Wednesday, June 16, 2010

THROWDOWN

In the course of the Crystal Antlers evening, we found ourselves discussing Irish bands and how they are almost invariably rubbish. My old friend and quaffing partner [Redacted] advanced the theory that no Irish band has ever released a good album ever. Can you think of any exceptions to this?

If you are in an Irish band and feel that you have released a good album, please feel free to outline its virtues in a comment. You could even send me a copy of it and I may judge whether it is actually any good or not. See e-mail address on the right.

An inuit panda production

12 comments:

krady said...

YMMV but I would list "Speak Slowly" by Stars of Heaven and "I Want Too Much" by A House. If we're willing to be lenient on production quality then also "Babble" by That Petrol Emotion.

Yes, I am a gentleman of a certain age.

Andrew Farrell said...

I happen to know you rate Achtung Baby! (not you, Keith)

Simon said...

Off the top of my head: Therapy? , Legion of Two, Decal, Naphta's Democracy.Now, Burning Love Jumpsuit.

Andrew Farrell said...

(okay, I happen to have talked with you in the past when you've mentioned how it appeared to be a new golden dawn for U2, but then there was at least a decade of not very much cop at all. Obviously I won't be holding you to previously held opinions, or I'll be here all night)

Other nominations: Hullaballoo by the Forget Me Nots, Stuck Together with God's Glue by Something Happens, Immigrants Emigrants and Me by The Power of Dreams, Heartworm by Whipping Boy, Teenage Punk by Sultans of Ping FC.

If we're going north of the border then More Songs about Chocolate and Girls is flawless.

Some people will probably rep for Microdisney/Fatima Mansions/The High Llamas, though these people are probably wrong.

Also also surely there are good albums by trad bands? I don't know enough about Planxty/Moving Hearts, but surely one of them has produced an good album once?

Andrew Sherman said...

Live and Dangerous

Andrew Sherman said...

Does Loveless count?

String Bean Jen said...

My favourite Irish band is called Hey Paulette. I guess they did release an album but you can't get a hold of it now. What you can get a hold of is a compilation put out by Firestation Records (Germany) of their singles, album and other misc. recordings. They could play the guitars and jangle like no other mofos out there. Adore them.

http://www.crumbmusic.com/heypaulettehome.html

grebbsy said...

This will doubtless be sneered at for wanton obscurity, but I've always had a very soft spot for Dr Strangely Strange and "Kip of the Serenes".

Nannuk of the Nord said...

INUIT ART

http://www.vancouvernewsblog.com/2010/06/inuit-art-interrupted.html

ian said...

Andrew F - the no good Irish bands ever comment was made by A Friend, not by me. He was talking off the cuff and I think he was talking primarily about Irish indie bands of the 1990s and 2000s, though I do not think he is a secret Zerra 1 fan.

Andrew S - Loveless does not count as a record by an Irish band.

I will return in due course with my own suggested not

ian said...

Jen - I met one of Hey Paulette at a party once. Small world. I recall that he and his lady friend scoffed at my fondness for H.P. Lovecraft, seeing Edgar Allan Poe as the real deal.

William Whyte said...

Got to go with I Want Too Much. Also, Mindless Optimism by Toasted Heretic is very good and not novelty.