Jim Carroll
Due to public demand – and the fact that our first list caused such fun and fuming across the nation amongst commoners and pop royalty alike – we present the next 50. Go get ‘em pop-pickers.
Must check out that group Aphex Twin….
Comment by Sean DoneganWhoops. Pony Club appear twice on this list, at 80 and 90. They should be at number 80 only. That leaves one more spot, meaning that The 100th Best Band. In Ireland. Right Now (according to us anyway). Is …. drum roll …. New Amusement.
All others from The Mighty Stef to So Cow should be bumped up one point.
Comment by Conor Goodman, Ticket Editor*runs for cover*
Comment by RH… in which the triumvirate of voters demonstrates that at least one of them is aware of the rednecks, giveamanakick, mumblin deaf ro, etc.
(still no BATS though … was it a triumvirate? I failed to store the number of voters in my brain)
Comment by Cormac-out-of-Stoatis there any bands left???
Comment by peteeStill no Tenaka? I’m outraged Jim. Outraged. It’s worse than the Wolverine leak. Outraged.
Comment by RonanPony Club at 80 and 90? Result!! 
Pony Club made the list twice apparently…
I suggest you swap them with Ham Sandwich.
Comment by Una POne Day Fight Like Villagers X1 are number 98???? Myself and three other people saw them in Crawdaddy and they were incredible…they should be higher on the list, at least number 2.
For shame! And so on and so on, etc, etc……
Aphex Twin is about as Irish as the Queen.
Comment by Quinti haven’t got the energy for another one of these lads. give it a break..
Comment by NiallNo Boxcutter, ASIWYFA, Cashier No.9, LaFaro or BATS and Adebisi only scrape in? Bloody hell.
Comment by ChrisHa ha. Hilarious. Aphex Twin on the list.
….wikipedia….wikipedia….( Richard David James was born to Welsh parents Lorna and Derek James in St. Munchins Limerick Regional Maternity Hospital, Ireland.) Who’d have thought. Amazing.
Petee-”is there any bands left???” – LOL.
Yes, It does now look like more like a list of bands ‘currently active in Ireland right now’ rather than a ‘best acts right now’ list.
Comment by Quintcome on the shank!
yahoo!
also kudos on Captain Moonlight, best rapper out there at the moment,(where’s the 3rd album Captain?) until RíRá’s album comes out.
Pony Club, last album was one of the worst things i’ve ever heard, really bad, self-loving pretentious struggling artist crap……..
And So I Watch You From Afar, cá bhfuil tú?
If ye had told us there was gonna be another list, there probably wouldn’t have been such a hullaballu eh?, viewed as one list then it makes a really good read.
Comment by paddy mAphex Twin is about as Irish as the Queen.
The queen is Irish? Who knew?
i haven’t got the energy for another one of these lads. give it a break..
Wait till next Friday, my friend
Comment by Jim CarrollLike any good top 50, I don’t like al l of the hoices and haven’t heard of a few others. The Irish music scene definitely has something for most. Being from Cork I suppose I’m aware of some that others may not be but here are a couple of great bands just starting out that I’m loving at the moment and strongly recommend people check out.
Ladydoll: http://www.myspace.com/ladydollband
The Avalanche Effect: http://www.myspace.com/theavalancheeffect
Side project:
http://www.myspace.com/sideprojectrock
Silo:
http://www.myspace.com/thesiloband
Hooray for humans:
http://www.myspace.com/hoorayforhumansband
How about the ticket does a piece on great studios/producers helping out the Irish music scene, for example most of the bands I have mentioned here have worked or are working in the next year with data recording studios in Kerry (www.datarecordingstudios.com). Maybe great music scenes don’t revolve around good venues any more but great studios/producers.
Comment by Stone Throwing YouthsSurprised there’s still no Super Extra Bonus Party. They’ve been gigging and have a new album due out in May I think.
Comment by EoinAphex Twin is about as Irish as the Queen.
Aphex Twin is German?
Comment by JDJim I’m dreading next week!
This is quite interesting though-who would have thought how much controversy a number beside a band would be!
music is about personal taste as much as anything else-but this is great craic!!
Comment by daveThis list has done my head in a bit. Some of the bands I thought had potential or were straight up good are quite low down on the list. Some of the bands I thought were pretentious, shallow, weak and/or famous were pretty high up.
So, do I have bad taste, or do the people who came up with this list have bad taste, or does the concept of bad taste apply here at all?
I’m sure if they told me what their definition of good music or a good band was I would wholeheartedly agree.
Yet my interpretation of these musical quantities differs quite a bit.
Kind of makes you wonder if there are any absolute constants for delineating/measuring ‘good’ bands/’good’ music.
If there isn’t, well, thats yeer job f**ked then.
Comment by Rory PhelanI see in the print edition ‘LM1′ was left in beside Fight Like Apes. I guess we know who to blame for including that ‘gimmicky’ band now?
still surprised to see Ham Sandwich nowhere in the top 100, even if So Cow make it in at 99.
Comment by gabbagabbaheySo, Mr North, an Irish band that has an album produced by Jerry Harrison, a self-produced album and also an EP by Steve Lillywhite, a band that has supported The Who, Van Halen, Bryan Adams, Live and a band that has played Lollapalloza, the Carneige Hall in NYC and Sunfest in Miami doesn’t make the list? and a band that has one brutal EP does? Give me a break. Who writes this list, friends of the bands? As an aside, watch out for Irish band Vox Rising this year amigos.
Comment by worldwidekevI’d like to echo the comment about questioning our taste when you see a comprehensive list like this that simply doesn’t mach your own list. I suppose it confirms the subjectivity of music! I think there are only about 10 acts in the top 100 that are in my own top 50 list over at: http://2uibestow.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-top-50-best-irish-artist-list.html
Apologies for the shameless self plugging!
Comment by Peter NSo what’s happening next week then?
Comment by Ronan Hunt-MurphyWas there no votes for Super Extra Bonus Party at all?!?
I’m not a massive fan or anything but kinda astonishing that a bad can be the Choice Prize winner one year and off the charts the next…
Reminds me of that band Gomez who won the Mercury from out of nowhere then managed to evade critical acclaim thereafter…
Of course, I hope the lads come up with something special and prove the critics — here — wrong
Comment by Teddy[ ] The Ticket learns lessons from response to first list.
[X] More of the same.
Well done on endearing yourselves to a wider audience.
Comment by Tokenista“Surprised there’s still no Super Extra Bonus Party. They’ve been gigging and have a new album due out in May”
eoin they are an extremely bad band thats why
Comment by derek murphyDid I miss something or were Ham Sandwich left off the list completely? What’s with that?
Comment by SiobhanUpon its release, The Ticket had this to say about the Ham Sandwich debut album Carry The Meek:
“Eclectic without being all over the place, judiciously selecting choice harmonies over dissonance, and boasting arrangements that favour subtlety over swagger, Ham Sandwich deliver, with an apparent minimum of fuss, a mini triumph.”
A year on and they cant make it into the top 100 bands in the country.
Very odd indeed.
Comment by AodhgánGoing on the last few comments, the internet has reached Kells
Comment by Jim Carrollhell no jim, its just that some of us live in dublin now.
Comment by Aodhgánderek – I recognise that SEBP have a lot of critics. I mean A LOT. It’s a wonder they won the Choice Music Prize at all. Thought their first album started and finished very strong (‘Everything Flows, ‘Erosion’, ‘Drone Rock’ and ‘Propeller’ are great tracks) but was very weak in the middle. That said, I’ve caught them live a couple of times and they rock.
They’re winning Choice seemed to irk a lot of people but I always felt labeling them a bad band was hard to justify.
Comment by EoinThat’s undoubtedly the best comment you could have made.
I am always shocked by the number of people who think a magazine’s reviews are somehow representative of every single person that writes for it.
Comment by DaveAs a Kells man I can confirm that people were queuing up outside the local library to access the town’s solitary 56kb modem to complain to On the Record about Ham Sandwich not making this list.
Comment by DarraghThanks for announcing the death of folk music in Ireland.
Christy Moore in the 60s?
Only 2 trad references?
Comment by MaklNah we’re just stealing it from Navan
Comment by StampyJim, I think it’s facetious to suggest that Ham Sandwich only have fans in Kells
Comment by Ciaran*giggles* at the controversy of it all.
I started the Ham Sandwich thread an no, I’m not from Meath! Have seen them live lots of times around Dublin and at Elec Picnic last year, as well as loving the album. They definitely have a bigger following than Kells.
Comment by SiobhanSome great bands on the list finally… but no sign of SACK. What about Rollerskate Skinny and Saso too
Comment by KenJim, I think it’s facetious to suggest that Ham Sandwich only have fans in Kells
Ciaran – never suggested anything of the sort, bud. You just jumped to that conclusion.
Comment by Jim CarrollGood list, but where are Super Extra Bonus Party? Sure they’re only the most inventive irish act of the past decade?!
Considering they won the choice music prize and they’re new album is out next month they deserve to be mentioned.
Comment by ScoffeyGood list, but where are Super Extra Bonus Party?!? Sure they’re only the most inventive irish act of the past decade?!!!!! Considering they won the choice music prize and they’re new album is out next month they should be on that list
Comment by Scoffeyha, that ham sandwich thread is quite funny.
slowly working through justifying all my fifteen choices: http://hardcorefornerds.blogspot.com/2009/04/top-15-irish-artist-in-words.html
Comment by Robert Ellisha, that ham sandwich thread is quite funny.
slowly working through justifying all of my fifteen choices: http://hardcorefornerds.blogspot.com/2009/04/top-15-irish-artist-in-words.html
Comment by gabbagabbaheyha, that ham sandwich thread is quite funny.
It’s on the agenda for the next Kells Town Council meeting
Comment by Jim CarrollGiveamanakick only 92?
No Kila, Therapy?, Dudley Corporation, Ten Past Seven, Dirty Epics, Kill City Defectors,The Urges or Revellions all with beween 1-12 records released wtf?!
The Villagers in top 10 after 1 ep (granted aint heard it yet but 6?)
At least there are over 100 bands/solo artists that people know of which can only be a good thing for the country’s music.
Comment by corduroyno Hooray For Humans either?!!
jaysus
Comment by corduroyAnother comment on Christy Moore, the second of all replies to the blog.
The fella is the chief purveyor of folk music in Ireland, as distinct from trad. Once in a generation does someone appear like this, back through ewan maccoll, woody guthrie. yes there are many others, but folk musicians themselves would never in their dreams deny these three musicans’ greatness. go ask irvine/brady/lunny/burke/spillane/macgowan (yes some trad influences but well part of this scene)…….
Christy Moore still sells out most of every gig he plays – from the royal festival hall to vicar street – yes so could westlife, but in fairness we’re not workin on the same lines here. these are not whelans type venues who many of the above (also great for the most part) bands are relyin on.
and as for the ‘pissing off dyed-in-the-wool CM fans’ remark??? what?! ask Jinx Lennon what he thinks of that. go into any expat uk/ireland folk session across europe and lay out that comment, see what happens.
in fairness, there hasn’t been a lot of complaints that he’s not here. none actually, ‘cept mine above. i can’t explain that especially in terms of great album&ticket sales. but for anyone who’s worth their salt, if doubtful or unknowing about christy (i mean that in the least patronisin way, anything for the spread of folk), at least start with some some of his live stuff (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW1MUpZT4ug – viva la quinta brigada) and some renditions of old folk songs (e.g. green cd on box set)… and for a plug for folk in general try a bit of ewan maccoll on youtube (e.g. ballad of accounting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vN2xyMWt-Q&feature=PlayList&p=26A3975B76DAF2F5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=12 with peggy seeger)
Makl
Comment by MaklI too find the omission of Super Extra Bonus Party (on both lists) extremely strange.
Did they not fit the criteria or was it just a flat out diss?
Comment by robbieRobbie – see comment 158 at http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2009/04/03/the-tickets-50-best-irish-music-acts-right-now
Comment by Jim CarrollTo Derek Murphy, comment 29, support your arguement before making a comment like that. Here’s mine:
That album won the choice music prize, one of the most prestigous awards going (because lets face it the meteors don’t count) for a reason. The reason being it covers several genres very well i.e. it’s bloody fantastic.
Which is why they sold out Whelans on New Years eve (in case you didn’t know just being offered that slot is a pretty big deal never mind packing the place) not to mention selling out andrews lane and playing the second stage of picnic last year where there were about 6000 people going wild for them.
Also considering the likes of Captain Moonlight, Fight Like Apes and Cadence Weapon all jumped at the chance to feature on their new album, not to mention Jape doing some remixes and giving them a support slot next month they must be doing something right don’t ya think?!!
Comment by Scoffeycomment 29, support your arguement before making a comment like that.
He think they are, that’s all he needs, he doesn’t have to supply any supporting evidence for it.
Your evidence just shows that some people that aren’t him like them.
Comment by IanInteresting list with some shrewd choices, i.e. Villagers, RSAG and David Holmes at 1 is totally spot on; bizarre inclusions, Aphex Twin!!! So what if he was born in Limerick; and even stranger omissions for example under the radar acts such as Twinkranes, Thread Pulls, Deep Burial & Yeh Deadlies…
As for the SEBP I’m not particularly a fan but I do find it bizarre that they didn’t make the Top 100 band cut only a year after winning the choice and raises q’s as to the credibility of such award and lists.
Still the debate and awareness raising that both The Choice and this list generates can only be a good thing for Irish music.
Comment by DarrenAs for the SEBP I’m not particularly a fan but I do find it bizarre that they didn’t make the Top 100 band cut only a year after winning the choice and raises q’s as to the credibility of such award and lists.
On the one hand, awards and lists are bad….
Still the debate and awareness raising that both The Choice and this list generates can only be a good thing for Irish music.
but on the other hand, awards and lists are good
Comment by Jim CarrollComments on this article are now closed.
9:37 am
And So I Watch You From Afar
Comment by Stephen