5 Awesome Irish Bands That Aren't U2

1. Villagers

In a departure from the rest of the list a folk band prove they can pack as much punch as their fully amplified, angry brothers. Villagers, the band of maestro Conor J. O'Brien, will likely be the most recognisable of this list. A mark of the bands hard working ethic as well as their considerable talent. At once simply folk, and all that has ever been, there's also something more interesting going on here. On 2013's {Awayland} there's interesting rhythms, variations and sweeping sounds. There's moments of Arcade Fire, Bon Ivor and Laura Marling as well as Beck and Lightspeed Champion. But all comparisons are 'kind of's and 'sort of's . At the risk of sacrilege what Villagers have is a chameleon and elastic nature similar to a certain Mr. Bowie. But really Villagers is all its own, bringing together disparate elements and putting them together under that leaky roof that most critics label singer-songwriter. The important thing with Villagers, whether it be a single or a full album, is its emotional depth and its openness. It's these elements, more than any other, that have probably made Villagers so popular and secured their winning of this years Meteor Choice Awards. Easy listening only if you don't listen too hard, because quickly you'll discover that there's more going on here. A musician who makes creativity look (or is that sound?) effortless. So there it is, five bands proving that U2 and Irish music are certainly not synonymous. This is by no means an exhaustive list and there's plenty more talent out there. If you'd like to hear more or think there's someone missing, then comment below. Happy listening!