Aha, DIY punk. To quote WFW, “recorded at one session, in one day, in an out building behind a farmhouse”, “mixed and mastered in a few hours and on the streets a couple of days later” and in the Shite’n’Onions review queue for 6 months – sorry guys. This is 10 tracks of some of the most brutally loud punk rock I’ve ever heard and to quote Lemmy “If this band move in next door to you – your lawn would die”.
August 2005
I’d never heard Larkin before and didn’t know what to expect but I have to say I was missing out. I’ve nothing against Tulsa, Oklahoma. Any city with a hockey team is OK by me but I wouldn’t have expected this.
Pretty impressive shite from my point of view…This band really got my feet and other parts movin’. This is what I like from a band of this genre. Tunes full of energy with a good sound accompanying it. Nothing overpowering, just straight forward stuff.
As other outfits can easily be identified by their vocal styling, the same can be said of Larkin. Chad Malone’s vocals are a perfect accompaniment to the music; providing a voice that brings Larkin’s songs to life, meshing the music and lyrics together nicely. The other members of the band do a good job providing the base for Malone’s voice.
Larkin does a good job mixing their songs so that the instrumentals don’t overpower the vocals; meaning you can actually hear what they’re singing about. There is a very nice blend of instruments in all of their songs from David Lawrence’s pipes to Karen Naifeh Harmon’s fiddle. All of them find their place in Larkin’s offerings. One would be hard pressed to find any place where the music didn’t fit.
The entire CD is pretty good but I really liked “Of Hope and Misfortune”, “Ghost of Long Gone Days” the instrumental “Woody Hornpipe” amongst others.
Give Larkin a listen. I think you’ll like what you hear. I’ll be givin’ this one plenty of play.
August 2005
By The Black Stuff
A few months ago, someone told me about Myspace.com. My first thought was LiveJournal. You know, one of of those websites where you can post your horrible, teenage poetry on some blog so all your “buddies” can read them, and feel sorry for your pathetic ass, and give you a big hug in the school hallway right before math class….(Okay I’m done.) Yes, for the most part Myspace is worthless, but I’ll admit, the cool thing is you can listen to all kinds of bands, (Some good, some REALLY bad!!) that you never would have heard about. Here’s a quick list and description of some of the bands I thought are worth checking into.
The Dirges – I’ll admit, this is the reason I felt the need to review all these bands I heard on Myspace. You seriously need to check The Dirges out right now. To put it very blunt…They have a great fucking sound. In fact, if you decide to check out Molly Malones Pub in Hollywood. (Of Flogging Molly fame) You’ll probably see The Dirges up on stage playing some tunes. They are more or less, Molly Malones “weekday house band”. Speaking of Flogging Molly, a member of The Dirges, (Francis DeAngelo) sing backup vocals on their last album. They also opened up for Spider Stacy/Filthy Theivin’ Bastards in L.A. a few months back. Just what does this band sound like? Here’s a description form the band: “The Clash meets Van Morrison in a Irish pub. They all leave, go to Shane MacGowans house for a few pints and ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!” I honestly think they sound better than that description, but what do I know! Reminds me of a young Van Morrison fronting The Low & Sweet Orchestra. Look for a big ol’ review on Shite’n’Onions soon! Consider this as a quick teaser. Have I mentioned great fucking sound yet?
The Scotchgreens – From Ketchum (Ketchup?), Idaho. The ScotchGreens are not a Celt-Punk band at all, but the majority of S’n’O readers will enjoy them anyways. From the website: “Formed in 1998 and originating from Idaho and California, The ScotchGreens blend punk rock, bluegrass, and American roots music to form a unique sound that challenges and captivates its fans. Based out of San Diego, The ScotchGreens have a reputation for high-energy shows, and play on a regular basis throughout Southern California.”
Meisce – From Seattle, Washington. They describe themselves as: “A drunken Irish folk singer dancing in the barn he just lit on fire.” Meisce has been together since October of 2002, combining elements of Irish folk, gypsy, Eastern European klezmer, and punk rock, among other influences. We are excessively drink-friendly, and our live shows usually erupt into frenzied dancing and flying alcoholic beverages. They are in the process of recording a full-length album, and from what I’ve heard from these guys so far, it should be good. check out
The Sharky Doyles – From the south side of the Windy City. I know they’ve been mentioned on S’n’O before, but you gotta love the way they decribe their sound: “If Social Distortion, The Pogues and the Dropkick Murphys had a three way with your little sister, the Sharky Doyles would be the little bastard that came out 9 months later.” You’ve gotta admit, that description alone deserves a listen, and when you do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy The Sharky Doyles.
The Barstool Hooligans – You’ve gotta love the name. The Barstools some from Eire, Pennsylvania, and from what I’ve heard, they have a celtabilly punk’n’roll kind of sound. The second album should be out Fall 2005. Look for a full review of that album sometime soon.
Fighting Sullivans – Do you like the GC5, Dropkick Murphys, and lyrics influnced by Shane MacGowan and Billy Bragg? Then you’ll enjoy Fighting Sullivans. Hailing from the great state of Ohio, home of The Boys From The County Hell, The GC5, and the most horrible name in NHL hockey: The Blue Jackets (Okay second worst, right after The Mighty Ducks.)
The Swaggerin’ Growlers – If you’re a fan of The PubCrawlers, you’ll also these guys. Probably because The Swaggerin’ Growlers consist of former members of the Pubcrawlers. As a fan of big jugs, I just knew I’d enjoy clicking on the makeshift play button the webmasters over at myspace provide. Speaking of growlers, I have a few growlers full of beer in my fridge. It’s 5pm somewhere…http://thuglygoose.com/ or of course www.myspace.com/theswaggeringrowlers
Brennan’s Revenge – From Eastlake, Ohio. I’m just going to get the band do the talking…
“As legend has it a man named Rick Sirl (quite possibly the sexiest man on Earth second only to the mighty Ogre…) was looking for pictures of naked tribal women in Readers Digest (he always confused Readers Digest and National Geographic) when he had a most terrific idea.
He thought to himself “I am going to start a progressive rock band and we will be called Silly Wizard and the Lazy Geniuses!” It was a glorious event, the dawning of a new day!
After a few hideous performances at his favorite bathhouse Rick decided to change things up a bit. He decided to play something other than progressive rock, something with a little testicular fortitude. Something like Irish influenced Punk-Country-Folk-Rock.”
The Closet Squatters – From Chicago, Illinois. Don’t ask me what the fuck a closet squatter is, because my first thought wasn’t exactly worth going into detail, but it was pretty fucking sick… The Closet Squatters sound like a nice mix of Flogging Molly meets The Kissers.
County Hell – If you’re in Tallahasse, Florida and need a quick Celt-Punk fix, Check out the band, County Hell. They play around town from time to time. I’m not sure if they have a website up & running yet, so in the meantime, check out www.myspace.com/countyhell So that should keep you alll busy for a while. I’m sure there’s plenty more decent bands out there, and I’m sure we jokers here at Shite’nOnions will eventually review them one way or another. So you’ve got to admit, even though the majority of Myspace users may have countless pages of shite on their collective blogs of boredom, there are also a few decent bands worth checking out, and supporting. Not maybe those bastards will send me money for all the fucking times I mentioned their site!
August 2005
Reviewed by “Barnacle” Brian Gillespie
The Pubcrawlers have come a long way from their rough and ready first demo recorded a little over two years ago and while they band still retain that early enthusiasm they have come on in leaps and bounds as a band in terms of musical and studio skill – fans of straight ahead, no frills Celtic-Punk like The Porters, The Real McKenzies and Dropkick Murphys will certainly get a kick outta this and all others should keep an eye on ’em cos that classic is just around the corner.
August 2005
First of all hats off to Paddy Rock Radio’s John Bowels for putting this comp together. As someone who has put together a similar project I know what’s involved in pulling everything together and believe me it can be a major pain in the ass. Chicago based Paddy Rock Radio is a peer Shite’n’Onions and a long time supporter of the Celtic/Punk scene. Paddy Rock Volume 1 is a celebration of the shows 5th anniversary and is a collection of both classic and new Paddy Rock. Some of the the music on offer here will be very familiar (The Peelers, The Prodigals, Greenland Whalefishers and The Mahones) and some stuff is new even to me. The new bands to me that I loved and now want to check out further are Flatfoot 56 (bagpipes and hardcore), The Killigans (Flogging Molly like with feeling and great vocals), Switchback (Reggae’n’Irish).
Full band list: Flatfoot 56, The Peelers, The Bloody Irish Boys, The Killigans, Jackdaw, The Go Set, The Mahones, Switchback, The Prodigals, Greenland Whalefishers, IceWagon Flu, The Scuttlers, The Broken Shillelaghs
August 2005
And now for something completely different. Well sort off. While most Celtic-rock bands use The Clash as their jumping off point from the rock world into the world of The Pogues and onwards to The Dubliners and Clancys. Con from Philadelphia have influences coming from late eighties/early nineties alternative rock – The Pixies and U2 when they were ripping off, eh, being influenced by The Pixies. Adding to this base are traditional Irish melodies which soften the hard guitar edges. Singer-songwriter Frank Daly appropriately enough was with rebel group Spirit of ’16 prior to Con. The lyrics here are some of the most pro-Irish Republican I heard this side of Black 47 or That Petrol Emotion and like both these very fine groups I feel the lyrics may hold the band back from wider acceptance outside the Irish rock scene but I doubt somehow they give a shit about that.
August 2005
Its hard to believe The Scuttlers contain a member of legendary 70’s Aussie punks X – Geoff Holmes – ‘cos this is totally different to anything old punk fans could ever imagine. Think of a Celtic Grateful Dead tripping on Irish whiskey and magic mushrooms – jigs’n’reels and raggle taggle with spacey female vocals often hidden behind background tapes. The cover of “Whiskey in the jar” is an amazing Alt-country version.
August 2005
Hard Folk is probably the best description I can come up for Stoke-on-Trent, England’s Jug’o’punch. Part Pogues, part Dubliners with a touch of American bluegrass and blues (lots of harmonicas here). Like The Pogues before ’em, Jug’o’Punch mix the romance of Irish dreams and yearning with the gritty reality of life in the UK Those like me who loved “Fiver on the horses” and “Cold” from the recent EP will love this full length
August 2005
I’m going to try and kill two birds with the proverbal one stone here by squishing the reviews of both Barley Juice CDs into one review. First up is 2001’s self titled ‘Barleyjuice’ a collection of traditional drinking, fighting, courtin and sailing songs which is more Dubliners then The Pogues and much more Clancy Brothers then anyone else, both in song choice and performance. 2005’s ‘Another Round’, follows on in the tradition of the debut but adds in a few originals which stand up well to tradition staple of covers. ‘Scottish Samba’ is a classic. If you haven’t made up your mind were your going to be next Paddys Day then where ever these guys are playing would be a very fine choice.
August 2005
First off this is the first time I’ve tried to review a album so go easy on me. That and I never got around to finishing high school and learning that grammar and spelling BS. Anyways, On to the review. You might know John Allen (lead singer of BBB) as the guy playing whistle and singing with DKM on there song “Far Away Coast” That’s the first time I heard him at least.
The bands lineup consists of John (Vocals, Whistle, Squeezebox), Pino (Guitar, vocals, keys), Ernie Wilson (Bass/Vocals) And Sal Vega (Drums) which Is a fairly light mix of traditional instruments compared to most of the Irish rock bands out there. At least half of the tunes on the CD have no or hardly any trad instruments at all. The bollocks however can outplay (and probably out drink) most of those bands easily, using a mix of great music writing lyrical storytelling and plain craziness.
To me the bands style makes me think of Irish folk, some good old fashioned rock ‘n roll with some great football terrace choruses thrown in there. All the whistle/accordion driven riffs, Rolling Stones esque guitar and Oi! Oi!’s you could ask for.
So a little about some of the songs: Big Bad Bollocks is the bands anthem and sports a awesome driving accordion riff, ‘The pubs of Liverpool’ and ‘Drunker than I was’ could possibly be two of the best songs to swing a pint through the air to. ‘Motorcycle jacket’ is a distorted guitar driven song of teen angst, and ‘Night on the tiles’ chronicles all to well the mess that I and probably most of you find ourselves in every weekend night.
All in all this album is the best that I’ve found in a quite awhile. It stands out from the crowd of folk rock and doesn’t really sound like any other band I’ve listened to before (in a good way) Defiantly going in my top 8 folk rock albums.
Its really a shame that information and music for these guys is almost impossible to find.
August 2005
By Ben Taylor
Shite'n'Onions 