Lick My Craic

Once again, the Irish music charts have come up trumps during 2004. The competition was so strong this year that I've been forced to combine singles and albums to whittle down the number to the ten best records. I know this is cheating, but I make the rules round here, so it's allowed.

When I say Irish charts, by the way, I'm referring to the Raidio Siamsa lists, not the poxy fixed RTE charts. This is ACTUALLY what the yoof of Ireland are listening to, as opposed to what the post-Celtic Tiger Idiot Bourgeoisie up in Montrose tell you.

In reverse order, as is traditional:

10: "Grainneog in the Road," by Country Jeff and the Culchies (Flahooley Records)

9: "Maeve, Maeve (Binchy)," by Ciaran Oganach (Clabhta Recordings)

8: "Kiss My Monkey," by Onan Hendricks (R.S.V.P.)

7: "I'm Your Scum," by Asphalt (Paradigm Plus)

6: "Give Ireland Back to the English," by The Hames (Living Arse Records)

5: "Like a Birmingham Laser," by Juan-Pablo and the Angels (Ellisout Music)

4: "Ivan Illich was My Mother," by Spakka (Spiral Snatch)

3: "Snot Unusual," by Billie-Jo Harvester (Dullish)

2: "The Structural Development of Hierarchy during the Process of Electrification in North Korea," by The Wee Scaldies (Ciunas!)

and beating them all by a country mile,

1: "Bird Shit on My Shoulder (Dog Shit on My Shoe)," by the Happy Larrys (Water Mint Music)

This time next year, you'll ALL be whistling it!