Following the departure of Damien Rice, Kildare band Juniper eventually morphed into Bell X1, with drummer Paul Noonan taking over frontman duties. Although their debut album Neither Am I failed to make much impact, 2003’s Music In Mouth (its title taken from an old Austin Clarke poem) brought the Bellies to a much wider audience when their song ‘Eve, The Apple Of My Eye’ was featured in an episode of The O.C., during a scene in which two characters shared a lesbian kiss. Lazy comparisons were made with Radiohead’s The Bends, but really Bell X1 were forging their own sound. “This record, to me, is one of love songs in drag,” Noonan commented at the time. “...I think we knew when we were making it that it’s a bit all over the shop.” Maybe it was. . . but it was a very interesting shop indeed.

No 15 in 2009, as voted for by over 200 Irish musicians. Up from No 75 in 2004.