Irish-Punk

Whooohooo... the computer's back up and running. My ideas have been backlogged so here comes...

i've been wanting to write about this for some time but it hasn't been the right time... but now appears to be the right time... so here it is.

i'm a fan of the recent wave of irish/punk bands so i wanted to give a bit of a intro to the three more notable such bands: Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, and The Tossers. Here they are in order of my preference. Give 'em a listen, but to really enjoy these bands you've got to see them live.

1) Dropkick Murphys. On the irish-punk spectrum they are a punk band first and foremost that is influenced by the member's irish ancestry. i've got to admit i'm am largely partial to this band due to geographic upbringing. Irish-American culture, although having much in common across the country, has regional subtleties. Having spent almost all of my pre-kindergarten weekends in the greater Boston area, scally caps and working class sing-a-longs hold a sentimental spot in the heart that pumps my Irish-American blood.

In high school i snuck down to Boston, any excuse i could get, in my green Dr. Martens. Getting a ride in to see the Red Sox, then blowing off the game to hang out in the city worked for me. Later in college (still wearing the same green boots) i'd head to Boston whenever i could scrounge the money to take the train to see a show. Blend my liking of punk shows, my earliest memories of music (my Grandfather playing the piano, accordion, and tin whistle) and it's no wonder i listen to Dropkick and go to their St. Patrick's Day shows every year.

A punk band peppered with traditional irish instruments like the bag-pipes, tin whistle, and accordion, Dropkick mix working class punk arm-in-arm sing-a-longs with some traditional covers to create a sense of united brotherhood. Recommended songs: Version of "Rocky Road to Dublin", "Boys on the Docks", and "I'm Shipping Up to Boston". Recommended first cd: Sing Loud, Sing Proud.

2) Flogging Molly. This LA based band leans more towards the traditional side of the irish-punk spectrum. The songs are primarily written by the older Irish lead singer giving them their distinct irish feel with several members of the band bringing in the more punk edge to the sound. This is a larger, 7-piece band with full time accordion, mandolin, and fiddle players keeping the pub sound against the more punk driven drum, guitar, and bass.

A bunch of irish punk pirates, this is another band that puts on an amazing live show creating a sense of brotherhood within the audience. After seeing a show, or seeing their recent documentary style dvd, you'd be hard pressed to not enjoy this band. i recommend falling asleep to "The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors)". Their album Within A Mile of Home stands out a bit for me but you can't go wrong grabbing any of their albums. We all go the same way home.

3) The Tossers. Out of Chicago i've only recently started listening to these guys. They seem mostly to be the lead singer's band. They again lean more towards the traditional end of the irish-punk spectrum. The music is more of an irish pub sound with a punk swagger in the lyric's attitude. Again this is a larger band with a full-time mix of punk and traditional instruments. Recommended songs: the acapella "Purgatory" and "Good Morning Da".

There you have it. You don't have to be irish to enjoy these bands (although as a child i was told there are only two types of people in the world: those who are irish and those who wish they were), nor do you have to be punk. These are all-inclusive bands you can't help but enjoy. Give 'em a listen.