Flogging Molly have returned with their fifth studio album, and the first released on their own record label, Thirty Tigers. Is it a worthy addition to their growing discography of live and studio albums? Yes.
Ever since I fell in love with Flogging Molly with their first studio album, Swagger, I have approached each album with trepidation. ”Is this the album where they’ll finally fall apart and I’ll only have good memories to live off of?” Each album has take two to three listens for me to finally make up my mind, but with Speed of Darkness, I was immediately in love.
The band finally starts to stretch its legs a bit creatively adding in new sounds (piano on ”The Cradle of Humankind”) and finally allowing fiddle player Bridget Regan to sing a duet with her husband, band founder Dave King, on ”A Prayer For Me in Silence.”
This isn’t to say that the entire album is a work of art. For the first time ever, there may be a song I skip in future listenings entitled “The Heart of the Sea.” This song sounds like it’s trying to go in too many directions at once, and it can never seem to settle on one. Considering their body of work, and this is the first time I’ve ever gone, “er … no thanks,” that’s a pretty good batting average. It may grow on me with time, but for now I suggest leaving it at the bottom of the sea.
One thing that has always been a recurring theme with this band has been the plight of the working man, and this album ratchets that up even a notch further. It could be because King and Regan now live in Detroit, and in fact, the song “The Power’s Out” is all about the decay that now surrounds them.
There is something that can definitely be said about this album over their previous efforts, and that is that it is possibly their most accessible to the general public. The sound has been softened slightly, but not to a degree that should anger long standing fans, only enough that I could potentially see new people giving them a try, and that is never a bad ting.
Enjoy their first single, “Don’t Shut ‘Em Down”, and make sure to pick up the album if you get a chance.
I very rarely talk about the music on this site any more, but when I do, you can be pretty sure it’s going to be about the greatest band on the planet, Flogging Molly.
No, I haven’t gone to see them in concert again (though I would love to), but it is about the fact you can now pre-order their new album, Speed of Darkness. Due for release on May 31st, the new album is the first from their own record label that they have formed named Thirty Tigers. Why is this exciting? Because it means the band will make that much higher of a percentage from the sales. Good for them, they deserve it.
While you can order it from your usual locations, I hope you’ll take a moment to consider ordering it from their own site at FloggingMolly.com. You can get it on CD, vinyl, MP3 or FLAC format. You can go as basic as you want or go for various “fan packages” with exclusive bonuses. (yeah, I went for the $64.99 Super Deluxe CD pack … call me a sucker if you must)
Below is a live performance of the first single from the album, “Don’t Shut ‘Em Down” at this year’s Coachella concert. While I actually didn’t thrill to this song the first time I heard it, once again Molly has proven you really have to hear their songs in a live performance setting to dig them, and this song immediately grew on me.
In the age of blogs being required to disclose everything, I can tell you I am making absolutely no money from this post, it’s not a paid placement or anything else, but if I can’t take a post to promote my favorite band, what’s the point of having a blog?
As I mentioned yesterday, Flogging Molly was coming to my town, and, yes, I did make it to the show. Seeing as I am always looking for things to blog about, here is a review of the show. And, yes, also a review of how the show was run, which was … well, just read that part, but it was a comedy of errors to the point even the bands were mocking from the stage.
Big D And The Kids Table
I had only heard of this band in passing prior to this show, and had only heard a handful of songs. They are labeled as third wave Ska band, but honestly they have morphed into something that is Ska-influenced, but they are certainly not Ska. There is an occasional underlying horn section that has a bit of the traditional up-down Ska rhythm, but it is not that common.
I was expecting a so-so performance, and I am happy to say they put on a solid performance. The backup singers, which the blonde has changed since this picture was taken, were a pleasure to watch as they harkened back to the old days of 1950′s backup singers who wear matching dresses and do little synchronized dancers. Quite a fun little nod.
Overall the band was pretty tight, if a little loud and poorly mixed, but isn’t that the fate of all opening bands? Would I see them on their own? Probably not, but as an opening act they did their job admirably and entertained the crowd with fun banter and decent music.
Here is their song “Fluent In Stroll” from their 2009 album of the same name.
Flogging Molly
What can you say about this band? There is honestly no way you could ever accurately describe what it is like to experience them live. Some bands sounds better live than they do on their CDs, while others it is obvious that they are a “studio” band that no one should ever be subjected to live. In the case of Flogging Molly they sound exactly the same as they do on their albums … I mean that. Note-for-note you realize that they must have the perfect mixer working for them because what you hear on CD is exactly what you will hear live.
So, why go see them? You are sure to have heard how some bands have an energy on stage that is almost electric? Flogging Molly’s stage energy is enough to power a small city.
Sadly, Bridget Regan, the lone woman in the band, and wife of lead singer Dave King was missing tonight due to a family health emergency with her mother. While the band was still six strong, and they found ways to work around the lack of her fiddle and tin whistle playing, it did feel “off” at this show, and you could tell her bandmates missed her.
Because Bridget was missing, it meant that some songs such as “The Devil’s Dancefloor” couldn’t be performed, which is one of my favorites. However this made me realize something … I don’t thin there is a Flogging Molly song I don’t like. I got to hear great ones such as “Float”, “Selfish Man”, “Worst Day Since Yesterday”, “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”, “Every Dog Has Its Day”, “Drunken Lullabies”, “Seven Deadly Sins”, “Tobacco Island”, and with each song I kept thinking that they were going to have to hit a song I was indifferent to eventually … and they didn’t. I sang along with each song until my throat was raw, and my feet hurt from stomping along.
All that aside, Flogging Molly came, they saw and they kicked our asses. And I think I finally figured out part of their appeal: it’s like a 90-minute pub sing-a-long. The band includes you in the singing every song, they point out individuals in the crowd to dedicate songs to based on their clothes, meeting them before the show and so on. They are not an aloof and disconnected band, they want their fans in the experience, and nothing says this more than the insanely bright 16 spotlights that flip on when the audience is supposed to sing. Nothing is said about it being used as a cue, but anytime a sing-a-long spot came along, I noticed the lights flipped on. At those moments, with the heating beat down on you from the lights, you are no longer the audience, and the people on stage Flogging Molly, you are a bunch of old friends having a pint together in a pub, singing along to an old Irish drinking song.
Smart band.
Overall Flogging Molly is a band every one should experience at least once. This was my third time seeing them, and by the time I left, I was ready for number four.
Below is “Drunken Lullabies” from the band’s album of the same name.
Truman Student Activities Board (SAB)
I called to see where “Will Call” tickets would be. You told me inside the building. Thanks for moving them over a block away and not telling me until I was in the building, meaning I lost my spot online and moved back several hundred people.
Your security was a joke. You had me pat myself down. Yes, you read that right folks, they watched as I patted myself down. Amazing how I missed patting that camera you were so obsessed with me not getting in with. (Picture of Dave King at right taken with my camera)
By the way, we all had cell phones … with cameras in them. You let those in, but no actual cameras were allowed … I’m sorry, have you met the 21st century?
Your green “Security” shirts with glowing necklaces so people would notice you was laughable. Both bands mocked you for it from the stage, that should tell you something.
You know you must have over stated the “No Alcohol” policy to the bands when David McWane of Big D said he and the band would not be offended if we all snuck off for a Guinness before Flogging Molly … he also wondered if he could have a beer on stage if it was just beer flavored water.
You said “No Moshing” repeatedly. After the mosh pit and crowd surfing broke out, Dave King of Flogging Molly said to you, “By the way, these folks in the green shirts are doing a really crack job … oh well, if you can’t make fun of yourself, who can you make fun of.”
You used to give SAB an endless amount of grief when I briefly attended the college … glad to see nothing has changed in 17 years. You are still all incompetent fools.
Normally a concert coming to someone’s town shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but when your town has a population of only 17,000 locals and 6,000 students, it tends to be a big event. You would think everyone would be talking about it, but that doesn’t seem to always be the case.
Case in point, I learned that my favorite band, Flogging Molly, is coming to my town last night … 26 hours before the show.
My parents were leaving town on business when my mom called me and said she had seen a sign up that said “Welcome Flogging Molly.” Knowing they are my favorite band, she called me to ask if I knew what was up. One quick Google search later I discovered that they were indeed playing at Truman University tonight. I frantically called to see if there were still tickets, and there were. Phew. Crisis avoided.
I have no clue how this more widely known in my town, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t.
Luckily I have seen them two other times. The first was Oct. 17, 2000 opening for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. This date is burned in my head because when I left the show that night, I learned that our state governor, Mel Carnahan, had died in a plane crash. Hard to forget. I hadn’t heard of them before that show, but I instantly fell in love with them, and even met the lead singer, Dave King shortly after the show and expressed my new undying love for them. (We discussed Irish heritage too, but mostly my “OH MY GOD! YOU JUST ROCKED MY FACE!” reaction)
I got to see them again on Oct. 23, 2006 when they were on a headlining tour. I blogged my reaction to the show, which they again proved why I had fallen in love with them.
Both previous times I have seen them in Columbia, MO at a venue called The Blue Note, which, for all its faults, at least serves Guinness. Considering they are an Irish band, you feel you should at least be drinking it. Sadly tonight there will be no alcohol as they are playing on the university campus, but somehow I doubt that will lessen my enthusiasm for seeing them play again.
I barely know the opening band, Big D & The Kids Table, but if anything, Flogging Molly taught me years ago that sometimes the opening band can change your life …
Below is the song “What’s Left of the Flag” from their second studio album, Drunken Lullabies.
It would be easy to assume with how much I talk about music, I must go to a ton of concerts, but sadly the opposite is true.
Living in a town of 17,000, and being the biggest town for a 90 mile radius, doesn’t lead to many bands coming to my little corner of the world. My best shot is going to The Blue Note, a small venue 90 miles to the south in Columbia, MO, but at that point that makes me rely on just one venue for shows.
The last time they had anything worthwhile was KMFDM in October of 2006, and a mere three weeks later was Flogging Molly and then… nothing. Sure, there were bands in between, but nothing even remotely interesting to me. Luckily they’ve finally announced a show I want to see on November 18th of the Dropkick Murphys.
Then comes the other problem when there actually is a show I want to see… coordinating schedules! With my team out on the road 26 weekends a year for AnimeUSA appearances at conventions, I have to make sure someone will be in the office for me to take off early for the drive down. This is the first show I will go to since I joined up with Mashable, but it shouldn’t be a problem to get off there as I usually do an entire weeks worth of lists on the weekends. Then I have to make sure there aren’t any family commitments… as you can see, going out for one evening turns into a major operation, so for me to go to a show, it has to be something I really want to see. As I don’t think the Murphys has ever come through my area before, it’s worth my time to make sure I can get down to Columbia to see them.
There is also one final deciding factor in the shows I go to… the size of the veneue. I long, long ago gave up on the big arena shows. They are a huge pain in the behind, not that enjoyable, and so I try to keep my concert going to shows of only 3 – 4000 people, even less if I can swing it. I’m not sure how many The Blue Note holds, but I wouldn’t guess more than 1500, so it makes me quite happy to see shows there.
In short… yay, I’m going to a concert again!
For those who aren’t familiar with the Dropkick Murphys, here’s one of my favorite songs, “The Dirty Glass”
And seeing as that is the only time they had Stephanie sing a song with them, here is a more recent example of their sound, “State Of Massachusetts”
Flogging Molly have returned with their fifth studio album, and the first released on their own record label, Thirty Tigers. Is it a worthy addition to their growing discography of live and studio albums? Yes.
Normally a concert coming to someone’s town shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but when your town has a population of only 17,000 locals and 6,000 students, it tends to be a big event. You would think everyone would be talking about it, but that doesn’t seem to always be the case.
It would be easy to assume with how much I talk about music, I must go to a ton of concerts, but sadly the opposite is true.
