Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys are a celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States in 1996. First playing together in the basement of a friend's barbershop, the band has made a name for itself for their relentless touring, as well as their annual St. Patrick's Day weekend shows in Boston. The subjects of their songs often deal with the working class environment in which they grew up. The band put out a series of EPs and were signed by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's label Hellcat Records. In 1998, they released their first full length album, Do or Die. Lead singer Mike McColgan left the band later that year and was replaced by The Bruisers lead singer Al Barr. In 1999, they released their follow-up album, The Gang's All Here. In 2001 they released their third album, Sing Loud, Sing Proud. The album showcased their developing sound, and included collaborations with The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan and Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull. It also marked a significant lineup change for the band. Original guitarist Rick Barton was replaced by former The Ducky Boys guitarist James Lynch and Marc Orrell, and additional instruments were added and played by new members Ryan Foltz and Spicy McHaggis. Their next album, Blackout, was released in 2003. The new album included the radio hit "Walk Away," as well as the songs "Fields of Athenry" & "The Dirty Glass". The latter of which features female vocals from Stephanie Dougherty (Deadly Sins) Around the same time, the band released a re-working of the Boston Red Sox anthem, Tessie, which then became the official song of the team's 2004 World Series run. "Tessie" was also used throughout the major motion picture Fever Pitch and was included on the EA Sports MVP Baseball 2005 soundtrack. In 2005, the Dropkick Murphys released Singles Collection Volume 2, featuring covers, b-sides, and other material that didn't make it onto previous albums, and the band contributed a recording of "We Got the Power" to Rock Against Bush Volume 2. Their fifth studio album, The Warrior's Code, was released on June 21, 2005. It features the singles "Sunshine Highway," "The Walking Dead," "The Warrior's Code," as well as the bonus track "Tessie". It also includes a song that was inspired by a Woody Guthrie poem, which they named "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." The song was featured in Martin Scorsese's 2006 film The Departed (Scorsese mentioned the band in an interview after he won his first Oscar). The Dropkick Murphys released their sixth studio album, The Meanest of Times, on September 18, 2007. This is their first release not on Hellcat Records, but instead on Born & Bred. In early 2008, Marc Orrell left the band. Tim Brennan, who has been playing mandolin, accordion, banjo, tin whistle and guitar for the band since 2004, replaced him on leadguitar. Tim's duties were taken over by Jeff DaRosa, former member of The Vigilante and Pinkerton Thugs.