St. Patrick's Day music picks

If you're looking for music to serve as a soundtrack to your St. Patrick's Day party, here is the official lowdown on a couple new album releases...

On Dropkick Murphys' seventh full-length studio album, "Going Out In Style" - which just debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, a career high -  the group crafted a raucous and rollicking romp overflowing with punk rock energy, folk soul, and Irish spirit. Fueled by fiery riffs and unforgettable choruses, "Style" traces the journey of Cornelius Larkin, whether it’s the Irish immigrant’s first person account of his own wake or the band’s in depth interpretation of his life and lineage throughout the album’s lyrics, it’s the party to end all parties.
 

Frontman Al Barr has said "this album was different because we were telling someone’s story. Yes, it starts with a rowdy, out-of-control wake. As the story goes back to explore the long life of the character Cornelius, we really started to become engrossed in the story and life of this man.”

Recorded with producer Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly) in 2010, the album’s title track is a rousing celebratory anthem with guest vocals by NOFX’s Fat Mike and The Living End’s Chris Cheney. Dropkick Murphys also enlisted the vocal talents of Bruce Springsteen for a rousing version of the old standard “Peg ‘O My Heart.”

Since they first hit the scene in 1996, the Boston seven-piece have racked up record sales in excess of 3 million worldwide. Their smash hit single “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” exceeded platinum status and was featured in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film, "The Departed." They even penned the theme song to the first Red Sox World Series win in 86 years.
 

Irish band The High Kings' latest, "Memory Lane," includes traditional songs ("Whiskey in the Jar," "Red is the Rose," "The Irish Rover") and instrumentation (bodhran, bouzouki, accordion, whistles), performed in a highly appealing style. 

Released in Ireland last year, it bowed at #5 on the Irish Music chart. The group has headlined the Oxegen Festival and played before a crowd of 80,000 at the All Ireland Hurling Final at Croke Park Stadium.

They’ve been named “Best Folk Group” for three years running by the Irish Music Awards. A self-titled debut came out here in 2008 here, where it landed in the Billboard 200 chart, ranked #13 on the Top Internet Album chart and #2 on Billboard’s World music chart.   

 

Band member Darren Holden (co-lead vocals/acoustic guitar/mandolin/accordion) starred in more than 1000 performances of Billy Joel’s production, "Movin' Out", and toured as part of Joel’s own band. Finbarr Clancy (co-lead vocals/acoustic guitar/bass/flute) is from Irish music’s legendary Clancy family.