Thursday, March 17, 2005

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In the spirit of a holiday that I do not celebrate, I figured that I would post a few mp3s of that greatest of Irish rock bands, The Pogues. You thought I was going to name another band with a letter and number, didn't you? Sorry, the Pogues fit this holiday of excess, booze and religion far more than the one fronted by the future World Bank leader. Their music blended the sounds and instruments of traditional Irish music, with the attitude. The best description I have heard is that they played "Irish soul music". Their songs were for the beaten-down, the forgotten, the losers, the broken-hearted, the ugly. It is a defiant music, one steeped in both loss and redemption, and it has struck me as much as anything I have heard in rock music.

The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn


The Old Main Drag

A Pair of Brown Eyes


Above are some mp3s to download, a few of my favorites off of their most acclaimed album, Rum, Lash and Sodomy (the three things given to all Irish boys when they reach the age of 16, right?). This is the best place to begin with the band, so if you like what you hear, buy the album. Or start with a retrospective. Here and here are good places to start for more info about the band and their music. Hope you enjoy, and have a great St. Patty's Day.

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