Bell X1
Encyclopedia
Bell X1 are an Irish
rock
band from County Kildare
in Ireland
. They have released five albums which received much acclaim in Ireland.. They have represented Ireland
in the Eurosonic Festival
in Groningen, received several major award nominations and headlined several festivals in their own country. The band is named after the Bell X-1
, the first supersonic aircraft in history.
Bell X1 began their existence as Juniper
, a 1990s act who had success in Ireland and counted, as their frontman, Damien Rice
prior to his international success as a solo artist. Rice departed the band over creative differences in 1998. The remaining members formed Bell X1 in 1999, releasing their debut album Neither Am I
in 2000. A second and third studio album, Music in Mouth
(2003) and Flock
(2005) followed respectively before Tour De Flock
, a live CD and DVD set recorded in the Point Theatre
, was released in 2007.
In recent years Bell X1 have gained success in the United States
after the song "Eve, the Apple of My Eye
", taken from the Music in Mouth album, featured during an infamous lesbian
kiss scene on an episode of The O.C.
. Shortly afterwards they began frequent tours of the United States, culminating in live performances on the Late Show with David Letterman
(twice), The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. Flock, previously released exclusively in Ireland and later in the United Kingdom
, received a North America
n release in February 2008. On October 2, 2008, founder member Brian Crosby
announced his decision to leave Bell X1. Blue Lights on the Runway
—the band's fourth studio album and their first without Crosby—was released in Ireland on February 20, 2009 and in the United States on March 3, 2009. It gave the band their second Choice Music Prize nomination. A fifth album, Bloodless Coup
, is scheduled for release in 2011.
The Irish Times
placed Bell X1 at number nine in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009. Aside from U2
, they are the Irish band with the most airplay in their native country and, according to Billboard
, also the second biggest live performers.
who formed in 1991. That band met while they were schoolboys in Celbridge
, County Kildare
. Paul Noonan
was Juniper's drummer and Damien Rice
was the lead vocalist; guitarists Dominic Philips and Brian Crosby
and multi-instrumentalist David Geraghty
completed the original line-up. The band became a quartet with the departure of Rice over creative differences and arguments over the choice of song to release as a single. Rice admitted in a 2002 interview with the Sunday Tribune
that he had become upset after writing a song which the record company had disliked. He later granted another rare interview to The Independent
in which he admitted the band argued over issues such as whether or not their CDs should come packaged in recycled paper—Rice insisted they should, whilst the rest of the band "couldn't give a shite". He "simply explained to them that if they left me alone, the music would be better, and that if they started interfering again, it would fuck things up." While Ireland now notes Bell X1 and Damien Rice as separate artists, when the former tour the United States they are constantly reminded of Rice by the American media.
The departure of Rice led to a crisis meeting during which the remaining members discussed their deepest desires. After a short break they reformed themselves as Bell X1, named after the Bell X-1
(with the hyphen), the first plane to break the sound barrier
. Noonan became the new band's frontman. The live line-up, alongside original members Crosby and Philips, came to be completed by drummer Tim O'Donovan, who also fronts electropop group Neosupervital
.
Juniper's original contract with Polygram Ireland
was moved to the Universal Music Group with the buyout of Polygram in 1998 by Seagram
. In the process pf, Seagram also acquired Island Records
which had been purchased by Polygram in 1989. Bell X1's published music has been inconsistently labelled as published variously by Universal Ireland and Island records, with the latest two albums being marketed under the Island label. Bell X1 released three albums while with Universal; Neither Am I
in 2000, Music in Mouth
in 2003 and Flock
which was released in 2005. BellyUp Records released Tour De Flock
in 2007 and Blue Lights on the Runway
in 2009.
Despite success in Ireland and the United States, Bell X1 have achieved relatively little in the UK. In the United States, they have achieved critical acclaim with Paste
calling them "one of Ireland's greatest bands" and New York Daily News reporter Jim Farber praising Paul Noonan
's "sharp eye" and "flair for dialogue". They have also had strong album sales and made several appearances on David Letterman
. They have performed sold out shows on both coasts and toured the US four times in 2008, returning several more times in 2009.
in a packed venue in September 2000. Noonan later described it as a "very humbling" experience. Among the songs performed that night were "Volcano" and future single "Man on Mir
". "Volcano" was also recorded by Rice following its origins in Juniper, and was credited with the demise of that band. Their debut album Neither Am I
was given an Ireland-only release in late 2000. Neither Am I achieved gold status in Ireland. However, despite initial hopes for a release in the UK or Europe, this did not happen. On the brink of "driving each other mad" they parted ways for a time after the first album to concentrate on other projects, with Noonan drumming for Gemma Hayes
and Crosby joining Mundy
's band. Nevertheless, they played Dublin Castle
as part of Heineken Green Energy
on May 6, 2002.
They represented Ireland
in the Eurosonic Festival
in Groningen during the early part of their career.
reviewer Harry Guerin described the album as being one from a band "pushing themselves in different directions and coming up with a joy and sadness that prove as contagious as each other [...] a band thinking outside the a,b,c of guitar rock". They performed live on RTÉ Radio 1
programme Rattlebag in September 2003 and a live performance at Vicar Street
and an interview with Noonan was broadcast on the same show the following year. The first appearance was featured on an end-of-year highlights special of the radio show.
Music in Mouth achieved double-platinum sales in Ireland and four singles released from the album achieved top forty positions in the Irish Singles Chart
. The Irish Independent
s John Meagher named it his fourth best Irish album of the noughties. One of the songs on the album, "Tongue", was a relic co-written by Rice. They performed in Europe and the UK alongside acts such as Aqualung
, Keane, Tom McRae
, Snow Patrol
and Starsailor
. In January 2004, they gave a performance in Prague
as part of European celebrations to mark Ireland's Presidency of the European Union
. In August 2004, they were a support act for The Frames
at an outdoor summer concert in Dublin's Marlay Park
. In December 2004, they performed their first major headlining show at the Olympia Theatre
, Dublin. A few months later they outsold the same venue on two occasions and once again before the end of that year.
The wider appeal of the band internationally was assisted by the use of the song "Eve, the Apple of My Eye
" from Music in Mouth during an episode of US teen dramedy The O.C.
; it featured during a scene in which two of the show's female characters shared a lesbian
kiss. The show's music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas
chose to feature "Eve" and "In Every Sunflower" after listening to Music in Mouth, with "Eve" also being included on the series soundtrack. That opportunity led to Bell X1's arrival in the United States in 2003. With increased record sales, Geraghty later said to Ed Power of the Irish Independent
: "The OC thing was a huge deal and we have no regrets about doing it. It opened doors for us abroad". The Sunday Tribune
s Neil Dunphy and Una Mullally named it number 46 in their 2008 "ultimate playlist representing the top-50 Irish songs of all time", reminding readers that it was "chiefly known in the States as the soundtrack to that lesbian kiss in The OC". In the same publication at the end of the decade Dunphy cited it as an example of how Irish bands had used television to their advantage. The band went on to record a live session for Nic Harcourt
's radio show on KCRW
in Los Angeles
.
house. They debuted the track "Still Selling Shoes" on an episode of The View
broadcast on April 12, 2005. Flock
was the title given to Bell X1's third studio album, released in Ireland on October 14, 2005. Flock went straight to number one upon its release in Ireland. RTÉ
reviewer Katie Moten described the album as "an accomplished collection from a clever and inventive band, whose talent deserves heapings of praise". Bell X1 returned to feature in a Rattlebag special presented by Myles Dungan
on October 18, 2005. Flock was subsequently released around Europe, prompting Noonan to describe 2005 as Bell X1's "annus fabulous". On January 31, 2006, they performed a sold out show in the RDS
Main Hall, going on to appear on the Main Stage at Oxegen 2006
that July. By November 2006 Flock had sold at least 40,000 copies in Ireland, twice the number of copies which their previous album had sold in that country. The album went five-times platinum in their native land.
"Bigger Than Me
", the first single to be released from this album, reached number sixteen in the Irish Singles Chart
. They performed follow-up single "Flame
" on Tubridy Tonight
on January 14, 2006. "Flame" was later included in a collection of works giving a "sense of the noughties" put together by Vincent Murphy and broadcast on Morning Ireland
on December 31, 2009. A third single, "Rocky Took a Lover
", would be performed on the Late Show with David Letterman
on March 17, 2008. Bell X1 performed songs from Flock when they were one of the acts to appear on Other Voices in 2007.
In February 2007, it was reported that Bell X1 had been dropped by their Island UK record label. The band issued a statement saying that Island had offered them a renewal of their contract to record a fourth album but then issued another one confirming they had parted ways. Noonan later spoke of the artistic freedom which had resulted from this move—"We have found owning our music and finding partners all over the world to put our music out really empowering".
was released on the band's own record label, BellyUp Records, on June 15, 2007. The set was the band's first post-Island release. It was a recording of their sell-out performance at the Point Theatre
in Dublin on December 1, 2006. They gave a live performance in a Dublin music store to promote the release on June 21, 2007.
On June 30, two weeks after the release of Tour De Flock, Bell X1 played an outdoor show at Malahide Castle
in Dublin, becoming the first Irish band to headline that venue. In July 2007, they played a sell-out show at Live at the Marquee
in Cork
, with Noonan two years later describing that show as, "Without doubt [...] one of the best gigs of our entire Flock
tour. We had played venues like The Lobby, The Savoy and the Opera House, but being asked to play the Marquee was a crowning moment for us".
In 2008, Bell X1 played London
's King's College
for their first UK date of the year. They achieved representation in the United States where they were signed to Yep Roc Records
and managed by the Intrigue Group. Flock was released in the United States by Yep Roc on 19 February 2008. Before and following the North American release of Flock, Bell X1 embarked on their first proper tour of that continent, including dates in Boston
, Chicago
, Los Angeles
, Cambridge, Massachusetts
, Minneapolis, New York's Bowery Ballroom, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto
and Vancouver
.
Bell X1's North American tour was interrupted by several mishaps. Upon arrival in the United States they mislaid their guitars after losing their luggage. On March 15, 2008, the band's tour bus burst into flames outside their hotel in Medford, Massachusetts
. Noonan and Geraghty were on board the vehicle alongside their manager and a friend. Brian Crosby, Dominic Phillips, and Tim O'Donovan were inside the hotel. Fire fighters were called to the scene shortly after 3:30 am and spent ninety minutes fanning the blaze, which started in the bus ventilation/air-conditioning unit and caused an estimated $50,000 (€32,000) worth of damage. Talking to local newspaper the Boston Herald
, the band's manager, Foye Johnson said: “The guys were basically around the bus, which was a good thing because we were able to get all the equipment and instruments out. We’re in the middle of the band’s first tour of America and to lose your gear would be a real problem.” After a few hours of sleep, off they went in a replacement vehicle to New York City
where the band played a sell-out show in the Bowery Ballroom
. On Saint Patrick's Day
they appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman
, leading to tickets for a show in Chicago selling out. Other North American television appearances during the early part of 2008 included MTV Canada
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. They would return to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman one year later and, according to Noonan, the band's MySpace
hits increased as a result of these television appearances.
They were the support act for Stars in the United States in September 2008, their fourth time there that year. There were also several shows at events in Europe, including performances alongside Micah P. Hinson
and Nada Surf
, and a homecoming appearance at Oxegen 2008
.
On October 2, 2008, Brian Crosby announced his decision to leave Bell X1 following their October 19 Flock tour finale at the Panorama Festival in the Lebanon
. They parted ways on good terms and the recruitment of at least one new member for live performances was planned. Their first show without Crosby was the opening night of an acoustic tour at the Pavilion in Cork two days after Panorama. By this time they were already performing material which was to feature on their fourth studio album, Blue Lights on the Runway
.
. RTÉ
reviewer Harry Guerin described the album as "a flight that you can actually enjoy from start to finish". The Sunday Tribune
s Neil Dunphy selected it as his CD of the week, calling it "a wonderful exploration of a sound often derided for being in thrall to its influences" and commenting: "I don't know why but Bell X1 used to make me cringe. These days their music feels like an old friend; something solid and inspiring amid all the negativity".
Blue Lights On The Runway was preceded by its lead single, titled "The Great Defector
". which became the band's most successful single yet, peaking at number three in the Irish Singles Chart. The band were invited back to Tubridy Tonight to perform it and presenter Ryan Tubridy
said it was his favourite song that year. Irish Independent
journalist Eamon Sweeney described it as "an extremely Talking Headish song, but also happens to the best thing on the airwaves at the moment". The song was credited with a renewed surge in demand for tickets to the band's live shows. Marc Aubele on keys and Rory Doyle on drums featured during live performances, the former replacing Crosby in the band.
Blue Lights On The Runway was released in the United States through the band's American Yep Roc label on March 3, 2009. It appeared in the top twenty of that country's Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart. They used the money they earned from their "huge" success in Ireland to fund a tour of the United States in May 2009. When asked to describe touring for the first time without Crosby, Noonan said: "It's good—it's all part of the journey". The band received attention from prominent blog
gers in the country and made appearances on public radio
, said to be a "crucial showcase" for bands like them in the United States. The band recorded a Ukulélé Session with the newspaper Le Soir
to support the release of their album in Belgium
. In Spain
they played the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
that year. Back home Blue Lights on the Runway was given an "honourable mention" by The Sunday Business Post
s Andrew Lynch in his end-of-year 2009 review of music.
"The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella", a second single from Blue Lights on the Runway, was later released. Bell X1 accompanied The Script
as a support act for U2
during that band's sold-out Croke Park
show on July 27, 2009, part of the international U2 360° Tour
. Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times
questioned why such high profile acts in their own land were chosen for the U2 performance over less well-known acts. Other major Irish shows that summer included an appearance at Live at the Marquee
in Cork and a headlining performance at Electric Picnic 2009
, with the band later returning to the United States before coming home to perform two more sell-out shows at the Olympia Theatre that November. They then reappeared on Other Voices, performing a live session in Dingle
which was broadcast in early 2010. Their only summer performance in Ireland that year was at Oxegen 2010
.
on April 1, 2011 in the Republic of Ireland
, Germany
, Belgium
and the Netherlands
. It was also released in the United Kingdom
on April 4, United States
and Canada
on April 12 and France
on April 26. The album was recorded by Rob Kirwan at Grouse Lodge Residential Studios in County Westmeath
, Ireland
.
Bell X1 performed the first live / streamed rooftop gig for Facebook
and its founder Mark Zuckerberg
when he visited the social network's Dublin headquarters on 27 May 2011.
has described Bell X1's music as "remarkably warm—as if imported from the Caribbean via Dublin City". Their style is said to be similar to that of Talking Heads
, a fact noted by Noonan on the press release which accompanied their fourth album—"I know, I know [...] it's dangerously Talking Heads". Noonan admitted in 2003 that he had been influenced by the music of Talking Heads and The Flaming Lips
. The New York Times
has compared Bell X1 to both Coldplay
and Radiohead
, saying, "Paul Noonan's writing will make you swoon", while the Irish Independent
s Ed Power describes them as "Ireland's pre-eminent orchestral rockers" though "none of the band fit the stereotype of the debauched rocker". John Meagher name-checked Pink Floyd
, Radiohead, Talking Heads and early U2 after witnessing a performance in the RDS in 2006.
The Sunday Tribune
s Neil Dunphy has compared their sound to krautrock
, New Wave
and David Holmes
and in 2004 he suggested they "could have been the Republic's Snow Patrol if they hadn't been beaten to the punch", a reference to that band's rise up the British charts. The Irish Independent
s Eamon Sweeney described one show where "two songs in and we're already enjoying pleasing echoes of Radiohead and Animal Collective
". After viewing one of their 2009 Vicar Street shows Laurence Mackin of The Irish Times
said "much of tonight’s music would be perfect for emotional teenage television". The UK has tended to compare Bell X1 to Coldplay and Keane. Irish Independent
journalist Ed Power once said Swedish
band Weeping Willows
were like "a Nordic Bell X1".
Like Coldplay and The Rolling Stones
they are environmentally aware and involved in the process of carbon offset
ting and have ordered the planting of trees when they tour. The band and individual band members have been involved in several charitable endeavours, including the recording of The Cake Sale
and Sparks n' Mind compilation albums. They are known for assisting with the setting up of their own equipment before performing on stage.
in January 2006. It was considered the favourite but failed to win.
The band's fourth album Blue Lights on the Runway was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2010.
|-
| 2006 || Flock
|| Irish Album of the Year 2005 ||
|-
| 2010 || Blue Lights on the Runway
|| Irish Album of the Year 2009 ||
|-
. They were nominated in the Best Irish Band category and Music in Mouth was nominated in the Best Irish Album category at the 2004 Meteor Awards
. They were again nominated in the Best Irish Band category at the 2005 Meteor Awards.
They were nominated in three categories at the 2010 Meteor Awards
: Best Irish Album, Best Irish Band and Best Irish Live Performance.
In addition the band have performed at the 2005 Meteor Awards on February 24, 2005 and at the 2006 Meteor Awards on February 2, 2006.
|-
| 2004
|| Music in Mouth
|| Best Irish Album ||
|-
| 2004 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2005 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2010
|| Blue Lights on the Runway
|| Best Irish Album ||
|-
| 2010 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2010 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Live Performance ||
|-
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. They have released five albums which received much acclaim in Ireland.. They have represented Ireland
Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival
Each year Ireland selects a number of bands and musicians to participate in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. In recent years, RTÉ 2fm, thanks to Ian Wilson, have sponsored two bands per festival.- Ireland's entries :...
in the Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic is Europe’s largest showcase festival and takes place on a yearly basis on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday previous to Noorderslag festival in the dutch city Groningen. Eurosonic is part of The European Music Conference and Showcase Festival Eurosonic Noorderslag. During the festival 250...
in Groningen, received several major award nominations and headlined several festivals in their own country. The band is named after the Bell X-1
Bell X-1
The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948...
, the first supersonic aircraft in history.
Bell X1 began their existence as Juniper
Juniper (band)
Juniper were an Irish rock band from County Kildare, most widely-known today as a precursor to Damien Rice and Bell X1. The band consisted of Rice , Paul Noonan, Brian Crosby, Dominic Philips and David Geraghty...
, a 1990s act who had success in Ireland and counted, as their frontman, Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
prior to his international success as a solo artist. Rice departed the band over creative differences in 1998. The remaining members formed Bell X1 in 1999, releasing their debut album Neither Am I
Neither Am I
Neither Am I is the debut studio album by Irish band Bell X1, released on October 13, 2000. It features a number of songs previously written and recorded with Damien Rice, the lead singer of the band's former incarnation, Juniper, and with producer and Crowded House bassist, Nick Seymour.-Track...
in 2000. A second and third studio album, Music in Mouth
Music In Mouth
Music in Mouth is the second studio album from Irish band Bell X1, released on 18 July 2003 in Ireland and on 21 July in the UK. It was produced by Jamie Cullum ....
(2003) and Flock
Flock (album)
Flock is the third studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 14 October 2005 in Ireland, 20 March 2006 in the UK and February 19, 2008 in North America. The album was ranked #15 in Planet Sound's top albums of 2006...
(2005) followed respectively before Tour De Flock
Tour De Flock
Tour De Flock is the first live album and DVD by Bell X1. It is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on 1 December 2006....
, a live CD and DVD set recorded in the Point Theatre
Point Theatre
The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...
, was released in 2007.
In recent years Bell X1 have gained success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the song "Eve, the Apple of My Eye
Eve, the Apple of My Eye
"Eve, the Apple of My Eye" is a single by the Irish indie rock quintet, Bell X1, taken from the band's second album Music in Mouth.It was eventually released on 11 June 2004 in Ireland and 14 June 2004 in the UK, having been originally scheduled for release on 28 May in Ireland and 7 June in the UK...
", taken from the Music in Mouth album, featured during an infamous lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
kiss scene on an episode of The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
. Shortly afterwards they began frequent tours of the United States, culminating in live performances on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
(twice), The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. Flock, previously released exclusively in Ireland and later in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, received a North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n release in February 2008. On October 2, 2008, founder member Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby is an Irish musician/producer and award-winning composer. He is a board director on the Irish Music Rights Organisation .-Career:...
announced his decision to leave Bell X1. Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights On The Runway is the fourth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009, and on March 3, 2009, in North America...
—the band's fourth studio album and their first without Crosby—was released in Ireland on February 20, 2009 and in the United States on March 3, 2009. It gave the band their second Choice Music Prize nomination. A fifth album, Bloodless Coup
Bloodless Coup
Bloodless Coup is the fifth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 1 April 2011 in Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, on 4 April in the United Kingdom, and on 5 April in North America....
, is scheduled for release in 2011.
The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
placed Bell X1 at number nine in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009. Aside from U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, they are the Irish band with the most airplay in their native country and, according to Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, also the second biggest live performers.
Juniper
Most of the band were originally members of JuniperJuniper (band)
Juniper were an Irish rock band from County Kildare, most widely-known today as a precursor to Damien Rice and Bell X1. The band consisted of Rice , Paul Noonan, Brian Crosby, Dominic Philips and David Geraghty...
who formed in 1991. That band met while they were schoolboys in Celbridge
Celbridge
Celbridge is a town and townland on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. It is west of Dublin. As a town within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and the Greater Dublin Area, it is located at the intersection of the R403 and R405 regional roads....
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Paul Noonan
Paul Noonan
Paul Noonan is an Irish singer from Lucan, County Dublin, and lead vocalist of the band Bell X1. His father is Noel Noonan, the recently retired principal of St. Mary's B.N.S. in Lucan....
was Juniper's drummer and Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
was the lead vocalist; guitarists Dominic Philips and Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby is an Irish musician/producer and award-winning composer. He is a board director on the Irish Music Rights Organisation .-Career:...
and multi-instrumentalist David Geraghty
David Geraghty
David Geraghtyis a Choice Music Prize-nominated. He is a solo artist, producer and a member of Irish band Bell X1.-Early career:...
completed the original line-up. The band became a quartet with the departure of Rice over creative differences and arguments over the choice of song to release as a single. Rice admitted in a 2002 interview with the Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
that he had become upset after writing a song which the record company had disliked. He later granted another rare interview to The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
in which he admitted the band argued over issues such as whether or not their CDs should come packaged in recycled paper—Rice insisted they should, whilst the rest of the band "couldn't give a shite". He "simply explained to them that if they left me alone, the music would be better, and that if they started interfering again, it would fuck things up." While Ireland now notes Bell X1 and Damien Rice as separate artists, when the former tour the United States they are constantly reminded of Rice by the American media.
The departure of Rice led to a crisis meeting during which the remaining members discussed their deepest desires. After a short break they reformed themselves as Bell X1, named after the Bell X-1
Bell X-1
The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948...
(with the hyphen), the first plane to break the sound barrier
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
. Noonan became the new band's frontman. The live line-up, alongside original members Crosby and Philips, came to be completed by drummer Tim O'Donovan, who also fronts electropop group Neosupervital
Neosupervital
Tim O'Donovan, better known by his stage name Neosupervital, is a multi-instrumentalist based in Dublin, Ireland.Previously Neosupervital live was a band affair...
.
Juniper's original contract with Polygram Ireland
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
was moved to the Universal Music Group with the buyout of Polygram in 1998 by Seagram
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...
. In the process pf, Seagram also acquired Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
which had been purchased by Polygram in 1989. Bell X1's published music has been inconsistently labelled as published variously by Universal Ireland and Island records, with the latest two albums being marketed under the Island label. Bell X1 released three albums while with Universal; Neither Am I
Neither Am I
Neither Am I is the debut studio album by Irish band Bell X1, released on October 13, 2000. It features a number of songs previously written and recorded with Damien Rice, the lead singer of the band's former incarnation, Juniper, and with producer and Crowded House bassist, Nick Seymour.-Track...
in 2000, Music in Mouth
Music In Mouth
Music in Mouth is the second studio album from Irish band Bell X1, released on 18 July 2003 in Ireland and on 21 July in the UK. It was produced by Jamie Cullum ....
in 2003 and Flock
Flock (album)
Flock is the third studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 14 October 2005 in Ireland, 20 March 2006 in the UK and February 19, 2008 in North America. The album was ranked #15 in Planet Sound's top albums of 2006...
which was released in 2005. BellyUp Records released Tour De Flock
Tour De Flock
Tour De Flock is the first live album and DVD by Bell X1. It is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on 1 December 2006....
in 2007 and Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights On The Runway is the fourth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009, and on March 3, 2009, in North America...
in 2009.
Despite success in Ireland and the United States, Bell X1 have achieved relatively little in the UK. In the United States, they have achieved critical acclaim with Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
calling them "one of Ireland's greatest bands" and New York Daily News reporter Jim Farber praising Paul Noonan
Paul Noonan
Paul Noonan is an Irish singer from Lucan, County Dublin, and lead vocalist of the band Bell X1. His father is Noel Noonan, the recently retired principal of St. Mary's B.N.S. in Lucan....
's "sharp eye" and "flair for dialogue". They have also had strong album sales and made several appearances on David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
. They have performed sold out shows on both coasts and toured the US four times in 2008, returning several more times in 2009.
Neither Am I
One of Bell X1's early shows was as a support act for Elliott SmithElliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
in a packed venue in September 2000. Noonan later described it as a "very humbling" experience. Among the songs performed that night were "Volcano" and future single "Man on Mir
Man on Mir
"Man on Mir" is a single by the Irish pop rock quintet, Bell X1, and the second from the band's debut album Neither Am I. It was released on 8 September 2000 in Ireland. It entered the Irish Singles Chart on 14 September 2000, spending one week there and peaking at #30, being their first Top 30...
". "Volcano" was also recorded by Rice following its origins in Juniper, and was credited with the demise of that band. Their debut album Neither Am I
Neither Am I
Neither Am I is the debut studio album by Irish band Bell X1, released on October 13, 2000. It features a number of songs previously written and recorded with Damien Rice, the lead singer of the band's former incarnation, Juniper, and with producer and Crowded House bassist, Nick Seymour.-Track...
was given an Ireland-only release in late 2000. Neither Am I achieved gold status in Ireland. However, despite initial hopes for a release in the UK or Europe, this did not happen. On the brink of "driving each other mad" they parted ways for a time after the first album to concentrate on other projects, with Noonan drumming for Gemma Hayes
Gemma Hayes
Gemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
and Crosby joining Mundy
Mundy
Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...
's band. Nevertheless, they played Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
as part of Heineken Green Energy
Heineken Green Energy
Heineken Green Energy is an Irish music festival that takes place at Dublin Castle over the May bank holiday weekend. It attracts over 50,000 people per year for what is the opening of the music festival season in Ireland...
on May 6, 2002.
They represented Ireland
Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival
Each year Ireland selects a number of bands and musicians to participate in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. In recent years, RTÉ 2fm, thanks to Ian Wilson, have sponsored two bands per festival.- Ireland's entries :...
in the Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic is Europe’s largest showcase festival and takes place on a yearly basis on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday previous to Noorderslag festival in the dutch city Groningen. Eurosonic is part of The European Music Conference and Showcase Festival Eurosonic Noorderslag. During the festival 250...
in Groningen during the early part of their career.
Music in Mouth
Bell X1's second album Music in Mouth fared better, garnering greater fan acceptance and critical acclaim. RTÉRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
reviewer Harry Guerin described the album as being one from a band "pushing themselves in different directions and coming up with a joy and sadness that prove as contagious as each other [...] a band thinking outside the a,b,c of guitar rock". They performed live on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
programme Rattlebag in September 2003 and a live performance at Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
and an interview with Noonan was broadcast on the same show the following year. The first appearance was featured on an end-of-year highlights special of the radio show.
Music in Mouth achieved double-platinum sales in Ireland and four singles released from the album achieved top forty positions in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
. The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s John Meagher named it his fourth best Irish album of the noughties. One of the songs on the album, "Tongue", was a relic co-written by Rice. They performed in Europe and the UK alongside acts such as Aqualung
Aqualung (musician)
Matthew "Matt" Hales , better known as Aqualung, is an English singer and songwriter best known in the UK for his song "Strange and Beautiful", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen New Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK...
, Keane, Tom McRae
Tom McRae
Tom McRae is an English singer-songwriter.-Career:The son of two Church of England vicars, McRae sang in the church choir and as a teen experimented with his mother's guitar...
, Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
and Starsailor
Starsailor (band)
Starsailor is an English post-britpop band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.-Early history:...
. In January 2004, they gave a performance in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
as part of European celebrations to mark Ireland's Presidency of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. In August 2004, they were a support act for The Frames
The Frames
The Frames are an Irish band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six albums...
at an outdoor summer concert in Dublin's Marlay Park
Marlay Park
Marlay Park is a suburban public park located in Rathfarnham in the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in Co. Dublin, Ireland. Lying about nine kilometres from Dublin city centre. The parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks...
. In December 2004, they performed their first major headlining show at the Olympia Theatre
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
, Dublin. A few months later they outsold the same venue on two occasions and once again before the end of that year.
The wider appeal of the band internationally was assisted by the use of the song "Eve, the Apple of My Eye
Eve, the Apple of My Eye
"Eve, the Apple of My Eye" is a single by the Irish indie rock quintet, Bell X1, taken from the band's second album Music in Mouth.It was eventually released on 11 June 2004 in Ireland and 14 June 2004 in the UK, having been originally scheduled for release on 28 May in Ireland and 7 June in the UK...
" from Music in Mouth during an episode of US teen dramedy The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
; it featured during a scene in which two of the show's female characters shared a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
kiss. The show's music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas
Alexandra Patsavas
Alexandra Patsavas is an American music supervisor who has worked on over sixty films and television series, most notably The O.C., Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl.-Early life:Patsavas was born in Chicago, Illinois...
chose to feature "Eve" and "In Every Sunflower" after listening to Music in Mouth, with "Eve" also being included on the series soundtrack. That opportunity led to Bell X1's arrival in the United States in 2003. With increased record sales, Geraghty later said to Ed Power of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
: "The OC thing was a huge deal and we have no regrets about doing it. It opened doors for us abroad". The Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s Neil Dunphy and Una Mullally named it number 46 in their 2008 "ultimate playlist representing the top-50 Irish songs of all time", reminding readers that it was "chiefly known in the States as the soundtrack to that lesbian kiss in The OC". In the same publication at the end of the decade Dunphy cited it as an example of how Irish bands had used television to their advantage. The band went on to record a live session for Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt was, most recently, the Music Director for Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Before joining KCRW, Harcourt worked for eight years as a news director and music director at radio station WDST in Woodstock, New York...
's radio show on KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Flock
Bell X1 wrote their third album in a WexfordWexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
house. They debuted the track "Still Selling Shoes" on an episode of The View
The View (Irish TV series)
The View is an Irish television programme broadcast on RTÉ One. Presented by John Kelly, it centres on arts-related topics. It was initially known as Later On 2 and was presented by various presenters until John Kelly joined RTÉ from Today FM, Later On 2 was broadcast on first Network 2 in 1997, it...
broadcast on April 12, 2005. Flock
Flock (album)
Flock is the third studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 14 October 2005 in Ireland, 20 March 2006 in the UK and February 19, 2008 in North America. The album was ranked #15 in Planet Sound's top albums of 2006...
was the title given to Bell X1's third studio album, released in Ireland on October 14, 2005. Flock went straight to number one upon its release in Ireland. RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
reviewer Katie Moten described the album as "an accomplished collection from a clever and inventive band, whose talent deserves heapings of praise". Bell X1 returned to feature in a Rattlebag special presented by Myles Dungan
Myles Dungan
Myles Dungan is an Irish broadcaster and author. He has presented many arts programmes on RTÉ Radio.Dungan began broadcasting in RTÉ in 1977 as a continuity announcer. He has worked as a reporter for RTÉ Television and RTÉ Radio. He has presented programmes such as Five Seven Live, The Arts Show...
on October 18, 2005. Flock was subsequently released around Europe, prompting Noonan to describe 2005 as Bell X1's "annus fabulous". On January 31, 2006, they performed a sold out show in the RDS
Royal Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...
Main Hall, going on to appear on the Main Stage at Oxegen 2006
Oxegen 2006
Oxegen 2006 was the third Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Saturday, 8 July and Sunday, 9 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland...
that July. By November 2006 Flock had sold at least 40,000 copies in Ireland, twice the number of copies which their previous album had sold in that country. The album went five-times platinum in their native land.
"Bigger Than Me
Bigger Than Me
"Bigger Than Me" is a single by the Irish indie rock quintet, Bell X1, and the first to be taken from the band's third album Flock. It was released on 30 September 2005 in Ireland and 10 October 2005 in the UK...
", the first single to be released from this album, reached number sixteen in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
. They performed follow-up single "Flame
Flame (Bell X1 song)
"Flame" is a single by the Irish pop rock quintet, Bell X1, and the second to be taken from the band's third album Flock. It was released on 10 March 2006...
" on Tubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
on January 14, 2006. "Flame" was later included in a collection of works giving a "sense of the noughties" put together by Vincent Murphy and broadcast on Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland
Morning Ireland is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and is presented by Aine Lawlor, Cathal Mac Coille, Rachael English and Aoife Kavanagh...
on December 31, 2009. A third single, "Rocky Took a Lover
Rocky Took a Lover
"Rocky Took a Lover" is a single by the Irish pop rock quintet, Bell X1, and the third to be taken from the band's third album Flock. It was released on 28 August 2006. It entered the Irish Singles Chart on 31 August 2006, spending four weeks there and peaking at #18...
", would be performed on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on March 17, 2008. Bell X1 performed songs from Flock when they were one of the acts to appear on Other Voices in 2007.
In February 2007, it was reported that Bell X1 had been dropped by their Island UK record label. The band issued a statement saying that Island had offered them a renewal of their contract to record a fourth album but then issued another one confirming they had parted ways. Noonan later spoke of the artistic freedom which had resulted from this move—"We have found owning our music and finding partners all over the world to put our music out really empowering".
Tour De Flock
A live CD and DVD set called Tour De FlockTour De Flock
Tour De Flock is the first live album and DVD by Bell X1. It is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on 1 December 2006....
was released on the band's own record label, BellyUp Records, on June 15, 2007. The set was the band's first post-Island release. It was a recording of their sell-out performance at the Point Theatre
Point Theatre
The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...
in Dublin on December 1, 2006. They gave a live performance in a Dublin music store to promote the release on June 21, 2007.
On June 30, two weeks after the release of Tour De Flock, Bell X1 played an outdoor show at Malahide Castle
Malahide Castle
Malahide Castle, parts of which date to the 12th century, lies, with over of remaining estate parkland , close to the village of Malahide, nine miles north of Dublin in Ireland.-History:...
in Dublin, becoming the first Irish band to headline that venue. In July 2007, they played a sell-out show at Live at the Marquee
Live at the Marquee (festival)
Live at the Marquee is an annual music festival which takes place in Cork, Ireland during the summer, usually over multiple days in June and July....
in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, with Noonan two years later describing that show as, "Without doubt [...] one of the best gigs of our entire Flock
Flock (album)
Flock is the third studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 14 October 2005 in Ireland, 20 March 2006 in the UK and February 19, 2008 in North America. The album was ranked #15 in Planet Sound's top albums of 2006...
tour. We had played venues like The Lobby, The Savoy and the Opera House, but being asked to play the Marquee was a crowning moment for us".
In 2008, Bell X1 played London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
for their first UK date of the year. They achieved representation in the United States where they were signed to Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important...
and managed by the Intrigue Group. Flock was released in the United States by Yep Roc on 19 February 2008. Before and following the North American release of Flock, Bell X1 embarked on their first proper tour of that continent, including dates in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Minneapolis, New York's Bowery Ballroom, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Bell X1's North American tour was interrupted by several mishaps. Upon arrival in the United States they mislaid their guitars after losing their luggage. On March 15, 2008, the band's tour bus burst into flames outside their hotel in Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
. Noonan and Geraghty were on board the vehicle alongside their manager and a friend. Brian Crosby, Dominic Phillips, and Tim O'Donovan were inside the hotel. Fire fighters were called to the scene shortly after 3:30 am and spent ninety minutes fanning the blaze, which started in the bus ventilation/air-conditioning unit and caused an estimated $50,000 (€32,000) worth of damage. Talking to local newspaper the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, the band's manager, Foye Johnson said: “The guys were basically around the bus, which was a good thing because we were able to get all the equipment and instruments out. We’re in the middle of the band’s first tour of America and to lose your gear would be a real problem.” After a few hours of sleep, off they went in a replacement vehicle to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where the band played a sell-out show in the Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a music venue in the Bowery section of New York City. The structure, at 6 Delancey Street, was built just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. It stood vacant until the end of WWII, when it became a high-end retail store. The neighborhood subsequently went into decline...
. On Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
they appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, leading to tickets for a show in Chicago selling out. Other North American television appearances during the early part of 2008 included MTV Canada
MTV Canada
MTV is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel devoted to talk, lifestyle and documentary programming.MTV is owned by Bell Media, with its name licensed from the American channel of the same name, which is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom.The channel launched as talktv...
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. They would return to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman one year later and, according to Noonan, the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
hits increased as a result of these television appearances.
They were the support act for Stars in the United States in September 2008, their fourth time there that year. There were also several shows at events in Europe, including performances alongside Micah P. Hinson
Micah P. Hinson
Micah Paul Hinson is an American americana singer and guitarist and recording artist for Sketchbook Records in the United Kingdom and Jade Tree Records in the United States. His debut album Micah P. Hinson and the Gospel of Progress was released in 2004 to much critical praise...
and Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, and a homecoming appearance at Oxegen 2008
Oxegen 2008
Oxegen '08 was the fifth Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 11 July, Saturday 12 July and Sunday 13 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. For the first time the festival...
.
On October 2, 2008, Brian Crosby announced his decision to leave Bell X1 following their October 19 Flock tour finale at the Panorama Festival in the Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. They parted ways on good terms and the recruitment of at least one new member for live performances was planned. Their first show without Crosby was the opening night of an acoustic tour at the Pavilion in Cork two days after Panorama. By this time they were already performing material which was to feature on their fourth studio album, Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights On The Runway is the fourth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009, and on March 3, 2009, in North America...
.
Blue Lights on the Runway
Bell X1 released their fourth studio album Blue Lights On The Runway in Ireland on February 20, 2009. It went to number one in the Irish Albums ChartIrish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
. RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
reviewer Harry Guerin described the album as "a flight that you can actually enjoy from start to finish". The Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s Neil Dunphy selected it as his CD of the week, calling it "a wonderful exploration of a sound often derided for being in thrall to its influences" and commenting: "I don't know why but Bell X1 used to make me cringe. These days their music feels like an old friend; something solid and inspiring amid all the negativity".
Blue Lights On The Runway was preceded by its lead single, titled "The Great Defector
The Great Defector
"The Great Defector" is the lead single from Bell X1's fourth studio album Blue Lights on the Runway.The single was released in Ireland on 30 January 2009 and internationally on 3 February 2009. It was selected as Tony's Daily Download by Today FM presenter Tony Fenton on 16 January 2009 before its...
". which became the band's most successful single yet, peaking at number three in the Irish Singles Chart. The band were invited back to Tubridy Tonight to perform it and presenter Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
said it was his favourite song that year. Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
journalist Eamon Sweeney described it as "an extremely Talking Headish song, but also happens to the best thing on the airwaves at the moment". The song was credited with a renewed surge in demand for tickets to the band's live shows. Marc Aubele on keys and Rory Doyle on drums featured during live performances, the former replacing Crosby in the band.
Blue Lights On The Runway was released in the United States through the band's American Yep Roc label on March 3, 2009. It appeared in the top twenty of that country's Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart. They used the money they earned from their "huge" success in Ireland to fund a tour of the United States in May 2009. When asked to describe touring for the first time without Crosby, Noonan said: "It's good—it's all part of the journey". The band received attention from prominent blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
gers in the country and made appearances on public radio
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
, said to be a "crucial showcase" for bands like them in the United States. The band recorded a Ukulélé Session with the newspaper Le Soir
Le Soir
Le Soir is a Berliner Format Belgian newspaper. Le Soir was founded in 1887 by Emile Rossel. It is the most popular Francophone newspaper in Belgium, and considered a newspaper of record.-Editorial stance:...
to support the release of their album in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
they played the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim is an annual music festival which takes place in the village of Benicàssim, province of Castelló, Valencian Community in Spain. It focuses mainly on pop, rock and electronica artists, as well as having other elements besides music like short films,...
that year. Back home Blue Lights on the Runway was given an "honourable mention" by The Sunday Business Post
The Sunday Business Post
The Sunday Business Post is an Irish national Sunday newspaper published by Post Publications Limited. Post Publications is owned by Thomas Crosbie Holdings. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Ireland, the average weekly circulation was 57,783 for the period January to June 2009. The...
s Andrew Lynch in his end-of-year 2009 review of music.
"The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella", a second single from Blue Lights on the Runway, was later released. Bell X1 accompanied The Script
The Script (band)
The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008...
as a support act for U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
during that band's sold-out Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
show on July 27, 2009, part of the international U2 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
. Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
questioned why such high profile acts in their own land were chosen for the U2 performance over less well-known acts. Other major Irish shows that summer included an appearance at Live at the Marquee
Live at the Marquee (festival)
Live at the Marquee is an annual music festival which takes place in Cork, Ireland during the summer, usually over multiple days in June and July....
in Cork and a headlining performance at Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009 was the sixth edition of the Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took place on the weekend of Friday September 4, Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland...
, with the band later returning to the United States before coming home to perform two more sell-out shows at the Olympia Theatre that November. They then reappeared on Other Voices, performing a live session in Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
which was broadcast in early 2010. Their only summer performance in Ireland that year was at Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010 was the seventh Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 9 July, Saturday, 10 July and Sunday, 11 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. Eminem, Muse and Arcade Fire headlined...
.
Bloodless Coup
The band released their fifth album Bloodless CoupBloodless Coup
Bloodless Coup is the fifth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 1 April 2011 in Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, on 4 April in the United Kingdom, and on 5 April in North America....
on April 1, 2011 in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It was also released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on April 4, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on April 12 and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on April 26. The album was recorded by Rob Kirwan at Grouse Lodge Residential Studios in County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Bell X1 performed the first live / streamed rooftop gig for Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and its founder Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is chief executive and president...
when he visited the social network's Dublin headquarters on 27 May 2011.
Style
The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has described Bell X1's music as "remarkably warm—as if imported from the Caribbean via Dublin City". Their style is said to be similar to that of Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, a fact noted by Noonan on the press release which accompanied their fourth album—"I know, I know [...] it's dangerously Talking Heads". Noonan admitted in 2003 that he had been influenced by the music of Talking Heads and The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
has compared Bell X1 to both Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
and Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, saying, "Paul Noonan's writing will make you swoon", while the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Ed Power describes them as "Ireland's pre-eminent orchestral rockers" though "none of the band fit the stereotype of the debauched rocker". John Meagher name-checked Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Radiohead, Talking Heads and early U2 after witnessing a performance in the RDS in 2006.
The Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s Neil Dunphy has compared their sound to krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and David Holmes
David Holmes (musician)
David Holmes is a Northern Irish DJ, musician and composer.-Career:Holmes began djing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first hit was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain...
and in 2004 he suggested they "could have been the Republic's Snow Patrol if they hadn't been beaten to the punch", a reference to that band's rise up the British charts. The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Eamon Sweeney described one show where "two songs in and we're already enjoying pleasing echoes of Radiohead and Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
". After viewing one of their 2009 Vicar Street shows Laurence Mackin of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
said "much of tonight’s music would be perfect for emotional teenage television". The UK has tended to compare Bell X1 to Coldplay and Keane. Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
journalist Ed Power once said Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
band Weeping Willows
Weeping Willows
Weeping Willows is a Swedish indie rock group that started 1995.-History:The band's first two albums are primarily influenced by the popular music of the late 1950's to early 1960's...
were like "a Nordic Bell X1".
Like Coldplay and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
they are environmentally aware and involved in the process of carbon offset
Carbon offset
A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere....
ting and have ordered the planting of trees when they tour. The band and individual band members have been involved in several charitable endeavours, including the recording of The Cake Sale
The Cake Sale (album)
- Reaction :The national broadcaster RTÉ gave the album a five star rating, describing it as "a commendable effort by a large group of musicians who genuinely want to help" and saying it was deserving of its rating "if not always for the music then definitely for the effort"...
and Sparks n' Mind compilation albums. They are known for assisting with the setting up of their own equipment before performing on stage.
Current
- Paul NoonanPaul NoonanPaul Noonan is an Irish singer from Lucan, County Dublin, and lead vocalist of the band Bell X1. His father is Noel Noonan, the recently retired principal of St. Mary's B.N.S. in Lucan....
— lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
; guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
; drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
; percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
; kazooKazooThe kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by... - David GeraghtyDavid GeraghtyDavid Geraghtyis a Choice Music Prize-nominated. He is a solo artist, producer and a member of Irish band Bell X1.-Early career:...
— lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
; banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
; (electric) pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
; backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
; occasional lead vocals - Dominic Philips — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
; backing vocals
Live
- Tim O'Donovan — drums
- Marc Aubele — guitar; keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2008–present) - Rory Doyle — drums (2008–present)
Discography
- Neither Am INeither Am INeither Am I is the debut studio album by Irish band Bell X1, released on October 13, 2000. It features a number of songs previously written and recorded with Damien Rice, the lead singer of the band's former incarnation, Juniper, and with producer and Crowded House bassist, Nick Seymour.-Track...
(2000) - Music in MouthMusic In MouthMusic in Mouth is the second studio album from Irish band Bell X1, released on 18 July 2003 in Ireland and on 21 July in the UK. It was produced by Jamie Cullum ....
(2003) - FlockFlock (album)Flock is the third studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 14 October 2005 in Ireland, 20 March 2006 in the UK and February 19, 2008 in North America. The album was ranked #15 in Planet Sound's top albums of 2006...
(2005) - Tour De FlockTour De FlockTour De Flock is the first live album and DVD by Bell X1. It is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on 1 December 2006....
(2007) - Blue Lights on the RunwayBlue Lights on the RunwayBlue Lights On The Runway is the fourth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009, and on March 3, 2009, in North America...
(2009) - Bloodless CoupBloodless CoupBloodless Coup is the fifth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 1 April 2011 in Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, on 4 April in the United Kingdom, and on 5 April in North America....
(2011)
Awards
The Irish Times placed Bell X1 at number nine in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, referring to them as "Irish rock’s most likeable band? Probably" and "An all-too obvious liking for Talking Heads notwithstanding (eg, single "The Great Defector"), it seems that Bell X1 are refusing to give up. Likeable guys getting ruthless on our asses? Bring it on".Choice Music Prize
Bell X1's third album Flock was nominated for the Choice Music PrizeChoice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
in January 2006. It was considered the favourite but failed to win.
The band's fourth album Blue Lights on the Runway was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2010.
|-
| 2006 || Flock
Flock (album)
Flock is the third studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 14 October 2005 in Ireland, 20 March 2006 in the UK and February 19, 2008 in North America. The album was ranked #15 in Planet Sound's top albums of 2006...
|| Irish Album of the Year 2005 ||
|-
| 2010 || Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights On The Runway is the fourth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009, and on March 3, 2009, in North America...
|| Irish Album of the Year 2009 ||
|-
Meteor Music Awards
Bell X1 have been nominated for several Meteor Music AwardsMeteor Music Awards
The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...
. They were nominated in the Best Irish Band category and Music in Mouth was nominated in the Best Irish Album category at the 2004 Meteor Awards
2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
. They were again nominated in the Best Irish Band category at the 2005 Meteor Awards.
They were nominated in three categories at the 2010 Meteor Awards
2010 Meteor Awards
The 2010 Meteor Music Awards ceremony took place on Friday February 19, 2010 in Dublin. They were presented by Amanda Byram. The launch took place in La Stampa on January 7, 2010 and was attended by The Coronas and Danny O'Donoghue from The Script....
: Best Irish Album, Best Irish Band and Best Irish Live Performance.
In addition the band have performed at the 2005 Meteor Awards on February 24, 2005 and at the 2006 Meteor Awards on February 2, 2006.
|-
| 2004
2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
|| Music in Mouth
Music In Mouth
Music in Mouth is the second studio album from Irish band Bell X1, released on 18 July 2003 in Ireland and on 21 July in the UK. It was produced by Jamie Cullum ....
|| Best Irish Album ||
|-
| 2004 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2005 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2010
2010 Meteor Awards
The 2010 Meteor Music Awards ceremony took place on Friday February 19, 2010 in Dublin. They were presented by Amanda Byram. The launch took place in La Stampa on January 7, 2010 and was attended by The Coronas and Danny O'Donoghue from The Script....
|| Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights on the Runway
Blue Lights On The Runway is the fourth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released in Ireland on 20 February 2009, and on March 3, 2009, in North America...
|| Best Irish Album ||
|-
| 2010 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2010 || Bell X1 || Best Irish Live Performance ||
|-
External links
- Official website
- Bell X1 on Other Voices
- 2009 photo shoot with Hot PressHot PressHot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
- Bell X1 interview at Record Overplayed webzine
- Bell X1 official forum
- Recorded interview of Bell X1 at NPR