Review

Jackdaw: Brilliant, Sad and Guilty

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Buffalo, New York. What comes to mind when one thinks of Buffalo? Well, to me it’s cold as fuck, Gilbert Perreault, Danny Gare, Pat LaFontaine, Clint Malarchuk and Tim Horton. Mmmmm…TimBits…

Ahem…hmm…hmm…there’s also Jackdaw.

Jackdaw, that brick-throwing Celtic rock band from Buffalo, New York, have been making fans and critics alike in Buffalo happy since 2000 and really deserve to have a bigger push.

The band is made up of life long friends Tim Byrnes, on guitars, banjo, mandolin, piano, and vocals and George (no last name given) on drums and percussion. Joining them are Joe Davies on fiddle, Tommy Jordan, bass, vocals and backing vocals and David A. Moore who is a virtual one man band playing everything from accordion, uilleann pipes, highland pipes, tin whistle, low whistle, button box, English concertina, hurdy gurdy and piano. He also adds his voice as to the vocals as well.

This two disc release is a compilation of previously released tracks and is nicely seasoned with some live material. Almost all of the tracks are original lyrics so that counts for a lot. There’s something for everyone on this release and it isn’t hard to find something to like.

Some tunes will remind you of other bands most notably The Clash and others as well…Tom Petty, The Band? Big shoes to be sure but Jackdaw pulls it off quite well. They remain true to their roots throughout but their influences are there, varied as they are. They don’t stick to the “formula” of the genre but display a nice versatility in what they play and that makes them even better. Jackdaw are a well-rounded outfit.

The themes of the songs are varied. Some of the tunes that caught my ear were “Maggie”, “Black Cat Luck”, “Bagpipes at Midnight”, “Nala”, “Proof Rock”, “Pigtail Man”, “Paddy”, “Something About Nothing”, “Drunken Piper/Cork Hill” and “Broken Cans”

The live tracks included on this release are a nice touch. They give you a glimpse of what a Jackdaw gig appears to be. Loud, raucous and fun. The only thing missing is the crowd at your side. These I’ll bring a smile to yer maw. These are pretty cool. I love the live show.

Brilliant, Sad and Guilty? Yep…Jackdaw is that on all counts. This release is brilliant, some of the songs might make you sad and they’re guilty of putting together some damned good stuff. Jackdaw fans will no doubt want to add this to their collection and those with even a passing interest will enjoy it as well.

2006

Review by The Black Stuff

Review

The Ceili Family: Tooraloo

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From Germany comes The Ceili Family with Tooraloo, an extended CDEP (6 tracks + 3 bonus) of Pogues and Christy Moore inspired Folk-Rock. The Ceili Family are so inspired by Christy and Shane that 6 of the tracks here are Pogues covers played in a very Pogues style and the 2 Christy Moore covers are also played in a very Pogues style. The one original is similar to The Popes (solo) or Terry Woods “The Bucks” and is very good indeed. On the next release I hope they flip to doing 8 originals and 1 cover.

2006

Review

Street Dogs: Back to the World (a 2nd opinion)

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Yes I know I’m late to the plate with this review of Back to the World, but I certainly have a fresh take on this CD. After rifling through the racks at Newbury Comics this afternoon I found that there really isn’t anything new out there for us lovers of the shamrock rock. So I grabbed the new Street Dogs, because I liked there Savin Hill full length and there two EP’s they put out, however there was a slight problem with all the there stuff I bought when I saw them live for the first time at a Flogging Molly show in Boston. The problem I found with them was there lack of material. What do I mean by that? Well the problem popped it’s head on this album as well, they are a phenomenal group, and Mike was everything I loved about the Dropkick Murphy’s, but maybe they may have wanted to expand their song book before pushing this CD as a new album.

Most the tracks here are somewhere else, on another CD, somewhere on an EP or on Savin Hill their first full length. I’m a little disappointed by this, but I didn’t let it get in the way of enjoying what was new, and there were a few really great songs. Before I catch crap for this, I do realize this was a major release as opposed to the smaller more local releases they have come out with over the past few years. That’s why when I looked over the track list in the store I bought it in I weighed the decision to buy it in support of the band or just pass it up until something else came along. Well I bought it; I want to see these guys do well.

As far as the songs on the CD as they are, they were produced very well. This band is incredibly tight and Mike I swear turns every band he’s into gold! The band has a sound that the Dropkick Murphy’s should have stuck with, not their slow change to a traditional Irish music cover band. Its funny how most Irish rock bands start with little original music, and rock out trad songs to fill time in sets, and here’s the Dropkicks going in the opposite direction. But the Street Dogs struck out as a rock band and I‘m sure they are going to make it big. Just as long as their sitting around writing more songs when they are not touring we need more of the Street Dogs!

2006

Review – Therover413

Review

BibleCodeSundays: Ghosts of Our Past

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“Ghosts of Our Past” was one of my 3 most anticipated CD releases of this year, the others being the new Mahones CD (come on Finny, where’s my copy?) and The Hit The Bottle Boys upcoming CD release.

So, now that I’ve had a chance to give it a serious listen, I hear you ask does it live up to expectations. Absolutely, it’s even better then I could ever expected based on the mp3’s and myspace samples I’ve already heard.

So then, what does it sound like? An Irish/Trad./Rock crossover with a Punk edge and the pop/new wave sensibilities of say Elvis Costello. The songs lyrics are very much in the narrative tradition of the Irish ballad or even Springsteen or Steve Earle (who’s Dixieland is covered), with the focus on the downcast, the outcast and the outlaw. Think Elvis Costello meets The Pogues or more correctly Elvis Costello’s kid brother meets The Pogues – Ronan MacManus (vocals and guitars) is in fact the kid brother of Declan MacManus A.K.A. Elvis Costello and Andy Nolan (accordion) has played in Shane MacGowans Popes and Spider Stacys post-Pogues project.

Best song? All of ‘em. But, if you’re really going to twist me arm then it’s either, “Bang, Band. You’re Dead” or “Whitey” about Boston’s long missing villainous Irish gangster.

Very highly recommended.

2006

Review

Needfire: Cat In A Cannon

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“Ghosts of Usually when I listen to a new Celtic rock band for the first time its pretty clear who the influences are – the usual suspects of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly. Not so here, I hear fellow Texans and progressive metal icons ‘Kings X’. The huge guitar riff, the powerful technical drumming ala Jerry Gaskil or Neil Peart and Beatles style vocal harmonies so perfected by Kings X. So, what makes this Celtic? Well layered on top of the progressive metal foundations we have highland bagpipes, fiddles and mandolins. Certainly a unique and original sound. Progressive-Celtic-Fusion-Metal anyone?

2006

http://www.needfire.com/

Review

Life of Riley: Days Away from Live

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Based on the bands name I was expecting Riley to be Irish or at least an Irish influenced band. Not at all, it’s more like the stuff you’d hear on “mainstream” alternative radio – post grung hard rock. It’s all very good and if MTV picks these guys up then they will be massive but it’s not real S’n’O material.

2006

Review

The Causeway Giants: The Causeway Giants

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Here we have the 7 track, self titled, self released, debut CD from The Causeway Giants – an 7 piece Celtic rock/punk outfit from Syracuse, NY. The Causeway Giants are tight, skillful and the songs are strong and most importantly it sounds like they are having fun. The two biggest influences I hear here are early Tossers and The Great Big Sea (especially in the vocals). The Pogues also factor into the sound with a true to form cover of “Dirty Old Town” (so true to form that I’m wondering why they even bothered). The best two tracks are “Rothsead” and “Give the Fiddler a Dram” with lots of Charlie Daniels goes Celtic, maniac fiddling.

2006

Review

The Mahones: Take No Prisoners

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I’ve a bone to pick with Finny McConnell and The Mahones. 5 years!!! Yeah, 5 years. It took 5 bloody years to get a new release out. Who do they think they are? Def Leppard? When they swing through Boston on their support tour for “Take No Prisoners” one of ‘em at least must be missing a limb.

“Take No Prisoners” is a grand release, more punk rock then previous and especially on the opener and title track and on “Out of Control”. Trad., covers “Nancy Whiskey” and the very trashy “Whiskey in the Jar” are destined to be live favorites and “The Amsterdam Song” is classic Mahones very much in the vein of “Drunken Dirty Bastard” or “Drunken Night in Dublin” (it’s a drinking and debauchery song to boot!) Also check out the “A Little Bit of Love” a beautiful alt-country duet with Damhnait Doyle.

2006

Review

An Dochas: An Dochas

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An Dochas: An DochasAre all traditional bands created equal? Are they all there for background music while we have a pint in our favorite Irish pub? Do you have to be over fifty to go see a trad band live?

I happen to be under the impression that a lot of the readers of this site are here for the more punk and rock and roll music that it covers which is fine, I’m big into just about every aspect of punk, hardcore, rock, but also the real Irish side of this genre, traditional music. With every band and it’s brother rocking out trad songs and doing revved up jigs and reels, sometimes it makes me wonder if we’re not forgetting something, our roots in the traditional Irish music. Throwing a fiddle in with an electric guitar is cool and all, but ever heard a solo that actually drives you to tears. There is such heart and soul in the instruments you see up on stage getting wailed on during Dropkick Murphy’s Rocky Road to Dublin, but you wouldn’t know it the way it’s thrown at you through distortion pedals, amps and speakers like it was just so much more noise to fill your head. There is something to be said for slowing down and taking the time to listen to the song the way it was meant to be played.

I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy for you the reader to go out there and just dive right into the first band that comes along, there are some that are horrible at it, but somehow get record deals, and there are some that aren’t going to be your style. I do have one suggestion that really you can’t go wrong with is An Dochas.

With all the energy and drive these folks put into there music, how they aren’t selling gold records is beyond me! They are what most new agers like to call a world beat, but don’t let that scare you, they really do kick out some great tunes that make you want to put on you’re jacket, get in the car and fly to the nearest session, grab a Guinness and sit and relax. It’s great for relaxing reading a book, and as I have found the perfect company on a long trip in a car. Dragon Fly, the album I have is all instrumental, which I know drives some folks nuts, but I think there is so much going on, to me it feels like everyone in the band is singing to me and I love the way every time I hear a song, there is a new voice to listen to.

Usually I have at least a few problems with every CD I review, but this one I have a hard time finding faults. There are a few nit-picks, one being that some songs are long and repetitive, but then that’s the way some of these songs are written. So just find them online and buy the CD and you won’t be disappointed.

“Take No Prisoners” is a grand release, more punk rock then previous and especially on the opener and title track and on “Out of Control”. Trad., covers “Nancy Whiskey” and the very trashy “Whiskey in the Jar” are destined to be live favorites and “The Amsterdam Song” is classic Mahones very much in the vein of “Drunken Dirty Bastard” or “Drunken Night in Dublin” (it’s a drinking and debauchery song to boot!) Also check out the “A Little Bit of Love” a beautiful alt-country duet with Damhnait Doyle.

2006

Review

Belfast Andi: All That Glitters

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Belfast born Andriu MacGabhann is better known in his new home base of Montreal as Belfast Andi. Andi’s latest release is a collection of both traditional and modern Irish folk ballads, with both originals and well know standards and a couple of Tom Waits and The Who covers given the Celtic treatment. Though I would have liked to have heard a few Montreal French influences here – maybe on the next? All the same I think comparisons to a certain Irish balladeer from Newbridge, Co. Kildare are in order here.

2006

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