I’ll be in Dublin next month. So a friend asked me to get some CDs by Irish bands of the “celtic rock and punk” sort. As it’s not my kind of music I’d like some up-to-date suggestions. I can only think of Horslips and the Waterboys. Ask your kids, perhaps.
THIN LIZZY
The Pogues, The Popes and The Bible Code Sundays (London Irish), The Sawdoctors, Hothouse Flowers - just a quick look at my CDs
I’m presuming, Kuec, that your friend wants to get hold of albums which are not readily available in Germany. Also I guess you don’t want to spend too much time plodding from store to store, so let me recommend a few places all very near to each other.
Firstly, there’s The George Street Arcade (on South George’s Street) which has a shop (whose name escapes me) selling both new and secondhand CDs and a stall, Mac’s Records, vending only s/h. You can generally pick up bargains at both (I’m assuming your friend doesn’t mind s/h discs), costing much less than at Tower Records or HMV.
Next, just a bit further south off South George’s Street, is Road Records on Fade Street which is the best place in the whole country for finding independent Irish releases. Also check Claddagh on Cecilia Street (as I’m sure you will anyway).
OK, here’s some recommendations.
‘Celtic Rock’
1) Horslips - virtually everything’s out of print, except ‘Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part’. Three to look out for are ‘The Tain’, ‘The Book of Invasions’ and the Edsel label double CD ‘The Best of Horslips’.
2) Moving Hearts - the self-titled debut and its follow-up ‘Dark End of the Street’.
3) Black 47 (a US-Irish band, led by Wexford’s Larry Kirwan) - ‘Trouble in the Land’ or ‘Elvis Murphy’s Green Suede Shoes’.
4) Celtus - ‘Moonchild’.
5) Midnight Well - self-titled album.
6) Pierce Turner - anything you can find.
7) In Tua Nua - all out-of-print, but ‘The Long Acre’ and ‘Vaudeville’ are fine albums.
‘Celtic punk’ (I’m not including The Pogues or The Men They Couldn’t Hang because they’re easily available on Amazon and the same goes for the Dropkick Murphys).
1) Blood or Whiskey - the self-titled debut, ‘Cashed Out on Culture’ or ‘No Time to Explain’.
2) The Prodigals - ‘Dreaming in Hell’s Kitchen’ or the self-titled debut.
3) Neck - ‘Here’s Mud in Your Eye’.
And, if you’re talking about Irish punk then Stiff Little Fingers and The Undertones can’t be beaten.
some good stuff there flossie 😉
Now this is what I call helpful. Thanks a lot.
While on the subject of shops - any bookshops in Dublin with a good music section ?
If you are looking for Traditional Irish Music that is a little bit modern also, I would recommend ……….
LUNASA!
Best Group Ever…
‘any bookshops in Dublin with a good music section?’
None especially. If you want tunebooks, then Walton’s (also on South George’s Street) is the best bet. Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street usually has whatever’s currently in print and has superb sections on Irish literature and history. I restrict my visits there as I usually come out with a stackful of books and a credit card bill to match.
And don’t call me ‘flossie’, gedpipes!
The greatest album by any Irish rock artist is ‘Heartworm’ by Whipping Boy. Also check out The Radiators, Therapy, The Frames, The Divine Comedy, That Petrol Emotion, The Fatima Mansions, A House, Into Paradise, Rollerskate Skinny, Ghost Of An American Airman, Bell X1, I could go on and on. Great music, some of it hard to find or possibly out of prind, most of it hard to categorise and none of it that wouldn’t merit a mention in a best ever Irish rock chart.
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned Daniel O‘Donnell or Declan Nerney. They are both ’Celtic‘ and they both ’Rock’.
I’m not surprized 😉
Strayaway,
Yes, great bands you’ve listed, but not in the genres that the OP requested (and I bit my tongue while suggesting albums in the ‘Celtic Rock’ and ‘Celtic Punk’ categories). You missed out The Stars of Heaven and Microdisney, by the way! 🙂
Free Reed,
Only Dickie Rocks in Ireland.
I don’t like the term either, FTT and you’re right, none of them fit that genre. The Stars Of Heaven, great band, as are Microdisney.
What about The Fat Lady Sings, Energy Orchard, An Emotional Fish, Power Of Dreams, The Dixons, Blue Angels and so, so many more, what happened to them all? Why did the likes of U2 and the corrs become rich and famous on an minute fraction of the talent listed here? It’s a mystery. Did Pierce Turner have an album called something like 3 minutes in the world? I’ll check it out now when I finish typing but I recall it being very good.
And THIN LIZZY!!!!
Thin Lizzy, are we really going to put them alongside bands such as Whipping Boy? No we are not, after Eric Bell (the best guitarist they ever had) left, they became a metal/pop band who recorded a few fairly good albums, none of which I would include in a top 100 Irish albums chart. Live and Dangerous was their best studio album! wasn’t it?
F T T…..Nice one!!!!!!!!
While we’re on the subject, here’s some more great bands from the past: Blue in Heaven; Cry Before Dawn; The Fleadh Cowboys; Spud; Shanks; The Frank and Walters (recently reformed); any band with Jim Sullivan in it; Eire Apparent; Toasted Heretic; and, not forgetting Ash, of course (though I was never particularly fond of Therapy?).
You certainly know your stuff, FTT, I’m impressed. What about Pumpkinhead? Heady days in my long distant youth in The Pier Head Hotel in Mullaghmore, still see Rick Epping doing the rounds and on the great new album by The Unwanted.
Thin Lizzy is being taken care of. So are the Pogues and the Bible Code Sundays. Now there must be a distinction between a rock group from Ireland like U2 and a “celtic rock” band. As I can’t possibly spend a fortune and gather a ton of weight for the flight back I’d like some more info on what to get and why.
BTW didn’t Rick Epping play in some English band as well?
Kuec,
Return to my original list. All the bands (in both rock and punk categories) incorporate some element of trad. in their music. That’s the distinction.
Will do. I was just puzzled by all the other band names.
Sorry, it was just Strayaway and I reminiscing! 🙂
There’s always Ceoltoiri Cthulhu.
Unfortunately they do not yet exist, as I have only just made them up. But they ought to.
U2 are total crap.
Even on threads like this that are irrelevant to anything having to do with Irish sessions, there are people who find some sort of reason to refer to major artists as, “crap.” Since the thread has nothing to do with Irish sessions, and the fact that I don’t care for ‘Celtic Rock,’ I have no opinion, but I can’t help but wonder what possesses people to do such a thing. Is it like a dog’s compulsions to p*ss on things, or do they really believe they’re contributing intelligently to the content here?
No, neither of the above…..it’s simply a throwaway comment, meant to be taken lightly.
Nothing more
🙂