Songs about baseball and other reasons you should probably be listening to the Felice Brothers

Last night, Woodstock, New York natives The Felice Brothers played a show at the Paradise with folk compatriot Willy Mason. Mason’s set was okay but not great- a pretty standard guy with an acoustic guitar act. But when the brash and boisterous Felice Brothers hit the stage, the mood changed. They crooned and howled their way through songs about barfights and baseball, unapologetically glorifying a rock and roll swagger that’s been somewhat lacking in an age of calculated hipsters swilling precious indie music from laptops. The Felice Brothers shout and make mistakes, yet manage to build a wall of sound that seamlessly combines accordion, fiddle, loud electric guitar, powerful drums and bass, and smart lyrics that have a whole lot of guts. Various band members often get a little carried away and hit the cymbals with their fists, too. The music is an organic and rejuvenating mix of modern lyrics and turn of the century-esque instrumentation, yet with a distinctly rock and roll feel that just plain makes people dance. The song “Run Chicken Run” off their latest full-length release, which goes, “she’s the fairest of them all/she loves her Adderall/she’s kicking in the windows of your car” is a good example of what the band can do. Last night’s show confirmed that seeing The Felice Brothers is as good for your soul as Thanksgiving dinner.