REVIEW - McONAK "Piraten Matxinada" (2013)

McOnak "Piraten Matxinada" Mauka musikagintza, Cat. no. Mauka012
Release date: 5 December 2013
Running time: 38:46, 11 tracks

The folk-punk in the Basque country has a long history. Even if there are no full albums blending folk with punk or rock from the mid eighties, some seminal bands wrote several folk-punk numbers (Celtic and Non-Celtic). Probably the first song would be Hertzainak’s self-titled song whose single was given away with the first copies of their second album “Hau dena aldatu nahi nuke” (1985). The next songs would be ” Jaungoikoa eta lege zarra” off “El estado de las cosas” (1986), the second album released by Kortatu and Baldin Bada’s Ibilaldia single “Zirt Zart”. La Polla Records’s song “No somos nada” that opened their third album in 1986 was the first song featuring the Asturian bagpipes.

But the first band blending Celtic and Basque folk music with pop-rock would be Sorotan Bele, whose first and second Capercaillie infused albums from 1993 and 1994 sold a huge amount of copies. Later, bands from both sides of the Spanish-French border released some Celtic rock albums in the Celtas Cortos vein (Rhune and Zapozain). More recently, Bizardunak have become quite popular merging The Pogues and Wolfe Tones influences. And don’t forget Deiedra, with their acoustic rebel music straight from the pub.

McOnak are a young band from Lekitto (Lekeitio), a Basque fishing port in Biscay. Even if these lads share a strong nationalist rebel side with Bizardunak, their music is less aggressive and more diverse.

“Piraten Matxinada” (“The pirate rebellion”) is a fresh album that musically looks to Hertzainak and Sorotan Bele.  There is a small Dropkick Murphys twist on “Traizio balada” and some Celtic influences, but the sound is more Basque than Celtic. The instrumentation is based on diatonic accordion, whistle and/or sax and harmonica together with guest musicians on fiddle, keyboards and pedal steel.

The opening cut is called “Zerbezien Komandua” ("The Beer Commando”) a catchy song featuring Ager Isunza on fiddle.  The following number is a slow number about the band, “McOnak”. The third track, “Zure garaiak”, is an upbeat song with an in yer face tin whistle featuring Andoni Basterretxea (Delirium Tremens) on vocals.

The fourth song, "Traizio balada", features another well-known vocalist, Aritz Artola from Bizardunak. Banjo can be heard on this amazing number.

The following cut is “Ireki botila” (“Open the Bottle”). It’s a fantastic Sorotan Bele meets The Men They Couldn’t Hang song featuring Ager Isunza on pedal steel. A great cow-punk number.

“Altxa lagun” is a tribute song to Iñigo Cavacas, an Athletic Bilbao fan that died when he was hit “accidentally” by a rubber bullet shot by the police after a football game.

“Espekulazioa” is another kick ass song. At the beginning it’s an acoustic number and then it goes electric. Billiant in yer face tin whistle once again.

The following number, “Kateak apurtu” (“Break the chains”) showcases accordion,  fiddle (guest Esther Gabiola) and banjo. An infectious fast-paced song.

“Beste egun bat” (“Another Day”) is a Caribbean rythms song featuring keyboards (Olatz Salvador from Skaiketan) and Sax.

Finally, a couple of quieter numbers. “Tabernako argiak” (“The Tavern Lights”) is one of my fave cuts on the album. It’s a top-notch ballad with a Loquillo y Los Trogloditas twist. "Banoa" is a back to basics Bob Dylan infused folk-rock number featuring harmonica.

So, I strongly recommend “Piraten matxinada” by McOnak. The lads from Lekitto have delivered an appealing folk-punk-rock album that both Celtic and non-Celtic audiences will enjoy.

Tracklisting:

01 - Zerbezien komandua 2:38
02 - McOnak 4:32
03 - Zure garaiak 3:43
04 - Traizio balada 3.35
05 - Ireki botila 3:20
06 - Altxa lagun 3:47
07 - Espekulazioa 3:25
08 - Kateak apurtu 3:06
09 - Beste egun bat 3:37
10 - Tabernako argiak 4:45
11 - Banoa 2:14

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Review by Kinksmarkham