Paddy Nash & the Happy Enchiladas performing Works of Art at last summer at a rally against hate in Northern Ireland. This band also has also released what, to me, is the Christmas song of the year. The double A sided single It Being Christmas/A Place at the Table This single is available for as a free download at their website http://www.paddynash.co.uk

Blaggards doing Whiskey in the Jar at the annual Rory Miggians Memorial Irish stew cookoff benifting the 50th annual Houston St Patricks day parade. Blaggards are doing a benefit next month in Omaha NE as a fundraiser for a young father who was recently diagnoses with ALS. For more info on the concert and how you can help please check this link.

The Kilmaine Saints singing their self penned theme song The Saints Are Up! @ the Abbey Bar, Appalachian Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA You can purchase the cd containing this song here

Oracle gives us not quite a movie but a tribute to a movie star with their great song Stagecoach. This song is from their ep Jewels of the Sky which can be purchased at ITunes

Enter the Haggis play us out with their hit One Last Drink
As their fans know, the band asks people to bring donations to their shows for the local food banks in whatever city they are playing.

I think the musician in this piece might just have a shot at a career in spite of this job fair. Whadya think?

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My pick for the brand new Christmas song of the year this year is by Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas. It’s called It Being Christmas and it ain’t your same old tired -snow-bells-angels fare. It’s also not the Grandma getting offed by an unnamed fella in a sleigh sort of song either. That one was too weird even for me. This one is about the true magic that is often lost in all the commercial hoopla of the season. It is about what the season should be about – daring to believe in human kindness, forgiveness, redemption – the sort of thing we should be able to manage at least at this time of year. Paddy is offering this song as a free download, it being Christmas, and all. You can get your copy here Don’t forget to check out Paddy’s cd When We Were Brave while at cdbaby here

You can also download It Being Christmas and the B Side – the beautiful A Place at the Table at Paddy’s website http://www.paddynash.co.uk/web/music.asp The songs compliment each other beautifully. Diane Greer does such a wonderful job on A Place at the Table that it will bring tears to the eyes of every Bah Humbug type out there. There’s lots of great music to listen to and download at Paddy’s website. Be sure to spend some time there.

The Saw Doctors’ Going Home from the Cure album is still a favorite of mine that I am NOT sick of. It is another people song representing the ties that go deep that lead us back the the places and people we may have left but never left behind.

Going Home (This Christmas) by sawdoctors

Another Christmas Song from The Saw Doctors

Christmas Shade by Sienna is another one I really enjoy. Another people song. I think I see a pattern here. Thanks to myspace music I can let you hear that one right here.

A great video of a classic by Building Pictures. John and his faithful canine companion do the best version of this I have seen in years. Dancing With The Stars – eat your heart out!

John is offering a free download of this song also. You can get your copy here

Another great place to hear Christmas music you won’t hear on commercial radio is Marc Gunn’s Celtic mp3s and Music Magazine. Here is the link to the Christmas show This is special Christmas for Marc – his first as a new Daddy. Congrats to Marc and his lovely wife. Enjoy this one, Marc, before you know it, Christmas will require some assembly

Whatever holiday you end your year with – Christmas, Yule or any of the others, one thing remains the same. It’s a time to remember what’s really important. It isn’t about gifts or what you got or what you gave. It isn’t about the frenzy of the season. It’s about taking stock in your life – the year that is ending and the one that is beginning. It’s about family and friends and the time you spend with them.

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If you are band or a fan of a band and would like to suggest yourselves or your favorite band to us for our Arthur’s day post please use the contact us link in the upper right hand corner and let us know the link for a nice quality video like the ones below or the ReverbNation page of the band so we can get the widget.

For now, raise yourself a pint of your favorite brew (not necessarily green) and join the virtual party. We have some great bands lined up for your entertainment. Enjoy!

Blaggards from their trip to Ireland earlier in the year

The Saw Doctors – Takin’ the Train from the new Album

One of my favorite bands and one of my favorite songs – Paddy Nash & the Happy Enchiladas sing Billy Bragg Jeans from their cd When We Were Brave Click here to read a review

EMISH a Celt Rock band from upstate New York singing One More Round The two ladies in this band both had babies on the same day this Spring and one of them had triplets!

Mickey Coleman and Weightless Astronauts sing Take it Easy by the Eagles

Kilmaine Saints with their theme song The Saints Are Up!

The Wakes singing the The Pirates of the League

Enter the Haggis with One Last Drink

If you want more music from these great bands shop below. Saw Doctors and Enter the Haggis cds can be found at Amazon.com See this post to order the new Saw Doctors cd.

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From Foodbuzz.com submitted by RedHeadEv

Guinness Beer Can Turkey with Coffee Rub recipe

Be sure to use a small turkey that you can roast in the oven or on the grill.

Ingredients

1 8-10 lb turkey, thawed, gizzards and neck removed
1 can Guinness beer
a few sprigs each of sage, rosemary, and thyme

Brine

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 gallon water
1 1/2 gallons heavily iced water

Rub

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly finely ground expresso coffee
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

Gravy

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups turkey stock, and the what’s left of the liquid in the beer can
Turkey stock
turkey neck
giblets
1/2 onion
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
5 cups water

Method

Add salt and sugar to a large sauce pot. Add 1/2 gallon of the water and bring to a boil. Boil until everything is dissolved. Let the mixture cool, and add to a large pot or container, large enough for your bird. Add the heavily iced water, and make sure the mixture is ice cold before adding the bird. Add the bird and brine for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees. Remove the bird and discard the brine. Rinse bird very well and pat dry. Mix all rub ingredients well, then rub the turkey with the spices all over. Open the beer, and pour about 1/4 cup out, and stuff the herb sprigs into the can. Put the beer can in the holder, if using, and place the turkey on the beer can. The butt of the bird should be sitting on the can. Roast until internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast is 161 degrees. When the bird has reached temperature, remove from the oven or grill and wrap with aluminum foil for at least 1 hour before carving.

While turkey is cooking, make the stock for the gravy. Add the turkey neck, gizzards, and spices to a saucepan. Add 5 cups of water. Bring to boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 2 hours, while turkey is roasting. Stock is done when meat is coming away from the neck bone. Strain stock before using. Melt butter in skillet. Sprinkle in flour. Cook the roux until it has browned, and is fragrant. Whisk in turkey stock. Bring back to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.

From fosterfarms.com

Guinness Turkey Stew

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups Diced Foster Farms Turkey Thighs or Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups Guinness Beer
2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot heat oil and saute diced thigh until golden brown. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, carrots and garlic, saute until mushrooms become golden brown.
2. Add Guinness and reduce by half. Add diced potatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
3. In a separate pan melt butter and mix in flour. Heat flour and butter until mixture becomes dark brown.
4. Add flour and butter mixture to stew while mixing vigorously until thickened.
5. Continue to simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and serve.

from Emily Szopa at Examiner.com

Guinness-garbanzo turkey chili

20 oz. ground turkey, extra lean
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 med. zucchini, diced
1 cup Guinness
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
3 dashes Cholula (or your favorite hot sauce)
2 dashes cinnamon
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
15 oz. can black beans
15 oz. can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 roasted poblano chile*, diced
2 tbsp. diced jalepeno (I use the kind that comes in jars, but a fresh, roasted jalepeno is even better)
2 c. beef stock

In a 6 quart pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until translucent, then crumble the ground turkey into the pot and cook until slightly browned, using a spoon to break the turkey into smaller bits. Add cumin, cinnamon, chili, hot sauce and a dash of kosher salt and stir to incorporate. Add Guinness and simmer for 15 minutes.

At this point, you can add everything else and stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat and cover with a lid, but leave the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for an hour and a half, then remove lid and simmer for another hour. I like my chili thick, so I consider it done once the spoon will stand up in the pot on its own. Even if you like your chili a little less thick, you still want to simmer this mixture for at least 2 hours. Like almost any soup or chili, it’s even better the next day.

Serve topped with crispy tortilla strips and shredded sharp cheddar. Serves 8.

Happy Turkey day! Enjoy it!

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