Because…. St. Patrick’s Day.
Yes, some of the artists who appear in this list are from Northern Ireland and some are from Eire, but they both celebrate St. Patrick as their patron saint so that is just fine!
Also, some of the ‘biggest’ Irish bands are conspicuous by their absence. Neither U2, David Gray or The Pogues are here, although Fairytale of New York would definitely have been on the list if St. Patrick’s Day happened to be in December. It’s not intentional, it’s just the way it is.
Oh, one more also… for the first time this week we have compiled this mixtape together and both get to explain our choices (both to each other and to you).
As always, you can also find these tracks as a playlist on our Spotify and Youtube channels.
We Don’t Need Nobody Else by Whipping Boy
John: I’m not sure that Whipping Boy were ever really big anywhere in or out of Ireland, but there is something about them that I really like, even if I can’t define exactly what it is. Vague enough?
The One by Kodaline
Rima: Some of us still remember Kodaline as 21 Demands.
Am I a fan of the band? Not really, but sometimes I like to listen to them, no special reason, but sometimes just because. The One by Kodaline has almost 19 million views on YouTube so probably they are a bit famous, isn’t it?
Oh, I love the relationships that last from the school times! One of those is presented in the video, and heyyyy who doesn’t have that one? 😉
Generation Sex by The Divine Comedy
John: The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon, and apart from anything else he may or may not have done Neil Hannon wrote the theme tune to Father Ted and also My Lovely Horse AND So Long & Thanks for All the Fish on the HGTTG soundtrack, all of that makes him alright with me.
On a more serious musical note though (pun intended), he has also released 11 albums as The Divine Comedy and liberally sprinkled throughout them are gems like Something For The Weekend or this…
Cherry Wine by Hozier
Rima: Do you remember Take Me To Church? Who doesn’t!
Probably Hozier doesn’t need to work at all, that one single giving him enough income for the rest of his life!
But he can make some nice songs with hidden ideas, and one of those is Cherry Wine. The idea presented in the video of this song is about domestic violence… here we don’t need to talk about it more, just share awareness and stop it.
Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran
Rima: Oh!!!! I like it!
In general I think Ed Sheeran gives us some nice simple songs that make you become romantic against your will and I am sure so many people are secretly listening to him.
What I like about it? How the video was made by him and… and the lyrics – ‘She played the fiddle in an Irish band but she fell in love with an English man’. It brings personal memories! When I hear Ireland I remember this song!
Girl From Mars by Ash
John: The summer of 1995 – I was 17 and spent a lot of time dancing very badly while possibly illegally drinking in indie clubs. Tim Wheeler who is only a few months older than me had already written and recorded Girl From Mars. I have strangely clear memories of bouncing around to this song, and I still love it today.
https://youtu.be/gL-bTvAB2GY
The Whole of The Moon by The Waterboys
John: I don’t really know who or what this song is about, it’s basically a love song or homage to some kind of inspirational figure in the writer’s life, but whether a parent, a friend, a mentor, a historical figure or a lover, who knows?
Not Google, or at least not definitively, there has been a lot of speculation and some people think it is about the author C.S. Lewis, others say Prince. Apparently the official line is that it is not about any one person but a composite. Official lines aren’t always true though, so feel free to speculate away.
Little Bird by Lisa Hannigan
John: I am absolutely not just a little bit in love with Lisa Hannigan and therefore I can’t get in trouble at all. I really don’t think that she is amazingly beautiful or that her brilliance as a songwriter is very sexy. Also, her sublime voice definitely does not fill me with wonder and other feelings that I can’t explain.
This is a nice song though. 🙂
Vėjas Man Pasakė by The Ball and Chain
Rima: The Ball And Chain are a pair of musicians who are married and have 3 amazing kids, but where is the connection with something Irish?
Erica Jennings is an Irish girl who fell in love with a Lithuanian man (Lithuanian-Columbian actually) and is living in Lithuania. She has written kid’s books and has many different musical projects. Some of you might still remember her from the band SKAMP that represented Lithuania in the Eurovision contest over 10 years ago.
This song Vejas Man Pasake – The Wind Told Me is a very old Lithuanian song that this couple gave a new life. Something simple, romantic, cosy, real…. By the way our next trip is to LITHUANIA!!!
Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
John: Teenage Kicks… one of the favourite singles of John Peel, who introduced me to so many amazing songs and also played so many that I thought were pretty dire.
Teenage Kicks is nowhere even vaguely close to being one of my own favourite songs, but this doesn’t stop it from being truly great.