The Noughties in Irish Music

It does only seem like last year when there was a debate in the media about what to call this decade. I've really enjoyed reading the various 'best of ...' lists in the media and on the blogsphere. This post aims to outline my perspective on the Irish Music Scene over the last decade!







By the year 2000, we had accumulated a wealth of disposable income which in the main resulted in more of us attending gigs, more of us learning to play instruments and more of us being able to live the 'rock n roll' dream while getting a decent wage for the day job! We demanded a decent music festival and got two of them. We had great music shops all over the country. We had flourishing venues and a whole host of bands willing to play them. All this meant that Irish bands and artists didn't have to break into other markets to make a living! There was enough money in Ireland to reward artists for their 'Hard Work' around the countries venues and clubs.








In 2000 we had the debut album from Bell X1 which included some older Juniper tracks such as 'Little Sister', 'Face' and 'Volcano'! Other notable releases include the Damien Dempsey debut 'They Don't Teach This Shit in Schools' which included a version of his 90's hit 'Dublin Town'. The album version was so bad it buried the track for good! Wilt also released their debut album of power pop called 'Bastinado'. Whipping Boy released a self-titled album which has sadly become their last! The Witnness festival debuted also this year with Irish artists Wilt, Bell X1, Watercress and Paddy Casey joining the likes of Paul Weller, Travis and Beck!



My track of 2000 comes from Dara. In 2000 he released his debut 'Eye of the Clock' on Sony Records to mixed reviews. His manager was Henry Mount Charles who included Dara on the Slane '00 bill with Bryan Adams, Moby, Macy Gray, Mel C and Muse! On a whole the album wasn't great but it did include a few great tracks. 'The Way' was the lead single and for I've included it here due to the ambition the track and the album on a whole had!



Dara - The Way









Was 2001 the year that the love of Irish Singer-songwriters hit new heights? Damien Rice was gigging like mad! Glen Hansard took over Whelans on many occasions between The Frames albums and ultimate setbacks! Declan O'Rourke, Gemma Hayes, Ann Scott and Josh Ritter became regular attractions in venues during this year. 2001 was the year of the last Cranberries album and seen the last decent album released by Ash! Year two of Witnness included Placebo, Stereophonics, Neil Finn, The Waterboys, Evan Dando, Snow Patrol, Turn, The Frames, Relish, and David Kitt. U2 played Slane for two nights in 2001. Mic Christopher RIP.




My track of 2001 is from David Kitts wonderful debut 'Big Romance'. I went through a phase of listening to the album every day when it was released. It's full of uplifting pop songs which still separates Kittser from his peers!




David Kitt - You Know What I Want To Know











2002 saw the release of my 'Album of the Decade'; O by Damien Rice. As an album it all works. From the delicacy of The Blower's Daughter to the rage in I Remember it truely is a wonderful record. Bell X1 stepped up a few notches by releasing a decent album 'Music in Mouth'. The Devlins also continued their fine run of form with their third album 'Consent'. Gemma Hayes finally released her debut album. An Emotional Fish frontman Gerard Whelan reinvented himself as Jerry Fish! Wittness continued in Fairyhouse and got bigger and better! Among the performers were Green Day, The Foo Fighters, No Doubt, The Prodigy, Damien Rice, The Redneck Manifesto, The Frames, Oasis, Lemon Jelly, Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Nina Hynes, Spiritualized, The Jimmy Cake and Leaves. Slane in 2002 had about 5 headliners with Ocean Color Scene, Nickelback, Counting Crows, Doves, The Revs, The Charlatans and final act Stereophonics. 2002 was also the year that Mic Christophers family and friends finished and released Skylarkin'.




My track of 2002 is from Finglas man Mark Cullen who returned to form as 'Pony Club' and released their debut 'Home Truths'. Single from that album is four minutes of piano pop perfection!


Pony Club - Single











2003 arrives and the Irish Music Scene is dominated by Trubadours galour. The likes of Martin Finke, Dr. Miller, Simple Kid and Roesy are playing to packed venues. Snow Patrol release 'Final Straw' and become our next big thing! Sinéad O'Conner releases a beautifully packaged double album called 'She Who Dwells .....'. Damien Dempsey releases the acclaimed 'Seize the Day' and The Frames release 'Setlist' live from Vicar Street. The last Witnness festival takes place in 2003 with Coldplay and David Gray the big headliners. Slane finds us with Halite, Morcheeba, Feeder, PJ Harvey, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters and headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers! The first Hard Working Class Heroes festival took place in 2003.



My track of 2003 was found on a Hot Press compilation for the HWCHs festival. It featured a track by new Donegal band Berkeley which became a constant addition to any mixtape/compilation I've made since!



Berkeley - Colour Me In







2004 and a flood of Irish artists release debuts including Alphastates, Iain Archer, and Cathy Davey. The Divine Comedy returns to form with 'Absent Friends'. Paddy Casey and Mundy continue their plight with decents albums 'Living' and 'Raining Down Arrows' respectively. Oxegen debuted in Punchardstown and featured The Darkness, Ash, The Strokes and The Cure as headliners. There wasn't another Slane until 2007. Electric Picnic arrived with headliners including Groove Armada, Super Furry Animals, Jurassic 5 and Grandmaster Flash.



My track of 2004 comes from Declan O'Rourke's debut Since Kyabram. Declan writes great tunes and that debut is one of the best albums of the decade.




Declan O'Rourke - Sarah (Last Night in a Dream)










2005 arrives and we are now full time in 'The Boom' times with hundreds of bands arriving on the scene and punters flocking to gigs. 66E, Hal, Delorentos, Giveamanakick, The Blizzards and Republic of Loose bring many different dimensions to the music scene. While Dr. Miller and Mark Geary release great albums and gain some success in Ireland I think 2005 is the year we began to fall out of love for the Singer-Songwriter genre! Oxegen gets bigger with six stages and an amazing amount of talent including New Order, Audioslave, Bloc Party, Interpol, Editors. 2005 also saw Whipping Boy, The Sultans of Ping and The Fat Lady Sings reform for some nostalgic gigs! Electric Picnic became the festival to love with a great line-up including Kraftwerk, The Flaming Lips, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Röyksopp and Arcade Fire. The first Choice music award went to Julie Jeeney for her album '13 Songs'.



My track of 2005 comes from one of the hardest working bands in Ireland at the time Wallmark. In 2005 they released their debut album 'Everything, Something, Anything' and then split up! It's a great album of Pearl Jam inspired rock. Dryland is the stand-out track!



Wallmark - Dryland











2006 sees the release of 'The Cake Sale' which is a charity album for Oxfam performed by a whole host of Irish and Internaitional artists such as Emm Gryner, Gemma Hayes, Paul Noonan etc! 2006 finds Oxegen as a two-dayer while Electric Picnic goes three days! Many other music festivals have begun all over Ireland in competition. Damien Rice released 9 which I love. Other notable releases include Fionn Regan's Mercury nominated debut and Roesy's 'Colour Me Beautiful'. Damien Dempsey and Mundy release live albums in 2006. 'Chasing Cars' gives Snow Patrol a global hit!



My track of 2006 comes from a little side project from Glen Hansard and a friend from the Czech Republic Marketa Irglova. 'The Swell Season' is an honest and dark album of well crafted songs the pair wrote during their time in Marketas homeland. Of course Once happened and then the Oscar so it wasn't much of a side project! Here's the best song on that album;



The Swell Season - When Your Minds Made Up









2007 brings us debut albums of The Coronas, Delorentos, Director, Declan DeBarra, The Flaws, Foy Fance, and Wallis Bird among many others. Oxegen finds Muse, Arcade Fire, Snow Patrol and The Killers as headliners while over at Elecric Picnic were The Stooges, Spiritualized, The Undertones, Polyphonic Spree, The Magic Numbers and The Beastie Boys. The Choice winner was The Divine Comedy with 'Victory for the Comic Muse'



My track of 2007 comes from Bill Coleman's excellent debut 'I'll Tear My Own Walls Down' and is a tale of drunken love!



Bill Coleman - The Pull of the Pint










2008 and it's the year of Glen & Marketas Oscar! Also it's the year the Irish got itself another mainstream success story in The Script! Notable albums released last year were Pony Clubs Post Romantic, Armoured Bear's Honeycomb Moons and the debuts from One Day International and Ham Sandwich. Brian Canavan also released a great album which I encourage you all to check out as well as A Lazarus Soul's second album. Super Extra Bonas Party won the Choice award for their debut and the Point became The O2! Oxegen and Electric Picnic contines to impress and attracting massive acts such as Rage Against The Machine, REM, Verve, My Bloody Valentine and The Sex Pistols. Other exceptional albums released in 2008 include Fight Like Apes' debut, Lisa Hannigan's debut, Fred, Gemma Hayes and The Hares Corner.



My track of 2008 comes from London based 'I Am Not Lefthanded' who released an EP 'Yes Means No' with the lead tune 'Long Goodbyes'. It's a beautiful pop song!





I Am Not Lefthanded - Long Goodbyes










2009 has come and almost gone and financially the music scene and the Irish people have gone back to the 80's. However we still have a massive amount of talented musicians and songwriters out there trying to make a name and living. Gig attendances are low or in some occasions simply non existant! On the other hand there are many good sessions nights springing up around the country! Miss Paula Flynn, Lisa O'Neil and Pearse McGloughlan all released outstanding debut albums this year. Laura Izibor finally released her debut album! My favourite album of 2009 is the second album from Declan DeBarra. Indie-folk bands like Henrietta Game and Arrow in the Sky begun in 2009 and I fully expect great things in 2010 from this genre!


My track of 2009 comes from an EP released by David Hope called 'Daybreak Someplace'. The title track is folk music at its best. Beautiful harmonies and striking lyrics makes this song magical!



David Hope - Daybreak Someplace


Sources:

http://www.choicemusicprize.com/index.php
http://www.cluas.com/music/gigs/archive_2007.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxegen