Review

Circle J: Weekend Warriors

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May 11, 2010

I’ve just been punched hard in the face by Circle J. Sorry guys. I had no idea how good you are. I remember getting the last Cd, “Fat Mans Chest”, a couple of years back and unfortunately it ended up in the I’ll get to that later pile where it still languishs. Sorry again. “Weekend Warriors” showed up a little bit ago and stuck for a track to use on the Flatfoot 56 podcast I gave WW a spin, cos, well it was sitting in a pile of CDs in front of me. With in 30 seconds 1875 had flogged me into submission and within 1 spin of the CD I was totally blown away as to just how good these guys are – think Flogging Molly covering Dropkick Muphys. Easily the find of the year (though I wish I had found them in 2007 not 2010)……now to dig out “Fat Mans Chest and maybe a featured podcast….guys can you forgive me?

Feature

Horslips, Black 47 and me on TV

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May 24, 2010

A couple of weeks back I was down in NYC to be interviewed for a
documentary series for Irish TV. The series traces the journey of an
Irish man named Micky MacGowan who emigrated  at the end of nineteenth
century and worked his way across North America before striking it
rich in the Klondike Gold Rush. This fella’s memoirs “The Hard Road to
the Klondike” were the inspiration for Horslips to make some of their
finest albums; Aliens, The Man Who Built America.
Anyway, Barry Devlin and Jim Lockhart formally members of the artists
know as Horslips wanted to speak to me about Celtic punk in the US –
where it comes from, what does it mean and why it could only come from
anywhere but Ireland. So in the back room of Paddy Reilly’s I
bullshitted away about all of the above and anything that came into my
mind, which wasn’t much – bloody hard to think when surrounded by a
camera crew and being grilled by two musical legends. I did my best!
Later in the night at Paddy Reilly’s, Jim and Barry joined Black 47 on
stage as their 20th anniversary gig was filmed by the boys from TNG
for inclusion in the documentary. Black 47 were on fire that night and
honestly in a setting like Reillys Black 47 are the best live band in
the world!

After a few pints and some reflection on the night and being really
impressed with the lads from Horslips I thought it would be great to
put together a Celtic-punk tribute to Horslips – basically these guys
started it all and wouldn’t it be great to bring it all back to where
it started

So, if your interested in contributing a track let me know I’ve a
couple of spots left to fill

Review

Brutus’ Daughters: When The Pubs Are Dying

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April 26, 2010

The Madrid-based Brutus’ Daughters have the distinction of being one of the very few female-led folk-punk bands in this genre. Lead singer “Paula” has a voice that one could best describe as an angry, bratty sound, very much befitting the punk attitude conveyed here and surprisingly in-tune with the cry of the band’s Asturian pipes, or “gaita.”

Said gaita makes up half of the “folk element” of the Daughters, sharing this title with the fiddle, although “sharing” doesn’t seem like the most appropriate term. The two instruments seem to battle for the lead role as frequently as they do share it. Having two dueling lead lines going at the same time is not unusual on “When the Pubs Are Dying,” (the band’s most recent release.) The two instruments do, however, compliment each other during their little battles, creating a sort of “chaotic harmony,” that is all at once unsettling, unusual, and really interesting.

The 8-track release, “When the Pubs Are Dying,” finds the lyrics crisply snapped out in English and Spanish, (and apparently, Asturian, although, I admit I read this little fact onBrutus’ Daughters’ MySpace page. I lack the familiarity with either language to differentiate them when sung at me!) Along with the pipes and fiddle, the band consists of drums, rhythm guitar, lead guitar and bass. Also in the mix sees the fiddler doing some double duty on the tin whistle and low whistle.

The general atmosphere of Brutus’ Daughters’ When The Pubs Are Dying is one of an abrupt, raucous stomp of a punk rock attack, not remotely softened by its accompanying folk elements. The bands’ inclusion of the Asturian Gaita, and the assortment of languages the songs are delivered in, (not to mention the chorus of ladies’ voices,) not only create Brutus’ Daughters signature sound , but contribute to a genuinely exotic atmosphere as well.

Foreign-sounding; yes, (at least to my ears,) but also, as enjoyable as it is intriguing.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Bastards On Parade: Death Shore Pirates E.P

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April 24, 2010

Those Bastards have returned with their third 4-track E.P. since their formation in 2007, entitled Death Shore Pirates. And a solid and rocking disc it is!

As their name would imply, (obviously taken as a nod to their primary influences,) Bastards on Parade occupy a place firmly on the Dropkick Murphys end of the Celtic Folk-Punk spectrum. Bastards on Parade, however, with the benefits of hindsight, have incorporated the ragged, raw energy of the fledgeling DKM with a pervasive Celtic instrumentation, similar to that which the Murphys eventually evolved into. The result is one that is familiar, yet new at the same time.

The aforementioned instrumentation includes mandolin, tin whistle and bagpipes along with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, (all of which are sung in un-accented English, despite the band’s Spanish origins.)

A point of interest, (to me, anyways,) that should be noted is in regard to those bagpipes: Bastards on Parade hail from the Celtic region of Galicia in Northern Spain, and, although I could find no reference confirming this, I believe that the bagpipes used in their music are the Galician pipes, (known as Gaita.) These pipes yield a distinctly sweeter tone than its Scottish sibling, and a somewhat sharper one than the Irish Uilleann pipes. A small detail, true, but one that lends to a unique element in the Bastards sound.

All of these contributing factors are present here in the newest installment in the Bastards E.P. catalog, Death Shore Pirates. Compared to the band’s previous releases, Death Shore Pirates comes in somewhat brighter and cleaner than the “Pipes and Drunx” E.P. and just a bit harder hitting than the absolutely brilliant “Whiskey in my Heart” but continues with the same quality of songs, and infectious energy that Bastards On Parade have consistently delivered.

One benefit from the ‘E.P. versus full-length release’ approach that the Bastards On Parade seem to have chosen is that they are able to release these little slices of their music at a more frequent rate. This is definitely a plus because this stuff absolutely kicks ass.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Paddy and The Rats: Rats On Board

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April 23, 2010

I love to hear Celtic Folk-Punk Music from other cultures. The Germans, The Slavs, The Japanese; They all have their own interpretations of it and give it a flavor all their own. It is always fun to hear and provides that variety that helps keep the music fresh. This holds true also for Hungary’s Paddy and the Rats.

But Paddy and The Ratsknow it. They are not only on-board with this mentality, but seem to be trying to champion it! Along with the Irish instrumentation and “Pub-Music” style, The Ratshave, (intentionally!) laced music elements of German, Gypsy, Cajun, Russian and various other flavors to create an interesting, mongrel-like, final product to straddle their punk rock rhythms, pacing and mood.

Finding a comparison for Paddy and the Ratsrequires stepping outside of the realm of their high-profile contemporaries, and into that of more specific styles, (with Saint Bushmill’s Choir, Big Bad Bollocks and Boston’s The Gobshites, coming first to my mind.) The band’s sound here is among those mug-swinging, sing-along, “pubrock” bands that eschews politics, lamentations, or deep contemplative philosophy in favor of the more immediate gratification of fun. And damned fun they are. The band’s first full-length CD, Rats on Board,doesn’t have a bad track among the fifteen songs on it, but my personal faves include, Bully in the Alley, Hurry Home, and Freedom.

The Rats’ instrumental arsenal includes guitars, mandolin, accordion, fiddle, tin whistle, bass, pipes, drums, bodhran and vocals, dispersed among the six members, and dispensed with infectious enthusiasm! Fun, immediately accessible songs, and a sound that echoes with raised glasses and wide grins, Paddy And The Rats’ Rats on Board delivers the goods.

Did I mention fun?

Available on iTunes, Amazon.com, Napster, and eMusic, (nice job marketing, guys!) for 30-second samples, if my opinion doesn’t convince you.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, The Blathering Gommel

Review

The Ceili Family: Tory Kings

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April 23, 2010

The Ceili Family, a 6-piece, Celtic folk-rock band out of western Germany, lists Christy Moore, The Dubliners and The Pogues pretty highly among their influences, and with their latest release, Tory Kings, it shows.

In the wide spectrum of styles in the Celtic Folk-Punk genre, The Ceili Family’s sound  falls fairly squarely in with those of The Pogues’, The Mahones,’ and, to a lesser extent, The Greenland Whalefishers,’ with more of an emphasis on the folk-ish elements and less crunchy guitar distortion.

The bands’ instrumentation includes guitar, mandolin, accordion, bass, drums, and fiddle along with vocals, which were are all in English, despite the bands origins. These vocals ring in somewhere between a slur-free version of Popes-era Shane MacGowan, and The Mahones’ Finny McConnell for a clear and easy to understand lyric delivery.

All of the instrumentation is top-notch and impressive, but it is the accordion that I first noticed on Tory Kings, the band’s follow-up to 2007’s Tooraloo. It plays a major role in defining The Ceili Family sound, straddling between the traditional and the rock instruments, filling in the chords and providing a broad backdrop for the fiddle and mandolin to dance upon.

With Tory Kings, The Ceili Family continues with their “no frills folk ‘n’ roll” with a collection of all-original tracks proudly displaying their influences. The end result being an upbeat and enjoyable release that is easy to listen to, no matter what the mood.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Los Langeros: This Is Normal

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April 20, 2010

Los Langeros seem like very nice young men from Co. Cork. Well their emails at least indicate that. The music though…well I’m not sure if its genius or insanity. “This is Normal”, sounds like the sound track to a 1970s video nasty in which a Tom Waits like slasher, drunk on poteen and the Fatima Mansions hunts down Willy Nelson with bad intentions and a chainsaw. Like I said, I’m not sure if its genius or insanity. You decide (and Willie watch out).


Review

The Rumjacks: Sound as a Pound

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February 28, 2010

A lot of effort has been made by many bands to evolve the sound of Celtic Folk-Punk music. Newer and newer bands are seeking to stand out and do something different to be the next big thing. And more often than not, the steps taken to achieve this goal are taken from the most current development in the genre.

This is where the Rumjacks differ. Their E.P., Sound as a Pound, seems to have started over. By that I mean that it is almost as if the band looked at the scene and decided to go back to the early days of the genre’s development and take their steps from there. Not surprisingly, the music here is very reminiscent of The Pogues, with a dash or two of Roaring Jack. This is not just in instrumentation, (with the inclusion of accordion and tin whistle, alongside the standard rock three-piece of guitar, bass, and drums,) but also in song structure, melody, and lyrics. And the top-notch production assures that every element here is crystal-clear.

For a collection of serious-looking, tattooed, flat-cappers, the music presented on Sound as a Pound is not what I would have expected. The attitude is not a tough-guy, “in-your-face” assault, but an attitude that seems generally respectful of the music. The end result is a refreshing and familiar reminder as to why the whole Celtic Folk-Punk sound is as great as it is.

The Rumjacks’ E.P., Sound as a Pound recently made the Number 1 position in the Shite ‘n’ Onions Ten Best of 2009. Give it a listen and you’ll know why.
Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

Review

Flatfoot 56: Black Thorn

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March 6, 2010

South Side Chicago boot boys, Flatfoot 56, celebrate their 10th anniversary as a band with their 1st release on Old Shoe Records – Black Thorn. For awhile I think it was a far comparison to call Flatfoot 56 “Dropkick Murphys junior” and with their last release Jungle of the Midwest Sea they reached teenage years and now on Black Thorn they have reached adulthood. But with adulthood does come some maturity – middle eastern melodies, the occasional Johnny Cash touch and just a little bit more melody here and there – not a bad thing in my book but don’t worry Flatfoot 56 haven’t gone soft and on Black Thorn still sound like the Celtic punk equivalent of Wallace’s army of highlander’s about to slay the Sassenach at Sterling Bridge.

http://www.flatfoot56.com

Review

Sir Reg: This Is Sir Reg

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February 15, 2010

Apparently, this band out of Sweden went ahead and released the EP, “This Is Sir Reg” some time in 2009 and I am just getting a taste of it now! I mean, these guys could EASILY have secured a position on any Celtic-Punk ‘Best of 2009’-list based on the six tracks contained here. Easily.

So who is Sir Reg? Well, instrumentally, the band consists of guitar, bass, drums, vocals, keyboards, banjo, mandolin, whistles and fiddle, distributed among the Swedish and Irish musicians. The combination of these elements throws off a noise that is polished, professional, damned impressive.

Musically, the band has a sound that is immediately accessible; familiar, but fresh. For a point of reference, imagine a sound scale. At one end of it put Flogging Molly. At the other end, put Australia’s Roaring Jack.. And now, right smack dab in the middle of this scale, that is where I would put Stockholm-based Sir Reg! And the six-track E.P., This Is Sir Reg, contains all of the Swagger and Celtability found in those two venerable bands, rolled up into one tidy package!

Lyrically, Sir Reg is just as impressive. No shortcuts or clichés, no drinking songs or covers, This Is Sir Reg contains six ‘original originals’, of both intelligent and entertaining content. My particular favorite being the brilliant “17 Coffins” which tells the tale of Burke and Hare, a pair of Irishmen who moved to Scotland in the early 19th century and began a killing spree in order to sell the bodies to science for a tidy profit. Fun stuff, eh? But with phrases like “If you’re ever short on cash, just reach into the human stash,” one realizes that the subject matter is approached fairly tongue-in-cheek.

Normally, when this excited about a new band, I would recommend keeping eyes peeled for future releases, but if Sir Reg continues with the quality of material on This Is Sir Reg, we won’t won’t have to look very hard. We will hearing about them.

You can also grab a 30 second bite of their songs over at iTunes. Do it and you’ll see for yourself.

Review by Christopher P. Toler, THE Blathering Gommel

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