Top o' the mornin' to ya! It's Ireland's national holiday, and this year it's a splendid day to spend in church, praying to ol' Patrick, the mighty saint who cured our isle of snakes ages ago. What's that, you plan to take off work to drink shitty green beer instead? Oh, you bloody gurriers!
This week's music feature is about the annual cash-in Celtic punk bands get from St. Patrick's Day. Everyone, it seems, wants to hear faux Irishmen sing about dear Danny Boy with power chords. Perhaps you fit that description and will be at Tempe Town Lake today for Flogging Molly. Have fun and spend lots of money.
Also in this issue, we've got Michael Lopez's primer on the second South by Stateside show, which features Foster The People, Toro Y Moi, Damien Jurado and a half-dozen other up-and-coming bands making their way home from SxSW in Texas.
Oh, yes, and Girl Talk is coming through town this week. Should be an awesome show. We've also got short advances on The Smoking Popes, Sharon Van Etten, The Appleseed Cast, Asking Alexandria and Umphrey's McGee.
