A lot of effort has been made by many bands to evolve the sound of Celtic Folk-Punk music. Newer and newer bands are seeking to stand out and do something different to be the next big thing. And more often than not, the steps taken to achieve this goal are taken from the most current development in the genre.
This is where the Rumjacks differ. Their E.P., Sound as a Pound, seems to have started over. By that I mean that it is almost as if the band looked at the scene and decided to go back to the early days of the genre’s development and take their steps from there. Not surprisingly, the music here is very reminiscent of The Pogues, with a dash or two of Roaring Jack. This is not just in instrumentation, (with the inclusion of accordion and tin whistle, alongside the standard rock three-piece of guitar, bass, and drums,) but also in song structure, melody, and lyrics. And the top-notch production assures that every element here is crystal-clear.
For a collection of serious-looking, tattooed, flat-cappers, the music presented on Sound as a Pound is not what I would have expected. The attitude is not a tough-guy, “in-your-face” assault, but an attitude that seems generally respectful of the music. The end result is a refreshing and familiar reminder as to why the whole Celtic Folk-Punk sound is as great as it is.
The Rumjacks’ E.P., Sound as a Pound recently made the Number 1 position in the Shite ‘n’ Onions Ten Best of 2009. Give it a listen and you’ll know why.
Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel http://www.myspace.com/therumjacks
Moved by the plight of the people of Haiti, Shane and his girlfriend, Victoria Clarke made calls to friends from which began the process of recording a track from which ALL proceeds go to Concern, a charity who have provided assistance to some of the poorest countries in the world including Haiti, even before the earthquake struck.
Some of the artists involved include - Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Johnny Depp, Glen Matlock, Chrissie Hynde, Paloma Faith, Eliza Doolittle.
‘I Put A Spell On You’ will be available from IRL Records on download only from 8th March. Please pre-order the single by clicking here - http://www.
Black 47 Larry Kirwan releases his new novel on Feb. 23rd - I have an advance copy so as soon as I'm done I'll let you know how it reads. A book report if you like. In the mean time here is a blurb from the publishers:
"In this big, passionate, colourful novel set in 1980-82, the Bronx is burning, Bobby Sands is dying, John Lennon is being stalked, the Reagan Revolution has begun and AIDS is about to be identified. But life goes on in the immigrant bars of Bainbridge Avenue as Sean arrives from Ireland looking for his girlfriend, Mary, and finds a lot more than he bargained for. "
The Righs, (pronounced “RIGZ,”) have returned to confound those who would dare to describe them, with Roses, the band’s second full-length release, (“full-length” and then some, actually, with over seventy minutes of music and 18 tracks!) since 2008’s eclectic “The Rivers Run Deep.”
This time around, the Oklahoma-based Righs continue to write their own rules and then, (based on the amount of departure from the norm included on this release,) promptly set out into breaking them.
In fact, The Righs are so set apart from other bands in the Celtic Folk Punk realm that a point of reference is not readily available. Even the term “Celtic” may not necessarily apply in same ways it does in other bands of the genre. On Roses, it could describe some of the instrumentation, with the inclusion of the fiddle, and mandolin, but that is about all. The band seems fairly entrenched in a direction of its own, and possessive of its own compass.
The CD itself doesn’t have a weak moment on it (impressive considering the amount of material!) but does have a few tracks that stand out. And So It Goes is an immediately accessible song that grabs the listener immediately and doesn’t let go for an instant. It also features guest vocalist, Alicia Williams, a formidable set of pipes in her own right, sharing lead vocals duties.
Another track worthy of special mention is Two Cents, a song with enough mood and atmosphere to blur the line between music and horror movie, with vocalist Omid Nowrouzi twisting his voice into a banshee-esque wail, (that would make Marilyn Manson sleep with the lights on!) and the pervasive “nervous energy”-meandering of the over-caffeinated mandolin, providing tangible chills.
But it is The Man with Nickel-Plating Makes All the Rules, that is possibly my favorite track on Roses. The song has a manic quality that is almost overwhelming at its start, but for some reason seems to best encapsulate The Righs sound for me.
As with their debut, The Righs are able to pull off a rough and ragged finish on some well written, well arranged and generally polished songs, giving the CD a close approximation to what the band’s live performances must be like.
I am not sure if it was an intentional attempt to carve out an identity, or to start a whole new style, but the The Righs have most definitely created a sound all their own with Roses, albeit one that is almost impossible to accurately describe.
Highly recommended for repeated listenings.
Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel.
Cruachan (w/Shane MacGowan) - Ride on _ EP
Dropkick Murphys - It's A Long Way To The Top (Ac/DC) - Singles Collection 2
Warblefly - Road Crew (Motorhead)- Crashing Through Trees
The Town Pants - Run To The Hills (Iron Maiden) - Shore Leave
Great Western Squares - Ace Of Spades (Motorhead) - Judas Stear
Dropkick Murphys - Rock 'N' Roll (Motorhead) - Singles Collection 2
Runnin' Riot - We're not gonna take it (Twisted Sister) - Monk's Not Dead
Mama's Boys - Runaway Dreams - The Collection
Cruachan - to Hell or to Connaught - Ride On EP http://media.libsyn.com/media/shitenonions/Metal.mp3
Czech Republic based, Belfast born and bred Pól Mac Adaim mixes the protest folk tradition of Woody Guthrie with the rebel/ballad tradition of his native Ireland - reminisent of fellow protest Celt - the late great, Ali Hulett or even Christy Moore at his most mellow/political - though unlike Christy I doubt Pól drives a fancy car - this is way more authentic and I bet he uses deodorant too.
