# Irish Music Recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966 "2007-04-13T16:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/977dab/32.png) [@I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_No_Saint)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/1 "2007-04-13T16:03:20Z")
I just recently got into Flogging Molly and The Dropkick Murphys. I really like the sound but I prefer their lighter songs, the ones without the frenetic fiddle and such. Are there any bands out there that I should be listening to that has the Irish punk sound but not quite so frantic? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/2 "2007-04-13T16:06:14Z")
Try Luke Kelly & The Dubliners. ETA: Or, if you like, just The Dubliners. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/3 "2007-04-13T16:08:20Z")
A good midway point between Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys, and truly traditional Irish music, would be The Pogues, who released a half dozen brilliant albums in the 80s. They had definite punk rock influences, but a much more authentic sound. (They were really Irish, unlike Dropkick Murphys, which is a good start.) ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/4 "2007-04-13T16:16:46Z")
I was all set to recommend Flogging Molly, but I guess you’ve got that covered. For something a little less rocky, I also enjoy Gaelic Storm. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/5 "2007-04-13T16:17:28Z")
You could also look into Black 47. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/6 "2007-04-13T16:22:09Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] A good midway point between Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys, and truly traditional Irish music, would be The Pogues, who released a half dozen brilliant albums in the 80s. They had definite punk rock influences, but a much more authentic sound. (They were really Irish, unlike Dropkick Murphys, which is a good start.) [/QUOTE] Good choice. Pick up _Red Roses For Me_ by them if you want the REALLY Irish sound. Each album got a little less traditional. _Rum Sodemy and the Lash_ (my favorite) is a great album with a bit more punk rock in it. \*If I Should Fall From Grace with God \* (arguably their best album) is signifigantly less traditional sounding but still awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/7 "2007-04-13T16:25:42Z")
Since you’re a guest and you can’t search, here are a few other threads that might be helpful (notice I said might!): [Recommend me some Irish folk musicians.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=144853&highlight=irish) [St. Patrick’s Day CD](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359068&highlight=pogues+flogging+molly+dropkick) [Music from Ireland](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326939&highlight=pogues+flogging+molly+dropkick) [Ask the Person who knows a lot…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=296685&highlight=pogues+flogging+molly+dropkick) [Musical bands similar to the Pogues](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=156749&highlight=pogues+flogging+molly+dropkick) [Celtic Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347168&highlight=celtic+rock) ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/8 "2007-04-13T16:33:54Z")
[Shameless Plug](http://finagle.net/) ---
**Author:** ![guppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@guppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guppy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/9 "2007-04-13T16:45:42Z")
[QUOTE=NAF1138] Good choice. Pick up _Red Roses For Me_ by them if you want the REALLY Irish sound. Each album got a little less traditional. _Rum Sodemy and the Lash_ (my favorite) is a great album with a bit more punk rock in it. \*If I Should Fall From Grace with God \* (arguably their best album) is signifigantly less traditional sounding but still awesome. [/QUOTE] These are good recommendations. I would add Peace and Love as another decent record. I also surprised no one mentioned the Chieftains. They have a huge catalog of really good, authentic Irish music. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/10 "2007-04-13T17:48:20Z")
[QUOTE=guppy] These are good recommendations. I would add Peace and Love as another decent record. I also surprised no one mentioned the Chieftains. They have a huge catalog of really good, authentic Irish music. [/QUOTE] Seconded on both counts ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/11 "2007-04-13T18:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=NAF1138] Seconded on both counts [/QUOTE] Thirded. Other choices might be Patrick Street, Cherish The Ladies, and Niamh Parsons. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/12 "2007-04-13T18:12:35Z")
Maybe they are more Scottish but I recently got Casualties of Retail by the band called Enter the Haggis that I really like. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/13 "2007-04-13T18:14:37Z")
Filthy Thieving Bastards is also quite good. And on the Scottish front, check out The Real MacKenzies. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/14 "2007-04-13T18:26:42Z")
I know you didn’t ask about traditional Irish music, but you might be interested anyway. The two biggies in Irish trad are Bothy Band and Planxty. Patrick Street, Altan, and Solas are three contemporary heavyweights. Patrick Street’s Kevin Burke was a Bothy for years. I’ve never really liked the Chieftans—always thought they lacked _gravitas_ compared to, say, Bothy Band, who were nothing if not soulful. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/15 "2007-04-14T01:41:02Z")
You could try [The Fenians](http://www.thefenians.com/flashintro.html). We are huge Pogues fans in my house- _If I Should Fall From Grace With God_ is the best album, IMHO. My 5 year old likes _Thousands are Sailing_ and _Turkish Song of the Damned_, and my 7 year old just named an undead WoW character Pogue (but then again, “vomit” was taken!). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/16 "2007-04-14T12:46:52Z")
I’ve always been a big fan of Tommy Makem & The Clancy Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/17 "2007-04-14T13:39:34Z")
[QUOTE=Draelin] I was all set to recommend Flogging Molly, but I guess you’ve got that covered. For something a little less rocky, I also enjoy Gaelic Storm. [/QUOTE] Well, _I_ was all set to recommend Gaelic Storm, but I guess you’ve got THAT covered! 😛 Did we remember to mention Stiff Little Fingers? Pretty punky and less identifiably “Irish” at a casual listen but fun and the influence is definitely there. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/18 "2007-04-14T20:03:12Z")
Before this thread goes under I need to mention [Pat Kilbride.](http://www.patkilbride.com/) My parents used to listen to him when I was really young, and I always thought he had a great voice. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/19 "2007-04-14T20:23:11Z")
I just went and saw the Dropkick Murphys. They really put on a raucous kickass show. It’s been 10 years since I’ve seen such a humongous and dangerous mosh pit. Kilts, Celtic tats, Larry Bird jerseys and mohawks. Yeah, they’re a bunch of racist assholes from Boston, but they sure know how to put together some non-stop frenetic entertainment. Good replies, though, I gotta get some Pogues in my collection. ---
**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966/20 "2007-04-14T22:50:16Z")
“The Boys From County Hell” are brilliant! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-music-recommendations/399966.md?page=2)