I’ve been waiting for something new from Saint Bushmill’s Choir since 2000, when they released their first EP (That I know of) “Give ‘Em Enough Booze”. It only contained a 5 songs, but it did the job as far as I was concerned. Containing former members of Seattle punk bands such as The Gits, Subvert, Alcohol Funnycar, and The Pinkos, Saint Bushmill’s Choir is a band that quite simply enjoys playing the songs that they play. In fact, if you’re ever in Seattle and get a chance to seem them live, make sure you do it, because they only play a couple of times a year, and you’ve seriously gotta be in the right place at the right time. Known to the world as a “Clash band that likes to play Pogues songs”. The Choir formed back in 1994 (Before celt-punk was cool) on a drunken dare, and by all accounts, I’d have to say the mission has been accomplished. So far, they have only been responible for 15 injuries. Oh yeah, for those of you keeping track, the total drinking time of the album clocks in at 51:31, and contains 14 fan-fucking-tastic tracks.(4, or maybe it was 5 of them previously appear on the now hard to find “Give ‘Em Enough Booze” EP)

Check out their website more answers to this “mystery band from “Capital Hill” Don’t forget to click on the big red letters in the middle of the page for bonus coverage. By far, this is my pick for album of the year. In fact, the Saint Bushmill’s Choir are one of my all time favorite Celt-punk bands. They just do everything so perfectly, they don’t try to hard to sound “ethnic” or “Irish” or whatever, and even better than that, they don’t care what you fucking think either way.They’ve been though the whole game before in previous bands. It’s really quite simple, they just enjoy having a few pints & playing traditional songs the way they wanna play them, and what else can possibly top that?

1.Molly Maguires
2. Goddamn Shame
3. The Secret Set
4. Mineshaft
5. Three Jigs
6. Whiskey In The Jar
7. Just To Get Away
8. The Greenland Whale Fisheries
9. Three Polkas
10. The Leaving Of Liverpool
11. Black & Tans
12. Sam Hall
13. John Hardy
14. The Foggy Dew

November 2004

Review By: “Barnacle” Brian Gillespie

http://www.saintbushmillschoir.com/

Saint Bushmill’s Choir come from the Capital Hill section of Seattle and perfectly describe themselves as a ‘Clash cover band that plays mostly Pogues songs’, hence the title ‘Give Em Enough Booze’. This is a five track EP of their interpretation of some Irish folk favorites including ‘The Foggy Dew’, and a really great version of ‘Sam Hall’. Eric Greenwalt has a great dirty punk voice and the band are tight and capable especially with the Irish instruments.

June 2001

http://www.saintbushmillschoir.com/