Best of 2022

Screw the Oscars, screw the MTV awards, screw Rolling Stone and the CMA, here is Shite’n’Onions best of 2022 list. The only list that matters.

#1 THE MAHONES: JAMESON STREET

A full force Céilí romp and possibly the most authentic trad sound I’ve ever heard coming out of any Celtic punk band.

#2 FINNEGAN’S HELL: ONE FINGER SALUTE

 As good as anything the big boys are doing

#3 THE WINTER CODES: SET THE DARKNESS REELING

Barney still has a voice that could strip paint at 50 feet

#4 FLOGGING MOLLY: ANTHEM

Their most Celtic-sounding album with an almost Seán Ó Riada style Celtic orchestration

#5 SIR REG: KINGS OF SWEET FECK ALL

Something you can’t fake. 

#6 JESSE AHERN: HEARTACHE AND LOVE

This is real blue-collar rock’n’roll with the authenticity you can only get from someone who actually works hard for a living.

#7 DAN BOOTH & NICK BURBRIDGE: ICONS

 Beautiful – musically, lyrically, and sounding

Best album to piss off your neighbors with:

THE TEMPLARS OF DOOM: RISING OF THE DOOM!

And on this one, the bagpipes go up to 11.

Best vanity project (just kidding) album:

DROPKICK MURPHY: THIS MACHINE STILL KILLS FASCISTS

Dropkick Murphys ode to Woody Guthrie

Best punk supergroup album:

ULTRABOMB: TIME TO BURN

Fast, powerful punk rock with great melodies, kind of like, well,…………Hüsker Dü

If there was an justice these guys would be huge album:

BRAND NEW ZEROS: BACK TO ZERO

Back to Zero, is really great rock’n’roll and an album I suspect I’ll be listening to for a long time into the future.

Flogging Molly: Anthem

I’m not going to do a long review on Anthem as the album has been out a while and it’s got lots of in-depth reviews elsewhere. Flogging Molly had gone off on a bit of a tangent with, Speed of Darkness, but with the follow-up, Life is Good, they got back on track. I’m happy to report that Anthem keeps them heading the right direction. I will say while Anthem rocks hard it is also their most Celtic-sounding album with an almost Seán Ó Riada style Celtic orchestration (especially, The Croppy Boy ’98). There are plenty of songs here that will be in the band’s live set for a long time – These Times Have Got Me Drinking, A Song of Liberty and, The Croppy Boy ’98. 

https://www.floggingmolly.com/

Finnegan’s Hell: One Finger Salute

I reviewed, Finnegan’s Hell’s last album, Work Is The Curse Of The Drinking Class, a few weeks back and it was outstanding. I now have a copy of their new one, One Finger Salute, and can happily report it’s another cracker. The band is tight, and aggressive with a great sense of melody. The songs are very strong, as good as anything the big boys are doing, while the lyrics betray a sense of humor and a touch of a drinking problem.  The album kicks off on side one with, What Have You Got in the End, which blends tin whistle and aggressive guitars with a bleak outlook on life.  One Finger Salute, is an F-U to an ex and their extended family –   I love the growling vocals here. Mickey Finn is about a bad trip and it’s a wild ride of a song -the double lead vocals are reminiscent of the Dropkick Murphys. Read My Lips, has a bad attitude and strangely reminds me of Motorhead (well if Lemmy played the banjo). Godforsaken Town, closes out side one as a hard luck barroom singalong. Side two opens with, Run Boy Run, a strong accordion-driven Celtic rocker. Comin After You, is growling Celtic-Cow-punk. I’ll make it up to you, is a frantic jig of promises that may not be true – very reminiscent of fellow Scandinavians Greenland Whalefishers. Nothing Left to Lose, is maybe my favorite track here and musically is as nihilistic as its lyrics. The album closes with the doom and gloom of Oh Death.  Overall a great album.

https://finneganshell.com/

LONDON CELTIC PUNKS presents….

London Celtic Punks have put together a 20 track digital album of unashamed Irish rebel songs. For full details and access to the free album go to London Celtic Punks.

Intro

The Gentlemen  – Come Out Ye Black And Tans

Templars Of Doom  – H-Block Escape

The Gobshites  – Give Ireland Back To The Irish

In For A Penny  – Easter Mourn

The Tan And Sober Gentlemen  – Follow Me Up To Carlow

Black Irish Texas  – Join The British Army

Tullamore  – Mairéad Farrell

Sons Of O’Flaherty  – The Fields Of Athenry

The Dead B-Specials  – Take It Down From The Mast

Auld Corn Brigade  – Broad Black Brimmer

Hudson Falcons  – 6 + 26 =1

The Lucky Pistols  – God Save Ireland

The Larkin Brigade  – Sean South From Garryowen

The Fisticuffs  – Young Ned Of The Hill

O’Hamsters  – Erin Ga Bragh

Kilmaine Saints  – Go On Home British Soldiers

Jasper Coal  – The Merry Ploughboy

Drunken Fighters  – The Big Fella

The Bleeding Irish  – The Uprising

St. Bushmill’s Choir  – The Foggy Dew

Larkin  – On The One Road

UltraBomb to tour

Punk rock supergroup (is that a oxymoron?), UltraBomb, featuring our friend Finny McConnell from the The Mahones, drummer extraordinaire, Jamie Oliver of UK Subs and punk rock legend, Greg Norton of Hüsker Du, after many false starts are finally set to tour as well as play the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival.

May 11 St Paul Ticket Turf Club

May 12 Winona No Name Bar

May 13 Chicago Reggie’s

May 15 Indianapolis The Melody Inn

May 17 Memphis The Hi Tone

May 20 Austin Kick Butt Coffee

May 25 Tempe Yucca Tap Room

May 26 San Diego Corazon del Barrio

May 27 Long Beach Alex’s Bar

May 28 Las Vegas Backstage Bar (no Barstool Preachers)

May 31 Denver HQ (no Barstool Preachers)

http://ultrabombmusic.com/

Dropkick Murphys: Okemah Rising

It’s not only Woody from the movie Toy Story who had squeal. The Dropkick Murphys are giving Americas favorite fokie, Woody Guthrie, a squeal with a follow up to, This Machine Still Kills Fascists, titled, Okemah Rising. The album features guest performances by folk punk pioneers Violent Femmes, Jesse Ahern from Quincy, Mass., and Jamie Wyatt. Okemah Rising comes out May 12 on CD, LP and on streaming services worldwide.

https://dropkickmurphys.com/

Potato-eating, Whiskey-drinking, Bog-trotting, CELTIC PUNK ROCK since 2001