Album of the Week: Irish Music on the 4th of July

I got a couple of emails about last week's Album(s) of the week asking why I didn't wait until this week (Independence Day week) to do Springsteen. It might have worked, but the Album of the Week is generally something I think of in advance with the idea that it might not be something you already have or maybe something you aren't even aware of. It's a spotlight of sorts for something out of my collection that I listened to and thought "People need to know about this." The possibilities are endless, because there are plenty of albums that are great but overlooked. This week I received my ACL CD/DVD set in the mail. And though I would love to feature it as the Album of the Week, I hold off. Instead I highlight a band that shows up on that CD and DVD that I've come to love. I'm talking about The Frames. Specifically for Album of the Week I've chosen their 2005 album Burn the Maps. Van Morrison and U2 put Ireland on the music map at least for my generation, and many Irish bands have been able to be noticed because of their success. Hothouse Flowers, The Cranberries, and The Frames can all credit their countrymen for getting them noticed. Like U2, the Frames' music doesn't have an Irish sound to it despite their having a violin player. Burn the Maps has a great mix of straight rock and roll that can rival anything else out there these days and fresh pop. I recommend "Dream Awake" and "Suffer in Silence" if you've only got $1.98 to spend on music today. Also check out their other albums while you're at it...it's quality music.

The Frames - Burn the Maps
The Frames - For the Birds
The Frames - Set List: Live in Dublin

"Revelate" from the 2005 Austin City Limits Festival.

Also upon further review, Grant Lee Phillips' Nineteeneighties is pretty spectacular. I highly recommend it.