These 12 artists and songs form a deep dive into Irish rock ahead of St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is peeking around the corner, arriving next Sunday.
If you're hoping to find your holiday mood, or need a soundtrack for the day itself, consider diving deep into the modern side of Irish popular music. Folk standards and more obviously Celtic-infused rock have their place, but 20th- and 21st-century Ireland are rich in sonics.
These dozen artists — and their songs — will get you at least partway there, and fling open the doors to more great sounds.
The Cranberries, "Animal Instinct"
Irish home: Limerick
The band's run: 1989-2003, 2009-2019
What you'll hear: Opening on slightly distorted acoustic guitar, this track from 1999's "Bury the Hatchet" does what the best Cranberries tracks do: foregrounding the late Dolores O'Riordan's voice, as she creates a musical alloy of raw passion, dreamy tones and existential concern.
Fontaines D.C., "Televised Mind"
Irish home: Dublin
The band's run: 2014-present
What you'll hear: Crashing through 2020's "A Hero's Death," this is a slice of perfectly jittery, drum-and-bass-heavy power-pop that lives somewhere between Television and Talking Heads.
The Frames, "Santa Maria"
Irish home: Dublin
The band's run: 1990-present
What you'll hear: At nearly 7 minutes, this 2001 cut (from "For the Birds") takes its bittersweet time, a quiet but imposing groove nudging the great Glen Hansard's vocals forward. The Frames tighten some screws, discarding others altogether, stretching into something momentous and gloriously chaotic.
Hozier, "Someone New"
Irish home: Bray
The artist's run: 2008-present
What you'll hear: While "Take Me to Church" is Hozier's magnum opus to date, this cut from the same self-titled 2014 record perfectly sums his enigmatic charms. "Don't take this the wrong way," he croons by way of opening statement over an old-soul groove that frames his baritone, sweeping from brooding to full-on romantic.
James Vincent McMorrow, "Get Low"
Irish home: Dublin
The artist's run: 2010-present
What you'll hear: McMorrow owns a special instrument, an angelic voice built for excavating earthy ruins. The pointed guitar groove and otherworldly call-and-response on this cut from 2016's "We Move" forms a future sort of soul music.
My Bloody Valentine, "Sometimes"
Irish home: Dublin
The band's run: 1983-1997, 2007-present
What you'll hear: My Bloody Valentine might not have invented shoegaze, but they perfected it on 1991's thunderous "Loveless," which houses this distorted but strangely gentle track.
Sinead O'Connor, "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance"
Irish home: Dublin
The artist's run: 1987 till her passing in 2023
What you'll hear: Yet another gem from 1990's "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" begins as a murmur and crescendos slowly but surely, allowing O'Connor to wring each warm memory and inevitable regret from a relationship's end. "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance" eventually roars to real rock 'n' roll catharsis.
Damien Rice, "I Don't Want to Change You"
Irish home: Celbridge
The artist's run: 1991-present
What you'll hear: Rice is a masterful balladeer, forever finding the acute angles of heartache. Here, he paints the push and pull of love with pleading tones and phrases such as "I just came across a manger / Out among the danger / Somewhere in a stranger's eye."
Stiff Little Fingers, "Barbed Wire Love"
Irish home: Belfast
The band's run: 1977-1982, 1987-present
What you'll hear: Arriving via 1979's "Inflammable Material" record, this cut showcases the influential punk band's capacity for crafting great guitar licks and deceptively bassy grooves. Singer Jake Burns plays it cool while expressing the particular prick of the title phenomenon, and a delightful middle section embodies punk's connection with early rock 'n' roll.
Thin Lizzy, "Dancing in the Moonlight"
Irish home: Dublin
The band's run: 1969-1983, 1994-present
What you'll hear: From 1977's "Bad Reputation," this track opens with serious bass, then widens its considerable groove to frame a killer vocal from the late Phil Lynott; Lynott somehow manages to create a new sweet spot between the soulful croon of countryman Van Morrison and his own (good) reputation as an arena-rock Pied Piper.
U2, "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)"
Irish home: Dublin
The band's run: 1976-present
What you'll hear: An unsung "Achtung Baby" classic from 1991, this track exemplifies what makes U2 great with its dynamic shifts, Edge-ushered guitar grooves and Bono's prayerful lyrics.
Villagers, "The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever)"
Irish home: Dublin
The artist's run: 2008-present
What you'll hear: Here, Conor O'Brien's musical project unites the boyish charm and bassy grooves of early rock with something more textured and folk-leaning. The track from 2010's "Becoming a Jackal" never quits, testifying from a place of gentle insistence.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Rock out with these 12 Irish artists ahead of St. Patrick's Day
