Click on photo to listen to the Dropkick Murphys’ new album. Courtesy of Team Coco.
Boston punk rockers Dropkick Murphys are releasing their newest studio album, Signed and Sealed in Blood, next Tuesday, Jan. 8, but you can listen to an exclusive preview. Click on the photo above to go to Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco page, which is graciously hosting the free streaming site.
A new Christmas song and video from our (second) favorite band from Boston, Dropkick Murphys. Like any good Christmas celebration, it has smoking, drinking, gambling, mischief and skanky women. Santa falls off the roof, the Padre pays a visit and a couple of rotten kids leave an unexpected gift in the stockings.
“The Season’s Upon Us” will appear on the Murphys’ new album SIGNED and SEALED in BLOOD, due out Jan. 8. You can get an immediate MP3 download of the song by pre-ordering the album at the Dropkick Murphys official web site.
The original "Wild Thing," from the movie Major League ... and last year, in real life.
This week, we begin another baseball season. Aside from the winter holidays of Christmas and Thanksgiving, this is the time of year when you hear the most cliches. Bullshit springs eternal in baseball, and with that in mind here are some of our favorite baseball quotes:
“Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” ~Ted Williams
“Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.” ~Yogi Berra
“Strikeouts are boring – besides that, they’re fascist. Throw some ground balls. More democratic.” ~From the movie Bull Durham
“You don’t save a pitcher for tomorrow. Tomorrow it may rain.” ~Leo Durocher in the New York Times, May 1965
“Just a reminder, fans, comin’ up is our ‘die-hard night’ here at the stadium. Free admission to anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won a pennant.” ~From the movie Major League
“Hey, I want to be a Cardinal forever.” ~Albert Pujols, now a California Angel
And our all-time favorite: “I’ll tell you one f**kin’ thing, I hope we get f**kin’ hotter than sh*t, just to stuff it up them 3,000 f**kin’ people that show up every f**kin’ day, because if they’re the real Chicago f**kin’ fans, they can kiss my f**kin’ ass right downtown and PRINT IT.” ~Lee Elia, News Conference Tirade 1983
Well, there is not much else to say. Except: play ball!
MP3: “Get The F**kin’ Job Done” by Lee Elia (NSFW)
MP3: “Who’s On First?” by Abbott & Costello
MP3: “Willie, Mickey & “The Duke (Talkin’ Baseball)” by Terry Cashman
MP3: “Go Cubs Go!” by Steve Goodman
MP3: “Centerfield” by John Fogerty
MP3: “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” (alternate version) by Chuck Berry
MP3: “The Ball Game” by Sister Wynona Carr
MP3: “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” by Bob Dylan
MP3: “Tessie” by the Dropkick Murphys
MP3: “All The Way” by Eddie Vedder
MP3: “The Fenway” by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
MP3: “Catfish” by Kinky Friedman
MP3: “Go Go Astros” by Mack Hayes
MP3: “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
MP3: “Lima Time!” by the Baseball Project
MP3: “Nolan Ryan (He’s A Hero To Us All)” by Jerry Jeff Walker
MP3: “New York Mets” by Duke of Iron
MP3: “All Future and No Past” by the Baseball Project
The Unofficial Official Lee Elia Tirade Page
The Official Site of Major League Baseball
YouTube: Ozzy Osbourne sings “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” at Wrigley Field
The Dropkick Murphys at Houston's House of Blues.
St. Patrick’s Day is not too far away, but we are going to be in the clutches of Austin’s South by Southwest cluster f**k that day. So a Dropkick Murphys visit to Houston’s House of Blues was certainly a good way to take an early dip into the drunken, green part of the season.
The Murphys are, of course, Boston’s answer to Irish rockers The Pogues and perhaps the true heirs apparent to those punk rock pioneers. Led by the tandem of lead singer Al Barr and bassist/vocalist Ken Casey, the band only occasionally takes its collective foot off the accelerator pedal during its shows – which means that the uptempo stompers make up about 90 percent of its setlist.
Husband-wife team Finny and Katie McConnell front The Mahones.
But you can’t deny the charm of “Peg O’ My Heart” or the title song from the latest album Going Out In Style, as well as the rousing closer “The State of Massachusetts.” The Murphys aren’t afraid to turn it up – my left ear is still ringing a bit the next day – but they still deftly manage to showcase the considerable skills of multi-instrumentalist Jeff DaRosa (who was so energetic and skillful it seemed he played at least two different stringed instruments each song!), bagpipist/tin whistler Josh “Scruffy” Wallace and lead guitarist Tim Brennan.
Toward the end of the Murphys’ set they pulled out some stools and did a few tunes acoustically, including the terrific “Warrior’s Code” and “Devil’s Brigade.” Then, after the rollicking one-two-three punch of “The Irish Rover,” “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen” and “The State of Massachusetts” to end the main set, for an encore the Murphys invited as many women onstage to slur and sway through a woozy “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” They shut the place with Brennan power-chording through a cover of AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Cheap” and a tag with “Citizen C.I.A.”
Frank Turner, left, poses with a happy fan.
The Murphys were supported by a strong opening bill of The Mahones, a Canadian quintet anchored aurally by lead singer and songwriter Finny McConnell and visually by accordionist Katie McConnell (yeah, they’re married). They got things jumping with their “Paint The Town Red” from the movie The Fighter.
And a good word for Frank Turner, an excellent English singer/songwriter who had some rockin’ songs. Even his fine band, roaring at top form, couldn’t obscure his clever and rousing lyrics, especially in the anthems “Rock and Roll Romance” and “I Still Believe.” Any time you get a chance to seek out Frank Turner (try an upcoming Dropkick Murphys date, maybe) please do so, and tell him we sent ya.
Dropkick Murphys official website
"Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced" was the Murphys' woozy encore.
YouTube: “Going Out In Style” by the Dropkick Murphys
YouTube: “Paint The Town Red” by the Mahones
NOTE: Tomorrow is apparently Major League Baseball’s official Opening Day, although they have some games today.The logo clearly says April 2011, although elsewhere on the MLB site it says March 31. Jeez. Just celebrate both days!
Today is opening day and, aside from the winter holidays of Christmas and Thanksgiving, the time of year when you hear the most cliches. You know, spring and new hopes and new expectations, life begins anew, blah blah.
Instead of that, why don’t we share some of our favorite baseball quotes:
“Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” ~Ted Williams
“Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.” ~Yogi Berra
“Strikeouts are boring – besides that, they’re fascist. Throw some ground balls. More democratic.” ~From the movie Bull Durham
“You don’t save a pitcher for tomorrow. Tomorrow it may rain.” ~Leo Durocher in the New York Times, May 1965
And our all-time favorite: “I’ll tell you one f**kin’ thing, I hope we get f**kin’ hotter than sh*t, just to stuff it up them 3,000 f**kin’ people that show up every f**kin’ day, because if they’re the real Chicago f**kin’ fans, they can kiss my f**kin’ ass right downtown and PRINT IT.” ~Lee Elia, News Conference Tirade 1983
Well, there is not much else to say. Except: play ball!
MP3: “Get The F**kin’ Job Done” by Lee Elia (NSFW)
MP3: “Who’s On First?” by Abbott & Costello
MP3: “Willie, Mickey & “The Duke (Talkin’ Baseball)” by Terry Cashman
MP3: “Go, Cubs Go!” by Steve Goodman
MP3: “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” (alternate version) by Chuck Berry
MP3: “Go Go Astros” by Mack Hayes
MP3: “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” by Bob Dylan
MP3: “Tessie” by the Dropkick Murphys
MP3: “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
MP3: “New York Mets” by Duke of Iron
MP3: “All Future and No Past” by the Baseball Project
The Unofficial Official Lee Elia Tirade Page
The Official Site of Major League Baseball
YouTube: Ozzy Osbourne sings “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” at Wrigley Field
YouTube: George Carlin, Baseball vs. football
Trying to recall St. Patricks’ Days past is always a hazardous endeavor. If you can’t remember one for some, ah, reason … then you can’t remember any! For the past seven years or so St. Paddy’s Day shenanigans have gotten a little mixed up for me. That’s because it always falls in the middle of SXSW madness – the beer always flows anyway.
Well this year I’m taking some Irish music with me … not that there won’t be some playing around Austin during the festivities. Irish music is a lot like the Cajun music I grew up with – that shit rocks out. And you can’t seem to get enough of it. Nevertheless, here’s my St. Patrick’s Day mix that is good for drinking along to, or not.
MP3: “Irish Drinking Song (Drink And Fight)” by Buck O’ Nine
MP3: “As I Roved Out” by The Hit The Bottle Boys
MP3: “Whiskey In The Jar” by Thin Lizzy
MP3: “I Useta Lover” by the Saw Doctors
MP3: “Ditch” by Irish Stew Of Sindidun
MP3: “I Know My Love” by Maura O’Connell
MP3: “March To Battle (Across The Rio Grande)” by The Chieftains & Ry Cooder w/Liam Neeson
MP3: “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2
MP3: “And A Bang On The Ear” by the Waterboys
MP3: “Thank Christ For The Kids” by the Mighty Stef
MP3: “Danny Boy” by the Three Irish Tenors
MP3: “Celtic New Year” by Van Morrison
MP3: “Haste To The Wedding” by the Corrs
MP3: “Cracklin’ Rosie” by Shane MacGowan & the Popes
MP3: “Celtic Storm” by the Mighty Regis
MP3: “Whiskey Makes Me Crazy” by The Tossers
MP3: “Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon” by Flogging Molly
MP3: “Paint The Town Red 2010” (The Fighter mix) by the Mahones
MP3: “Body Of An American” by the Pogues
MP3: “The Irish Rover” by the Dropkick Murphys
MP3: “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced” by the Dropkick Murphys
30 Days Out 