Of all the stupidity and upheaval that the colossal butt-fuck of an idea called ‘Brexit’ that so many fools were goaded and misled into voting for is likely to cause, one of the biggest potential quagmires is the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, thrown into even greater murk by that soulless banshee May’s desperate tactic of clinging to power by giving a massive bung to the D.U.P in utter disregard to the issues it throws up with the Good Friday Agreement.
As such I thought it fitting for this Out of Europe series to draw up a quick Top Five from Ireland who, while we continue to be lead blindfolded into a dead end, will remain in the blissful embrace of Europe. And, as we’ll be tearing Northern Ireland down with us, acts from that island’s north east tip don’t qualify.
My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow
Formed in Dublin in 1983(!), My Bloody Valentine’s opus Loveless took two years to record (that’s nothing, it would be 27 years before they followed it up) and its extensive production costs got them dropped from their label but, fuck me, it’s amazing.
God Is An Astronaut – Forever Lost
A post-rock band who’s sound, according to that fabled source Wikipedia, “employs elements of electronic music, krautrock, and space rock.” I cannot for the life of me remember how I found them but I’d often listen to their second album – which this is from – at the gym.
Damien Rice – Rootless Tree
Success is often a real fucker. Look at what it did to Kurt Cobain. Damien Rice seems similarly unimpressed by it. When songs like ‘Canonball’ and ‘Blower’s Daughter’ pushed his solo debut O into so many peoples’ cd collections he withdrew and pushed against the tide. He’d only wanted to make the one album but his label pressed him into releasing 9 (from which this is taken) which leaned a little darker and met massively mixed reviews. It would be another 8 years before he dropped anything else. I like the line “fuck you, fuck you, love you and all we’ve been through.”
The Frames – Revelate
Dublin’s Glen Hansard is a busy chap. Aside from a solid solo career and frequent touring supporting and playing with Eddie Vedder he’s part of the folk-rock duo The Swell Season and continues to front the Irish rock band The Frames which he started in 1990. Oh, and he acts too – he starred in the film ‘Once’ and some other film called ‘The Commitments‘.
U2 – Until The End of the World
This band is certainly more of a cult act, probably little-known outside of Ireland. Despite what I can only assume are poor-to-middling sales they’ve been around a while now occasionally flirting with some good write-ups in the local press, bad haircuts and have even played a few venues outside of their native Dublin despite their singer’s clearly shy and introverted demeanour.
Honourable mentions to the blues of Rory Gallager and The Cranberries’ Dreams
Mumbling About... 
I may be misreading this but you appear to have some strong feelings about Brexit that are, shall we say old chap, not exactly positive. 🙂 In the continued race to the bottom, our own neo-Fuhrer outdoes himself almost daily, yesterday reading 16 minutes of his Charlottesville statements to his troll supporters. (Who would apparently applaud and cheer if he murdered a CNN correspondent right in front of them.) As to the listed tunes, not a bad one among ’em. (Rory Gallagher and Cranberries would have been in my Top Five.) And this U2? Not bad but frankly, they’ll never catch on over here.
Well I dunno about ‘strong’ feelings….
As for that tub of melted cheese squatting in the White House… I’m starting to wonder just how much more he can get away with before the Republicans realise it’s game over if they remain attached to him.
I honestly can’t see U2 amounting to much either, can’t see them having a universal appeal
That whole Trump/GOP thing is, like so many relationships, more complex than it seems..if I find a good article I’ll post. Basically they hate, but need, each other.
I hear that…. just how much more can it take? I mean the whole thing with likening those who fight nazism with those who perpetrate it’s hate? At the very least some of the GOP began to call him out but still…. what does he have to do?
This article predates Charlottesville but gives a pretty good idea of GOP mindset. They problably feel their condemnations were enough. But as long as his base – which is to some extent their base – is for him, not much will change.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/06/republicans-wont-impeach-trump-no-matter-what-his-crimes.html
I read an interesting piece today (and a few earlier in the week including one by the guy who co-wrote Art of the Deal) that suggests Trump is beginning to fall apart and could well take himself out before much longer. Fingers crossed.
“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican-Kentucky, reportedly has confided that he isn’t sure Trump’s presidency can be saved. Degenerating relations with congressional Republicans could imperil other pieces of his agenda, leading to more anger and frustration.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-deteriorating-phoenix-rally-speech-arizona-rambling-incoherent-a7909776.html
USA Today has an article about his mental fitness. Several psychiatrists signed a document (copy in article) suggesting creation of a board to assess his fitness. His N. Korea saber-rattling didn’t make them feel better and much of it is based on his malignant narcissism.
Great list. Don’t even mind that last one. My admiration for Hansard grows daily. His version of Drive all night almost tops Springsteen’s.
This is my preferred version of Rootless tree
Gut wrenchingly emotional.
Nice version, I hadn’t seen that one. Shame they’re done as a pairing, her voice always added something special
Agreed. Her most recent solo album ‘At swim’ is amazingly beautiful.
Brexit was a shock. But at least you’re not reminded daily, like we are in the U.S., about the defecation in Washington, President and Congress, that has stunk up and permanently stained our country. I’d move to Cambridge or Canterbury if it didn’t rain so much, and if my wife would let me. Regarding the music, nice to see Rory Gallagher mentioned. I’ve heard of U2. Always get them confused with UB40.
U2? Wait. Wasn’t that shot down over Russia in the Sixties? And now it’s what, some youth “rock’ outfit? Kids today!
Well, the media in its perpetual push push push for attention seems to focus purely on it here to the point where I’ve simply switched off now.
I’ll admit it took a bit of research to find out much about U2, they seem to fly under the radar a lot and there’s precious little known about them.
I never think about My Bloody Valentine as Irish. We might hopefully get a left wing government in New Zealand next month.
U2?! Who the heck are they?! Did they open for the Cranberries or something?
My understanding is that U2 were founded initially by Sonny Bono.