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eabhaalynn · 4 years

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13 Irish Artists to Stan Instead of You Know Who

1. KNEECAP

Kneecap are a three-piece hip-hop group hailing from Belfast, Co. Antrim. Their music is brash, infectious and politically charged, often combining both Irish and English lyrics in single verses. Their lyrics are controversial, cynical and at times even satirical, and with beats remixing the BBC News theme, KNEECAPs appeal is easily transferable from that other controversial Irish rap group

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1J_DVutL-w

2. ROE

Roe is a twenty-year old multi-instrumentalist from Co. Derry, and an absolute powerhouse of talent packed into a tiny frame. Her lyrics are consistently poignant, and her synth-led indie music manages to be effortlessly catchy, without ever losing the meaning behind it, or verging into the cliché. Her songs can transport you into that scene from that coming-of-age film, right from the comfort of your own back garden. A homegrown talent with the perfect sound for the long summer ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3nY8MrP0OA

3. HOZIER

If you haven’t been listening to Andrew Hozier-Byrne for the last seven years, then what exactly have you been doing? Hailing from Bray, Co. Wicklow, the gentle giant has become synonymous with the Irish music scene from his very first EP. His songs are blues-inspired, guitar-led and lyrically often politically charged – tackling everything from racism in the police to homophobia in the church. A colossal musical talent, with unmatched lyrics and features across his two albums – undoubtedly worth the stan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI0wUoCLnLk

4. ORLA GARTLAND

You simply cannot separate Dublin alt-pop sensation Orla Gartland’s distinctive and unique personality from her distinctive and unique brand of music. An undeniable talent paired with infectious guitar riffs and lyrics that are relatable and accessible to the youth of Ireland and farther afield in the modern era, Orla’s music is breath-taking and brutally honest – well worth the listen and well-deserving of the stan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_pICv1FxnY

5. TOUTS

This section got me into twitter cringe with Luke Mac from Touts so yous all best listen to them now. Touts are a three-piece band hailing from the greatest city on the island, Derry, TOUTS have managed to make punk music for the modern era that Eabha Lynn can listen to, unironically. Their lyrics detail the frustrations of what it’s like to be young in the North of Ireland, with song titles like ‘political people,’ and ‘bombscare,’ highlighting that in as blatant a way as possible. They’re really good, their songs are often short bursts of pure energy, that you simply cannot help but to keep listening to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQmdoIhnizc

6. BRAND NEW FRIEND

Brand New Friend are a local band to me, their North (Antrim?) Coast heritage evident in the distinctive lyrical themes splattered across their discography. Initially with four members, though more recently with five, Brand New Friend are the epitome of indie-pop perfection in Ireland at the moment. Their music is danceable, their lyrics are relatable, and their growth as a band evident throughout their work’s history. The dynamic between the band – made up of three siblings, a best friend and a boyfriend – is electric, you can’t stop listening, and truly have no choice but to stan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phsS_QA8rPw

7. GENERAL FIASCO

I often say music would be better if every band was from Bellaghy, and General Fiasco generally -is- my reasoning with that one. The breakthrough band of the early 2010s brought rural south Co. Derry to the international stage, with their infectious indie melodies and accessible lyrics, as relevant to teenage life a decade ago as it is now. A three-piece, fronted by siblings Owen and Enda Strathearn, who had been performing right up until the beginning of this lockdown, despite their last album release occurring almost eight years previously, the band are well worth a listen, and undeniably indie icons of the island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As-Rulo-E4g

8. INHALER

I feel more strongly about Eli Hewson’s lil hoop earring than I do about most people but ANYWAY, Inhaler are a band of south-Dublin posh boys fronted by Bono’s son (Spawno?) Elijah. They are the sound of Ireland in 2020, and despite having a name inspired by their frontman’s respiratory condition, they are characterised by his soaring vocals layered over a devastatingly unique synth-pop meets guitar-rock melody. I hate to love them, but I simply cannot help but to. They are objectively very good at what they do, they are forward looking and exciting to listen to, definitely worth the stan.

Okay and they are four very beautiful rich boys with guitars that doesn’t hurt either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUwpt3pM4sY

9. TEBI REX

Admittedly I only recently started listening to these guys, but the Maynooth-based rap duo have a sound unlike anything else I have heard from this Island in living-memory. Their sound is exciting, their lyrics are original and accessible. The two men making up Tebi Rex, Matt O’Baoill and Max Zanga, are both exceptionally good at what they do, and their respective styles compliment each other perfectly. Men Are Trash honestly speaks to me, they are truly stan worthy, ones to watch and ones that are so forward looking and genuinely so exciting to listen to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lWEuEKD6DE

10. SOAK

If you can’t tell by now that I really love Derry, here is another prodigal talent from Ireland’s should-have-been capital city. Her music is intense, you can tell from first listen how much of herself she puts into her songs. Her sound is messy, chaotic, and yet beautiful and well crafted. She has an unmistakable voice, layered over a beautiful and raw melodic soundscape, utilising everything from synth to orchestral strings throughout her projects. Her songs are sad without being cringey, she simply is emotive and honest – beyond her years even, and this is well evidenced throughout her music.

I have no choice but to stan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxyD9fH1bQk

11. THE ACADEMIC

In Ireland, you get a generation defining indie-pop/indie-rock band to the calibre of the academic about once in a decade, if you’re lucky. For the last five years, this four-piece from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, have been supplying us with tune after tune, LP after EP, each managing to perfectly capture that coming-of-age long summer road-trip sound every band tries at some stage to achieve. They’re able to tell stories, to convey feelings of love and apathy, and even of our more recent isolation, in a way that is so rarely found in their genre. Above all, they are exceptionally talented musicians who are genuinely enjoyable to listen to, and they deserve the stan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXoBj5HZ1hU

12. FONTAINES D.C.

Post-punk five-piece Fontaines D.C formed when at College in Dublin in 2017, though hail from all across the Island, with the frontman Grian Chatten even being born in Barrow in the North West of England. Despite their debut only being released a year ago, they have already become synonymous with the Dublin music scene, and the post-punk scene across Ireland at large. The lead single of their sophomore album was released in Early May, to broad and wide-ranging acclaim. Their sound is infectious, addictive, yet distinctive. Despite their limited discography, you can’t help but get yourself excited for more. Chatten’s voice is incredible and distinctive, their sound is remarkable, their appeal is broad and diverse. They’re ones to watch, and well worth a stan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLNt8aMNbvY

13. CHERYM,

My personal favourite band from my favourite city, Cherym really are a band by the girls and the gays for the girls and the gays. They are three ‘sassy’ Derry girls with so much craic it radiates through their songwriting, resulting in their characteristic fusion of pop-punk and garage-rock, perfectly contrasted with catchy, danceable lyrics covering everything from shitty exes to good friends. Individually, the girls are three remarkable talents, and these blend so well together to produce the top quality punk music the people of Ireland so desperately need and deserve. You should definitely stan, they’re pretty class

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx4DcyA4gc0

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RFZKxoC7rADqAGMCZhj5N?si=cSkz3y65Qrm6wtlh8zoycw

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eabhaalynn · 5 years

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My 11 Songs of the Decade (because 10 would be boring and is overdone.)

Cigarette Daydreams – Cage the Elephant

The song… This is the closing song of Cage the Elephant’s 2013 album, Melophobia, and the third single released from this album. It describes the pain of someone’s search for their own identity through the musings of a parted lover.

For me… To this day, this is the song I cry to. This always has been me and my friend Iona’s song. It will forever be inseparable from the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens in Belfast, from rainy summer’s days and rants about our seemingly massive problems with GCSEs and girls from school. When she went abroad for her gap year, I couldn’t bear to listen to it. It’s another one of these songs that manages to articulate what it feels like to be young and thinking too much.

Key lyric…If we can find a reason, a reason to change Looking for the answer If you can find a reason, a reason to stay Standing in the pouring rain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvVJ0v6Vta8

Ribs – Lorde

The song… This is a deep house influenced electronica song that discusses Lorde’s stress over ageing. It was released on her debut album, Pure Heroine, in 2013. It begins ambiently and builds to become increasingly more frantic as the song progresses.

For me… Despite being released when I was a young teenager, this song was written when Lorde was sixteen or seventeen. It articulates exactly what it feels like to be that age, at that stage of life. I’m quite sure teenagers across the globe can relate to that. This song has been the soundtrack of my teenage years, the imagery is both relatable and accessible. Listening now, it gives me a sense of nostalgia, a yearning to be back where I was a year, or two or three years ago. Even now, it is the sound of being alone in a crowd. It is musically perfect, and a piece of exceptional songwriting.

Key lyric…This dream isn't feeling sweet We're reeling through the midnight streets And I've never felt more alone It feels so scary, getting old

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qaeoz_7cyE

Sign of the Times – Harry Styles

The song… This is Harry Style’s debut single as a solo artist. It was released in early 2017 and appears on his self-titled debut album. It is a power ballad with eclectic influences from genres such as soft rock, indie rock, glam rock and psychedelic soul. It features Styles’ vocals alongside choral harmonies throughout. It is essentially about avoiding emotion during times of grief and hardship.

For me…This is the song of me leaving school (for the first time). Listening to it now coughs up all the feelings of relief, and yet uncertainty. Excitement, but also nerves. Summer 2017 was a turning point for me. I had had a terrible couple of years over my GCSEs, and overall, my second school was a far better place for me to be than my first one ever was. At the time though, I didn’t know this. Sure, how could I? This song helped me figure out my feelings, and make sense of feeling happy when I really didn’t know what I should have felt at all.

Key lyric…We don't talk enough, we should open up Before it's all too much Will we ever learn? We've been here before It's just what we know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4ooNx77u0

Ride – Lana Del Rey

The song… This song comes from Lana Del Rey’s third EP, Paradise, released in 2012. It served as the first single of this re-release. It is a ballad that includes, among other themes, parental problems, loneliness and alcohol misuse. Del Rey sings over a string drenched, piano driven melody.

For me… This is the song of every summer. It has never been an exceptionally happy song for me, but it is the embodiment of what it is to feel young and alive, if a little bit tired. The glamour of it, alongside the acknowledgement that everything isn’t perfect, but that they will be okay if you just go with the flow, was exactly what I needed at the time it was released. The blissful uncertainty of the summers of being 14 and 15, partnered with the irrelevance of the future, is exactly what this song will always be about for me.

Key lyric… Been trying hard not to get into trouble But I, I've got a war in my mind I just ride, just ride

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py_-3di1yx0

Don’t Delete the Kisses – Wolf Alice

The song… This is the second single from Wolf Alice’s second album, Visions of a Life. It is characterised as dream pop, synth pop, shoegaze and indie rock. Frontwoman Rowsell referred to it as “one of those, you know, ‘head out the window on a long drive’ kind of tunes.’

For me… If ‘ribs’ is the sound of being seventeen, then surely this is the sound of falling in love. This song is the ultimate love song. I am absolutely convinced of it. It is greater than any one person as it is simply the sound of the feeling. I am very lucky that I actually was falling in love for the first time at the time this was released. I will always be indebted to Ellie Rowsell for being there to tell me in plain English how I was feeling. This song has defined every ‘lovey dovey’ mood I have been in for the last two and a half years. I’m sure most people of my age feel the same. It was written for the era we are living in and it is perfectly suited to it.

Key lyric…I see the signs of a lifetime, you 'til I die

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqxE-zppu30

Motion Sickness – Phoebe Bridgers

The song… This is the third single from Phoebe Bridger’s 2017 Debut album ‘Stranger in the Alps.’ It describes “being in love with someone who is super mean to you… like conflicted feelings.” Bridger’s stated to radio station KCRW that the song was written about fellow musician Ryan Adams.

For me… Admittedly, I discovered this song late in the decade. But it’s a song about feelings. Like, really hard feelings. This decade, and especially the latter half of it, threw up a lot of feelings, about a lot of things. I suppose this is fairly standard for most people approaching the end of their teenage years. It’s angsty, without being too bothered about anything. It’s raw and honest; articulating everything I’ve felt about everyone at one stage or another, and I’m equally, I’m sure it articulates enough people’s feelings about me.

Key lyric… You said when you met me you were bored And you, you were in a band when I was born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sfYpolGCu8

A & E – Brand New Friend

The song… This illustrates the rise and fall of a relationship, and in doing so highlights the more melancholic acoustic side of Northern Irish indie pop group Brand New Friend. It was initially released in 2016 as the closing song of their debut EP, American Wives, but was remastered and re-released on their 2017 album Seatbelts for Airplanes.

For me… This is the song of the medicine application. Bearing in mind I know this band, and know that there is a well-developed meaning to the song that has nothing to do with me, this is the song that I have listened to, and seen live, countless times from the day I decided I wanted to be a doctor to the day I got into medical school and beyond. It is a rare and beautiful connection to have to a song like this, and one for which I am forever going to be grateful. Now, I can’t hear the song live without bawling my wee eyes out. I have come so far, and the band have too, and the song has been with us every step of the way. That truly means the world to me.

Key lyric… She wants to be a paramedic / Wants to save a strangers life / Now she wants to hold my hand / Does she know she’s saving mine?

https://open.spotify.com/track/5RmOfF1s5zW2B942H9OGXT?si=hsauA8iXQN6mXQnL8s0fBw

Brazil – Declan McKenna

The song… McKenna initially self-released this song in December 2014. It is critical of FIFA, of their awarding of the 2014 World Cup to Brazil without addressing the deep rooted and extensive poverty affecting the Nations people. It gained widespread media attention throughout the FIFA corruption scandal, before featuring on his debut album, ‘What do you think about the Car?’ in July 2017. It is an indie rock song that is driven by guitars and synths.

For me… This song was the sound of 2016 and 2017. It was released a while before this but I was fairly late jumping on the bandwagon. It’s a political song, speaking of the injustices behind FIFA and their 2014 World Cup in Brazil. As an angry little leftist, I have always appreciated this. I can only appreciate it more knowing that Declan McKenna himself was only fourteen when he wrote it. For me the song has many happy memories attached to it, from the long summer walks from my house to the nearest village to see my friends who were working as sailing instructors, to attending a tiny gig of Declan McKenna’s in the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast and being about 6 feet from his face while he was 6 feet from the cusp of fame.

Key lyric…Because you've had your chances, yeah you've had enough I'm gonna burn your house down to spread peace and love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duHjQ3BE6D8

Robbers – The 1975

The song… This is the sixth single from the 1975’s self-titled debut album. It was released as a single in May 2014. The song’s concept follows an ill-fated robbery, and was inspired in part by the 1993 film ‘True Romance.’ It is essentially about a relationship in which the partners are too focused on each other to notice the destruction they are each causing.

For me… This song is fairly definitive of my teenage years as a whole. The narrative of a toxic relationship that the writer could not, or would not leave, was one that I always managed to connect to, across all aspects of my life as a young teenager, encountering uncomfortable situations within school and with different people and groups of friends. Matty Healy was (and honestly still is) one of the biggest crushes I’ve ever had. I’ve now heard this song live three different times, at three completely different phases of my life. It is a song with so much meaning, and yet one that has grown and evolved with me throughout the decade.

Key lyric… Now everybody's dead And they're driving past my old school And he's got his gun, he's got his suit on She says, 'Babe, you look so cool'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyy3YOpxL2k

Get Well Soon – Ariana Grande

The song… This is the final song on Grande’s 2017 album ‘Sweetener,’ it is a soul ballad with layered vocals, and is inspired by Grande’s personal anxiety and trauma following the May 2017 terrorist attack following her concert in Manchester. In memory of the 22 victims of this attack, there is a 40 second moment of silence at the end of the song.

For me… I am, and have been, a very anxious person for a very long time. This is something I have never really hid away from, but also never felt up to talking openly about. This song manages to describe the feelings associated with anxiety in a way I have never heard any mainstream musician attempt before. Ariana’s concert which was attacked in May 2017, that which inspired this song, immediately followed her concert that my father and sister had attended, and so the whole song and sequence of events is and always has been very close to home for me.

Key lyric…I'm too much in my head, did you notice? (Girl, what’s wrong with you? Come back down)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXU4P6j3TNY

She’s Thunderstorms – Arctic Monkeys

The song… This is the first song from the fourth studio album by arctic monkeys; Suck it and See, released in 2011. It originated when Alex Turner was looking for a new way of complimenting someone. It begins with an Eastern inspired riff and is fairly heavily guitar led, characteristic of this period in the Arctic Monkey’s discography

For me… I’d be lying if I said this isn’t one of my favourite songs of all time. I chose it for this list because it is my favourite song by the arctic monkeys, who are my favourite band. Its subject, Alexa Chung, basically leads the life I wish I had. Even more so at the time this song was written than now. I remember being twelve or thirteen and just wanting someone to write something like this for me. The sheer detail of the lyrics is beautiful and so captivating, they played a huge part in helping me find my love for music in an accessible way. I loved, and still do love, the relationship they had. I feel like it translated so well into his music, and into the popular culture that shaped my teenage years exceptionally well.

Key lyric…Here is your host, sounds as if she's pretty close When the heat starts growing horns She's thunderstorms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQSQnHh4rPE

#music #songs #arctic monkeys #ariana grande #the 1975 #lana del rey #phoebe bridgers #lorde #declan mckenna #brandnewfriend #cage the elephant #wolf alice #harry styles

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