Aeron’s Wake from Windsor, Ontario play what they describe as instrumental Celtic metal. Now, I’ll apologize upfront for not being up-to-date on the metal scene and who’s hot or not and for maybe messing some obvious comparisons. Listening to the Aeron’s Wake five track debut EP I hear 80’s metal – the NWOBHM and especially Diamond Head and to a lesser extent Iron Maiden (the orchestration that Maiden do so well) and maybe even early Metallica or a less trashy Skyclad. The fiddle of default front man Quinn Strahl is out front and arguably does the role that the lead guitar would do in a traditional metal band sitting on top of the riffing and trashing of band co-founder and guitarist Spencer Scurr. I’ve spun the EP a whole bunch of time over the last couple of days and I keep thinking the music would be so cool as a sound track. I can just picture the scene in the movie – scared looking Roman solders surveying the distance beyond their defensive walls on some northern frontier of the empire, just out of their sight hordes of blue painted Pictish tribes men and then the attack and slaughter of the intruders. You get my drift.
Aeron’s Wake works well as an EP though a full-length instrumental only album might be trying on the casual listener and in some regard the band may be limiting their potential audience without a vocalist but then again in the conservative world of metal just having a fiddle player is limiting so more power to ’em!
I’ll give The Pittsburgh-based Bastard Bearded Irishmen high marks just for the band moniker. I’ll also give them high marks for those thick silky beards each has member has cultivated – all six of them – even ZZ Top couldn’t manage a full band of hairy faces and I’m sure the legendary Boston based bearded bastard Paddy Keys of The Larkin Brigade is a smidgen jealous of these beards.
And beyond the facial hair?
Rise of the Bastard is the Bastard Bearded Irishmen’s second full length release following up on their 2011 eponymous debut. Fifteen tracks in total, twelve original and 3 covers (All For Me Grog, Tell me Ma and Three Drunken Maidens being the obligatory covers). All Fifteen pretty much touch on our favorite clichés – Booze, Biddies and Bastards. The music has a distinct Flogging Molly influence though fasted and sometime almost skull rattling faster. The guitars are fast (obviously) and trashy and occasionally metallic though the fiddle, mandolin and banjo always manage to keep up. At time I’m also reminded of the sound and good times drinking attitude of the original Jersey Bhoy’s The Skels. Another influence I hear is some Eastern European / Gypsy (on Mama) but hey they toured with Gogol Bordello.
Highlights for me include: –
Land of the Free, Bartender’s Friend and Whiskey Rum, Bourbon, Beer.
While UK band Headsticks are fairly new, forming late in the summer of 2012, their roots are traced back to Shite’n’Onions fav’s, JUGOPUNCH (who contributed Blackheart to the Shite’n’Onions Vol. 2 CD) and their successors THE CLAY FACES as well as fellow Midlands Celtic-punks TOWER STRUCK DOWN.
Muster is much more English-folk-punk sounding then how I remember the Irish in exile Jugopunch to sound and when I say English I hear influences by New Model Army (some), The Levellers (a little) and Billy Bragg (a lot). Gritty, powerful folk punk and just when it gets too English they bring it back home to Achill Island (Ghost). Real nice to hear COLD originally done by Jugopunch again – great song. Great stuff indeed.
Funny enough I’ve heard the phrase “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” before and if memory serves me correct the statement was aimed in my direction. In this case “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is the 6th full length by longtime Philadelphia Celtic rock stalwarts Barleyjuice. Barleyjuice are festival favorites on the East Cost with their brand of ruckus Celtic-rock (not punk). This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is a fine example of Barlyjuice’s stick – old skool rock’n’roll with a big nod to the 1970s mixed with the Irish folk traditions of the Dubliners and Clancy Brothers and a good old dose of American folk and county all washed down with a triple shot of Irish whiskey.
Highlights include: –
St. Patrick’s Day, a riotous adventure in NYC on Paddy’s Day.
3 Sheets To The Wind 1&2 – Good ‘ol sailing song and drinking songs
Whiskey and Weed – Set to the melody Over the Sea to Skye, much more of a love song then the title would imply
Catholic Guilt – reminsient of old Flogging Molly meets rock’a’billy
Mayday is the fourth album by Berlin based Pokes as they continue on in their quest to be the worlds greatest Polka-punk band. Loads of growling vocals and heavy on the accordion (polka style). Mayday is a nice balance of attitude, humor and strong German beer. Bitch-Cow-Darling must be a contender for love song of the year. In all a very enjoyable album. God Save the Pokes, Indeed!
London’s BibleCodeSundays have been busy bhoys as of recent with late last years new studio album, New Hazardous Design and now The BibleCode Sundays – live near Abbey Road (Park Royal). As a band that play the Irish circuit in London they have always included covers in their set and this album is a response to requests to record and release those covers. As you see from the track listing the covers are mainstream but off beat for an Irish band and each track is given the BibleCode’s fiddle and accordion twist.
Highlights include Thin Lizzy’s Dancing in the Moonlight (great guitar and a funky bass as it should be), Step Step Beyond, the Madness classic given the Ceili treatment and a stunning version of Time After Time (and honestly this was so stuck in my brain and I couldn’t remember who did that original that I needed to google it – Cindy friggn’ Lauper – a great song/version all the same).
There are 13 covers in all and include:
Babe O”Reilly (The Who) Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) Galway Girl (Steve Earle) Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Clash) Town Called Malice (The Jam) Babylon Live Forever Pat’s Reels My Girl Waggon Wheel
If I was to describe Bodh’aktan based to the cover of their English language debut Against Winds and Tides, I would liken them to a biker gang taking over an Irish pub. Listening to Bodh’aktan that description isn’t too far off base. Quebec based Bodh’aktan have a huge rock foundation (Sabbath & Voivod tee’s on the cover), layered on with big, all-together, though melodic gang vocals and on top of that a wall of trad instruments – bagpipes, tin whistles, banjo, fiddle, bodhran to name a few.
Against Winds and Tides is basically the bands debut Au diable les remords re-recorded with English language vocals and lyrics (Au diable les remords was in French) and four new tracks added for good measure. Against Winds and Tides is a really strong album with as previously mentioned a huge rock sound married to Celtic, Breton and Maritime traditions. While every track on the album is excellent I would highlight “Sink Another” a drinking classic, the party “Dansez (Dance Hey!)” where Bodh’aktan are joined by Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea and “The Ballad of Jonathan Lewis” a Dirty Glass style girl/guy duet that sucks you in as a ballad but end like a fistfight. A special highlight is the cover of RAtM’s “Killing in the Name” where the fiddles replace guitar when none of the power of the original is diluted.
In our almost 13 years of operation this is the first album we’ve ever received with a return address from Sony Music (or any other major label in fact)! Now it would be very easy to take snotty potshots at The High Kings (staring with the ageing boy band cover shot) but I won’t. I played the album a good few times and it’s very good for what they are trying to achieve – polished Irish ballad AOR aimed at the American mass market. These guys have a lot of talent both musically and vocally and why wouldn’t they with the serious folk music genes they have going on – Martin Furey (vocals, banjo, bouzouki, guitar, and the modern low whistle) is the son of Finbar and Finbarr Clancy (vocals, guitar & banjo) the son of Bobby. The High Kings have made the bold step of including originals along with the various Irish standards (Galway Girl, Peggy Gordon & McAlpines Fusiliers) which I always salute. Personally I like my Irish ballad groups with dirt under the fingernails, nicotine stains on their fingers and beer spilled on their white shirts.
To be seen on PBS soon I guess but I’ll take ‘em over Celtic Woman any day.
Tell The Truth And Shame The Devil is Blood or Whiskey’s first full length album in eight years. The band have been though a hell of a time over the last few years with the tragic deaths of tin whistle player Alan Confrey and former banjo player Paul Walshe as well is the serious illness (though now thankfully in remission) of vocalist Duggs and some record label shit if that was not enough. Lesser bands would have folded but not Blood or Whiskey.
Honestly if BorW made a crap album I’d be happy ‘cos they were just still around. Fortunately not only am I happy they made another album they made another great album. Tell The Truth And Shame The Devil follows in the vein of the last Blood or Whiskey album Cashed Out On Culture with the much harder, punkier sound then their legendary debut and it’s follow-up No Time To Explain. These bhoys are pissed off and they are not taking any shite, but if that was not enough the band have incorporated their love of Ska which they hinted at in Rudy but now have gone the whole hog with added horns and the like – Celtic-punk with a big P meets The Specials or even The Mighty Might Paddy-Tones.
Pissed and angry but still a party. Its great to have’em back.
Sadden that Last Call will be the final album by NYC Irish-rock legends Black 47. If you don’t know it already the band are calling it a day and disbanding this coming November on the 25th anniversary of the bands first gig. Nothing like calling it on your own terms.
Happy that Last Call is a very fine album. It’s got all that makes Black 47 so special – the irrestiable mix of Celtic, Latin and Jazz and the sounds of the five boroughs stitched together on top of a rock’n’roll steel frame. Larry’s lyrics takes us from the hedonistic days of old Culchie Prince and Dublin Days to the US of A of 2014 with often an uncompromising (and sometime unpopular) political stance – Let The People In.
Favorites – The Night The Showbands Died (about the Miami Show Band massacre), the laid back Salsa O’Keefe and the epic Ballad of Brendan Behan.
Thanks guys for all the music and the shows over the years. You’ll be missed.
Shite'n'Onions 