St. Patrick's Day Edition
For your St. Paddy's Day listening pleasure, we recommend some new music either by Irish artists or others who have the St. Paddy's Day spirit.
Flogging Molly (USA) - "These Times Have Got Me Drinking/Tripping up the Stairs"
For a lot of people a big part of celebrating St. Patrick's Day is the consumption of alcoholic beverages and Celtic punk rockers Flogging Molly have been helping those folks out for decades. Here the band offer four minutes of fun, the first half of which contains the song's lyrics which are easy to learn and meant to sing along to. The second half of the song rocks out instrumentally with a jam that's perfect for doing a little jig to, moshing Irish style, or just sloshing that mug of beer around real good.
Dropkick Murphys (USA) - "We Shall Overcome"
"We Shall Overcome" is a song of hope that was part of the soundtrack to the civil rights movement and the song remains as relevant today as it has ever been. Dropkick Murphys have long been champions of the downtrodden so it's not really a surprise that they would take this song and turn it on its head, punk it up and add their trademark Celtic flavor. The lyrics are not buried though and fans are going to want to sing along; hopefully through a St. Patrick's Day haze fans will take the song's message to heart.
Friendmaker (Ireland) - "You, Me & Everything Else"
Definitely not a drinking song, not a boisterous one anyway; this understated and reflective song could, I guess, qualify as a drinking song for the heartbroken sitting alone with a glass of booze and something to sop up the tears. Drinking songs are a small part of Irish music, and here Friendmaker offer something instead that will resonate with fans of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd. A nice cut that will have fans awaiting more.
Keeley (Ireland) - Brave Warrior
If you like well-crafted pop rock you'll have a new favorite band by the time this Dublin band's EP finishes playing. Full of bright vocals and layered hooks, the EP plays out with gems like "The Glitter and the Glue" where "What a mess, what a mess!" is part of the irresistible chorus. "Never Here Always There" is synth rock with a dusting of psychedelia while "You Never Made it That Far" is dreamy and proggy; "Last Words" to the contrary is upbeat and jangly. The four songs on
Brave Warrior are a delightful intro to this intriguing band.
Lee Rogers (Northern Ireland, UK) - "Life and Lies"
Rogers reminds of Van Morrison on this cut, especially with his very first words. The song is slow and reflective as Rogers portrays a man holding down a barstool while his mind looks back at unhappy moments. In the song Rogers meets someone at the bar but it's not clear if this is a flashback to the person he has broken up with or someone new; that vagueness makes the song all the more relatable to listeners who might be experiencing something similar. Regardless, Rogers' tone is that of a good man who'll get past the setback.
Ava Vox (Ireland) - "Alone Again"
Vaguely dark despite an upbeat melody, "Alone Again" is, if you read the liner notes, about trying to escape from an abusive relationship. In a nutshell, what Vox presents here could easily be likened to something that a female version of the Smiths might do. Give us more!
