All posts by Mustard Finnegan

Review

Calico Street Riots – 3 Track Demo

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June 3, 2010

This is an unusual collection. From the London/Kent areas of England, come Calico Street Riots with their three-track Demo. The strange part being just how different the two styles present here really are.

Opener “A Pint And A Fight” is a toothsome, fast-paced ode to a workingman’s weekend venting. Distorted guitar and rapid-fire drums seem only egged-on by some manic accordion as the song kicks its way in, makes its point, and escapes, all in under two minutes!

I think I know what to expect now as the following track begins. After a moment of disorientation, (and a quick check to see if an entirely separate band’s song snuck its way into my playlist,) I remember that the Calico Street Riots’ Demo is just that, a demo, and I take the musical 180° in stride.

The songs DO vary greatly however, with “Long Time Dead” and “Going Home” being less smash & grab and a bit more, what? Artistic? Certainly more atmospheric. Lyrics are more descriptive and thoughtful, and the instruments have more space to stretch out and be heard. I could mention the production value, but this is a demo, (I keep reminding myself,) and production is not the top of the priorities list.

With two distinctly different approaches happening on this one, 3-tracker, I am tempted to make comparisons between them. But if pressed, I don’t know if I could choose which I prefer. They are different, for sure, but equally enjoyable.

According to the Calico Street Fights’ MySpace page, the young five-piece band, (comprised of vocals, fiddle, bass, accordion, and guitar,) are in the midst of adjusting their line-up. With such internal changes and new material forthcoming, it will be interesting to see which direction the band will follow, as it continues to define itself.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

McAlpine’s Fusiliers – Sons & Daughters of the Soil (2nd review)

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June 3, 2010

Out of Victoria, Australia comes MacAlpine’s Fusiliers, brandishing a swaggie swagger and packing an old-school Colonial punch, care of fiddle, guitar, accordion, banjo, bass, drums, bodhran, lagerphone, tin whistle, spoons and of course, vocals, all dispersed nicely among the band’s five members.

Among this full assortment, it is the accordion that seems the most prominent instrument of the pack, pervasive in its effect, driving the sound, and providing a solid platform for the fiddle, whistle or vocals to lead the way. And these vocals come wrapped up tightly in their thick Southern Australian accent, which only adds to the atmosphere that is as much a part Sons & Daughters of the Soil, (the band’s 2007 debut,) as any of the listed instruments.

That atmosphere, an Australian Folk-Punk sound, is fully actualized here, too, thanks to the aforementioned instrumentation and vocals as well as the song selection, from traditions to originals, the latter of which are so well written, that they blend seamlessly in among the covers, (in fact, I had a hard time picking out the original compositions from the band’s interpretations of traditionals, assuming instead that these were old songs that I was, until now, simply unfamiliar with!)

It is fair to say that MacAlpine’s Fusiliers seem set to maintain a “folksier” sound, albeit, a somewhat punk-up folksier sound, but with no crunch or distorted guitars, nor angrily barked vocals. Just good honest songs.

The end result blazing away on Sons and Daughters of the Soil reminded me somewhat of the general feel midway between that of the Pogues and the Whisky Priests, (pretty damned good company for a debut!), but liberally laced with a strong ‘Down Under’ spin.

Honest, devoid of pretense or gimmick, and just rock-solid, good music.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Jake and the Blades: A Quite Sunday in London

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May 26, 2010

Jake and the Blades – what a great name for a band. Before I even heard the CD, I know what these guys were going to sound like. Rough and ready, growling punk’n’roll straight from the football terraces lead in chant by MacGowan and Cash. After a couple of listens I can proudly boast I’m right.

Review

Circle J: Weekend Warriors

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May 11, 2010

I’ve just been punched hard in the face by Circle J. Sorry guys. I had no idea how good you are. I remember getting the last Cd, “Fat Mans Chest”, a couple of years back and unfortunately it ended up in the I’ll get to that later pile where it still languishs. Sorry again. “Weekend Warriors” showed up a little bit ago and stuck for a track to use on the Flatfoot 56 podcast I gave WW a spin, cos, well it was sitting in a pile of CDs in front of me. With in 30 seconds 1875 had flogged me into submission and within 1 spin of the CD I was totally blown away as to just how good these guys are – think Flogging Molly covering Dropkick Muphys. Easily the find of the year (though I wish I had found them in 2007 not 2010)……now to dig out “Fat Mans Chest and maybe a featured podcast….guys can you forgive me?

Feature

Horslips, Black 47 and me on TV

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May 24, 2010

A couple of weeks back I was down in NYC to be interviewed for a
documentary series for Irish TV. The series traces the journey of an
Irish man named Micky MacGowan who emigrated  at the end of nineteenth
century and worked his way across North America before striking it
rich in the Klondike Gold Rush. This fella’s memoirs “The Hard Road to
the Klondike” were the inspiration for Horslips to make some of their
finest albums; Aliens, The Man Who Built America.
Anyway, Barry Devlin and Jim Lockhart formally members of the artists
know as Horslips wanted to speak to me about Celtic punk in the US –
where it comes from, what does it mean and why it could only come from
anywhere but Ireland. So in the back room of Paddy Reilly’s I
bullshitted away about all of the above and anything that came into my
mind, which wasn’t much – bloody hard to think when surrounded by a
camera crew and being grilled by two musical legends. I did my best!
Later in the night at Paddy Reilly’s, Jim and Barry joined Black 47 on
stage as their 20th anniversary gig was filmed by the boys from TNG
for inclusion in the documentary. Black 47 were on fire that night and
honestly in a setting like Reillys Black 47 are the best live band in
the world!

After a few pints and some reflection on the night and being really
impressed with the lads from Horslips I thought it would be great to
put together a Celtic-punk tribute to Horslips – basically these guys
started it all and wouldn’t it be great to bring it all back to where
it started

So, if your interested in contributing a track let me know I’ve a
couple of spots left to fill

Review

Brutus’ Daughters: When The Pubs Are Dying

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April 26, 2010

The Madrid-based Brutus’ Daughters have the distinction of being one of the very few female-led folk-punk bands in this genre. Lead singer “Paula” has a voice that one could best describe as an angry, bratty sound, very much befitting the punk attitude conveyed here and surprisingly in-tune with the cry of the band’s Asturian pipes, or “gaita.”

Said gaita makes up half of the “folk element” of the Daughters, sharing this title with the fiddle, although “sharing” doesn’t seem like the most appropriate term. The two instruments seem to battle for the lead role as frequently as they do share it. Having two dueling lead lines going at the same time is not unusual on “When the Pubs Are Dying,” (the band’s most recent release.) The two instruments do, however, compliment each other during their little battles, creating a sort of “chaotic harmony,” that is all at once unsettling, unusual, and really interesting.

The 8-track release, “When the Pubs Are Dying,” finds the lyrics crisply snapped out in English and Spanish, (and apparently, Asturian, although, I admit I read this little fact onBrutus’ Daughters’ MySpace page. I lack the familiarity with either language to differentiate them when sung at me!) Along with the pipes and fiddle, the band consists of drums, rhythm guitar, lead guitar and bass. Also in the mix sees the fiddler doing some double duty on the tin whistle and low whistle.

The general atmosphere of Brutus’ Daughters’ When The Pubs Are Dying is one of an abrupt, raucous stomp of a punk rock attack, not remotely softened by its accompanying folk elements. The bands’ inclusion of the Asturian Gaita, and the assortment of languages the songs are delivered in, (not to mention the chorus of ladies’ voices,) not only create Brutus’ Daughters signature sound , but contribute to a genuinely exotic atmosphere as well.

Foreign-sounding; yes, (at least to my ears,) but also, as enjoyable as it is intriguing.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Bastards On Parade: Death Shore Pirates E.P

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April 24, 2010

Those Bastards have returned with their third 4-track E.P. since their formation in 2007, entitled Death Shore Pirates. And a solid and rocking disc it is!

As their name would imply, (obviously taken as a nod to their primary influences,) Bastards on Parade occupy a place firmly on the Dropkick Murphys end of the Celtic Folk-Punk spectrum. Bastards on Parade, however, with the benefits of hindsight, have incorporated the ragged, raw energy of the fledgeling DKM with a pervasive Celtic instrumentation, similar to that which the Murphys eventually evolved into. The result is one that is familiar, yet new at the same time.

The aforementioned instrumentation includes mandolin, tin whistle and bagpipes along with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, (all of which are sung in un-accented English, despite the band’s Spanish origins.)

A point of interest, (to me, anyways,) that should be noted is in regard to those bagpipes: Bastards on Parade hail from the Celtic region of Galicia in Northern Spain, and, although I could find no reference confirming this, I believe that the bagpipes used in their music are the Galician pipes, (known as Gaita.) These pipes yield a distinctly sweeter tone than its Scottish sibling, and a somewhat sharper one than the Irish Uilleann pipes. A small detail, true, but one that lends to a unique element in the Bastards sound.

All of these contributing factors are present here in the newest installment in the Bastards E.P. catalog, Death Shore Pirates. Compared to the band’s previous releases, Death Shore Pirates comes in somewhat brighter and cleaner than the “Pipes and Drunx” E.P. and just a bit harder hitting than the absolutely brilliant “Whiskey in my Heart” but continues with the same quality of songs, and infectious energy that Bastards On Parade have consistently delivered.

One benefit from the ‘E.P. versus full-length release’ approach that the Bastards On Parade seem to have chosen is that they are able to release these little slices of their music at a more frequent rate. This is definitely a plus because this stuff absolutely kicks ass.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Paddy and The Rats: Rats On Board

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April 23, 2010

I love to hear Celtic Folk-Punk Music from other cultures. The Germans, The Slavs, The Japanese; They all have their own interpretations of it and give it a flavor all their own. It is always fun to hear and provides that variety that helps keep the music fresh. This holds true also for Hungary’s Paddy and the Rats.

But Paddy and The Ratsknow it. They are not only on-board with this mentality, but seem to be trying to champion it! Along with the Irish instrumentation and “Pub-Music” style, The Ratshave, (intentionally!) laced music elements of German, Gypsy, Cajun, Russian and various other flavors to create an interesting, mongrel-like, final product to straddle their punk rock rhythms, pacing and mood.

Finding a comparison for Paddy and the Ratsrequires stepping outside of the realm of their high-profile contemporaries, and into that of more specific styles, (with Saint Bushmill’s Choir, Big Bad Bollocks and Boston’s The Gobshites, coming first to my mind.) The band’s sound here is among those mug-swinging, sing-along, “pubrock” bands that eschews politics, lamentations, or deep contemplative philosophy in favor of the more immediate gratification of fun. And damned fun they are. The band’s first full-length CD, Rats on Board,doesn’t have a bad track among the fifteen songs on it, but my personal faves include, Bully in the Alley, Hurry Home, and Freedom.

The Rats’ instrumental arsenal includes guitars, mandolin, accordion, fiddle, tin whistle, bass, pipes, drums, bodhran and vocals, dispersed among the six members, and dispensed with infectious enthusiasm! Fun, immediately accessible songs, and a sound that echoes with raised glasses and wide grins, Paddy And The Rats’ Rats on Board delivers the goods.

Did I mention fun?

Available on iTunes, Amazon.com, Napster, and eMusic, (nice job marketing, guys!) for 30-second samples, if my opinion doesn’t convince you.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, The Blathering Gommel

Review

The Ceili Family: Tory Kings

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April 23, 2010

The Ceili Family, a 6-piece, Celtic folk-rock band out of western Germany, lists Christy Moore, The Dubliners and The Pogues pretty highly among their influences, and with their latest release, Tory Kings, it shows.

In the wide spectrum of styles in the Celtic Folk-Punk genre, The Ceili Family’s sound  falls fairly squarely in with those of The Pogues’, The Mahones,’ and, to a lesser extent, The Greenland Whalefishers,’ with more of an emphasis on the folk-ish elements and less crunchy guitar distortion.

The bands’ instrumentation includes guitar, mandolin, accordion, bass, drums, and fiddle along with vocals, which were are all in English, despite the bands origins. These vocals ring in somewhere between a slur-free version of Popes-era Shane MacGowan, and The Mahones’ Finny McConnell for a clear and easy to understand lyric delivery.

All of the instrumentation is top-notch and impressive, but it is the accordion that I first noticed on Tory Kings, the band’s follow-up to 2007’s Tooraloo. It plays a major role in defining The Ceili Family sound, straddling between the traditional and the rock instruments, filling in the chords and providing a broad backdrop for the fiddle and mandolin to dance upon.

With Tory Kings, The Ceili Family continues with their “no frills folk ‘n’ roll” with a collection of all-original tracks proudly displaying their influences. The end result being an upbeat and enjoyable release that is easy to listen to, no matter what the mood.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Los Langeros: This Is Normal

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April 20, 2010

Los Langeros seem like very nice young men from Co. Cork. Well their emails at least indicate that. The music though…well I’m not sure if its genius or insanity. “This is Normal”, sounds like the sound track to a 1970s video nasty in which a Tom Waits like slasher, drunk on poteen and the Fatima Mansions hunts down Willy Nelson with bad intentions and a chainsaw. Like I said, I’m not sure if its genius or insanity. You decide (and Willie watch out).