As we head into the thick of March, it’s that special time of the year when everyone and their mother tends to over-celebrate the 1%-10% of their genome that may or may not have some Irish component by partaking in all the stereotypes that characterize the season. Indeed, in some parts of the country (like Chicago or Boston for example), celebrations are already well underway for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend, which, let’s face it, Irish or not, can get mildly annoying. But it doesn’t have to be that way of course, especially when it comes to music, as St. Patrick’s Day affords a great opportunity to spotlight some of the cooler/less cliché bands that have come out of Ireland over the years.
Perhaps the coolest band of the lot were shoegaze trailblazers My Bloody Valentine (who many people don’t even realize were Irish), a group predominately known for their uniquely sensual/feedback-drenched sound (which got downright lucid occasionally on their classic Loveless album). But when they first started out, they had a notably more propulsive/rhythm-heavy element that is captured nicely on this punchy performance of “You Made Me Realise” from the late 80s. In concert, they’ve been known to stretch out the song upwards of 15 minutes by descending into a manically intense cacophony, which you get a little taste of midway through the below performance. It’s technically 100% Irish, but 0% cliché, which is tough to find this time of the year. Enjoy.
