Music Review: The Tossers - Agony

Keeping the Irish spirit alive, The Tossers have released an all new album, Agony under Victory Records. Formed in the 1990’s in an Irish Catholic rich neighborhood, this original punk rock Celtic Irish band was entertaining masses of drunken crowds years before Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys hit the scene. Only recently catching the spotlight thanks to the popularity of the Irish, the south-side Chicago act reached their seventh release with Agony, their second under Victory records.

The Tossers style was created thanks to the fine blend of traditional folk and raging punk rock. Using instruments such as the fiddle, flute, and banjo along with basic punk rock utensils, the band manages to create some fun loving harmony suitable for raising a pint glass of booze. More comfortable playing to a mob, their live shows usually result in the band soaked to the skin with Guinness and Jameson, while the belligerent crowd looks to be dancing or maybe just stumbling the night away.

Alcohol is indeed a huge part of the Tossers’ lifestyle. To support that statement even more is the opening track “Never Enough”, an ode to not enough booze. With fiddle and flute this is a great start to an unbelievable album. The second track “Pub And Culture” speaks of the love to O’Mally’s pub, how a drop or two of some brandy or port makes the day go by, and to rethink the term alcoholic. The instrumental “The Sheep In The Boots” really invites anyone out there to get up and perform a jig. Such a catchy gypsy like tune proves how talented this band really is.

The mood slows down a bit during “Not Forgotten”, a song regarding the innocent soldiers stuck fighting the war and an unjustified loss of life because of it. The line, “But an eye for an eye makes everyone blind” pretty much sums up the Tossers view on war. By the time you reach the song “Traps And Ultimatums”, your spirits may seem to move upward, but this song tells the story of a broken but typical love. I really enjoyed this song because what they preach is so true, too much of a good thing can result in a bad experience.

Article Author: Brian McConville

A music lover for life, this former punk rock super hero has finally slowed down a little and accepted the fact that he is a better listener of music than a performer. Brian McConville operates his own blogging website www.brokenheadphones.com in his …

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