All posts by Mustard Finnegan

Review

Bat Kinane: A Lifetime to Kill

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December 15, 2010

Wicklow mountain man (Ballyknockan to be exact and damn proud of it), Bat Kinane takes time out from his hard rockin’ outfit Glyder to record and now release his first solo CD. Taking a wide departure from the Thin Lizzy-ish hard rock sounds of Glyder, Bat presents a very introspective collections of very personal songs that takes in rock, blues and folk. Highlights include the Stevie Ray Vaughan inspired “Voodoo Bones”, the Rory Gallagher tribute “Stagestruck 74” and the Celtic-blues influenced “The Intrepid Fox”. If you can tell the quality of a person by their friends then you can tell the quality of a musician by those who chose to guest on their releases and in this case its very high class. Irish blues legend Rob Strong, Gerry McEvoy, Rory’s loyal side man for 20 years plays on “Stagestruck 74”, Dave Roe, Johnny Cash’s bass player for 10 years and legendary Irish guitarist and fiddler Pat “The Professor” MacManus. Class indeed.

Review

The Rumjacks: Gangs of New Holland

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December 8, 2010

I’ve been anticipating The Rumjacks debut full length for a wee while now – since the release of their last EP to be exact. The Rumjacks had set themselves a very high standard on their two EPs and were been loudly touted and not just by me as the future of Celtic punk. That high bar along with the loss of accordion player, songwriter and occasional Shite’n’Onions scribe, Will Swan had made me a tad nervous! I’m very glad to report that Gangs of New Holland is a very, very strong release and The Rumjacks firmly hold the ground between Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys and the Aussie twist to the excellently written lyrics give them their own identity that is rich in the image of Ned Kelly and The Eureka Stockade and imagery of Ali Hulett. The music if you haven’t heard ’em is like Shane MacGowan drinking with the boys from Rose Tattoo at a Clash gig in one of those infamous Aussie music halls where the bands have to play behind chicken wire to protect ’em from flying bottles and glasses.

14 great tracks in all and if I was to pick a few to highlight it would be:

Uncle Tommy – with it’s Flogging Molly-ish banjo intro leading to a full out moshpit floor invasion – Uncle Tommy BTW was a hell raising, rambling man.

McAlpines Fusiliers – done in the traditional ballad style with Frankie McLaughlin’s vocals rich in the authenticity of someone who knows how to sweat to make a living.

An Irish Pub song – a rowdy drinking, come brawling tune.

Green Ginger Wine – A boozie girl/guy duet in the vain of Fairytale, Living in America and Dirty Glass

Spit In The Street – “and all the posh kids roll to the soulless drivel of their pissy little mp3s “, nuff said.

I could go on but I won’t. Check it out!

Review

Peter Berwick: Give It Time

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December 2, 2010

Peter Berwick has been trying to live the dream for close on 30 years and the dream has taken him up and down the highway between Nashville and Chicago and every Redneck and dive bar on route – even with a stop-off on ABC’s Wife Swap where he donned a yellow chick suite but that’s another story. “Give It Time” sees Peter liquored up on cheap domestic beer and Kentucky whiskey and back in the rusty pick-up but this time he’s driving hard towards the punk clubs of Chicago where on his previous two releases (Only Bleeding & Another Day in Hell) he was cursing into Nashville. Without sounding cliched and repeating his press release he does fall between Strummer and Earle – Cowpunk at its best for those who wish Joe Strummer had more of a southern twang to his sound and Steve Earle turned it up to way past 12 – highly recommended especially is you hate canned Nashville.

Review

The Kidney Stones: Raise ‘Em Up

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November 14, 2010

The Kidney Stones are a Celtic/pirate punk band from Orlando, Florida and Raise ‘Em Up their debut (?) release. Very punky, with a bucket of blood worth of accordion to give a sea shanty/maritime grove (or should that be wave?). That, along the with the fearsome, growling, gruff Captains vocals of Casey O’Donnell backed up with his pirate chorus that would make some landlubbers walk the plank voluntary. Fans of pirate punk will love and even if you’ve no sea legs I’d recommend just so you could have a song titled “Whiskey, Vomit and Piss” in your collection – quite possibly the greatest song title of all time.

Review

Auld Corn Brigade: A Fighters Lullabies

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November 5, 2010

I always get a kick outta Germans playing Irish music and especially the Celtic-punk variety – the accented English and that Toutonic aggression and energy. The Auld Corn Brigade carry on that fine tradition of The Porters and Fiddlers Green – loud Celtic punk’n’roll. A Fighters Lullabies is very much in the style of The Porters “A Tribute to Arthur Guinness” – all the tracks are covers of tradition and rebel ballads give a serious German ass kicking – though I will say that while the style is like The Porters its just a wee bit mellower, maybe female lead  vocals. Never the less a very fine and enjoyable release.

Review

Chris Skel: Sodden Psalms

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September 16, 2010

Drunken, white-trash, New Jersey ho-down.

A growling, rowdy sing-along of dirty finger nails Nashville, meets the football terraces.

Late night songs from the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

Middle finger raised attitude and if you don’t like it you can go eff-off

How’s that for a stream of consciousness review?

Review

Ronan MacManus: Strawberry Hill

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September 14, 2010

Strawberry Hill is the debut solo release from Ronan MacManus, better know around these parts a vocalist of London-Irish Celtic rockers, The BibleCodeSundays. Strawberry Hill is very much coming from a different direction then anything the BibleCodes have done – Soulful and heartfelt acoustic rock, stripped down to barely guitar and piano accompanying Ronan’s rich vocals. The best points of reference would be Dempsey/Rice, David Grey and a certain (dare I say) Declan MacManus

Review

Hugh Morrison: Robert Burns Rocks

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September 9, 2010

On Robert Burns Rocks, Hugh presents us with a collection of tradition Scottish ballads – heavy on the accordion with the gruff vocals of Hugh supported by both members of Murder the Stout and the guitar of Johnny Rioux of The Street Dogs (Hugh has played and toured with The Street Dogs). In summary,Robert Burns Rocks is a folk-rock kick up the arse to the Scottish ballad tradition from a pair of size 11 Doc Martins.

http://www.hughmorrison.com/
Review

The Mighty Regis: 21

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September 5, 2010

The Mighty Regis are starting to make some waves following the release of 21 their 3rd release – 1st the Warped Tour and now a plug on day time TV from Kelly and Regis (who else?). Definitely a band to watch out and fortunately the music on 21 supports. No divergence from the style of the previous releases – West Coast punk meets Irish, very much in the style of Flogging Molly though with a much more pop-punk sensibility – kind of like comparing The Undertones to Stiff Little Fingers I’d say. I will say though that some times the lyrics verge a little too much into “Stage Orish” and that said still a contender of one of the best of 2010.

Review

The Gentlemen: Stick To Your Guns

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September 3, 2010

Stick To Your Guns is the name of the debut CD from Morgantown, West Virginia’s The Gentlemen, and a complete and accomplished sounding release it is. Oh, yeah, and a damned rocking one at that!

The Gentlemen are comprised of eight members armed with drums, tin whistle, bagpipes, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, mandolin and fiddle. Placed firmly down the Dropkick Murphys/Real McKenzies end of the Celtic Folk-Punk spectrum, with aggressive song delivery and chanting choruses. But these Gentlemen seem to place more emphasis on the inclusion of the traditional instruments, either as the main melody vehicle, (as with the bagpipes in War Time in North London, and the fiddle in Belfast Boy,) or simply as dancing on top of the power-chord-laden rock majority of the CD.

In fact, the strength of The Gentlemen’s sound on Stick To Your Guns lay in this balance. The trad. instruments are not assigned only to lead positions and ornamentation, but blended right in with the thick of things. Their pervasive influence gives the music herein a stronger, but more natural, Celtic feel.

Stick to your Guns has many highlights to it. The above mentioned “War Time in North London” and “Belfast Boy” are both excellent songs, but “All Alone” might be my favorite on the disc. It has a really slippery and lazy shuffle beat and a great percussive guitar riff that combines with the pipes for a sound that I just really dig.

For my money, the original material on Stick to your Guns is a just bit stronger than the two traditional covers included, (although listening toThe Gents’ rendition of “Come out You Black and Tans” is very convincing! I really felt like they were calling out for a throw-down!)

The Gentlemen do throttle back occasionally, if only somewhat, and with dramatic results. “Under the Rowan Tree” is a nostalgic mug-swinging singalong accompanied only by acoustic guitar and tin whistle.

I do wish that the band included their rendition of John Denver’s Country Roads on their debut, however. It really asserts The Gentlemen’s W. Virginia roots, captures their sound perfectly, and seriously kicks ass. (And the video for it on their MySpace page is simply excellent.) Hopefully,The Gentlemen will include this number on their next CD, which I will certainly be in line for!

Stick To Your Guns is a very thorough and mature sounding release for a debut. And The Gentlemen are definitely a band to keep an eye/ear open for.
Highly recommended stuff!

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel