There is something very special about Greenland Whalefishers for me, it’s not just the great music, the great songs and the unbridled enthusiasm that is just as infectious in 2014 as it was in 2004 and 1994 but it that GWFs are the band that made me realize that this whole Celtic-punk thing was a real musical scene and not the product of our American and UK cousins getting musical revenge on their Irish parents for inflicting upon them The Dubliner and The Clancy Brothers in their formative years.
Here is a band from Bergen, Norway with a love of Thin Lizzy, The Waterboys and of course The Pogues (where main-man Arvid’s vocals sound more like the great man’s then the great man has sounded in years). GWF play great Celtic-folk-punk purely for the love of the music. I’m not sure how I first came to hear of GWF but I do remember downloading some tracks that were hosted on a free mp3 punksite and being so impressed that I wrote to them and duly received a copy of their debut Mainstreet Sword to impress me further. Lobville the next album was my album of the year in 2002(2) and still is one of my favorite Celtic-punk albums ever!
20 Year A Waiting is a DVD documentary of the band which combines the history of the band through interviews with various members, fan’s and friends of the band telling the story of how a Celtic-punk band from Norway went from playing small Irish bars in Bergen to becoming festival favorites in Eastern Europe and touring Japan and America. The DVD while a DIY effort (produced by bass player Atle-Hjørn) still has a high almost professional quality. The interviews are in-depth and there is a ton of great archive footage including lots of doggy material from pre GWF bands and a great shot of drummer Ørjan in his Black Metal days and of course the great music that flows through constantly. For the fan like me this is a wonderful viewing experience though as an introduction I’d say start with Loboville and Songs from the Bunker and Down & Out then do the DVD.
Captain Jack’s Army from Sweden started off as a Celtic-punk cover band doing Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphy’s covers so it’s no surprize that four of the five tracks on their debut(?) EP are strongly influenced by Flogging Molly and Bon Jovi. Seriously though Captain Jack’s Army stick to a sound very much in the Flogging Molly vein with Dropkick Murphys influences (gang vocals and general punkiness) and they do it very, very well. The fifth track is a might cover of Dropkick Murphys Workers Song – if you’re going to show your influences I say show’em proudly and they do. Sir Reg look out Captain Jack’s Army will be snapping at your heals very soon.
Give It All You Got (Or Forget About It) sums up The Mahones in one song – All or nothing! A Great Night On The Lash: Live In Italy is a true testament to that spirit. Recorded live in front of 5,000 screaming Italian fans the album captures a band at their live peak – half way through a 12 month world tour (Canada, The US and just about every country in Europe – twice) The Mahones are a well oiled rock’n’roll machine. Legend has it Finny spotted the state of the art recording equipment just before The Mahones were to play a headlining set and persuaded the powers that be to record their set but kind of, sort of, didn’t tell the rest of the band what was going down – wouldn’t want the band to be too self-conscious of the tapes rolling. I grew up on live albums and A Great Night On The Lash is up there with the best of ‘em – If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) or Live At Leeds – look ‘em up kids. Maybe I’ll even be so bold to call A Great Night On The Lash Celtic-punk’s Live & Dangerous.
617 was not some epic year in Irish history; it was before the Vikings, the Normans and way after St. Patrick was there. In fact nothing much was going on beyond monks scribing away on their manuscripts and distilling whiskey. 617 is actually the Boston area telephone code if you didn’t know that already. The Fenian Sons are a Boston based Irish rebel/ballad group in the strong tradition of The Clancy Brothers, Luke Kelly and The Dubliners and The Wolfe Tones. I don’t seem to hear a lot new good old fashioned Irish rebel / ballad music these days so 617 was nice to hear and The Fenian Sons compare strongly to their influences. It was also great to hear an American rebel song New Orleans and just so there are no hard feelings The Enniskillen Dragoons.
The Fenian Sons are currently on an extensive tour of Roslindale, Dorchester, Charlestown, West Roxbury and South Boston and with plans to doing some overseas touring in Quincy and Cambridge once passports and visas are sorted. So catch ‘em if you can.
More magic from Chicago. This time from way up on the Northside. We are long time fans of Kevin Flynn and the Bhoys here at Shite’n’Onions and we are happy to report we continue to be fans. If you are familiar with the music of Kevin Flynn then The Broken Pavement of Avondale is very much in the style of past releases (The Murderer, The Thief, The Minstrels and the Rest and Don’t Count Me Out). If your not familiar with Kevin well let me introduce you – the Chicago River runs green through Kevin’s veins and through the medium of Celtic-folk’n’roll he tells of tales of his working class Catholic neighborhood and the folks that inhabited it – gangsters, priest and politicians. Highlights of The Broken Pavement of Avondale – 5 Weeks 5 Days (about the struggle to be good and get through lent), Pope of the Windy City (’bout Richard J. Daley the legendary mayor) and Don’t Bury Me Outside of Chicago (just in case KF ups and dies this little number tells us what to do with his corpse). Studs Lonigan with a guitar.
The Emerald City if you are confused is not the residence of the Wizzard of Ozz but Chicago where they infamously dye the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day though given the infamy of C-town politics you’d be forgive if you are still truly confused.
The Emerald City is the first album from America’s original Celtic-punk band in five years and I’m pleased to report The Tossers have stuck to what they do best – no attempt at cross-over stadium rock success or progress for the sake of coolness – just straight ahead Celt-punk dealing with love, booze, Irish-Chicago and more booze, and while there is nothing immediate about any of the tracks on the album as with previous Tossers releases with a just a little bit of work The Emerald City will grow on you like a bad skin rash.
In many ways The Tossers are the true successors to the traditions of The Dubliners and The Pogues and The Emerald City continues that tradition.
Uncle Hamish & the Hooligans (great name BTW) are a new one to me – kilt wearing North Carolinians – now that takes balls. UH&TH play progressive Celtic-fusion and before you think that is just a little too advanced for Shite’n’Onions readers let me re-describe them in more suitable language – I hear big assed bag pipes, traditional Scottish and Irish tunes, big assed guitars and The Doors at their most drugged out. Like Enter The Haggis sniffing petrol anyone?
I think this CD is actually from 2010 though we just received a copy in the Shite’n’Onions PO box a wee while back. Prydein are from Vermont and Heads Up is the second release from then that I’ve heard – the other being the magnificent Loud Pipes Save Lives. I’m happy to say Heads Up follows (or proceeds even) in the same size 12 foot steps as LPSL. Haven’t had the pleasure yet? Well Prydein’s music can be described as loud rock’n’roll with louder bagpipes – Bon Scott era AC/DC meets the Angus MacFerguson Highland Pipe band. The cover of The J Geils Band’s Centerfold is a must hear as is the early Black Sabbath (with pipes of course) sounding instrumental The Big Apple Heist. A fine release indeed – even if it took ’em over a year to save for the postage mail it on.
Ferocious Dog are a new name to me but after doing some research I discovered the Warsop, Nottinghamshire, England based Ferocious Dog have a history that goes back to the late ’80s when they started out as a three piece, growing to a full size band though splitting and reforming a number of times. The current line-up has been in place since 2011.
The influences I hear on the same titled Ferocious Dog are The Levellers, The Pogues and The Whiskey Priests with just a wee touch of Ska and The Clash. The other band that comes to mind are Mumford, though in my mind Ferocious Dog are the anti-Mumford. Mumford to me are a bunch of public school (that’s what the English call private schools) toffs who went busking for a lark and end up getting rich and famous. Ferocious Dog they are not! Provincial accents, a mohawked coal miner on vocals, fiddles and chainsaws – it doesn’t get much more real then this. A fantastic band, album and find.
We’re big fans of Brighton based McDermotts 2 Hours here at Shite’n’Onions towers. Easily one of the best (though overlooked) Celtic/folk/rock bands evhaaa!, with one of the finest songwriters/lyricists the UK has every produced – Nick Burbridge. McDermotts 2 Hours have a long and influential relationship with UK heroes The Levellers, including The Levellers covering Dirty Davey from the first McDermotts album and essentially supplying the rhythm sections for numerous McDermotts albums. Anticlockwise is a 14 track compilation that documents the history of the band and celebrates the release of the their back-catalog via iTunes on The Levellers label On The Fiddle. haven’t heard McDermotts 2 Hours before then Anticlockwise is a great introduction and now they are on iTunes and the like there is no excuse. Highly recommended as is the entire back-catalog.
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