Luck of the Irish - Bands!

• by Melissa Bobbitt
• Mar 17, 2012

Erin go bragh, everyone! On this St. Patrick's Day, we hope you're celebrating responsibly (go easy on the Shamrock Shakes, green beer and corned beef, people!) and, you know, maybe educating yourself on what the holiday is all about.
Like most holidays, this festive occasion has some ace music to accompany it. Popular music-streaming programs such as Pandora and Spotify have created Irish-tinged playlists to commemorate the day, and here are some of our favorite March 17-appropriate artists:

Irishman Dave King came to Los Angeles a couple decades ago in search of the rock 'n' roll dream. Armed with traditional sentiments, a knack for storytelling and Celtic punk rock raging in his heart, he formed the effervescent Flogging Molly. Tin whistles and fiddles weave in with fiery guitars, and you've never been in a mosh pit until you've jigged at an FM concert.

Never mind that their current lead singer is Scottish, but Boston brawlers Dropkick Murphys bleed green. Akin to Flogging Molly, but with a more riotous edge, these fellas deserve to have a glass raised to 'em.

U2. Need we say more? For 30 years, Bono and the boys have given their all on the world's biggest stages and given their hearts to a number of worthy charitable causes. It's this activist spirit that really embodies the holiday.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, the darling and gifted Dolores O'Riordan's Cranberries have a new album, Roses (Downtown). The Gaelic whispers intertwined with alternative rock atmospherics helped make the band a big hit in the mid-90s. If you want a more contemplative Patty's Day, they're the ones for you.