the UK. For me, it was this song ‘If I had a boat’ that my ears cry tears of joy...if you don’t enjoy this song you have a heart of solid stone!
Something Borrowed...
As I mentioned earlier the Frames are a phenominal band that are definately worth checking out if your unaware of their work. I only got into the band late on after being recommended them by my better half, I would recomend 'Revalate' as a higlight from the album 'Fitzcaraldo', 'Mighty Sword' from 'For the Birds' and 'Finally' from the album 'Burn the Maps'. The band are famed for many covers such Bob Marley's 'Redemption song' and Jeff Buckley's 'Lilac Wine' and as this part of the feature is a homage to the cover/remix it was litterally impossoble to choose!
Instead, I have opted for a track from a movie, starring the Frames lead singer, the legendry Glen Hansard. The commitments is a MUST SEE 'feel good' comedy drama movie from 91, I recently obtained a copy from hmv for only £3, BARGAIN! The movie is adapted from a novel by Roddy Doyle and tells of unemployed Dubliners who form a soul band and aswell as Hansard amongst other stars a young Andrea Corr, Colm Meaney (off of Star Trek + In Bruges) and Bronagh Gallagher who wears a Frames t-shirt in Pulp Fiction!
Bearing in mind Andrew Stong, the lead singer of the fictional band was only 16 at the time he can really belt out the soul, for the life of me I have no idea why the world has not seen more of him, enjoy...
Something Blue...
For me, the greatest band in Irish music history is without a doubt Bell X1. Again, introduced to me by my other half a few years ago I took an instant shine to them having heard the name but for some reason they were never big in the UK.
Early on in their musical career Bell X1's front man Paul Noonan drummed for a band with a school mates known as Juniper. Juniper consisted of the more well known ‘Damien Rice’ as the front man who has since gone on to international sales and critical success and also members of the also noteably awesome band 'Mundy', for me ‘Juniper - Weatherman’ is a must listen.
As for Bell X1, their only international sucess came when they were featured in a lesbian kiss scene from the OC with their track 'Eve, the apple of my eye', they are however MUCH better than this! The band are fantasticly tight and all awesome musicians, Noonan lyrics are utter genius. With highlight tracks like 'Flame' and 'Bad Skin day' from the album 'Flock' and tracks such as 'Alphabet Soup' and 'Tounge' from the amazing album 'Music in mouth'. I am going to choose a song from their latest album 'Blue lights on the runway' which includes amazing songs such as 'Breastfed' and my personal favourite track 'The Great Defector' which includes the lyric that forms the album title....I hope you this song as much as me and PLEASE take a look into the Bell X1 back catalogue as being English they could very well have passed me by...
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