The Tossers

The Departed might have helped popularize Celtic punk and sloppy Irish rock music, albeit briefly, but the subgenres seem to coexist outside the parameters of hype and care little for trendiness. The Tossers fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, content to knit tight braids of fiddle, tin whistle, and mandolin with tempered blasts of distortion, foul language, and a steady dose of chumminess. It’s hard not to think of the Chicago sextet as an Irish band first and foremost—thanks to its tradition of touring the Midwest around St. Patrick’s Day before seemingly disappearing for the other 51 weeks of the year—but the South Side group finds plenty of wiggle room for rowdiness even when singing about such familiar topics as drinking and lasses.

Updated 03/06/2012