This Machine Kills Fascists is the famous 1940s slogan written on the guitar of America’s folk poet, Woody Guthrie (1912 – 1967). This Machine Still Kills Fascists, is the Dropkick Murphys ode to Woody. Of course, most of you will know ,Shipping Up To Boston, the Dropkick Murphys crossover ‘”hit”, popular with punks, skins, Celts and soccer moms was originally a Woody Guthrie song.
The Dropkick Murphys were approached by Woody’s family to do an album based on Woody’s unpublished lyrics and hence we have, This Machine Still Kills Fascists. The Murphys here have stuck to Woody’s acoustic tradition but just a wee bit harder in the style of, Boys On The Docks.
Honestly, this is a solid album with a few fillers. There is some great stuff like, the low down and dirty, Cadillac, Cadillac. Where Trouble Is At, is reminiscent of Peace & Love era Pogues. Dig A Hole, features Woody Guthrie himself. Talking Jukebox, is like slowed down surf punk and Ten Times More, is that chant along/shout along style we love so much from the Murphys. There are a couple of somewhat dull tracks such as, Waters Are A’Rising, but all in all it’s a great concept for an album.
Flogging Molly are set to release 3-song EP, ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored, on March 10th. The EP features a new song, “‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored”, which dropped today, along with re-records of their classic tracks “Drunken Lullabies” and “What’s Left Of The Flag”.
I know Finnegan’s Hell have just released a new album (it’s winding its way to me) but I wanted to give, Work Is The Curse Of The Drinking Class, a quick review first. Released at the tail end of 2020, Work……,, is Finnegan’s Hell third full-length album and while the previous two albums were solid Celtic-punk with a drinking problem, there was not much that made those releases stand out of the crowd. Well that has changed with, Work….., which after a few spins is a real standout album. The Finnegan’s Hell on, Work……,, is tight as hell, and the songs are first-class, no frills Celtic-punk with strong melodies and a drinking problem. Check out the title track below, there is a lot more of this quality through the album.
Rising of the Doom! is the third album from Kingston, NY Bagpipe Punk Rockers, The Templars of Doom. A review will follow shortly but in the meantime here is Will Ye No Come Back Again from the album.
Swedish Celtic-punks, Finnegan’s Hell, have release their fourth full length release, One Finger Salute. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve just started to listen to their magnificent number three, Work Is The Curse Of The Drinking Class. The question is, should I review #3 or wait till I have #4?
Continental, featuring Boston punk legend and original Dropkick Murphys guitarist, Rick Barton, release a new album, Hello, on March 17th. The album is out on Rum Bar Records and was recorded in Nashville.
Aussie legends, The Go Sets’ new album, The Warriors Beneath Us, drops March 17th. This is the bands eight studio album and marks the bands 20th anniversary.
The first single off the album is, West Into The Sun.
The Winter Codes are an Irish folk duo featuring David Walshe and Barney Murray…..yes that Barney Murray, the original legendary signer of Blood or Whiskey, here joined by David Walsh another ex-Blood or Whiskey man. It’s been 20 years since Barney’s last outing with Blood or Whiskey. Now there have been a few crumbs dropped over the years, an appearance on Shite’n’Onions volume 2 in 2003 and a digital EP a few years back. I’m happy to report Barney still has a voice that could strip paint at 50 feet though the music has moved away from Celtic-punk to a more traditional base – think Luke Kelly/The Dubliners or even Damien Dempsey with an attitude. Yeah, the Barney Murray attitude is still there.
“I’d rather die all alone in a bedsit off the North Circular Road than go back to you” North Circular Road
There are 14 tracks here of attitude-filled contemporary Irish folk with an edge. Highlights included the aforequoted, North Circular Road, an f-you break-up song. Troublesome Girl, was originally on Shite’n’Onions volume 2, it’s more polished here with folk singer Lisa Loughrey guesting on lead vocal. The Irish folk with horns, Friend in Tullamore, about coming back from rock bottom. The Fenian rebel song Erin’s Lovely Lee and Ovidstown about the men of 1798 keep the green flag flying high. In all, a very good album and it’s good to have both lads back.
The Dropkick Murphys and the Ryman Auditorium are two things I would never have expected to collide. Now, you all know who the Dropkick Murphys are if you are reading Shite’n’Onions. The Ryman, if you don’t know, is a former revival hall in Nashville, Tennessee that for the last 100 years or so has been the spiritual home of country music. The hall itself has two levels of church bench seating in a half circle around the stage with some of the best acoustics of any venue in the US. When I read the Dropkick Murphys were playing here I jumped on getting a ticket and a flight down. Being Nashville I was real curious to see who made up a Dropkick Murphys crowd – like most places its was the seven to 70 set and if Waldo had a bushy beard and scally cap you’d never find him, but being Nashville there were plenty of trucker caps and and more then a few cowboy hats.
So what brings a bunch of Boston Micks and the Mother Church of country music together? Legendary American folk icon Woody Guthrie is the catalyst. Shipping Up To Boston, Dropkick Murphys big breakthrough is of course a Woody Guthrie song. The Murphys were approached by the Guthrie family to put music to some of Woody’s original lyrics that had not previously been released leading to their new album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists, and an acoustic tour to support and this date at the Ryman.
Woody’s grandson Cole Quest who joined the Murphys on stage
Counting tonight I think this is my 10th time seeing Dropkick Murphys since 1999 and the first time in a few years. The line-up is very different, Ken Casey on vocals, Al Barr is not touring due to family commitments. A new bass player allows Ken to jump around the stage like a man half his age. Scruffy Wallace is gone but the main stays of Matt Kelly and James Lynch are still there.
Tonight’s set was rocking hard despite being an “acoustic” set with nine songs from the new album that went down really well despite being unfamiliar to most of the audience. The rest of the set were old favorites with songs you would of course expect them to play – Fields of Athenry, Boys on the Docks, and Rose Tattoo (which brought the house down) and a few you wouldn’t expect given the acoustic set – Citizen CIA, Barroom Hero and Skinhead on the MBTA. No stage invasion was allowed at the Ryman in case someone broke a hip as Casey quipped though this may have been directed at his mother who was in the first row.
Ma, I told you no stage diving
The night had two openers, The Washington state raised but Nashville based Jaime Wyatt, who played to my ears authentic old school country (her guitarist looked like a reincarnation of Blaze Foley), she was really talented but not my thing.
Jesse Ahern from Boston was first on. Jesse was one man with an acoustic guitar that he occasionally swapped out for an electric. I’d best describe Jesse as what Springsteen would sound like if he had to work a real blue collar job for a living or Bob Dylan driving a Mac truck. Authentic blue-collar folk’n’punk with engine grease under his finger tips.
Shite'n'Onions 