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The best of 2021

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Best album

#1 The Peelers: Down and Out in the City of Saints

The best band in the whole Celtic-punk universe and another great album.

#2 Ferocious Dog: Hope

Hope is FDs breakthrough into the big time. 

#3 The Dropkick Murphys: Turn Up The Dial

A nice back to form album. No surprises but we don’t want or like surprises from the Murphys. 

#4 The Rumjacks: Hestia

Still fighting strong after the messy departure of original vocalist, Frankie. 

#5 Blaggards: Blagmatic

Blagmatic may have taken a while but it was worth the wait.

Best new band

The Dead Rabbits: 7 Ol’ Jerks

Not exactly a new band but new to Shite’n’Onions. Pure Celtic-punk.

Best acoustic solo album

Finny McConnell:The Dark Streets Of Love

I’ve always said Finny is a first class song writer.

Best Celtic-punk zine

London Celtic Punks 

Well written and always new content. The go to news source.

https://londoncelticpunks.wordpress.com/

Best Celtic Punk memoir

Celtic Punk Superfan (Recaps & Reflections Chapbook, 2002–22)

by Michael Croland

Special shout out

Trouble Pilgrims: Blood, Glass & Gasoline

Review

Blaggards: Blagmatic

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Blaggards are the long running Celtic-punk’n’rock’n’a bit of country band outta Houston, Texas. Fronted by the irrepressible Dub, Paddy Devlin. Amazingly Blagmatic is only Blaggards second studio album, the first being “Standards” from the early 2000s (and to think I gave The Peelers a hard time over the gap between their albums).

What we have here on Blagmatic is 11 tracks of fun and energetic celtic-punk with a Texas swagger. The songs are almost evenly split between originals and traditional Irish standards punked-up and countrified (the album Standards was, well, all standards). The originals songs to me sound like they have as much a hard-rock / metal influence as punk – the intro of Lights of El Paso is pure Danzig until the song takes a cow-punk twist. Wild Rover (“and I spent all my money on the hookers and beer”) is an irreverent punk’n’hoedown. The only disappointment is that I was speaking with Paddy a few years ago and he mentioned a song he was writing about growing up on some of Dublin’s meanest streets (cough, cough) called The Slums of Killiney but it’s not here. 

So if you’re looking for a good time (musically speaking) then Blagmatic is the place to head to.

https://www.facebook.com/blaggards

https://blaggards.com/

Review

Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Invasion

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April 28, 2013

I’ve said this before have experience putting together compilation albums – it’s not easy. It isn’t a job of slapping a few ol’ track on a disk and pressing. The music and the tracks have to flow and complement each other, so hats off to Black 47’s Larry Kirwan for a fine job. The idea of this compilation is to showcase various bands that Larry has featured on his Celtic Crush show on Sirius XM radio. The comp has a nice mix of Celtic tinged acts – most more radio friendly then the stuff we do at Shite’n’Onions. We have some big mainstream names like Hothouse Flowers, Runrig and The Waterboys with a phenomenal live version of “Savage Earth”. There is Black 47 themselves with Uncle Jim, Shite’n’Onions fav’s Blaggards (no The) with an almost metal version of “The Irish Rover” and a classic blast from the past in Pat McGuire’s, “You’re So Beautiful”. The rest of the album is given to showcase some fine less established banks like Barleyjuice, Celtic Cross, Peatbog Faeries, Garrahan’s Ghost’s and Shilelagh Law.

Review

Shite’n’Onions: What the Shite

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What can I say really? Unless you’re dead, there’s no real reason not to own this compilation… S’n’O II contains some of the best up and coming Celt-Punk (Or whatever) bands out there. Some of them you may know, and some of them you probably won’t. Containing 20 tracks from 18 of the best bands of the “genre” What The Shite is pretty much the ultimate mix tape ever. I seriously haven’t been able to finish any other reviews because this bad boy won’t leave my CD player. (Trust me, that IS saying something.) To say the least, I was surprised (and proud) when S’n’O Volume I came out. Ol’ Murph certianly had an ace card up his sleeve for that one. Shite’n’Onions Volume II is even better! An effin’ royal flush, folks!

Track One is called “Drunken Sailor” & it comes from the Blaggards. You might have heard the song “Drunken Sailor” before, but within two seconds of hearing this version you’ll agree this is one of the better versions out there. (Shay Given approved)

Up next is “Hogjaw” from Jackdaw. it’s a damn same I live so far away from these guys, because from what I’ve heard, Jackdaw’s live show will blow the roof off. Turn up the volume to 11 if you’d like an instant skylight for your home.

Three’s a charm, as they say. The Go Set hails from the shores of Australia, and instantly became of of my favorite bands, and “Sing Me A Song” is a great example. If you like DKM’s “Do Or Die”, you’ll love this!

Track 4 is reserved for The Kissers – “Kicked In The Head” Less than a week ago, The Kissers came through town, and all night long I screamed at the top of my lungs “You Bastards! Play Kicked In The Head!!!” As I’m sure anyone within 5 blocks could tell you that night, I’m a big fan of the song. I’m an even bigger fan of the band, even if their squeezebox player beat me at pool… (The table was crooked.)

Number 5 is for all those Cow-Punks out there. “Pub With No Beer” by Boston’s own, Three Day Threshold. What do they sound like you ask? Just imagine a drunken paddy punk with a boombox on his shoulder atop a galloping horse in full stride across the wild west trying find a sixpack before the pubs close outta do it…

Track 6: “Plastic Paddy” is also on “Liquordale” by The Peelers. it’s also S’n’o’s pick for 2004’s album of the year, and rightfully so, Let me guess, I no longer need to convince you any longer right?

On track number 7 there’s a song called “Blackheart” by Jugopunch. To be honest, I haven’t heard them before. So just so you know, I too will be purchasing an album from them. Wanna race?

Tracks 8 & 9 contain a 1-2 punch courtesy of Larkin. The left jab is called “My Day Of Reckoning” and the right upper cut is called “The Devil & I” If you’re a Southpaw, I apologize, just switch it around a bit! I think I can safely say that Larkin are atop the favs list here at S’n’O land.

Track 10 and 11 are from Mutiny. Aka: “Folk Punk For Punk Folk” If you’d like to hear some Aussie folk-punk with a slight case of scurvy, I highly reccomend listening to both “Struggle Town” & this unreleased version of “Drigging for Gold” All you scallywags out there will love ’em both.

12. The Gobshites – “Cheers” Do me a favor… get this album, go down to your local public house press the play button, grab a pint, hold it high, & cheer your mates. The Gobshites are playing, & good times are here!

Track 13 belongs to The Town Pants and their song “The Weight Of Words” I found out about The Town Pants from this very website, (Thanks, Murph!) The Town Pants recently released their best album to date, and this song is just a sample of what else is to come from a band I joking like to call “The Country Shorts” My god, that was just horrible…

#14 is IcewagonFlu’s “Trinity” not only do they provide the cover art folks, The multitasking Icewagon Flu also write some of the catchiest tunes this side of the pond. if you’re not dancing to this one, you don’t have a pulse.

Track 15. McGillicuddys “On The Rocks” The song isn’t excatly the newest track on the album, (2002) but who the hell cares, these guys are timeless. In fact, I’d love to hear another album from them soon. Check ’em out and get in line.

#16. Another band I need to hear more of are the Sharkey Doyles. “Kings Of The One Eleven” is a great introduction to a band I’ve been hearing alot about.

Track 17 comes to us all the way from England. “The Ballad Of Ali Abbas” from Warblefly. Let me tell you, I have all their albums, and can’t get enough of these guys. Top notch music, and without question, one of the best bands out there. A must have.

Track 18. The Pubcrawlers have come a long way. I remember hearing their demo a few years ago, and made a note to myself to keep an eye out for them. “My Brother Sylveste” proves to me that The Pubcrawlers have evolved into one of the best examples of Celt-Core out there…

Number 19. The Porters will make your jaw drop. German streetpunk covered from head to toe in Guinness. “Weila Weila” gets my vote for best sing-along of the album. If you enjoy this track wait until you hear “A Tribute To Arthur Guinness”

20. I was so excited to hear Barney Murray was making music again. The former lead singer of Blood Or Whiskey has returned to form with the previously unreleased “Troublesome Girl” I hope to hear from Barney, but I’ll take what I can get and be more than happy about it.

So there you have it. Shite’n’Onions Volume II – What The Shite… Look for it in your local record store, or better yet order it directly from the source.

2006

Review By “Barnacle” Brian Gillespie

Review

V/A: Paddy Rock Radio Vol.2

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Hats off again to John Bowles of Paddy Rock Radio for pulling together another fine comp. I’m always amazed how John will always manage to find 2 or 3 really great bands that I’ve never heard – Meisce, The Sandcarvers and The Vandon Arms being the new standouts to me. Of course there are also lots of bands that are old friends of Shite’n’Onions here – Blaggards. Sharky Doyles, The Killigans and many more. 15 great tacks in all. Check it out, I think you’ll be finding new friends as well and getting reacquainted with some old ones.

2006

http://www.paddyrock.com/

Review

Blaggards: Standards

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Don’t know too much about The Blaggards except they are from Houston, Texas and are fronted by Irish Man, Patrick Devlin. Standards is a collection of well, standards, you know, the stuff made famous by The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, Johnny Cash (an honorary Irish man) – who’s “Folsom Prison Blues” becomes “Fields of Athenry” as “Prison Love Songs” – and Elvis (I kid you not, “Suspicious Minds” is given the Celtic kick up the ass). The music is high-energy Celtic rock that will be on heavy rotation at my next Paddy’s day party (especially “Suspicious Minds”)

February 2005

http://blaggards.com/