Recommendations for good Irish music?

Let’s get granny a couple Boiled in Lead cd’s - the greatest Irish/Gypsy/Middle Eastern Rock Band to come out of Minneapolis for some time now…

& whoever did Donald Magallifry (sp) although that may well be Scottish. Still makes ya wanna go out & kill a lot of Englishmen.

My main problem with the Pogue’s is, when they’re lame, they’re very very lame, and when their great, they’re fantastic.

Random geniuses, what can you do with them.

I didn’t list “Bottle of Smoke” among the songs I wanted played at my funeral, as it would be somewhat disconcerting for the onlookers to see me rise from my coffin doing a jig.

Oh yeah!!! "Donald McGillavry by Silly Wizard:

That is high on my “crank up the volume” songs

I know Kate’s stuff pretty well … true enough that some of it has some Celtic influences but calling it “Irish music” is a huge stretch IMHO and I think she’d be the first to object to that description. This is the woman who wrote a song called “Oh England My Lionheart” remember!

Anyway I can’t believe I forgot to mention Luka Bloom’s Riverside. I’m not usually a big fan of the Irish-rock-crossover genre but that’s a really great record.

Agreed ruadh, that’s why I didn’t say outright she was doing Irish music. Rather, This album (arguably her most well known at least here in the US) could tend to give one that impression though.
BTW I saw Luka play here in Chicago in a little bar -there were maybe 15-20 people, he played all kinds of bizarre requests and great craic was had by all into the late hours of the morning!

speaking of Chicago…The Drovers :slight_smile:

[hijack]First he has the demonstrable good taste to flirt with wildelf, then he posts the lyrics to Donald McGillavry.

Is there nothing this man cannot do?

Thanks, MikeG. That was a swell, early Xmas present.[/hijack]


Dr. Pinky, accordianist for the Discordians

Some great bands named. Though I can’t believe nobody mentioned The Waterboys. Well, not the biggest Irish band, but they’re great.
If you’ve seen Waking Ned Divine{/i], they used The Waterboys’s song Fisherman’s Blues. Definitely give them a listen.
Oh, and I gotta second Great Big Sea as a non-Irish Celtic band to check out. Great stuff.

About two years ago, Gaelic Storm played a couple shows at our university. At the time I didn’t know who the heck they were, but now, after having heard the Titanic soundtrack, I really wished I’d gone.

I have to second silent_rob on The Waterboys, especially because he introduced me to them. :slight_smile: I’ve got quite a few of their songs, which I listen to all the time. They’re great.

I’m sure I’m starting to be a pain in the arse here but the Waterboys are actually Scottish :slight_smile:

Well, they’re worth mentioning anyway. :slight_smile:

If you are making a disc for your grandmother, do a search for John Gary in Napster. He was a vocalist in the 50’s and 60’s. I made a disc of his music for my father for christmas. I reemembered him listening to John Gary’s music when I was growing up.
He has a lot of the traditional Irish tunes plus alot of the old 60’s tunes. I would bet your granny remembers him. Download a tune called Cockles and Mussles–beautiful! It will show you just how good a vocalist he is.

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Irish Rovers. Great stuff.

:rolleyes:
[Frank Patterson]
“when irish ayes…”
[/FP- R.I.P.]
… ack, I can’t even type it!

I was reading through everyone’s suggestions, which I love, and noticed that Flogging Molly was kinda left out. They are an Irish rock band that is now in America. All of their songs are heavily Irish and packed full of energy. I live in Missouri and saw them touring with Mighty Mighty Bosstones about 2 monthes ago. If you ever get a chance to see them I would heartily suggest it.