Kilmaine Saints – The Good, The Plaid, and the Ugly – KSCD001
Self-produced and self-financed
Release Date: July 20th, 2010
Running Time: 41:57 – 12 tracks
Kilmaine Saints is an 8 piece band from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania fronted by a County Mayo born lead vocalist. They define themselves as “Superior.Celtic.Rock”. The band has three members that play the pipes, but definitely they are not a “bagpipes rock” band. And, even if they say that their influences are bands such as Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly and The Pogues, I feel that their definition is better than Celtic punk.
“The Good, The Plaid, and the Ugly” is an excellent debut album in which 8 out of 12 tracks are self-penned songs. The band has four songwriters: Brendan “Duke” Power (Lead vocals, bodhrán), Frank “Rev Fluffy” Aponte (Multi-instrumentalist: tenor banjo, bass, mandolin…), “Lovely” Liz Mallin (Fiddle) and Mike “McKnuckles” McNaughton (drums). The quality of their songwriting work is increased by the musicianship of all the band members, especially Barry “Black-Eye” Mills guitars, Liz fiddle and Mike drums.
As far as the covers are concerned, they have chosen 4 numbers that have been played by a lot of bands. However, their versions are really fresh and different from the ones we are used to hear. For instance, the opening track, “Amazing Grace” is a pipes and drums band version. “Whiskey in the Jar” is closer to Thin Lizzy than to The Dubliners + The Pogues. “The Wearing of the Green” (a song that shares the music with “The Rising of the Moon”) begins as if it was a pipes and drums tune, but immediately it turns into a Dropckick Murphys style song. And “The Leaving of Liverpool”, with a slight Flogging Molly touch at the beginning, shows that the band rocks.
The second track, “The Saints are Up!” is obviously about them: “Raise a shot, raise a pint, put your arms around your mate ‘cuz we’re the noisy drunken bastards called the Kilmaine Saints”. Great pipes work and great vocals with a DKM edge.
“My Island” has a Great Big Sea feeling and good guitar and fiddle contributions.
The next song, “Farewell, Self Esteem”, makes you think that you are going to listen to a Paperboys song, but it becomes a Celtic punk number in which all the band sounds really tight: fiddle, tin whistle, accordion…
“Gold and Guns (Will Get the Job Done)” is another Celtic rock track: excellent guitars and superb fiddle and tin whistle.
The shadow of bands such as The Dreadnoughts can be heard in “Ten Fathoms Deep”, a true pirate song.
“Painting Paradise Square” tells the story of the Irishmen in Amerikay. A song in the Dropkick Murphys/Flogging Molly vein. Hat off to Frank Aponte, both songwriting and his playing are awesome in this song.
One of my favourite tracks is “Casey’s Swagger”, a Seven Little Sisters meet The Real McKenzies song. Brendan vocals are aggressive enough and the band, lead by Liz, is really topnotch.
The last track is “Póg Mo Thóin”. It is not the kind of song that I would have chosen to close the album, but the final “kitchen party” tunes improve it.
Kilmaine Saints “The Good, The Plaid, and the Ugly”. Or should I say “The Good, the Excellent and the Best”?
Tracklist:
01. Amazing Grace 2:23
02. The Saints Are Up! 2:43
03. My Island 2:26
04. Whiskey In the Jar 3:19
05. Farewell, Self Esteem 2:46
06. Gold and Guns (Will Get the Job Done) 4:20
07. Wearing of the Green 3:42
08. Ten Fathoms Deep 3:50
09. Painting Paradise Square 4:37
10. The Leaving of Liverpool 3:01
11. Casey's Swagger 3:07
12. Póg Mo Thóin 5:43
www.kilmainesaints.com
www.myspace.com/kilmainesaints
www.reverbnation.com/kilmainesaints
www.kilmainesaints.com/dnn/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Hn_kCHp5RUs%3d&tabid=93 (CD liner notes)
Tu purchase the album, click below
www.cdbaby.com/cd/KilmaineSaints
www.kilmainesaints.com/dnn/Shop.aspx
Review by Kinksmarkham
.
.
.
Self-produced and self-financed
Release Date: July 20th, 2010
Running Time: 41:57 – 12 tracks
Kilmaine Saints is an 8 piece band from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania fronted by a County Mayo born lead vocalist. They define themselves as “Superior.Celtic.Rock”. The band has three members that play the pipes, but definitely they are not a “bagpipes rock” band. And, even if they say that their influences are bands such as Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly and The Pogues, I feel that their definition is better than Celtic punk.
“The Good, The Plaid, and the Ugly” is an excellent debut album in which 8 out of 12 tracks are self-penned songs. The band has four songwriters: Brendan “Duke” Power (Lead vocals, bodhrán), Frank “Rev Fluffy” Aponte (Multi-instrumentalist: tenor banjo, bass, mandolin…), “Lovely” Liz Mallin (Fiddle) and Mike “McKnuckles” McNaughton (drums). The quality of their songwriting work is increased by the musicianship of all the band members, especially Barry “Black-Eye” Mills guitars, Liz fiddle and Mike drums.
As far as the covers are concerned, they have chosen 4 numbers that have been played by a lot of bands. However, their versions are really fresh and different from the ones we are used to hear. For instance, the opening track, “Amazing Grace” is a pipes and drums band version. “Whiskey in the Jar” is closer to Thin Lizzy than to The Dubliners + The Pogues. “The Wearing of the Green” (a song that shares the music with “The Rising of the Moon”) begins as if it was a pipes and drums tune, but immediately it turns into a Dropckick Murphys style song. And “The Leaving of Liverpool”, with a slight Flogging Molly touch at the beginning, shows that the band rocks.
The second track, “The Saints are Up!” is obviously about them: “Raise a shot, raise a pint, put your arms around your mate ‘cuz we’re the noisy drunken bastards called the Kilmaine Saints”. Great pipes work and great vocals with a DKM edge.
“My Island” has a Great Big Sea feeling and good guitar and fiddle contributions.
The next song, “Farewell, Self Esteem”, makes you think that you are going to listen to a Paperboys song, but it becomes a Celtic punk number in which all the band sounds really tight: fiddle, tin whistle, accordion…
“Gold and Guns (Will Get the Job Done)” is another Celtic rock track: excellent guitars and superb fiddle and tin whistle.
The shadow of bands such as The Dreadnoughts can be heard in “Ten Fathoms Deep”, a true pirate song.
“Painting Paradise Square” tells the story of the Irishmen in Amerikay. A song in the Dropkick Murphys/Flogging Molly vein. Hat off to Frank Aponte, both songwriting and his playing are awesome in this song.
One of my favourite tracks is “Casey’s Swagger”, a Seven Little Sisters meet The Real McKenzies song. Brendan vocals are aggressive enough and the band, lead by Liz, is really topnotch.
The last track is “Póg Mo Thóin”. It is not the kind of song that I would have chosen to close the album, but the final “kitchen party” tunes improve it.
Kilmaine Saints “The Good, The Plaid, and the Ugly”. Or should I say “The Good, the Excellent and the Best”?
Tracklist:
01. Amazing Grace 2:23
02. The Saints Are Up! 2:43
03. My Island 2:26
04. Whiskey In the Jar 3:19
05. Farewell, Self Esteem 2:46
06. Gold and Guns (Will Get the Job Done) 4:20
07. Wearing of the Green 3:42
08. Ten Fathoms Deep 3:50
09. Painting Paradise Square 4:37
10. The Leaving of Liverpool 3:01
11. Casey's Swagger 3:07
12. Póg Mo Thóin 5:43
www.kilmainesaints.com
www.myspace.com/kilmainesaints
www.reverbnation.com/kilmainesaints
www.kilmainesaints.com/dnn/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Hn_kCHp5RUs%3d&tabid=93 (CD liner notes)
Tu purchase the album, click below
www.cdbaby.com/cd/KilmaineSaints
www.kilmainesaints.com/dnn/Shop.aspx
Review by Kinksmarkham
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