[Guest Post] A Dublin Playlist

To my absolute embarrassment the most read blog post here to date is Michael's guest post about the best burritos in Dublin! Here he is again trying to upstage me!
Setting out to do a playlist of songs that have an affiliation with Dublin I was surprised at the abundance of songs at my disposal. Playlists can be such a personal thing and everyone will have an opinion as to what are the definitive Dublin songs. I tried to pick songs that resonate with me and invoke memories. So why not create your own Dublin playlist you might even include Summer in Dublin on yours, cause it sure as hell wasn't getting on mine.
1. The Frames : RevelateThe Frames have been influential in the Dublin music scene since they were Founded in 1990 by former Grafton Street busker Glen Hansard who is also well known from films The Commitments and Once.

2. Something Happens : ParachuteThis song reminds me of music festivals in the 90s when people would go mental upon hearing this song. Today, the band play occasional gigs but they're no longer recording new material. Lead singer Tom Dunne has a weekday morning slot on Newstalk.

3. Aslan : This IsAslan took their name from the fictional lion in C.S. Lewis's series of books chronicling the land of Narnia. (Aslan is the Turkish for ‘Lion’) With band members from Finglas and Ballymun, Aslan released demo single, ‘This Is’, in the Spring of 1986, it became the longest ever play-listed single on 2FM

4.  The Dubliners : Rocky Road to DublinRocky Road to Dublin was written around 1863 and made popular by the Dubliners in 1964. The song is about a man's experiences as he travels to Liverpool from his home in Tuam. The song is partially recited several times in James Joyce's novel Ulysses.

5. Thin Lizzy : The Boys are Back in TownThin Lizzy front-man Phil Lynott is one Dublin’s most beloved musical sons. In 2005, a life-size bronze statue of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street. His grave can be found in St. Fintan's cemetery and is regularly visited by fans

6. The Commitments : Mustang SallyThe Commitments film was released in 1991 adapted from the book by Roddy Doyle about working class Dubliners who form a soul band. Mustang Sally is an R&B song written in 1965. It gained popularity when Wilson Pickett covered it the following year.

7. U2 : BadFormed in 1976 the band chose the name "U2" for its ambiguity and open-ended interpretations and because it was the name from a list that they disliked the least. In concert, Bono frequently introduces the song Bad as a song about Dublin and heroin addiction. The early 1980's recession had led to high number of heroin addicts in the inner city. It is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert.

8. Mic : Christopher HeydayHeyday by Mic Christopher became an instant success after its use in an ad for Guinness, sadly Mic had passed away 2 years earlier and never lived to enjoy the success. The ad opens in a Dublin home when 'Heyday' comes on the radio. Michael Fassbender (yes, really) departs on a journey to the Cliffs of Moher, dives into the sea and swims to New York City. He finds a person he fell out with in a Manhattan bar, he says sorry, they hug-it-out and people buy shed loads of Guinness.

9. An Emotional Fish : CelebrateAn Emotional Fish were formed in 1988 and are fronted by Jerry Fish

10. Damien Dempsey :  It's all goodBorn and raised in Donaghmede and singing with his accent Damien is the quintessential Dub and a good person to have around if you get in trouble swimming in the river. Sinéad O'Conner sings backing vocals on the song.