Categories for Music

Come Single Belle and Beau, Unto Me Pay Attention

Some might say it is too early for a post a Saint Patrick’s day post, but it is shamrock shake season and you don’t listen to Christmas music only on Christmas, you listen to it for the whole month beforehand, right?  Last year’s post with Elvis’ Danny Boy was weak, but the Shane Mcgowan songs (which I really do like despite the snarky/hateful tone that comes across) and Northside Irish mix went over pretty well so I wanted to do another one.   I acquired a significant amount of Irish songs last year for dj-ing purposes, so this is the best of it; these are not just Irish songs for the sake of being Irish, but good songs that I have been listening to lately:

• Dessie O’Halloran – Courtin in the Kitchen: Great upbeat version of a favorite traditional song.  I remember the first time I really listened to the lyrics and realized how raunchy some Irish songs can be (did you know the “Rare Ole Mountain Dew” isn’t about pop?).
• Dessie O’Halloran - I’ve Waited As Long As I Can (Say You Love Me); Devaney’s Goat: Most popular song of his in Ireland cause it should be.  Really, the whole album is good.
• Dessie O’Halloran – I’ll Fly Away: While actually a American Baptist song (Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch sang it in O’ Brother Where Art Thou), it is sung by an Irish guy in this case.  It counts cause I said so.  For some reason, the crackly old man voice works in the same way Bob Dylan’s shitty singing works for his songs.
• Goats Don’t Shave – Las Vegas (In The Hills of Donegal): This has been in the dj gear for awhile, but I hadn’t heard of it till recently.  This is my favorite version.
• Stockton’s Wing – The Chicago Set: Instrumental jam that is fantastic.
• Stockton’s Wing – Skidoo: Also great instrumental jam.
• Bagatelle – Summer In Dublin: Slow jam that really builds.
• Steve Earle – Galway Girl: Most of you’ve probably heard this before, but it hasn’t been posted yet, so why not.

Or listen to all of the songs via this zip file I created.

Rollo-Over

In a somewhat continuation of the Folk-y/Sting-y/Acoustic mood I have been in lately,  I have some more music I wanted to share.  I was pretty stoked with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Wagon Wheel, and am now equally stoked about Angel from Montgomery, which I learned was a John Prine cover from a recent tribute album.  (Rollo&Grady just put up “Lets Talk Dirty in Hawaiian” covered by Those Darlins.)  I guess recommending John Prine is like recommending Steve Goodman or Tom Waits (many people have heard of that person and probably know a song or two), but if you don’t know a lot of John Prine, a couple great jems include Dear Abby, Angel from Montgomery, and Spanish Pipedream.

While I was satisfied with this great cover of the Paul Simon song Graceland, it wasn’t till another post about the best songs of 2010 that I really investigated The Tallest Man On Earth.  Definitely check out King of Spain.

Too folky? Rollo Grady also has a link to a recent Black Keys appearance on KCRW.