Staff Pix 3/1: the Wee Irish Episode

“Sinead O’Rebellion! Shock me, shock me, shock me with that deviant behavior,” as so eloquently put by Renée Zellweger in Empire Records. The Milk Crate staff wrote all about their favorite songs by the wee Irish just in time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, presented with blurbs worthy of a promotional sticker on a jewel case. Tune in to Staff Pix on Fridays 5-6PM EST!

Kim O’Donnell

“Zombie” by the cranberries

What could be more Irish than a song written by an Irish singer in an Irish band about an Irish sociopolitical issue? In my opinion: nothing! “Zombie” was written by Dolores O’Riordan to denounce terrorist bombings perpetrated by the IRA in Northern Ireland. O’Riordan was quoted saying, "This song's our cry against man's inhumanity to man; and man's inhumanity to child." The lyrics are all about living in the past and grieving in the face of unnecessary tragedy. There’s probably a lot of people out there who know “Zombie” from the radio or their Spotify mixes or the Miley Cyrus cover, but it’s hard to look at the song independent of its history. It’s an alt-rock anthem for peace. And, apparently I’m making it a trend to pick songs that have been featured on SNL because this one was performed on the show by the Cranberries on February 25, 1995.

Sofia Giarrusso

“happiness isn’t a fixed state” by kynsy

Not going to lie, I don’t listen to many Irish artists–or at least knowingly. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Inhaler and Two Door Cinema Club (just went to their concert at Roadrunner!), but both have already received roses upon roses, praise upon praise. So, imagine my delight when I learned that my newest Spotify Discover Weekly obsession comes all the way from across the Atlantic! Indie Dublin rocker Kynsy is a breath of fresh air who isn’t afraid to mix synthetic sounds with booming, layered rhythm guitars. “Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State,” her most popular track to date, is an unabashed declaration of misery and despair as she longs for a kinder world: “It’s kinda sad / How many people turn from good to bad.” Every time Kynsy enters her head voice deep into each chorus, I physically grow more understanding of her own hurt.  

Bennett Himmel

“mandinka” by sinead o’connor

Much to the chagrin of those who party with me, this is my karaoke song. Sinead O’Connor’s image was that of someone who stands firm in her beliefs, someone who refuses to back down. This is especially apparent on “Mandinka.” The song is so, so, ‘80s, with its heightened emotions and shout-along chorus. But, the most powerful moment in the song comes before the euphoric release of the chorus. When Sinead sings “I don’t know no shame, I feel no pain,” she sounds triumphant, on top of the world. When you hear it, it’s impossible not to feel triumphant too.

Karenna Umscheid

“Drive it like you stole it” by sing street

This summer my mom and I, in our obsessive love for Game of Thrones, embarked on a trip to Ireland, to do the show’s studio tour. The playlist I compiled for all the hours of travel, aptly titled “take me to the debs” (a cheeky little reference to the Irish high school tradition, which I learned of from Normal People), featured a blend of my summertime reliables alongside tracks from Irish artists, where I naturally had to include the soundtrack to Sing Street. Released in 2016, Sing Street is a movie musical following Conor (nicknamed “Cosmo”) in 80’s Dublin, who starts a band with his friends in order to impress the model he has a crush on; it’s the perfect comfort film, and I forced my mom to watch it with me before we departed, and she absolutely loved it! The soundtrack is delightfully poppy and not overly theatrical, filled with innocently romantic ballads and boy band-esque jams that made the train ride to the Game of Thrones studio so poignant. Though the loving melodies of “Up” and “A Beautiful Sea” have me yearning endlessly, it’s the angsty pop rock of “Drive It Like You Stole It,” rife with youthful fervor and humor, that I can never get out of my head. 

Nathan Hilyard

“honey power” by my bloody valentine

One of the more energetic songs from the moodiest band of all time, “Honey Power” brings everything my bloody valentine is known for: Grinding guitar riffs; mopey, sexual lyrics; and huge washes of reverbed color. MBV is one of Ireland’s quirkiest exports, a rock band which festered in Dublin’s underground scene which has since left a crater of impact on music. “Honey Power” is the band firing on all cylinders. Guitars rip through this arcing melody, then breaking into lush, ambient grooves. The song slips into its finale: “Take my flower / Touch before I die / Over you / Then we’ll sleep for another hour.”

Caitlin Molloy

“butchered tongue” by hozier

How could I not bring the (not so wee) Irish lad, Mr. Andrew Hozier-Byrne, to the table this week? Born in Bray, Ireland, and still calling Ireland his home, Hozier has reached a mass audience across the world. According to Spotify, he has over 31 million monthly listeners. I am shamelessly one of those avid listeners. Of the songs that I could pick out of his, I decided to go with “Butchered Tongue” off of his newest album Unreal Unearth (2023) because of its inclusion of the Irish Language. This song is one of Hozier’s many poetic homages to his Irish culture and home, but “Butchered Tongue” focuses on aspects and language that were once thought to be violently lost. Not only is it a harrowing song, it is also deeply historic and representative of what comes with the knowledge that a culture was stripped away hundreds of years ago, but is still being honored and kept alive today. Hozier is an artist who is inspired by his home and birthplace, something that is beautifully and consistently reflected in his music. 

Izzie Claudio

“little girl in bloom” by thin lizzy

Best known for their rock n’ roll banger “The Boys are Back in Town,” Thin Lizzy are classic rockers from none other than IRELAND! While they were often rocking the stage with insane guitar riffs, I want to highlight one of their ballads. Sung by Phil Lynott, this song chronicles a girl who is growing up and experiencing the excitement and fear that comes with adulthood. This crooning ballad is complete with gentle harmonies and, of course, they still included a killer guitar solo. Even though this tune is a beautiful ballad, it still has their classic hard rock feel. Lynott’s opening lyric perfectly sets up the message that is carried throughout: “Little girl in bloom / With happy heart you wipe aside / Any sadness, sorrow or gloom / Tomorrow you’ll be blushing bride / That loves her blushing groom.” The way this song builds into an emotional blend of guitars never fails to give me chills. 

Sydney Johnson

“the show” by Niall horan

Despite being in the british boy band One Direction, surprise he’s Irish. Since the One Direction hiatus Niall Horanl has released three solo albums. His most recent one being The Show. I chose this song mainly because it’s the title track, but also because I think that this song really shows the matured pop sound he has, but it differs from the material we know him from. It discusses the idea of life being a show and how hard that can be on a person. I think it is a great showcase of the absolute bops on the rest of this album and a great introductory track to him as a solo artist.

Lia Klug

“Dublin in ecstasy” by inhaler

Double points! Both mentions the capital of Ireland and by an Irish band! Inhaler is a rock band led by Elijah Hewson (Bono’s son!) along with bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson, and drummer Ryan McMahon. Their music is perfect for the angst of February and March caused by bitter cold and seemingly endless night. Inhaler’s music is so visceral even listening through my airpods I feel transported back to their concert with blinding light and fans screaming their choruses. Perfect for St.Patricks day!

Stephanie Weber

“next year” by two door cinema club

Two Door Cinema Club will forever be a 2010s wet dream band. Tourist History (2010) and Beacon (2012) are two albums I can’t live without; learning the words to hit songs at 10 years old via a Pandora “indie rock” radio is a core memory for me. Of course the band has released new music since the early 2010s but their early stuff is best, specifically the song “Next Year.” Pre-teen me would listen to this song and act as if I was in the midst of a tough breakup, flash forwarding years later where we would meet up again, passing glances on the street or the train, catch up like old friends, igniting the incredibly one-sided spark between us. Lyrics like “Maybe someday / You'll be somewhere / Talking to me / As if you knew me / Saying I'll be home for next year, darling / I'll be home for next year” cut at the heart, implying that this person never really knew the protagonist even when they were together. Gut wrenching–at least for an 11-year-old girl. The bridge—”If / You / Think of me / I will think of you”—is almost an acapella break, contrasting the heavy indie rock guitar sounds of the rest of the song. The song is dramatic and loaded, reminding me of shopping in Hollister with my mom. It’s a “you had to be there” song, reeking of nostalgia.

Julia Norkus

“C’est la vie” by B*witched

Maybe it isn’t super gut wrenching or soul crushing, but whenever I’m ready to party, I just play “C’est la Vie.” The opening lines are spoken, and there’s an element of bubblegum/teen girl/mall pop stupidity  that comes with just those two lines of dialogue, “Some people say I look like me dad / What? Are you serious?” The conversation is followed by laughter and this icky, sticky, whatever you wanna call it cooing from the rest of the girl group and while it isn’t super deep, boy do I love it. The rest of the song is much like what you’d get if the Spice Girls were Irish, and if you think the production was good, just think about the lyrics, “I say, hey boy, sittin' in your tree / Mummy always wants you to come for tea / Don't be shy, straighten up your tie / Get down from your tree house, sittin' in the sky.” It’s so stupid and basically is just telling this guy to say screw it all and pay attention to the girls! Listen, if the Irish gifted us two important things, they gifted us me (hello hi) and B*Witched.