I’ve been compiling my end of year album and songs list over the past few days but I really wanted to do a top 10 Irish albums of 2006 list too. Only problem is I don’t think I’ve heard enough Irish albums from this year to put into a list.
Seeing as the blog is now a year old this month and is doing really well, I thought I’d do something different and open it up to the floor. So… here’s the deal.. Go here and tell me your Top 5 Irish albums of 2006. Alternatively, email your top list to [email protected]. Sin é!
Here’s a quick list off the top of my head of Irish artists who have released albums this year – Humanzi, The Immediate, The Mighty Stef, David Kitt, Warlords of Pez, Messiah J and the Expert, Herv, Miriam Ingram, The Frames, Redneck Manifesto, Damien Rice, Deep Burial, Fionn Regan, The Blizzards, Si Schroeder, Director, Dublin Guitar Quartet, Eoin Dillon, Swell Season, Saso, Ann Scott… that should get you thinking. We could get a really interesting list going here so pass the link around!
Update: Great Response so far – Keep em coming. I’ll close the Poll on the 8th December and post the results (with MP3s if possible) soon after.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
The internet is deadly!!!
how’s about me? no words yet… i’ve produced more than enough material
🙂
– leigh
Electric Penguins!
If it has to be one… Miriam Ingram.
If not I’ll be back!
My top Four are all by Leigh. Then Si Schroeder. Could we not just do top five Canadian albums of the year instead? And can we vote for the forthcoming superbonusextraparty album?
Truly, the internet is deadly.
Oh, I’ve done it again. Twice in one week, I truly am from another generation. That would be super extra bonus party. In my defense I have to point out I have only the use of my left hand. This is true. The reasons are not sinister.
Heard about your breakage, sozzzz..
We’ll have to wait another year before the Super Extra Bonus Party juggernaut can be judged i’m afraid..
NIFOC, PAW , BRB
Groom – All this happened more or less
Estel – The Bones of Something
1. U2
2. U2 (Bono)
3. U2
4. Damien Rice and David Kitt and Humanzi and The Frames
5. Leigh (by his own request)
6. U2
Kila & Oki – are they allowed?
can’t really think of many good irish albums this year.
Some great songs, not even a handful of great albums.
Yeh they’re allowed.. and you’re not the first to vote for them either.. 🙂
I forgot U2. I vote them for everything, apart from the Inaugral Bono Award for Self Publicism, which I share between Leigh and Bono.
It was a dislocation, not a breakage. Though I am sure one of you will look that up on the internet and prove me wrong, again. Sniff.
But thanks for your sympathy. Such precious crumbs of kindness get this broken winged sparrow through the day.
I posted my top 5 entries, but to be honest I barely have 5 Irish albums ive listened to with any great interest this year with the exception of Si Schroeder and DGQ.
Which got me thinking, is it ignorance and laziness on my part for not putting enough effort into seeing and listening to Irish bands or as I feel myself, there just isn’t all that much good music out there. Im sure people would argue against that but I genuinely can’t think of a really great album from an Irish band in recent times that made me sit up and say “holy fuck, that is amazing”. Sure we have compitent musicians at the top of their game, the likes of the Redneck Manifesto who I thought were outstanding at EP and from what I’ve listen to of Messiah J but where is the artist(s) who are really pushing out the musical boundry with new fresh sounding music. If you think of all the great music this year and even looking through your blog Niall and others I can’t think of one Irish band that has really set the airwaves alight.
I wonder has post celtic tiger Ireland really sucked this country dry of creativity and inspiration? If not let me know what ive been missing out on.
The Immediate – In towers and Clouds
Great Irish band!
si schroeder – coping mechanisms
the redneck manifesto – seven stabs
david kitt – not fade away
patrick freyne & his bad intentions – nobody ever dies(?)
oppenheimer – oppenheimer (if that’s eligible like)
avonmore – half fat cream (their band site http://www.avonmore.ie is fuckin deadly)
chivers – stawberry jelly (gets a bit sickening towards the end)
Matlows – refresher bar
Marigold – large rubber gloves (for the lady in your life)
Crayonsmith – ‘Stay Loose’
As I’ve already told Niall, I’m not allowed to say who mine are, but believe it or not there were 170 full-length Irish albums released in 2006 alone. Scary, eh?
Sinead, you can vote anonomously through the form in the post if ya like 😉 … So far there has been votes for 50 or so of those 170 albums, which is impressive!
Sinead/Niall, where is the figure of 170 coming from? I’m interested to see what’s counted/not counted in there.
Cahony, from a recent (and reliable) list I was sent about Irish albums released this year – I counted 170 on it. Staggering isn’t it?
Ann Scott
David Kitt
The Cake Sale
Miriam Ingram
Fionn Regan
Sinead, that does seem quite a lot. Any chance of getting a look at this list of 170? I’ve one in mind that nobody has mentioned yet, wouldn’t mind seeing if it’s on your list. I only got it last week, so it needs more listening before I can comment on it.
Cahony, I’m sure I have your email address in my comments somewhere, but drop me a mail.
Album of the year, no question: Herv – Customer.
Also great: Director.
David Kitt’s new one’s a huge improvement too, very surprised.
si schroeder
the 1 or two others i actually heard were fairly meh
1. Groom “All This Happened, More Or Less”
2. Northstation “Wagtail”
3. Michael Knight “Youth Is Wasted On The Young”
4. Crayonsmith “Stay Loose”
5. Redneck Manifesto “Seven Stabs”
What are nuts and bolts to releasing a CD
to the Irish market. As an ex-pat, stuck in
Colorado, I’m clueless. If 170 CD’s were
released this year, where d I go to see how that
was done, especially by independent means.
Cheers