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Rock music's Irish infusion
Brian McCollum
April 04, 2010 06:14
AM
Irish music has proved to be one of the most versatile styles in the
world -- a sound that has been fitted and fused into a dazzling range of genres,
from Celtic rap to reggae.
While Celtic Woman has been busy achieving
success in theaters and arenas with its streamlined pop approach, a rowdier
strain of Irish fusion music has been thriving in American clubs and bars. With
a debt to the rollicking pub rock pioneered by the Pogues in the 1980s, these
groups have been melding Irish music traditions with one of their natural modern
cousins: punk rock.
Dropkick Murphys: Formed more than a decade ago in
the Irish hotbed of Boston, this high-energy outfit plies a brand of hard-nosed
working class rock, amply displayed on the new concert album "Live on
Lansdowne."
Flogging Molly: A batch of veteran metal and punk players
founded this L.A. band in 1997, marrying acoustic instruments and frenetic
electric punk for a distinctive, defiant sound. Fiddle player Bridget Regan is a
Detroit native.
Black 47: A much-respected veteran of the scene, this New
York band served as a key bridge between the Pogues and the new wave of Celtic
punk. The group just released its 13th album of socially conscious rock,
"Bankers and Gangsters."
The Young Dubliners: This Los Angeles five-piece
is another influential scene elder, with a fiery but expansive sound that visits
classic rock and jam-band territory.
The Tossers: Perhaps the leading
Midwest contribution to the Celtic rock world, this Chicago ensemble delivers
with a boozy, spirited energy.
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