New York City based A Band of Rogues are a contemporary Irish American folk-rock group lead by the growling vocals of Sean McNally. The self titled A Band of Rogues is the Band of Rogues second full length and the songs are fast paced and very lively – sure to get the 8 to 80 year old set off their arses at Irish festivals up and down the East Coast circuit. The lyrical material while dreaming if the idyllic life on the Ol’ Sod doesn’t pull any punches with the reality of Ireland on Can’t Eat The Scenery and Christy Moore’s Ordinary Man
Vancouver’s Pat Chessell follows up on last years “Live & Lusty” with a collection of standards and originals. The covers included a great version of Brennan On The Moore as well as Steve Earle’s modern Irish classic – Galway Girl – which in now a wedding standard at every Irish wedding from Mizen Head to Bloody Foreland. Eric Bogel’s “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” is well done and believable though Shane MacGowan still owns this one. MacGowan’s “The Dunes” is also covered. MacGowan wrote Dunes about the Irish Famine for Ronnie Drew and when Ronnie “sang’ The Dunes you could believe Ronnie had witnessed the destruction of the famine and the aftermath – this is a tough one to cover for anyone.
On top of the covers Pat has included some originals which is a brave move when your covering some of the finest contemporary songwriters of the last 30 years. Pat does a fine job of meeting these standards though interestingly enough I would reference Johnny Cash as the influence on two of Pats original material and it’s not a stretch to imagine Johnny performing these. The third, Drunk In Exile, was released previously as a single and is much more party Irish folk reminiscent for fellow Vancouver based The Town Pants. Nice job.
21st Century Loser is the 3rd full length release from Swedish-Irish Celtic-punk band SIR REG. And as with the prior two releases from Sir Reg, 21st Century Loser is 12 tracks of first class, balls to the wall Celtic-punk. Dublin born Brendan Sheehy fronts the band and his singing voice is more than a little similar to fellow Dub, Dave King of Flogging Molly. What sets SIR REG apart from the Celtpunk masses is the authenticity of the subject matter of the bands lyrics that deal with the current state of the Irish economy and the greed of the Celtic Tiger era that caused the implosion of the country and the band don’t pull any punches as to who’ fault it is for the whole bag’o’shite.
I’ve said this before have experience putting together compilation albums – it’s not easy. It isn’t a job of slapping a few ol’ track on a disk and pressing. The music and the tracks have to flow and complement each other, so hats off to Black 47’s Larry Kirwan for a fine job. The idea of this compilation is to showcase various bands that Larry has featured on his Celtic Crush show on Sirius XM radio. The comp has a nice mix of Celtic tinged acts – most more radio friendly then the stuff we do at Shite’n’Onions. We have some big mainstream names like Hothouse Flowers, Runrig and The Waterboys with a phenomenal live version of “Savage Earth”. There is Black 47 themselves with Uncle Jim, Shite’n’Onions fav’s Blaggards (no The) with an almost metal version of “The Irish Rover” and a classic blast from the past in Pat McGuire’s, “You’re So Beautiful”. The rest of the album is given to showcase some fine less established banks like Barleyjuice, Celtic Cross, Peatbog Faeries, Garrahan’s Ghost’s and Shilelagh Law.
Across The Border, from the Karlsruhe area of Germany are one of Celtic-punks longest running groups releasing at least seven albums and E.P.s. I believe the band’s history goes back to 1991 which puts them into the same vintage bracket as The Mahones and Black 47 though unlike these two acts, FOLKPUNK AIRRAID, is the first album I’ve really heard from this band. What I’m hearing is energetic Celtic-folk-punk reminiscent of fellow Germans, FIDDLERS GREEN, and strong influences by THE POGUES and THE CLASH (obviously). Every track on FOLKPUNK AIRRAID is a winner but I need to highlight, AWAY, a tribute to THE CLASH, the full throttle, MARRY ME OR BURY ME and the BLACK 47 sounding, WHAT IF MEN. My big reservation is the vocals that just don’t do it for me – I can’t put my finger on it, maybe the accent but then again after 20 years together I’m sure they don’t give a shite if I like the vocals or not.
Celtic punk is not an exclusive preserve of those with Celtic genes or even the English (Hiberno-English) speaking world. We’re all familiar with the great bands from Germany and Japan and even Indonesia playing Celtic punk. But did you know there is a French-Canadian scene and it does not include The Mahones even though Finny move the band to Quebec. We’ve previously reviewed releases from Farler’s Fury now I present you francophiles with Bodh’aktan. Disagree with me that fidddles, French and fecking jigs and Reels don’t work then listen to either A Borie or Le medley du mal de pieds – still disagree after an ear full then your the Duke of Wellington.
It would be hard to write a review of anything by Germany’s Auld Corn Brigade without mentioning the Dropkick Murphys. So we might as well get it outta the way, so here goes, Auld Corn Brigade’s new four track EP/10′ vinyl goes a long way to reinforce my belief that the Germany Celtic-punks are the best off the bunch of the new Dropkick Murphys inspired bands. Sure their not clones, the fiddles and the female co-lead vocals differentiates them but still, if you love the DKM chances are you’ll love the ACB – got the alphabet going here!
The 4 track EP includes a great cover of the Christy Moore / Moving Hearts song of the Spanish Civil International Brigade, Viva la Quinta Brigada, and something called the Helicopter Song (about a prison break from Dublin’s Mountjoy) that must be a Wolfe Tones cover (help me out here) and two other great tracks. Recommended to lovers of Celtic-punk and especially DKM lovers.
Handsome Young Strangers is a strange name for an Aussie folk-punk band, it doesn’t have the ring that I would expect for a bunch of colonial punks – it sounds way more lizard lounge or the like if you ask me. But like follow Crocodile Hunters (is that too much of a cliche?) The Currency, Mutiny and Jack flash, HYS mix Australian folk standard such as Augathella Station and Lachlan Tigers with their own originals, all done in a Stones-ish meets crusts folk punk around the camp fire with the XXXX cracked open. G’d stuff indeed mate.
Devil or the Barrel showcases The Langers Ball mark (iii). Originally a two person due of Michael and Hannah the MN based Langers Ball released two fine Celtic-rock albums SHIPS ARE SAILING and AND AS I ROVED OUT then expanded to a full band for the live DRUNK, SICK, TIRED. The Langers then reverted back to mark (i) briefly before expanding back to a full 5 piece and picking some very fine musicians in the process including Mr. Drew Miller of BOLIED IN LEAD fame (and the Omnium record label that release the two Shite’n’Onions comps). The sound is certainly beefed up on THE DEVIL OR THE BARREL yet stays true to the original sound of the duo – high energy Celtic folk rock meets Americana – though if they consume the whiskey like the way the sing about it I fear the next Kickstarter project these guys run will be to pay for five liver transplants.
Coaster is a fine Paddy-punk album from CA’s Brick Top Blaggers – speedy and spunk Irish influence folk punk with just the right mix of tradition and rock’n’roll bound together by love of the rare ‘ol mountain dew (and maybe even The Pogues) – reminiscent of Sir Reg and Flogging Molly. The Oregon Song is outstanding and a must hear.
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