Although the year flew by in a whirl of post-millennial tension, I remember much of it fondly. The gigs which momentarily caused a smile to crack my stony features included the lovely Yo La Tengo in Vicar St, the bashful Badly Drawn Boy at the Twisted Nerve night in Whelan s, and watching the kids hold hands all the way home on the bus from the Radiohead s big top at Punchestown.
On the homefront, I ll be the first to give JJ72 their due, but I was even more touched by bands like Estel, El Diablo and Sack (both for their new album Adventura Majestica and their hugely enjoyable low-key gig in The George a few weeks back).
The underground DIY ethic was thriving this year, with a steady stream of four-tracks and fanzines, swept along by hardworking folks like Steve Fanagan, John Hegarty, and Joan of Arse. Folkrum Records did a series of wondrous
nights in Whelans featuring artists like Capratone, Adrian Crowley, Happy Stack
and Richie Egan. Keeping vinyl vital, the Road Relish Singles Club gave a grateful few some
gorgeous split seven inches from the likes
of Redneck Manifesto, Large Mound and (of course) David Kitt, who lived up to all the expectation. Small Moments aside, my favourite Irish album of the year was undoubtedly the Jubilee Allstars Dublin opus, The Lights of the City, released by Independent Records, also
responsible for crucial albums by Joe Pernice
and Giant Sand.
In the cinema, I was pleasantly surprised to have my brain twisted in and out of shape by Being John Malkovich, Jim Jarmusch s Ghost Dog, and Shimmy Marcus s documentary Aidan Walsh Master of the Universe, my nomination for Man of the Year.
Other reasons to be cheerful included Moloko and the delectable, indomitable Roisin Murphy, Podge & Rodge, Sigur Ros, UK Garage and Samantha Mumba for giving Louis Walsh something worthwhile to do with his time and energy. Fair play to Moby and David Gray, who managed to weather their incredible overexposure it s some testament that, despite their irritating ubiquity, things have come full circle and I ve ended up not hating them at all. Oh, and I didn t go to Witnness.