Friday, May 29, 2009

the hounds of ulster

so, mom and i have returned to the US, against my wishes, mind, but i haven't yet been able to finance a move to killaloe.

anyway, the first day we were there, we came across a band practicing. they were very good, and i bust out my super fantastic camera, and took a bit of video!


they are called the hounds of ulster, and they are a band out of belfast, and though it was very hard for me to understand what the guy was saying, we managed to learn that they were playing at Glor for the Fleadh Nua that evening, and mom and i went to get tickets.

they are very good, very polished, and if you find yourself at a music festival this summer, especially if it's an irish festival, do yourself a good turn, and stop in to see them. they are very good.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

ships in a bottle

a few years ago i posted about going to see butch walker at the paradise. At the risk of seeming like a crazed lunatic fan, i implore you; dear readers, run on over to itunes and get one of his albums and if he stops in your town, do make a point to get yourself some tickets.

here is what i love about him- he is inherently creative and truthful. For good or for bad, his stuff is true to himself, and is a true window into his personality and the lemons life is squeezing at him at the time of writing the song. At a time when real creativity and musical experimentation is not terribly fashionable, he's a refreshing oasis in a desert of my chemical romance, fall out boy and repackaged fleetwood mac and dave matthews band.

Depending on his mood at the time of writing, He's unapologetically crass and hopelessly juvenile; other times he's hair-raisingly candid and self-doubtful. He sings of break ups and new first loves, of drug abuse and recovery, of sunny days and crummy days. He sings about his grandparents, his friends and himself; when it's pretty and when it's ugly. he even makes videos that might even be called thought provoking.

Butch Walker "Ships in a Bottle" Music Video


If everyone should get to know the bouncing souls, they also should get to know butch walker!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

one, two three, four, five, six seven eight nine!

in just nine short days me and me mam will be on the big metal bird over the big blue ocean, on our way here:

(incidentally, this fab photo came from a flickr member, go see the rest of his great photostream!)

We're going to go to ennis for the fleadh nuah, cork city and dunmanway, and we're going to go to the rock of cashel and end the trip in limerick. I say end the trip, but what i really mean is that if i find a single guy or a job, or hopefully both, i'm going to stay on!

hoo hoo hoo! one, two three, four, five, six seven eight nine!

Sunday, May 03, 2009

the springtime snap

over the past year or so, i've taken a few snaps of the wood square park, and here is the spring time snap!

I love the trees in bloom, the pretty pink flowers and the leave just beginning to unfurl. i just love this park. if i ever move away from hudson, there will have to be alovely park like wood square!

everone should get to know....

the bouncing souls.



It's been 20 years of rock n roll mayhem, and all of it good. It's been about nine years or so for me; and you guessed it, all of those were good too.

Tonight i came from the show at the paradise. it was jumping, for sure! truth be told, i think the souls are a bit too big an act for the paradise. Though they did graciously agree to play two shows to accommodate all us crazy fans, they're well beyond the days of house party antics and drunken dudes jumping on stage. There was a tiny skirmish at the end, but all in all it was a fantastic night.

They played a fair few new songs (which i rather groove on) but the very best is when they hopped in the wayback machine for some real gems. No Rules, Quik Chek Girl, Here We Go, and Single Successful Guy. I don't know that i ever heard Single Successful Guy in concert. There were a few notable missing pieces, East Coast F*ck You was not part of the show, and i would have liked to hear Lamar Vannoy, but there were some edgy replacements- Lean on Sheena was in the set- interesting Ah Ha! and a gem of all gems! these are the quotes from our favorite 80's movies!

It's true, they're approaching middle age, but methinks that when i get there, that i would like to be as good at my job as they at theirs. Clever as Greg, solid as papillion, smooth as Rockabilly silk as the pete and rumbly rockin as mike mcD. I also hope I'm as hardworking as they are. there was a nifty article about them in the globe a few days ago, all about their hard work over these 20 years.

So i implore you, dear readers; run on over to itunes and download yourself a Bouncing Souls album. Any one of them; new or old, studio or live, you'll be glad you did.

Really, Everyone should get to know the Bouncing Souls!

Friday, May 01, 2009

whshew! it just gets worse and worse!

little wonder they had to close HCHS! they've got a million in payroll expenses! oh, and lest you think that's for the entire archdiocese, Au contraire mon frere! that's just for four people!

$1,125,000 for four employees.

Now i'm no economist, nor am i an HR coordinator, but that's kind of a lot. Here's the thing, how can the diocese possibly think that their parishioners are going to be ok with that? I rather thought the entire archdiocese ran as skinny as my own parish has done for the 33 years i've been a member. I thought rather thought ALL the employees of the archdiocese made the same financial sacrifices to benefit the greater good. Much the same as when the HCHS faculty agreed to teach for the paltry salary. If i worked for a diocese school and i saw that salary, i'd be hacked, that's for sure!

Now i see i was wrong, i see that even in the Boston Archdiocese there are haves and have-nots. At first, i thought it was simply a power struggle; some have power, and some have not, and those that do have the power simply can't cope with the thought of reliquishing even a smidgen of it. But now i realize that it also involves money. Those who have the money are LOATHE to share it; how bout this? this is a time of raise freezes, furloughs, pay cuts, and even layoffs. A million dollar payroll for four employees is EXACTLY the same as million dollar payrolls for AIG- criminal.

The whole thing just gets worse and worse. This is exactly why there is attrition at catholic parishes, and increased membership at presbyterian and episcopalian churches. Because people are TIRED of being treated like shit.