It’s amazing how many different musical styles Seanchaí and the Unity Squad can squish into one CD and weave so seamless together – Celtic, Rock’n’Punk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Reggie and even Middle Eastern. “Irish Catholic Boy” kicks off with the balls to the wall guitar and uilleann pipe title track. Then it’s off to Black 47 meets electronic territory with “Gypo” from John Fords masterpiece “The Informer” and “Ernesto Guevara Lynch.” (though you can call me a cynic but had Che’ not been executed he’d have most likely turned into a old murdering bastard of a dictator like his buddy Castro and for that matter does anyone think had Collins lived would have been any different from Dev). The temp drops on the next few tracks as Rachel Fitzgerald joins Chris Byrne on vocals then takes over and man does she have an incredible voice. The electronic “Pope John II, Jerry Springer, and me” is very clever – Chris call’s into Springer’s radio show and run’s rings around the bloviating Springer.
2007
Review – Mustard Finnegan
Seanchai and the Unity Squad started off as a hip-hop side project for Black 47’s uillien piper and sometimes vocalist, Chris Byrne, when he released “Come on ye Boyz in Green” back in 1994, to celebrate the Republic of Irelands World Cup campaign in the US that year. eMC Byrne became Paddy-a-go-go (along with Eileen Eivers and Pat Maguire) and subsequently Seanchai, as the others moved onto other projects.
While I liked the early releases, I never really rated Celtic-Hip-Hop as anything more then an enjoyable novelty. So when “Rebel Massive” arrived I was certainly curious (this is the first Seanchai release I’ve heard since the debut.) On paper, the whole concept of the Unity Squad just doesn’t work – a rapping, uillien pipe playing Irish-American ex-cop with a passion for reggae. A Dublin born, female DJ with an angelic voice and finally a big riffing NYC guitar player. On CD it’s pure genius. “Rebel Massive” is way more then a novelty CD, it fact it’s just a great CD, no matter what box you try and fit it into.
Must hear tracks include; the title, “Missa Erin” with Shane MacGowan and Damien Dempsey, the 2004 remake of “50 Pints of Stout” (House of Pain have been booted for the Dropkick Murphys), “New York Fenian Bhoys” (to the tune of “McAlpine’s Fusiliers”) and the absolutely must, hear incredible cover of The Clash’s “Straight to Hell” sung by Miss Rachel Fitzgerald. In fact the only song I don’t like is the plodding “We’re in Seville” – I suppose if Celtic had actually won things would have been different.
March 2004
Potato-eating, Whiskey-drinking, Bog-trotting, CELTIC PUNK ROCK since 2001
