Irish Folk Music: An Introduction

[binzing]

Ever heard the Dropkick Murphys, The Pogues, Flogging Molly, etc? I love this stuff.

 

[lisab]

My daughter Molly listens to Flogging Molly. It's not bad - she's listened to worse.

Like once I came home from work and heard what I thought was a blender running in her room. Nope, it was just her music...terrible music.

 

[binzing]

Ha ha...I dunno, I understand where people (generally of the previous generations) don't like the same music as younger people, but to say its all bad (not that you did) just from a few samples is bad.

 

[lisab]

My advanced years aside, I would call music that sounds like a small appliance "bad music"!

 

[Art]

Ever heard the Dropkick Murphys, The Pogues, Flogging Molly, etc? I love this stuff.

The Pogues original name was póg mo thóin (or Anglicized as Pogue Mahone) which is Gaelic for 'kiss my arse'.

 

[binzing]

Yeah, they actually write some good love songs though.

 

[Art]

Yeah, they actually write some good love songs though.

Yes, I've liked them for many years. They do a very good version of 'And the band played Waltzing Mathilda' available on youtube

 

[Ivan Seeking]

My daughter Molly listens to Flogging Molly.

Somehow I find that disturbing.

 

[K.J.Healey]

Dropkick Murphys aren't bad music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcxM3Xhho78&feature=relatedWhen I was younger I remember hearing of Rancid when they first formed (after opiv) and seeing what late 80's "punks" looked like and assumed it was really bad music. Shortly thereafter I realized how great this music CAN be. (given the right bands).

 

[binzing]

I'm going to be a generic punk rocker for halloween this year...liberty spikes and a leather jacket...I'll be sure to get picks up

 

[DaveC426913]

OMG! Where have you BEEN all my life?

I found Flogging Molly by connection with Spirit of the West and now I cannot get enough of them! I like Pogues too, and Dropkick Murphies are OK.

When people ask me what music I like, and I tell them "I call it Irish Folk Punk" they look at me askance. (In fact, when I saw the subject line, I assumed I had started this thread myself some time previously.)

 

[Dr Transport]

I have not thought about the Pogues in years...About time to get my cassettes out or get a few CD's...

Shane MacGowan had a raw voice, bitter etc... just what my bosses need to hear me playing at work...

 

[fileen]

My advanced years aside, I would call music that sounds like a small appliance "bad music"!

I think you experienced some "screamo" its hillarious when people listen to it on their stereos, but live its a lot better. Need to know the elbow-punch-kick dance moves though. I call it kill the hobbit. Its music that is meant for getting extremely drugged up on your substance of choice and wailing on anyone you can get close to. Its not really meant for just sitting around and listening, in fact, kill the hobbit really needs a whole group of people, elbow-punch-kick is no fun alone.

 

[binzing]

Cool Dave. I've been learning some of all of these bands songs on both mandolin and banjo.

 

[mcknia07]

I have never heard of any of these bands, but it sounds like I'm going to have to check them out.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Flogging Molly is awesome. I have played it in bars with lots of older folks and most of them enjoy it aswell. Some of it is a bit hard and some of its rather melodic.

The Pogues are great. I love "Young Ned of the Hill" and their rendition of "Waltzing Matilda", which Art mentions, is really great aswell.

DropKick Murphy's are a bit harder than Flogging Molly though they have they're more melodic bits aswell. They're Boston Irish, not very traditional Irish. They're influenced a lot by Oi and hardcore and they tend to be conservative politically. It crops up in some of their songs.
Not bad but not great.

In a similar vain is The Real McKenzies who are a Scottish Punk band. Pretty much punk with bagpipes, very much Oi influenced. Quite good and amusing if you can stand to listen to Oi.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

There are a bunch of Irish songs I've found downloading (shhh!).

The Mahones are a Canadian "Irish Punk" band though the songs I have sound more like the Pogues.

Patty's Irish Clan is similar to the Pogues but more of a traditional pub song band.

Planxty is an awesome traditional Irish folk band. Lots of great intrumentals.

The Irish Rovers I have only heard in collaboration with The Pogues but they sound pretty good.

I recently found some "Irish Rebel Songs" that are pretty good. Most of them I didn't care for much but a few were pretty fun.
Athenrye - Go On Home British Soldier
Battering Ram - Come Out and Fight
Battering Ram - Dungannon '57
Irish Brigade - Kinky Boots (a funny rewrite of Brand New Key by Melanie)
The Dublin City Ramblers - 19 Men

Others I have that I don't know who sings them..
Those Were the Days
Beer Beer Beer

If you like Bagpipes The Scottish Rogues are pretty good. I even have a snip and loop of their "Clumsy Lover" for a ringtone on my phone.

I think that's it...

 

[binzing]

Yeah...Beer Beer Beer is prevalent and misnamed on the sour green citrus fruit line.

 

[DaveC426913]

Cool Dave. I've been learning some of all of these bands songs on both mandolin and banjo.

They are what inspired me to start learning the fiddle.

 

[DaveC426913]

Flogging Molly is awesome.

I went to the Irish 2000 Folk Festival in Albany NY this year (with Great Big Sea and The Tossers), but I was really annoyed to discover that Flogging Molly had been there last year. Doh!

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Yes, I've liked them for many years. They do a very good version of 'And the band played Waltzing Mathilda' available on youtube

ditto, and I've posted the Pogues' version of 'And the band played Waltzing Mathilda' in the best songs ever thread before.

 

[SticksandStones]

My advanced years aside, I would call music that sounds like a small appliance "bad music"!

What about music that sounds like someone eating their own face off?

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[RiseAgainst]

I listen to a lot of Irish punk and oi music, including the Dropkick Murphys, Tossers, Flogging Molly, and The Pogues. The Murphys are my favorite band by far though, and they're great live.

 

[binzing]

Oh Dave, you might be interested to know that mandolins are strung the same as a violin, infact most mando players eventually learn violin as well, so you could do the reverse easily, mando is a pretty easy instrument to pick up.