V/A - Famous For Nothing: A Tribute To Dropkick Murphys

Take A Shot Records

 

From the small club shows to the large concerts in sold out music halls and big festivals, I’ve always been a fan of one of Boston’s finest, Dropkick Murphys. Sure I’ve been ‘bagpipe-tired’ for a while and yes I like their old stuff better, but I have always kept my respect for the boys and although I like the earlier releases better as a whole, some of my personal favorites are from albums such as “Blackout!” and “Signed and Sealed In Blood”.

 

Of course I am not the only one with personal favorites, as proven by the brand new tribute album “Famous For Nothing: A Tribute To Dropkick Murphys” that features 18 bands each covering, as I assume, one of their favorite DKM tracks. From each and every DKM album from up to “Going Out In Style” is at least one cover version featured on this tribute with contributions from “Do Or Die” and “Sing Loud, Sing Proud!” being the tributeers (is that even a word?) favorites with four songs being covered from each album. Obviously the cover versions can’t top the originals, but there isn’t a bad version on here either, though a lot of songs are one-on-one copies. I wished more bands would have made the songs their own, something that only seems to be done by the Hex Bombs and their up-tempo, punk rock version of “Forever” and Emscherkurve 77, who deliver “Fightstarter Karaoke” auf Deutsch. Some of the other bands featured on this tribute are Nowhere USA (“Never Alone”), Barroom Heroes (“Barroom Hero”), Pentalty Kill (“On The Attack”, the only band that covers a DKM B-side), Skullians (“Heroes From Our Past”), Brain Damage (“Curse Of A Fallen Soul”) and The Scally Cap Brats (“Boys On The Docks”).

 

With the purchase of “Famous For Nothing: A Tribute To Dropkick Murphys” you get a compilation that doesn’t contain any bad bands, that despite not being able to have the same impact with their versions as the originals still deliver a more than proper tribute album of which all proceeds go the Claddagh Fund, a charitable foundation formed back in 2009 by DKM bassist / vocalist Ken Casey to raise money for underfunded non-profit organizations who support vulnerable populations in the community. So support the cause and receive a Guinness drinkin’ soundtrack while doing so!