Hothouse Flowers

Begun the late ’80s with a passionate, bombastic fusion of rock & roll w/ the rootsy sounds of Irish folk and American gospel. The group was founded as a Dublin street-performance act called the Incomparable Benzini Brothers by schoolmates Liam O’Maonlai (vocals, keyboards) and Fiachna O’Broainain (guitar), the former of whom had played in My Bloody Valentine forerunner Congress. Their 1988 debut, People, cruised to the top of the Irish charts and peaked at number two in Britain. Their follow-ups, Home and Songs From the Rain, continued their success.