Solid is the word I think of after giving some serious spins to ‘Iron Rations”, the debut from PA based Birmingham Six (named after 6 Irish men wrongly convicted of bombings in England in the 1970s). The Six (4 actually) play solid contemporary Irish-American rock’n’roll that occasionally veers into punk – influencs include The Pogues, The Clancys, The Who and Flogging Molly. The tracks are a nice mix of traditional/standards and originals. My favorite track is “His Favourite Spot”; an ode to a well loved bucket of blood and of course if you’re in that particular bucked of blood on Paddy’s day and Birmingham Six are playing a great time is guaranteed (though you might not remember anything the next day).

February 2008