The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly and Michigan bands such as an Dro and Stone Clover show up on this mandolinist’s playlist, created exclusively for Local Spins as a St. Patrick’s Day soundtrack.
Not surprisingly, Grand Rapids’ The Waxies have found inspiration in the likes of The Pogues, Flogging Molly and The Tossers, not to mention some lesser known, but equally invigorating Celtic-infused artists.
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So, with St. Patrick’s Day revelry reaching its fever pitch, Local Spins asked one of the members of the Irish gypsy folk ensemble to supply an appropriate playlist of songs to celebrate the holiday in rousing fashion.
Branden Garner plays mandolin and sings in The Waxies. After discovering Irish music in high school, through Flogging Molly’s album, “Swagger,” he taught himself guitar and mandolin soon followed. Together with Mack Adama, he founded The Waxies in 2007, with the goal of reminding folks about the Irish experience through music. Gradually, the band came to encompass different genres, as members with talents outside the genre were added.
When not playing in The Waxies, Branden plays too many video games and tries to teach his cats how to sing. It’s a work in progress.
BRANDEN GARNER’S GUEST PLAYLIST
1. The Pogues, “Thousands are Sailing” – I can remember as a kid walking on the beach of Lake Michigan with my Uncle Jim, listening to what was my first lesson on Irish history. This song was my second lesson. I love this song because it reminds me that we were all immigrants at one point. Like many Pogues songs, they juxtapose two very different emotions: The lyrics are both hopeful and resigned, while the musical style switches between a ballad and an energetic tune.
2. Dropkick Murphys, “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya” – The Dropkick Murphys are the go-to band for many folks when they think of Irish music. But some folks are surprised to learn how far back some of their roots go. From reworking World War II Woody Guthrie songs to this song from the Civil War.
3. Flogging Molly, “Black Friday Rule” – One of the things I have always liked about Flogging Molly is their ability to go from 1 to 10 and then back again in the blink of an eye. This song is a great example of that. Like the songwriters that came before him, Dave King writes from here in the US about not being able to go back home. This time it isn’t the distance that stops him from returning, but a border. Songs like this go to show that history doesn’t repeats itself, but it does rhyme.
4. Neck, “The Psycho Ceilidh” – This song is one of the most powerful modern interpretations of the reel set. Starting simply and building to a massive cacophony with tin whistle and uilleann pipes, racing over massive guitars. Plug your headphones in and you are in for a real treat.
5. Stone Clover, “We Don’t Get Drunk, We Get Awesome!” – These guys are out of Detroit, having been conceived (literally?) at The Old Sheleighly. They are irreverent, fun and an excellent live show. If you ever need to be convinced that having another drink is a good idea, these are the guys to do it.
6. The Trojans, “Gaelic Ska” – Released in 1994, ‘Gaelic Ska,’ by The Trojans is one of the most unique interpretations of Irish music I have found. I honestly can’t get over how well it works. I would love to see a current band try to fuse ska with Irish music again. Seriously, let’s do this.
7. An Dro, “Duty Free Reel”– Some folks play to preserve the tunes, some folks play to discover new ways to use the old skills, and some folks play for the sheer joy of it. Grand Rapids’ own An Dro plays for all three. From the instruments they play — hand made cittern and drums whose design hasn’t changed in centuries — to their careful attention to detail, they celebrate the old ways, while making a sound that is Irish, worldly and distinctly their own. They wrote this one after being stopped at the Canadian border.
8. The Tossers, “Whiskey Makes Me Crazy” – The Tossers are a blisteringly fast Irish band out of Chicago. They have been around for the better part of two decades, creating a devoted following around the country through years of touring. Like ‘We Don’t Get Drunk, We Get Awesome!’ by Stone Clover, ‘Whiskey Makes Me Crazy’ is pure relentless fun. With nonsense lyrics, and an easy-to-remember chorus (the perfect type of chorus to pair with some Jameson), this song is a crowd favorite.
9. Cutthroat Shamrock, “Cod Liver Oil” – Cutthroat Shamrock, from East Tennessee, is an amalgamation of their Tennessee roots, Irish music and a double-bass pedal thumping like the stripped down Chevy your uncle has up on blocks. ‘Cod Liver Oil’ goes back at least as far as The Dubliners, but these guys but a life into it that is all their own.
10. The Dubliners, “McAlpine’s Fusiliers” – This is a traditional song about the dangers of manual labor, sung by one of the hardest working, and longest lasting Irish bands, The Dubliners. Ronnie Drew, the vocalist on this recording, is one of my favorites. No one has a voice quite as gravely, or half as friendly, as Ronnie Drew, and I doubt they ever will.
BRANDEN GARNER: THE LOCAL SPINS GUEST PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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