Review

The Larkin Brigade: Paddy Keys for Mayor

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Rightso…2 things I have to say before I even start trying to review this album, and these are the first 2 things that struck me within 30 seconds of getting the package out of the mailbox, opened on the kitchen bench and chucking the CD on the stereo…

1) Reading through the song titles on the back of the cover, as sure as Shane MacGowan is the godfather of our beloved paddy punk, “We’re all Wicked Liquored Up at the Upscale Downtown Irish Pub” is the coolest name for a song I have ever heard

2) They have a piano in their line-up. This is rather unique for this style of music and as soon as the first notes hit my ears I was whisked away to a magical, faraway place in my early childhood (about ages 3-7) because at this time my parents exposed me to exclusively classical music (which I was not fond of) AND the following 4 albums (all of which I was very fond of): Billy Joel – The Stranger, Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Steeleye Span – some collection, who knows what and 5 Hand Reel – For A’ That. And bizarrely enough, The Larkin Brigade sound like a mix of all 4 of those artists. Go figure???

OK – sorry about that, but I felt compelled to share…now back to the topic at hand given that this is an album review, not a “My Mum didn’t hug me enough” psychiatry session for me.

Paddy Keys for Mayor is the first album release for The Larkin Brigade – a 4-piece from Boston playing fast-paced Celtic-infused music, with a punk-ish feel. Drums, bass, violin and piano make for a very unique sound that needs to be heard to be properly appreciated. The album is well upbeat, kicking you out of your chair and cocking your ears to catch the next funky piano lick, or violin trill over the top of a driving rhythm section. I reckon these guys would do one solid live show that couldn’t leave you with anything but a big smile on your face.
The first track, “Tim Phoolan and the Worst Campaign for City Council Ever” is a great intro to the album. It hits you straight away with what The Larkin Brigade are all about – cymbal-heavy percussion, beefy bass, violin-melody with a crazy piano running all over the place. Pat’s vocals are thick-sounding, yet light-hearted and engaging.
“Banana Republic” and “Dot Day” follow this up nicely with a similar feel to Tim Phoolan. Some sweet work on the harmonica in Banana adds a nice touch. Dot has a catchy melody and great toe-tapping rhythm – very clever little song.
“Planxty John L.” incorporates some great timing changes that deliver a punch as good as the Irish-American boxer who is the subject of the song.
“This is a Rebel Cry” and “Mission Thrill” are a couple of fun tracks complete with drinking and ninja turtle references. The latter has a great bridge section that could have come from traditional session in any decent Irish pub the world over.
“Sean South From Garryowen” shares the same tune as Roddy McCorley and cranks up the temperature with some wicked bagpipes giving you that extra shot of adrenaline only a good ol’ rebel song can deliver.
“The Tinker” has some great changes of tempo infused with a clever violin riff and finishes with a soaring fiddle solo. Following this is a sweet little instrumental: “Tabhair Dom Do Lamh” and then we’re transported straight into a noisy piano bar for a bit of good ol’ rag time jamming.
“We’re All Wicked Liquored Up at the Upscale Downtown Irish Pub” as I already noted could never go wrong for me and it is a great song turning the piano bar into an Irish pub full of drunken Powers-infused punters wrecking the joint.
The album closes out with “The Banshee Went to Outer Space”, another solid track with some crazy fast lyrics, punk-beats and vocals, a bit of electronic madness chucked in for good measure and all with the goods on the rhythm and pounding piano this album delivers in spades.

So this album really gives you something unique. Not for the die-hard punk perhaps, but to anyone who likes their music with a cheeky sense of humour that isn’t taking itself too seriously, who can handle their rhythm loud and proud and void of guitar, who can dig a violin and piano being used as assault rifles on the ears, and can take their whiskey straight or in a tall glass of coke – this comes with an A-grade recommendation from this reviewer. Slainte!

2007

Review – Alex Dean

Review

Icewagon Flu: The Great American Something

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In the whole Irish rock scene in the US, IWF are totally on a planet of one. I think someone; somewhere likened them to They Might Be Giants meets Hothouse Flowers – sort of lad back, somewhat funky alt-rock with a touch of Irish. “The Great American Something” builds on the bands previous 2 full lengths and I would say easily their strongest release. Check out “Talk to Me”, it’s a rock radio hit if ever I heard one – that’s if radio ever had the balls to play it.

2007

http://www.icewagonflu.com/

Review

Murder the Stout: Imported

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Texas based Murder the Stout play are a self described “Progressive Celtic Music” group comprised of a Scott, an Irish Man and 3 Texans with “Imported” being their debut release of twenty traditional and contemporary Celtic standards squished into thirteen tracks. I’d describe MTS as a high-energy, straight ahead trad. group, like the Clancy Brothers on Redbull.

Probably the best endorsement I can give for “Imported” is that when I had a Paddy’s Day party for the family this year, “Imported” was heavily played – the perfect Paddy’s Day CD when you don’t want to scare the very old or very young yet want to be entertained yourself.

2007

Review

Ceann: Rant, Rave, Lose Pants

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“Yankee-Irish drinking music” says the CD cover proudly and after a good few solid listens, who am I to disagree. Pittsburgh’s Ceann are a contemporary Irish-America folk rock group playing drinking music for the drinking class (not sure who I stole that description from), The Clancy Brother meets The Beach Boys or even The Monkeys with a comical twist to their lyrics. Honestly, if you haven’t broken a smile by the end of the 15 tracks on “Rant, Rave, Lose Pants” your dead (and if your not, then have a friggin drink and lighten up). Outstanding track “Last one standing” pretty much sums these guys up, “Irish, American and proud”.

Guys how ‘bout a show (or better still a fight) with The Gobshites for the title of Americas funniest Micks.

2007

Review

Three Day Threshold: Against the Grain

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“Against The Grain” is TDT’s 3rd full length release and being well familiar with all 3 I can easily say ATG is clearly their best and most ‘mature’ release to date and when I say ‘mature’ I don’t mean it in a bad way (though I usually do). Long time fans needn’t despair with this new found maturity either ‘cos ATG is still loaded with high speedy trashy country meets Irish but it’s really went things slow down that the music picks up – think if Johnny Cash had live long enough to make America VI – yeah that good.

2007

Review

The Mahones: Irish Punk Collection

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The Mahones: Irish Punk Collection For existing Mahones fans the “Irish Punk Collection” contains every single bloody elusive Mahones track you’ve been trying to get your hands on, but some bastard keeps out bidding you on eBay or you don’t feel justified paying $30.00 for an import through Amazon when all they are doing is mailing a bloody CD down from Canada.

Haven’t heard The Mahones? This is the perfect opportunity to get your hands on 20 tracks (18 really, they snuck in 2 ballads) of the band at their loudest most rockin. Like Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys? Need another fix? You won’t go wrong with The Mahones. They are the musical equivalent of a punch in the face on St. Patrick’s Day from the opening smack to the head of “Queen & Tequila” to the final kick in the balls of “Drunken Lazy Bastard (Live)”. The Mahones will sonically beat the shit out of you.

2007

Review

The BibleCodeSundays: Boots or No Boots

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Is this the album of the year? Big call to be making in August I know…but its gotta be a contender!!!
The BibleCodeSundays’ flute/accordion/fiddle sound is so warm it makes you want to curl up in front of it with a glass of red wine and a naked woman. Its like The Chieftains with a rocket up their arse or something…I don’t know but there’s something about listening to these guys that makes me think of a nice swallow of whiskey, just after the burning sensation has passed and you have that beautiful warm, soft buzz and a big smile on your face.

Boots or No Boots has come out barely a year after 2006’s stunner: Ghosts of Our Past, and I think its better. It has a few tracks with a bit more of an edge to them which pushes it up a few notches further in my ratings. The playing, arrangement and song-writing is once again superb in every way. The vocals are stand-out too, slightly under-stated, but rough enough to add the edge that this music needs.

The album opener, and one of the best tracks on it for sure, is Maybe It’s Because I’m an Irish Londoner. Celebrating the ex-pat feeling of pride and belonging, and this London/Irish combination has a lot to answer for. Shane MacGowan has been quoted numerous times as saying it was this that led to The Pogues sound – it needed Irish music to be taken abroad and re-invented in exile to take it to a new frontier. Irish Londoner is an up-tempo, gutsy song that you can’t but enjoy.

I’ve made it obvious already how much I like this album, so here is a quick run-through of some of the other real highlights:

Mayo Moon – a lost love / leaving song with a sweet, sad melody. Brings a tear to my eye each time I listen to it. A beautiful song in the traditional balladic style.

Lash in the USA – Drink’n’Roll at its finest: “I can’t see straight trying to play, we’re going on the lash in the USA…” Its just a dam fine, fast drinking song.

Cinderella Man – Heart-felt rendition of the story of Jim Braddock. A story better told in a few minutes of song than a few hours of on-screen Russell Crowe methinks, this track is a real stand-out. Lyrics are crisp, melody matches perfectly the Cinderella story, the struggle and rising from the ashes.

Paddy Devil – another drinking song, this one pointing out that little Lucifer who always suggests one more…this track is complete with evil devil laugh and an absolutely stand-out close with King of the Fairies harder and faster than I’ve ever heard it before – I tell ya, these guys know how to play!

Kids From the City of Nowhere – Building on the album opener, this song outlines the over-looked contribution of the Irish ex-pats to the building of London. Great merger of sad-lyrics with up-beat music including heart-soaring horns.

The Green & Red of Harrow – I just like this song…great tune. One of the edgier ones I mentioned earlier. Song is inspired by the County Mayo ex-pats living in Harrow.

Welcome to Cricklewood – a true celebration of multiculturalism! I loved this song from the first listen, a mid-tempo track with a happy-go-lucky feel, corny opening voice-over and a melodic chorus tinged with sadness. The horns combo-ed up with the whistle really does it for me in this one.

The album closes with a heart-wrenching, melancholic soliloquy over a piano backdrop. According to the band’s website, it was written and spoken by vocalist Ronan’s father Ross: a poem half written in the 50s, completed in the 90s. Stranger in My Land is an appropriate close to a beautiful, emotional, stand-up-and-rock-out album delivered in the way only a class-act Paddy Punk band can.

Simply put, The BibleCodeSundays are masters of their trade.

2007

Review: Alex Dean

Review

New Model Army: High

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New Model Army is one of the great bands of post-punk England – punk, gothic, metal and folk all rolled into one. 27 years on the go and 18 years on from the absolute classic “Thunder And Consolation”. Amazingly NMA are as fresh, powerful and original sounding today on “HIGH” as they were to my ear in 1989 when I picked up T&C (this is making me fee old). I read somewhere that “HIGH” was described as NMAs best release since T&C and while I can’t say for sure as T&C was the last NMA album I heard, “HIGH” is a bloody great follow-up.

2007

http://www.newmodelarmy.org/

Review

McDermotts 2 Hours: Goodbye To The Madhouse

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I’ll make no bones about it, McDermotts 2 Hours are easily one of my favorite bands on the whole Celtic/folk/Rock scene – Why? Great songs, great playing and amazing lyrics in the best story telling tradition. “Goodbye To The Madhouse” is the McDermotts 4th release since the band reformed in 2000 and the 1st without The Levellers branding on the CD cover – though various Levellers are still very much involved and it’s out on “Otf recording”, The Levellers own label – if that’s not an endorsement I don’t know what is. “Goodbye…”, certainly doesn’t disappoint and reaches all my expectations and those were set way high. Again, the songs are great, the playing and production masterful and they lyrics powerful and tragic. Highlights – all 11 tracks, but especially Molloy, Crusaders, The true story of Eugene McQuaid

2007

Review

Filthy Thieving Bastards: I’m a Son of a Gun

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So, how good is it when the Bastards put out a new release? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about…and of more immediate concern to me – how the hell do you even begin to review the indescribable brilliance that is the Filthy Thieving’ Bastards? Well let’s see…
Filthy Thieving’ Bastards began as a Swingin’ Utters side-project almost 10 years ago, which by all measures of that term make it a little more than a side-project methinks. They combine incredibly cheery and cheeky melodies with punk attitude (and sometimes sound), over the top of whatever country/folk/bluegrass type of sounds takes their fancy for that particular track and then wrap the whole thing up in an overall rockabilly type of…I dunno…general aural pleasure. And they do all of that FAR KING WELL. You just cannae but enjoy it!

I’ve been listening to the Bastards for a couple of years I guess, so I’m a relative newbie to it all but I will say this, the initial EP and 2 follow-up albums kick some serious arse, so you should go get them if you don’t own them already. I can categorically state that if you aren’t a fan right now it’s either because you haven’t heard them or you are a tasteless d*ckhead.

As for my thoughts on “I’m a Son of a Gun” released March 2007…well I have to start with a statement of admiration. What would I do if I had what was already a perfect punk/folk/country band that I it was going to be extremely tough to improve on? I’d go get one of the Pogues to come and guest-star on it, and this is precisely the case on the album’s opener – Phony Drunken Poet which features Spider Stacy on whistle. It’s a great tune with a catchy chorus, “Lend me this month’s rent, My Dad just bought a round, You’ll get your money just before I leave this town…” Great example of the Bastards at their finest, very clever little song, slightly understated but at the same time rocks out just the right amount.

Overall the album is a really solid effort with a bunch of standout tracks over and above the opener mentioned above. Will appeal to those who are already a fan, and would be a reasonable introduction to any newcomers, although I’d probably recommend “My Pappy Was a Pistol” or “A Melody or Retreads and Broken Quills” over this one to a total newbie. A quick whip-through of the highlights as follows:

When the Wallflowers Wilt – great little guitar melody on this one, a track about being upbeat about being down and out. Catchy chorus again.

Dusty Roads –dirty little country guitar sound on this one, I absolutely dig it when the Bastards do country in their unique, gruff style. Great lyrics with lines like: “Sometimes it seems I’m on some sadistic crusade just to get wasted, ripped off, tired and underpaid”. Also uses a great phrase that could be used to describe the band themselves: “hardcore troubadours”

Santa Maria – a slightly more straight ahead song with a touch of grungy surf guitar.

Bring Me Back – This one just has to make you smile with a happy-go-lucky bass line, dirty guitar melody following the vocals and swift acoustic rhythm guitar. “Bring me back to the happy times…”

Down Every Day – A modern sea shanty, dark enough, and so well done.

Dumb Dead Goats – This is probably my second favourite off the album after the opener. It got me on the first listen – great chorus: “Hey, is anybody even listening? Cuz Dixie ain’t the only thing I’m whistling’”. And I love the line: “The high horse you rode on in is as stubborn as a mule”. Upbeat, buoyant track.

When We Were Kids – This is probably the heaviest song on the album, and probably wouldn’t be too far away from home if it were found on an Utter$ album. Great track.

Last of the Big Spenders – understated track to finish the album out, good feel to it. Good political messages in it too…I can relate to the “I’m the last of the big spenders with money from a lender” – that’s for sure. Beaut little slide guitar action here too.

So in closing, another fine instalment of Filthy Thieving’ Bastards gems…they’ve lost nothing with time! Still putting the spunk into punk, giving folk a stoke, and driving the c*nt back into country music, choice! Gotta love these hardcore troubadours.

2007

Review: Alex Dean

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