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The Chieftains, Enya, U2 and ... ?

I asked this question last year and I got some fantastic responses, so I'm asking it again! When I signed up for the Paris & the Heart of France tour, I put together a "France" playlist for my iPod. It included French singers/music (e.g., Edith Piaf, Dany Brillant, Offenbach's "can-can" music, Plastic Bertrand) and non-French vocalists singing about Paris (e.g., Sinatra crooning about Paris in the springtime, Eartha Kitt purring under the bridges of Paris). I ended up with about 20 songs and loved listening to it on the bus while thinking, "Only __ days till I go to France!" Then I signed up for the Best of Europe tour and made another playlist that included popular music/artists from the countries on that tour. Among other fun ions, I had Dutch rock, Bavarian drinking songs, Austrian waltzes, Italian opera, and some Swiss yodeling – 44 songs in all. Now I'm signed up for the Ireland in 14 Days tour, and I need MORE music suggestions. The songs/artists don't necessarily have to be from Ireland. For example, Andy Williams singing "Danny Boy" would work. I'm interested in any song/artist from any era and any genre (folk, rock, protest songs, drinking songs, Celtic new-age stuff, etc.). Basically, I'm looking for anything that's likely to set an Irish mood. Thanks for any ideas!

Posted by
3696 posts

What a great idea... I am going to look up your old posts (do I understand you got suggestions off this site for those cds?) as music is very important to me as well, and I always purchase music from every country I go to.
To respond to your question.... So, while in an Irish pub on a trip in the south of Ireland I heard a band play a song that gave me chills. I had never heard it before, but I knew I would never forget it. I researched it and finally found the song... The Londsome Boatman and found a cd that had this song done by Phil Coulter. It is on his cd called Lake of Shadows. Give it a listen.

Posted by
9363 posts

Van Morrison, the Corrs, the Cranberries, Irish Rovers, Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, Off Kilter, Phil Coulter, Lorena McKennitt, Dropkick Murphys, James Galway, etc., etc. (yes, I have a few Celtic CDs in my collection.... just a few....)

Posted by
5470 posts

Here are a few for the Irish theme from my Ipod ... Bell X1 - "The Great Defector" is one of my favorite songs and it has a very catchy chorus. It sounds a bit like it could have been performed by the Talking Heads. Dolores O'Riordan - "Ordinary Day" is a great song or something from her band the Cranberries ("Linger", "Zombie", etc.). The Corrs - "So Young" is a good upbeat song Snow Patrol - "Chasing Cars" Sinead O'Connor - Something from the album "I do not want what I haven't got" Morrisey - "Irish Blood, English Heart". Anything from the soundtrack of "Once" ("Falling Slowly" if you only choose one)

Posted by
1814 posts

The sound track for Waking Ned Devine. I will probably add to this list later.

Posted by
901 posts

This is great ... keep 'em coming! Terry kathryn, I got suggestions for my Best of Europe playlist from the Helpline but I put together my France playlist on my own. If you like, I'll send you my lists; just send me a PM. Or, you can find my question from last year ... I think the title was "A little music to set the mood."

Posted by
1035 posts

Good question! Hopefully we can dissuade you from Andy Williams singing Danny Boy. - The Waterboys album Fishermans Blues. Much of it was recorded in Spidall, near Galway. Celtic rock at it's finest. Have a listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VKouBHarIo - The Pogues -Nancy already said him, but I will repeat: Van Morrison. - Elvis Costello, née Declan Patrick MacManus. English born, but of Irish descent. Two songs worth having: Olivers Army (happy song, harsh lyrics) and Tramp the Dirt Down (a more haunting Irish song you'll never hear). - Two more sons of Ireland: John Lennon, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Luck of the Irish" (have to look past Yoko's "singing") and Paul McCartney's "Give back Ireland to the Irish." From Luck of the Irish: "If you had the luck of the Irish you'd wish you were dead, if you had the luck of the Irish, you'd wish you were English instead." - The Dubliners. Classic trad. - U2, early music - The Wolfe Tones, foremost in Irish rebel music. Don't be playing the Wolfe Tones within earshot of unionist parts of Belfast (say, Shankill Road) and the rest of the six counties. "A Nation once again" is their signature song.

Posted by
5470 posts

A few I missed on the first post ... In Tua Nua – "All I Wanted" The Boomtown Rats – "I Don't Like Mondays" Hothouse Flowers – "Give it Up" or "Don't Go" The Script – "Breakeven" And of course, anything by U2 or Van Morrison. You've combined my two favorite things ... travel and music. I've been listening to Irish music now for the last hour. I'll be up all night if you ever go to England ...

Posted by
901 posts

I've been to England ten times, but I've only got one English playlist, and it's mostly populated by New Wave 80s stuff. I LOVE "I Don't Like Mondays"! :-)

Posted by
1035 posts

"one English playlist.." London Calling by the Clash. It doesn't get better.

Posted by
5678 posts

If you are willing to expand the celtic aspect to include Scottish music, check out Keltic Electik. They do dance band music that I really enjoy. Also, Duncan Chisholm is a fiddler that has great celtic tunes. And not Scottish, but also good is Cherish the Ladies. Have you ever hear Eileen Ivers? She's got some interesting CD's. Kornog is a group from Brittany that plays and interesting mix of Celtic music. Another contemporary Scottish group is Shoogenlifty. You might like them. Pam

Posted by
2298 posts

Some good ones so far, although I'd say the better BellX1 song is "Rocky Took a Lover" Cranberries/Pogues/U2 works for modern-ish music. Clannad has some good new agey music. For my RS Ireland tour, I found a great cheap CD at Best Buy with Irish Pub Songs. Very helpful to get schooled on the lyrics of Molly Malone. I also suggest if you use iTunes to scroll to the way bottom, click on the American flag, and change countries to Ireland. It's a good way to see what they are currently listening to, some of it not half bad, and some of their podcasts are a hoot. I've never found a way to purchase on the international sites, but much of it can be accessed when you switch back to the USA.

Posted by
522 posts

I can't believe no one has suggested Clannad. This is a family group that for a time included Enya. Her sister Moira is now branching out from Clannad to pursue a solo career. I'm not saying Clannad is my favorite Irish group, but they are certainly a standard worth having on your playlist.

Posted by
1357 posts

I'll definitely second the recommendations for Elvis Costello and Hothouse Flowers. Here's a couple more: Saw Doctors, especially "N17" Black 47 (actually based out of NYC, but with members from both sides of the pond) "Hey, Big Fella" is a good one about Michael Collins. I'm a bit partial to "Oh, Maureen". And can't have a list without Flogging Molly. "Drunken Lullabies" is a good one to start with.

Posted by
12172 posts

I'm a huge fan of the Cranberries. They're such a tremendous combination of modern music with a Celtic trained vocalist. IMO there are very few bands that capture both the joy and sadness of Celtic music as well as they do. Nancy has a good list. Most of the traditional Irish bands have recorded versions of the standards: The Dubliners, The Elders, Chieftons, Gaelic Storm - some are more lively and others more sedate. Then there are the punk/celt versions led by Dropkick Murphys (I'm seeing them at the Shamrockfest Saturday) Flogging Molly and others. The most commercially successful Irish band is probably U2. The best Irish music IMO is still the amateur "Trad Sessions" you can see in local pubs all over Ireland for free. I'm always amazed at the level of musical talent displayed by the local mechanic, plumber, carpenter, roofer or grocer.

Posted by
441 posts

Teresa,
My daughter put some Irish songs on my ipod before out trip to Ireland. One of the groups was The Town Pants. On my second trip, we heard a fella in Salthill named Marc Roberts. He's good.

Posted by
16 posts

Altan, the Fuchsia Band, Gráinne Hambly (if you like trad. harp tunes, as I do!), Sileas . . .

Posted by
901 posts

Methinks iTunes is going to end up with quite a chunk of change from me! Thanks to everyone who has made suggestions so far. Keep 'em coming!

Posted by
5678 posts

One of my favorite souvenirs is to pick up a CD of local music when I am in Scotland or other places where I like the local music. Sometimes you can get CD's of local musicians who don't always make it on iTunes, although that is less of an issue these days. You can't pop it on your iPod right away, but it makes a nice treat for when you're home. And if you're traveling by car, it may have a CD player! On our Rick Steves tour of Berlin Prague and Vienna the bus had a CD Player and we could listen to CD's. Pam

Posted by
252 posts

As a couple others suggested, Clannad. They have it all covered from traditional to pop to new age

Posted by
80 posts

A few Irish artists I like... Mary Black Frances Black Paul Brady Christy Moore Mary Coughlan Imelda May
Julie Feeney

Posted by
2297 posts

Sinead O'Connor was mentioned already. But not the album that really explores her Irish heritage Sean-Nos Nua which is one of my alltime favourites. It also has some amazing collaborations including one with the Chieftains for "The Foggy Dew": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbMpt1gxXgE

Posted by
2030 posts

I'm in the process of creating an ipod playlist for my upcoming trip to Ireland. In addidion to some of the artists listed above, particularly Gaelic Storm who I love, I'd recommend: Joanie Madden (plays the Irish whistle- beautiful) Orla Fallon Michele McLaughlin Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney the American band, the Decembrists have several songs that I've included on my playlist -- that seem to fit in with the Irish artists I've included such as: Down by the Water
Annan Water This is Why we Fight We Both go Down Together

Posted by
1021 posts

A favorite song of mine is Falling Slowly. "A song written and performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, as well as by Hansard's band, The Frames. It appeared in their 2007 film Once, from which it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Oscars...In the movie, the duo play the song in Walton's music shop in Dublin, with Hansard on guitar and Irglová on piano." Wikipedia Brilliant.

Posted by
901 posts

I had forgotten all about Falling Slowly until Laura (above) mentioned the soundtrack to Once. I LOVE that song! Thank you both for reminding me. :-)

Posted by
9363 posts

Ooh, I forgot Cherish the Ladies! Joannie Madden is their lead musician.

Posted by
86 posts

great idea. we are going in may and typically add to our ipod list, based on the country. seconds on in tua nua, christy moore (irish folk with some real rust and history), waterboys, pogues, also irish heartbeat with VM and the Chieftains. i also suggest getting hold of shawn mcgowan and the popes- i believe they did one album (after he left and before he returned to the pogues).
for something a bit diff, try afro celt sound system; a mix of celtic and african

Posted by
22 posts

Green Fields of France recorded by the Dropkick Murphys about the WW1 cemeteries. Solemn and beautiful.

Posted by
199 posts

Teresa, how about anything from The Commitments film soundtrack?

Posted by
901 posts

Oo, The Commitments! I'd forgotten about that. Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone!

Posted by
484 posts

If you want to listen to one that will bring a tear to your eye go to You Tube and do a search for "Kilkelly Ireland" by Robbie O'Connell.