“Shore Leave” is the 4th full length (I think) from Vancouver’s Celt-rockers The Town Pants and I can happily testify that it is deffo a return to the spit and sawdust sound of their first two releases – “Weight of Words”, their last, was just a little too polished and I blame the major label they were on for that. Shore Leave is self-released so there is no chance of the A&R guy messing with the sound to “get a hit”. Must hears include the galloping, “….Unlikely redemption of Oliver Reed”, a ode to legendry English boozehound and the really frickin’ head banging, air banjo cover of Iron Maidens “Run to the Hills” – folk for muthas – now, how ‘bout some devil horns.
I wasn’t expecting to be quite blown away by this 4 track EP from Pipes ‘n’ Pints, a Celtic punk band from the Czech Republic – actually, I was expecting to have to suffer through it and then struggle to find something nice to say. This wasn’t the case at all, at all!! Basically, if you like you punk loud and with bagpipes in the vein of Dropkick Murphys, The Real McKenzies or The PubCrawlers then this will truly blow you away. The band is tight, powerful – the drummer beats the shite outta the drums like you wouldn’t believe, the pipes wail, at the vocal will rip your face off. I would wager the 3 aforementioned bands would be proud to have written any of the 4 tracks on this EP. Find of the year, maybe!
Farler’s Fury (not to be confused with NYCs Finns Fury) are a French-Canadian Celt/punk band from Quebec. The music on this 7 track CD is fast, spunky and punky with wailing bag pipes prominent in about half the tracks The songs are also split between being sung in English and French – at times I’m reminded of the great early 80s French punk/metal band Trust. Like the lead track of the CD says; “Real men wear kilts”.
Pat McManus is a Northern Ireland born and based, blues/rock guitarist – now why would this might organ of Celtic-punk be doing a review of a blues rock artist? Well without Pat there may never have been a Shite’n’Onions – his 80’s metal power three-o – Mama’s Boys – he formed with his brothers was the first band I ever heard combine hard rockin’ music with Irish trad., (I’m too young for Horslips and Black Rose era Thin Lizzy) and not only was Pat lead guitarist he was also a former all-Ireland fiddle champion (a certain Dave King was lead vocalist of Mama’s Boys for a short period). After the demise of Mamas Boys in the early 90’s (due to the tragic death of youngest brother Tommy), Pat along with other brother John dove into Celtic music with the new age sounding Celtus. Pat ultimately moved back to Ireland from London where he had been based for many years and got back to his guitar roots – ‘In My Own Time’ is the result. ‘In My Own Time’ is slick blues rock that shouts out to American blues icons like Stevie Ray, ZZ Top and Robert Cray – but especially to the Irish master of all blues players, Rory Gallagher (“Return of the G Man” is a heart felt tribute to the might Rory). For me it’s great to hear Pat still doing his own thing and producing great music and that he’s still such a great player (he even breaks out the fiddle – though country not trad., this time).
“Tenerife to Dover” is the 4th full length from the UK based Warblefly and the 3rd we’ve reviewed here at Shite’n’Onions – folk, roots and punk with a groove played by PHD types with drink problems is how I’d best describe Warblefly and they don’t stray from the sound that made previous releases so good (though I do love the ska grove on ” shoplifter” as well) and as with previous release “Tenerife to Dover” isn’t an immediate release and it takes a few spins to get into – but its worth it and with each spin you’ll discover more nuggets of genius.
“Sons & Daughters of the Soil” has been sitting in the Shite’n’Onions review pile for a while – I had pulled it out at one point and given it a quick spin coming to the conclusion that McAlpine’s Fusiliers are a very good Irish-Australia folk rock act doing standards with an edge – a bit like Texas’s, Murder the Stout. Recently I pull the bugger out again to do a proper review when I noticed upon reading the back sleeve that a lot of these “standard” were actually original – (“Mickey Finn”, “Jack O’Brian”, “Spanish Holiday”) and in Leigh Schroeter McAlpine’s Fusiliers have a very fine original songwriter who’s songs will stock the repertoire of balladeers from Donegal to Dingle to Detroit and Darwin.
Yo ho ho – punk and piracy from Clifton NJ. While Clifton is not really a place I associate with buccaneers – Celt punk’s who can drink for 3 seconds (The Skels) yes, but scallywags? Nope. Brine & Bastards have changed my impression of this gritty suburb of NYC forever with “Set Sail for Sodomy” (nod to The Pogues in that title) with their Captain Morgan inspired punk rock – lots of catchy ’77 style punk meets Green Day meets Jack Sparrow. Less folkey then the west coasts Wages of Sin though you can hear banjos, accordions and the kazoo(??) in the mix. As infectious as a good old dose of scurvy (I assume scurvy is infectious. Right?).
Kevin Flynn and the Avondale Ramblers play self-described “Chicago-Irish” music – this sound is very much rooted in the traditions of the Ol’ Sod but the attitude and the inspiration is very much in the underbelly of Chicago – on ” The Murderer, The Thief, The Minstrels and The Rest”, Kevin Flynn and his band of punks will take you on a tour of the dive bars of the North Side and will introduce you to drunks, killers and barroom hustlers, sleazy lawyers (Money Malone), musicians way past their glory days, crooked cops and pol’s and if you do make it back unscarred check your wallet – it’s gone.
Its been awhile since I’ve heard anything new from Shilelagh Law – maybe 6 or 7 years. Not that they haven’t been active – I just didn’t get to hear anything. So I’m glad to report I’m back on the mailing list. I’m also glad to report that nothing has changed musically. Shilelagh Law are still the best modern Irish ballad/trad-rock group on either side of McLean Ave. in fact maybe even the whole east coast! Dennis McCarty is still the finest fiddler in the NYFD and now he’s joined by Kevin McCarthy, NYPD’s best accordion player. Richard Popovicis still the finest Croatian-American singer of Irish tunes. Highlights for me are the full force trad cover of “The hills of Connemara” and the Tongue-in-cheek country/gospel tinged, “His Favorite”. If you like stuff like The Town Pants and Cullen’s Hounds you’ll love this.
BGG hail from Detroit-Folk-City and members are all 20 plus year veterans of that city’s music scene. Here BGG present to us for review 14 tracks of mostly high energy yet laid back electric guitar driven Celtic rock standards with touches of blue grass coupled with sea shanties. I said mostly didn’t I? Cos’ on their version of The Wild Rover they go all out Detroit ala a guitar sound that wouldn’t go amiss from The Stooges or The MC5 and I frigging love it. On the next release I’m hoping to hear more Iggy and less Jerry.
Shite'n'Onions 