Irish Country Music

Discodog · 09-09-2018 12:17PM

Why do some of them try to sing in American accents ?

BuboBubo · 09-09-2018 02:01PM

Discodog wrote: »

Why do some of them try to sing in American accents ?

That's because traditionally in Ireland, anything even remotely associated with America was good. England, although closer to us geographically, and likely the homeland of our extended family - wasn't!

We were here in our cottages with our boiled spuds and bacon, staring at our black and white TV'S oogling the big cars, huge houses and the Dynasty lifestyle. America had it all, and that "all" was supersized.

And - we wanted that. We imitated that. We ate burgers on a Saturday with our bundys and yellowpack ketchup. We wore imitation varsity jackets. Mammy had shoulder pads which she lovingly sewed into her dresses a la Alexis Carrington.

We wistfully stared across the Atlantic and saw what we wanted to be. The lads in the local tec didn't drive cars with no roofs on them, like those "high school" lads dammit. We were the wannabe yanks. Like Stan wanted to be Eminem.

Maybe we still are

Discodog · 09-09-2018 02:09PM

Post of the year

dxhound2005 · 09-09-2018 02:14PM

Discodog wrote: »

Why do some of them try to sing in American accents ?

Because American country music accents are derived from Northern Ireland accents.

Don't drink and jive.

Atoms for Peace · 09-09-2018 02:39PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNpLSaCirj8

donegal_man · 09-09-2018 02:48PM

It's not my thing but it is popular with large swathes of the population. I'd take issue with the idea that it's exclusively "culchies" as well. The head of our legal services is as D4 as you'd wish to meet and yet he's a massive fan of Irish country music as are plenty other urban sophisticates of my acquaintance who have never seen a combine harvester up close and personal. Many of these Irish artistes are also popular internationally and not just with ex-pats (no pun intended) especially in Australia which has its own thriving country scene.
As for the American accents I'd hazard a guess it comes from starting out doing covers of American hits and becomes second nature when singing. In fairness as well not all do it, the man my uncle called "The King", you knew he was saying it with capitals, Big Tom never sounded like anything other than a Monaghan man. Daniel O'Donnell to be fair never affects an accent nor does my cousin's favourite, Declan Nerney.
As I said at the outset, it's not for me and some of the cover versions are cringe inducing but it makes a lot of people happy and keeps a lot of session musicians gainfully employed.
Oh and for anyone who thinks it's an exclusively Irish phenomenon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3zckDtbmog

Church on Tuesday · 09-09-2018 03:19PM

It's awful stuff, just awful.

There are other musical genres that I'm not fond of, but at least I can see the artistic merit within. Irish country music is basically just a poor imitation of American country, which as someone pointed out earlier is a fairly diverse genre in and of itself.

I know it has its following but I cant take a genre that contains a lad from portuma who performs by the name Mike Denver seriously.

per aspera ad astra · 09-09-2018 03:47PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QZzrVKGnOk

Dakota Dan · 09-09-2018 04:18PM

Arghus wrote: »

It's bizarre stuff, but I guess it sounds tuneful next to the death notices.

Out of interest what's your taste in music?

Jimmy. · 09-09-2018 04:40PM

If you like riding your sister or first cousin it would be the thing I guess.

Mookie Blaylock · 09-09-2018 04:46PM

Jimmy. wrote: »

If you like riding your sister or first cousin it would be the thing I guess.

You're a big fan so?

Gimme A Pound · 09-09-2018 08:20PM

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Out of interest what's your taste in music?

I don't think that makes a difference tbh - it's just their opinion. I agree - I think country n' Irish is awful and I think it's weird the way kids are into it. Just my opinion.

I do like a lot of American country music from the Appalachians and South though.

Gimme A Pound · 09-09-2018 08:24PM

Manic Moran wrote: »

What I like about Country is it is a genre which in no way takes itself seriously. “My truck broke down, so I’m hitting the town on a donkey”. “My wife said if I go fishing one more time, she’ll leave me. I’m gonna miss her...”

Lurleen Lumpkin gotta be my fave country singer:

Don't Look Up My Dress Unless You Mean It; I'm Sick o' Your Lyin' Eyes And False Teeth; I'm Bastin' A Turkey With My Tears.

"Tonight I'd like to try somethin' a little different. It's a song I wrote when I was moppin' up your dried blood and teeth": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ErCXUyHVIY

per aspera ad astra · 09-09-2018 08:27PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50fn0saTngA

per aspera ad astra · 09-09-2018 08:30PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV6k9M9cdf8

09-09-2018 08:46PM

Irish country music is a cultural blindspot of mine, trite in comparison to the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker or Mickey Newbury.

dxhound2005 · 09-09-2018 08:48PM

Not to be missed this week is the Country Music Awards on TG4.

https://www.tg4.ie/en/programmes/the-irish-post-country-music-awards/

Country music has a good presence on TG4, and there is a sub genre which gets airtime on RnaG. A combination of country and sean nos, mostly based in Connemara. John Beag Ó Flatharta is the best known name in this music.

Discodog · 10-09-2018 07:10AM

It reminds me of the days when you would be in a restaurant & the background music would be a dreadful cover version of a current hit.

The Late Late Show · 22-04-2019 04:41PM

Louis Walsh and all his talent competitions and boybands is what killed Irish music. There is hardly any difference between what Westlife and Mike Denver do. Woeful drivel made for the disposable reality TV era of 'music'.

James Brown · 22-04-2019 04:56PM

Tom Petty said it best, "New country music is just bad pop songs with a fiddle".
We have the next gen of user friendly middle of the road tosh made up with mediocre talent and chancers trying country Irish because the pool is not as competitive as mainstream pop.

The Late Late Show · 22-04-2019 07:08PM

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Tom Petty said it best, "New country music is just bad pop songs with a fiddle".
We have the next gen of user friendly middle of the road tosh made up with mediocre talent and chancers trying country Irish because the pool is not as competitive as mainstream pop.

Exactly. There is an endless amount of bad, fake music promoted by Irish TV stations. It all sounds like a heap of bad Eurovision songs deemed so bad even to be included in that.

James Brown · 22-04-2019 07:51PM

The Late Late Show wrote: »

Exactly. There is an endless amount of bad, fake music promoted by Irish TV stations. It all sounds like a heap of bad Eurovision songs deemed so bad even to be included in that.

When I was a lot younger I'd be out around the country for work and all you could really get was Country Irish on the radio. I always thought RTE and some regional stations had a captive audience and could pretty much play what they liked. It's like how Hotpress magazine tells you who the new musical bright lights are because one of the jurnos or Editor knows the band or manager.

Deja Boo · 22-04-2019 07:53PM

I love it, so there!

The Late Late Show · 24-04-2019 05:38AM

Matt Barrett wrote: »

When I was a lot younger I'd be out around the country for work and all you could really get was Country Irish on the radio. I always thought RTE and some regional stations had a captive audience and could pretty much play what they liked. It's like how Hotpress magazine tells you who the new musical bright lights are because one of the jurnos or Editor knows the band or manager.

I don't mind the older Irish country stuff at all. It may not be the most exciting music but at least it sounded genuine. Today's drivel sung by blondie ex boyband rejects in a fake "American" accent is the worst music I ever heard along with their previous careers as boyband members and talent show singers. It is only a matter of time when we see Eoghan Quigg and the rest of these talent show and washed up Eurovision acts make a comeback via this scene too.

You can bet RTE and the rest play whatever they want to force on the people. Quigg, Mike Denver, Jim Devine, or Ronan Keating doing country? Westlife's country album comeback? Whatever RTE and their cronies want to push will get pushed no matter how awful it is.

The Late Late Show · 28-08-2019 11:28PM

The next awful thing will be modern Irish 'bluegrass' music. Checking out the type of self composed drivel some of the bands on this scene are writing, another once great music genre is being murdered. Bill Monroe is turning in his grave.

Redneck Reject · 28-08-2019 11:56PM

I've tried to listen to Irish country music. But most artists force an American twang and it sounds terrible. If your not born with it why fake it?

01-09-2019 08:06PM

Redneck Reject wrote: »

I've tried to listen to Irish country music. But most artists force an American twang and it sounds terrible. If your not born with it why fake it?

In fairness, faking accents isn't limited to Irish Country music. It's pretty much a feature of all music.

whisky_galore · 01-09-2019 11:20PM

Matt Barrett wrote: »

When I was a lot younger I'd be out around the country for work and all you could really get was Country Irish on the radio. I always thought RTE and some regional stations had a captive audience and could pretty much play what they liked. It's like how Hotpress magazine tells you who the new musical bright lights are because one of the jurnos or Editor knows the band or manager.

Finding any kind of live music that isn't C 'n' I is a near impossibility down the sticks. Maudlin pastiche of real country music.

Irish Country Music

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