What Irish artist/ band do you think is most underated/ under-recognised?

Bill2673

Yo,

So I have a few albums by Irish artists that I would listen to quite a lot on the one hand, but that I get the impression not many other people listen to on the other hand, and it puzzles me why they are not more listened-to.

At the top of the list I'd put Dr Millar. Probably alongside him, I'd put Adrian Crowley, despite the recent award win. Maybe third, as an album choice I'd include Katell Keinig's O Seasons O Castles (I don't know her other stuff).

I'd be interested to know if there are other Irish artists/ albums around today or in the past that people feel really deserve more attention than they get.

I'd personally only be interested in hearing about artists who have released at least two albums......not that interest in someone's cousins band who play in the attic (sorry for being snooty).

losthorizon

A band called Andwellas Dream. They are from the late 60s/early70s. Now recognised as one of the greatest bands that didnt make it commercially. Yet strangely, still very few people know about them in Ireland. Its just in Britain that people remember them. You can hear their music on youtube.

JerryHandbag

I still think David Kitt doesnt get enough credit. Saw him play in Limerick to a less than enthusiastic crowd and some of them even started to heckle him because he's a dub. **** :rolleyes:

bigwormbundoran

Mama's Boys, duno how they seem to be so under the rader given the quality of their output when they were about

timsnewbridge

miracle bell, there pretty class they have a few ep.s and now an album which can be bought in hmv and such..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQqWrsUZD_c
there not my cousins btw hah.

Bill2673

JerryHandbag wrote: »

I still think David Kitt doesnt get enough credit. Saw him play in Limerick to a less than enthusiastic crowd and some of them even started to heckle him because he's a dub. **** :rolleyes:

I agree with you and was going to include him, mainly for his first album Big Romance (I'd be lying if I said I knew his following albums well, but from what I heard of it, the second and third weren't nearly as good as the first).

The Big Romance is probably the Irish album I've listened to most over the past ten years, maybe alongside For the Birds by the Frames. I think its an absolutely superb album, particularly the third song Step outside in the morning light.

Bill2673

bigwormbundoran wrote: »

Mama's Boys, duno how they seem to be so under the rader given the quality of their output when they were about

I'd be guessing they were very good live......how do the albums sound?

Birneybau

Bill2673 wrote: »

Yo,

I'd include Katell Keinig's O Seasons O Castles (I don't know her other stuff).

Is Katell Keinig not Welsh?

Sorry, based in Dublin, fair enough.

Bill2673

Birneybau wrote: »

Is Katell Keinig not Welsh?

Fair point.....I think she was pitched as Celtic Breton or somesuch.

She was living and performing here at the time and a few of the songs mention Irish places, so it felt like an Irish album as far as I was concerned.

lordgoat

Patrick Kelleher, And So I Watch You From Afar, Rarely Seen Above Ground, Kitt, even Jape should all be more well known.

I much prefer David Kitt's recent stuff to the big romance which got boring very quickly.

JerryHandbag

Bill2673 wrote: »

I agree with you and was going to include him, mainly for his first album Big Romance (I'd be lying if I said I knew his following albums well, but from what I heard of it, the second and third weren't nearly as good as the first).

The Big Romance is probably the Irish album I've listened to most over the past ten years, maybe alongside For the Birds by the Frames. I think its an absolutely superb album, particularly the third song Step outside in the morning light.

Yeah the album after Big Romance wasnt great tbh, but I felt he returned to form with Not Fade Away and The Nightsaver, and his cover versions album is pretty good too.

Cicero

Luka Bloom:Has a very loyal following but just think he deserves more acolades and fame - then again, maybe he doesn't want that either..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo6XnqAcSh8

Nolanger

Skid Row - Virgo's daughter

bigbaz

Bill2673 wrote: »

I'd be guessing they were very good live......how do the albums sound?

you should go see pat mcmanus he still plays,epic guitar talent!!

bigwormbundoran

Bill2673 wrote: »

I'd be guessing they were very good live......how do the albums sound?

Very good indeed, they have an excellent greatest hita album too, The Collection i think it is, which would certainly be worth getting your hands on

bigwormbundoran

bigbaz wrote: »

you should go see pat mcmanus he still plays,epic guitar talent!!

+1 on this, they dont call him the professor for nothing i'll tell ya

Bill2673

lordgoat wrote: »

Patrick Kelleher, And So I Watch You From Afar, Rarely Seen Above Ground, Kitt, even Jape should all be more well known.

I much prefer David Kitt's recent stuff to the big romance which got boring very quickly.

I'd have thought all of the above have received a decent amount of press in Ireland in recent years, apart from Patrick Kelleher, who I've never heard of.

Having said that, I've never heard a single song by any of those acts (besides David Kitt). Its one of the contradictions of the Irish music industry that its quite easy to have read a dozen newspaper articles about an act without ever having heard one of their songs (ps I'm old school, I but albums and listen to music on the radio).

As a matter of interest, if you were to pick one album from that list of acts, what would it be.

Mackman

Rory Gallagher should be a household name. One of the greatest guitarists and blues musicians ever.

Bill2673

Cicero wrote: »

Luka Bloom:Has a very loyal following but just think he deserves more acolades and fame - then again, maybe he doesn't want that either..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo6XnqAcSh8

I agree with you, he has some fantastic songs and I admire how he has carved out such a distinct style.

Mackman

Mackman wrote: »

Rory Gallagher should be a household name. One of the greatest guitarists and blues musicians ever.

He pretty much is..

Bill2673

Deleted User wrote: »

He pretty much is..

I'd agree....there's a street in Temple Bar named after him, there's a statue of him in Ballyshannon, there's a Rory Gallagher blues festival.....maybe he should be 'more famous' than he is....but he's fairly well known already. People know who he is and what type of music he does. They can go out and get if they want. You could make the same argument for Thin Lizzy, or Van Morrison, or for people like John Martyn in the UK. Compared to someone like Mississippi John Hurt, who is my own favourite blues artist, Rory is fairly well known.

PMI

Mama's boys did better outside ireland, I remember watching them alot in UK on UK stations, but they were great..... pity.

Japer

Bill2673 wrote: »

What Irish artist/ band do you think is most underated/ under-recognised?

Singers are singers, bands are bands, and musicians are musicians. The afore-mentioned are not artists. Artists are people like Van Gogh, Jack Yeats, Knuttel, etc
I think the most underated/ under-recognised singer in Ireland at the moment is Juliet Turner.

Pighead

Probably "The Hitchers". ‘It’s All Fun & Games ‘Till Someone Loses An Eye is a bit all over the place and sounds like it was recorded in the bass players garage but that kind of adds to the charm of the whole thing. Big Mug is one of my favourite Irish songs ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYr5-YdjmGs

Mackman

Deleted User wrote: »

He pretty much is..

Bill2673 wrote: »

I'd agree....there's a street in Temple Bar named after him, there's a statue of him in Ballyshannon, there's a Rory Gallagher blues festival.....maybe he should be 'more famous' than he is....but he's fairly well known already. People know who he is and what type of music he does. They can go out and get if they want. You could make the same argument for Thin Lizzy, or Van Morrison, or for people like John Martyn in the UK. Compared to someone like Mississippi John Hurt, who is my own favourite blues artist, Rory is fairly well known.

You would be surprised how many people wouldnt have a clue who he is at all. Ive introduced him to heaps of people, big music and blues fans, both in ireland and abroad.

lordgoat

Bill2673 wrote: »

I'd have thought all of the above have received a decent amount of press in Ireland in recent years, apart from Patrick Kelleher, who I've never heard of.

Having said that, I've never heard a single song by any of those acts (besides David Kitt). Its one of the contradictions of the Irish music industry that its quite easy to have read a dozen newspaper articles about an act without ever having heard one of their songs (ps I'm old school, I but albums and listen to music on the radio).

As a matter of interest, if you were to pick one album from that list of acts, what would it be.

See that's just the problem i think, just because you (i don't mean you!) have seen a bands name is not the same thing as knowing their music. And i think it's something that needs to be changed somehow.

Also the person that says artists only use paint brushes? I think you're a bit off there.

Raggaroo

Mick Flannery !! Definitely under-rated , unassuming and brilliant.

Bill2673

lordgoat wrote: »

See that's just the problem i think, just because you (i don't mean you!) have seen a bands name is not the same thing as knowing their music. And i think it's something that needs to be changed somehow.

Also the person that says artists only use paint brushes? I think you're a bit off there.

What one album would you recommend from the artists you mentioned?

ps Artist is a handy word to encompass solo singers and bands.

Raggaroo

I will try again

Bill2673

Well folks, thanks for the many replies.

Of all of them, I probably find Luka Bloom the most interesting suggestion. I didn't realise he wrote City of Chicago, I'd say one of the top 10 Irish songs from the past twenty years, and one of my favourites from the Christy Moore pantheon. Will defo look to see him live over the next few months.

Of the others, And So I Watch You From Afar look class, I'd say they are a super live act, very interesting what they do.

The Mick Flannery link, Safety Rope, is a super song, no doubting it. The way it changes pace is great. I watched a few of his other songs on YouTube and didn't like them as much, I find his voice is sometimes a bit too mumbling for my liking, I wish he would sing more clearly.

Personally, I'd be interested in any other suggestions from the 1980s/1990s......not so much along the lines of "'A House'/ Something Happens/ The Stunning/ Whipping Boy deserved to get a lot more than they did etc etc..." .....as they did get loads of attention, in Ireland at least. People like Jeanette Byrne, or Fergus O'Farrell, or Mark Dignam, or Nick Kelly, or The Black Velvet Band are people who I'd imagine have great albums out but they're just not in the public domain.

Herb Powell

Japer wrote: »

Singers are singers, bands are bands, and musicians are musicians. The afore-mentioned are not artists. Artists are people like Van Gogh, Jack Yeats, Knuttel, etc
I think the most underated/ under-recognised singer in Ireland at the moment is Juliet Turner.

Ah now, no need for that
Glad And So I Watch You From Afar are being mentioned