Category: Music


Not a Specific Fiasco

Filed under: Culture, Music — Leave a comment
February 7, 2011

I love new music.  Honestly, it’s a vice.  I have so many bands on my ipod that I haven’t had the chance to listen to, and yet I can’t seem to get enough new music.  Sometimes, though, there’s a band that I can’t get out of my head, and I’ll listen to them on repeat until I know all the words.  One of the more recent bands that caught me is straight outta the Emerald Isle:  General Fiasco.

This 3-piece band hails from Magherafelt, Northern Ireland.  They’re upbeat, passionate, and are just really fun to listen to.  And I’m not the only one to think so.  General Fiasco is being featured right now on mtvU’s Pick This Week’s Best Freshmen Video, which I think is pretty impressive.  So everyone should go and vote for them.  I’m all about anything positive coming from Northern Ireland, and you should be too.  :)  The video up for mtvU is Ever So Shy.  MTVU says:

The bright video is a wonderful contrast to the feelings expressed in the song; the frustration of youth and being stuck in one spot. The video is really able to express the exuberance of venting, of making an attempt to bust free.

I like that description.  Ya just gotta love these guys.  They’re adorable plus you can hear their awesome accent which is ALWAYS a plus for my homesickforBelfast heart.  ;)  I have to say, though, my favorite song on the album is Sinking Ships.  It’s different from the rest of the songs, a bit more of an epic feel.  Plus it conjures up warm fuzzy memories for me.  :)

And now here’s Sinking Ships – acoustic style – for your listening enjoyment.  Ear candy!  I hope you like it as much as I do.  Remember to go and VOTE – these guys definitely deserve it!!

PS – You should probably follow these guys on Twitter:  @generalfiascouk  :)

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Strongbow whaaaaat?!

Filed under: Culture, Music, People — Leave a comment
February 3, 2011

Today I had the pleasure of hanging out with the bestie, and where better to go than an Irish pub?  :)  So we headed for Claddagh at South Side Works, and I have to say, it was pretty nice!  They had Guinness on tap, real Irish food on the menu, and even had a shirt from Supermac’s on the wall.  If you don’t know what Supermac’s is, it’s like Ireland’s McDonald’s (though they have McD’s too), only it’s slightly more edible.  Fan-tastic!

Since I can’t have Guinness (utterly tragic!!) or most other beers, I was looking at the ciders and I noticed one I hadn’t recognized - Strongbow.

Interesting because as it happens I’m at the point in The Princes of Ireland where it’s telling about Strongbow.   What are the odds??  :)

Strongbow was a Norman warrior from England who was recruited to help the deprived King of Leinster (that’s in Ireland) gain back his kingdom.  Enter Strongbow’s men, including a cavalry and a whole load of Welsh archers.

 

Sidenote:  You might be thinking to yourself “Archers are from Wales?  Hmm…well, archers are elves and elves are beautiful…therefore the Welsh must be beautiful.”  At least that’s what I thought.

 

Exhibits A and B:

 

<<<Beautiful elf?  Yup.

Beautiful archer?  Totally. >>>

 

 

 

And just to drive home the point, I thought of a Welshman that’s not technically an elf – or an archer for that matter, but is still beautiful.

Exhibit C:

Tom Jones.  A step beyond beautiful – pure sex bomb.  Totally diggin that leisure suit.  Hel-lo!

ANYWAY, is it getting warm in here and what was I talking about?!  ;)  Oh yes, Strongbow and his beautiful Welsh elvish army helped to recapture Leinster, and ultimately begin the English power in Ireland.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of Ireland is still a bit bitter about the whole ‘being taken over by the English’ thing, so my question is…why in the world are they drinking an English cider named after the man that played such a pivotal role in getting the English into power in Ireland?!  Just sayin.  Thoughts, anyone?

Weeeeeell if nothing else, there’s always the beautiful people of Wales to cheer us up, and cheer us up they do indeed!!  Thanks, Tom Jones.  <3  Better turn on your fan before you push play.  ;)

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Black Velvet Band

Filed under: Music — Leave a comment
January 26, 2011

So I’ve always loved different cultural music, and of course Irish music has forever had a special place in my homesickforIreland heart.  While I was living in Belfast, a friend of mine told me I needed to listen to Luke Kelly because he’s the best Irish folk singer of all time ever.  Or something like that.  If you don’t know who he is, google him!  Ha!  Kidding.  Well…kinda.  All you really need to know is, he’s Irish, he’s an amazing musician, he was in the Dubliners, aaaaaaaand he looks like this:

What’s not to love about a singing ginger paddy with that amount of hair on his head and face?!  Perfection.

So anyway, I was listening to Mr Kelly on youtube and I came across a video of him singing Black Velvet Band.  Perhaps it’s because the song is set in a neat little town called Belfast (the city that owns my whole heart), or maybe it’s the dude 3:22 in holding like 12 beers, but I instantly fell in love with this, and so should you.  :)

Ahh good old Luke Kelly.  Does music get much better than this?  I mean really?  Well…maybe, but probably not.  2 words:  ginger fro. :)

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