All posts by Mustard Finnegan

Review

Garrahan’s Ghost: Songs from the Spider Box

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March 11, 2012

Songs from the Spider Box, is the very musically clever debut from York, PA based Garrahan’s Ghost. I say musically clever as the Ghosts combine speedy, high energy Celtic rock with a punk/new wave-ish edge (I say new wave as the vocals by Roo Nevin make me think back to that era) and tight musicianship, prominent accordion, fluid and at times jazzy guitars, a bit polka, a bit gypsy, a bit sleazy lounge act, and a bit Irish dance (Ceile) band. Jewels Jig and Houdini Diablo are the most Celtic/Folk/Punk tracks if the clever bit doesn’t scare you off.

Review

The Langer’s Ball: Drunk, Sick and Tired

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February 5, 2012

As a rule, I am not typically one for live records. But Wait! Hang on, hear me out!

I have always seen an artist’s release, (or “album,” as we used to call them,) as an collective statement: a work of art. Some hits that are well-received and popular tracks are great, but B-sides and deep cuts, to me, provide each work of recorded material with a personality. I love that. A full-length recording SHOULD be assembled with thought going to the order of the tracks, the mood of the songs and how they flow into each other.

Also, the bands that recorded them, the authors that wrote them, the mixing and production process, that whole gamut, this was all done to realize an idea of each song, and the recording as a whole. It gives a sense of flow, a cohesiveness that can make a collection of songs into much more.

But wait! I also love live shows! The energy and passion that a band can produce from sheer enthusiasm, synergy between performers and audience, the camaraderie amidst the revelry amongst the crowd. It is a great experience.

However, a lot of the things that I love about live shows, and a lot of the things I love about studio releases are typically missing from your average “live CD,” (this usually also applies to “Greatest Hits” and various artist compilations.)

Now, this may just be my own personal perspective, but I felt it necessary to mention where my head was at as I listened to the new live CD from The Langer’s Ball.

Minnesota’s The Langer’s Ball have released a new recorded-live-on-St.-Patrick’s-day CD, Drunk, Sick and Tired. Originally a duo, Hannah Rediske and Michael Sturm have been banging out the Irish Punk sound since 2007, playing major gigs all over the midwestern U.S. and have released two very well received releases, 2008’s As I Roved Out and 2009’s Ships Are Sailing.

Along with Sturm and Rediske’s guitar, mandolin, vocals, accordion, and penny whistle, Drunk, Sick and Tired sees the addition of bass guitar, electric guitar, drums & additional backing vocals seeing the Ball take on the form of a quintet.

The result is a very enthusiastic live collection of songs, versions of well known numbers, mostly tradition ones, all punked up and blasted through with a special kick on the keister.

As I said, I am not typically a fan of live recordings, but listening to Drunk, Sick, and Tired DOES make me wish I was at this show. It sounds like it was a blast!

So, if you like live recordings and look for CDs that capture a band’s performance highlights, AND like hearing amped up versions of some classic songs, then The Langer’s Ball’s Drunk Sick and Tired would probably scratch you right where you itch!

It should also be mentioned that Drunk, Sick and Tired was included in both Shite ‘N’ Onions, AND PaddyRock.com’s top 10 of 2011 lists! So there!

Review by Christopher Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

http://thelangersball.com/

Review

Lexington Field: Old Dirty Road

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February 1, 2012

Got this way back before the summer last year so I’m way late in reviewing so sorry guys! Lexington Road are from San Diego strangle enough – I would have guesses either Kentucky or Mass given the name. A very strong debut and very well produced – big rock with a punk energy and loads of fiddles that merge the rock with Celtic, Americana and country. You’ll be hearing a lot more from these guys soon….very soon as an EP is on the way and I’ll review it in haste this time.

Review

Bill Grogan’s Goat: Second Wind

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January 25, 2012

Looks can be deceptive. Looking at the band picture on the back side of the Second Wind sleeve (the 2nd album no less), Bill Grogan’s Goat (apologies to the band) look like a middle-aged folk rock band permanently stuck playing the Sunday opening spot of some poorly attended, Irish festive in some middle of nowhere, mid-Western state – the track list (all standards) doesn’t take away from the assumption. The music? We’ll its all that but just louder, faster and dirtier and more Motor City guitar riffs then you could ever imagine Irish folk to be. Iggy and The Stooges meets The Clancy’s Brothers and its good and at times skull crushing amazing – the version of Danny Boy is my song of the year so far – post grunge, industrial with a riff and tone that would make Tony Iommi proud. Kick out the jams Paddy Rockers.

Review

Murder The Stout: 6 Track EP

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January 17, 2012

I remember reviewing a Murder The Stout album a few years back – rock solid Scottish and Irish ballad standards. In subsequent years, Hugh Morrison the Scottish born, Texas based vocalist and accordion player has cropped up on various Street Dogs tracks adding a Celtic touch to their street punk as will as becoming a touring member of the group. Well here the Street Dogs return the favor with Street Dog Johnny Rioux listed as a full band member and Street Dog Mike McColgan’s Boston accent going toe to toe with Morrison’s Scottish.  The music still remains rooted in the Scottish/Irish ballad tradition but now with just a touch more punk’n’roll. Murder The Street Dog’s anyone?

Review

Sir Reg: A Sign Of The Times

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October 25, 2011

I’m not sure if the FLOGGING MOLLY comparison are starting to bug the folks at SIR REG, but truth be said, A SIGN OF THE TIMES, sounds more like FLOGGING MOLLY then FLOGGING MOLLY does these days. Dubliner, Brendan Sheehy’s accent, vocals and pitch sound so like fellow Dubliner, Dave King, that it’s scary and the rest of SIR REG can knock out a racked as good as anything Flogging Molly has done – fast, trashy, jig punk and all done with a drunken smile on their collective faces. Compared to the very fine, FECK THE CELIC TIGER, Sir Reg’s last album that we just reviewed here on the hollowed html of Shite’n’Onions, it’s a even a step up on that, the band are tighter and the songs more finely crafted. Highly recommended.

Review

Sir Reg: Sir Reg

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October 18, 2011

Sir Reg is a new one to me. Heard the name float about a bit, John Bowles @ Paddyrock gave them a best of 2010 for their debut Sir Reg . I know they are Swedish. The band sent me on a copy of Feck a little while back. The title was the first thing that impressed me – it pretty much sums up the Irish attitude to life these days – pretty good observation from Swede’s.

I give the album a 1st listen to on the train home from work – as expect on an initial listen good Euro-Celtic punk, I get distracted and fade out of the music, the music wasn’t having any of my distraction and soon I thinking WOW the new Flogging Molly sounds really good, a real return to form – then reality hits me like a can of Red Bull bouncing off my head – I’m not listening to Flogging Molly but some Swedish crowd and bhoy can the singer ape Dave Kings vocals and accent – crap he sounds like he came kicking and screaming into life at the Rotunda Hospital at the top of Dublin’s O’Connell street. A little research later and I discover the singer has a good Irish name – Brendan Sheey – and did come kicking and screaming into the world in either the Rotunda or The Coombe or one of the other maternity hospitals in Dublin. Easily the find of the year, even if we are a year late. Good news is that a new album is out soon – A Sign Of The Times – and I already have an advance copy!!!!

Review

The Pokes: High Hopes

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October 10, 2011

Germany’s THE POKES (just to keep the recent German theme going) are one of those bands that year-over-year, release-over-release are consistently good, and High Hopes their 3rd release doesn’t disappoint. The Pokes name and main folk influence come from Polka and The Polks proudly play Punk’n’Polka – think of THE CLASH at Octoberfest with the The Pogues serving up good German beers (though The Pokes are NOT trying to be Irish just Polka with the attitude). Lots of good sing/shout along stuff, gruff vocals (mostly in English) and a tight, tight band.

http://www.thepokes.de/

Review

The Bleeding Hearts: Folk’n’Glory

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September 12, 2011

I’m confused. Wasn’t/isn’t there a German folk-punk band of the Pogues school of song writing also called The Bleeding Hearts. These Folk’n’Glory guys are quite clearly English and from reading their promo material, our new friends from the West Midlands have been around since ’95 or so. Maybe the same band? Maybe I just imagined the Germans?

Anyway Germans or no Germans, this bunch of Bleeding Hearts take a distinctly English approach to folk-punk and so like a lot of English bands in this genre they bow down at the alter of THE LEVELLERS. The Bleeding Hearts have roots in the whole anarcho punk thing – both in style and substance though with sometimes a slight metallic undercurrent along with highly caffeinated fiddles that bring to mind Cornwall’s BATES MOTEL. The only thing that doesn’t gell well with me is the vocals often hit the heavy metal register – but nothing that a daily habit of a few packs of cigarettes and a bottle of whiskey can’t cure. Bleeding Hearts are the type of band to best enjoyed on the festival circuit surrounded by white people with dreadlocks, painful looking piercing’s and BO problems, though if those logistics don’t work for you then Folk’n’Glory is a good substitute.

http://www.bleedinghearts.co.uk/

Review

The Skels: Heading For The Knackers Yard

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September 8, 2011

“Give us pints of Whiskey, you hear the bastards shout”

In one lyric, The Skels sum up their entire musical career and philosophy of life. In case you aren’t familiar with The Skels, they are a bunch of Irish whiskey swigging, banjo swinging, football hooligans from North Jersey, let loose in the recording studio (though I’d love to see them let loose on the Jersey Shore house….that would be great TV.)

The delightfully titled, “Heading For The Knackers Yard”, is the bands 4th full-length and first in 4 or 5 years. And I can proudly say that “Heading For The Knackers Yard” is exactly as I expected it to sounds – no chance of The Skels ever pulling a Flogging Molly – we have whisked soaked, rough and tumble, white trash, meth smoking, redneck, sing-a-long New jersey Celtic punk’n’ roll (and I mean that in the most loving and respectful way of course).

Beyond the bucket of blood bars of NJ, NYC and Brighton, MA, The Skels are an somewhat of an unknown quantity despite being the longest running Celtic punk band in the US – 15 plus years and counting – check ’em out before they end up in the knackers themselves.

http://www.theskels.net/