BEST OF 2015 - CELTIC PUNK / ROCK ALBUMS AND EPS - MINI ALBUMS

Best Celtic punk / rock recordings, 2015
 

REMARKS

1) As usual, this post is titled as “the best of”. However, this is not a competition, but a sort of a game. Remember that I give neither points, nor stars to the albums that are reviewed. I’d say that, IMHO, this is the list of the most enjoyable albums of 2015.  It's a party!

2) This list is subjective, but not unfair: it covers the albums that I have enjoyed. Other lists are being posted on other sites and they'll be different. And I feel that diversity is good.

3) Important: Please remember that it’s a list of albums, not a list of bands.

4) I've tried to be coherent. Everybody should know that I prefer original material to over-exposed standards.

5) Please remember that I'm only a fan. Maybe some albums are technically or musically better than others. I have taken into account catchy songs, fresh approaches, innovation and maybe I've given priority to raucous sounds rather than to polished sounds

6) Yes, this is a Celtic Punk e-zine. Then priority has been given to Celtic punk bands, but you'll also find quite a few Celtic rock and folk punk bands.

7) Only the albums that have been received for review/airplay purposes and/or that have been shared for free by the bands have been rated. Other recordings were released in 2015, but unfortunately no copy was submitted or they got lost on their way to Spain.

8) This Best of 2015 covers the albums that have been released from December 2014 to November 2015. As you can see, a CD was released in 2013. I’ve decided to rate it on the 2015 list ONLY after having checked that it was not reviewed on any other Celtic punk / rock e-zine in 2014. I’ve got it in 2015 and I feel that a lot of fans didn’t notice that the CD was released before having read my review. Then, I’ve considered it as a 2015 release.

9) Neither live albums, nor only covers albums have been taken into account. The same applies to compilations/best of albums.

10) Some albums that are normally played at the 24/7 streaming radio have not made the list, because the music was more punk that Celtic punk

11) To be at the bottom of the list doesn't involve that an album is rather poor. The difference between the 5th place and the 20th place would be a tiny nuance. The same applies to the places going from 21st to 40th.

12) Several songs from these albums have been added to the streaming radio along the year and they are regularly played.

http://www.radionomy.com/en/radio/celtic-folk-punk/index

http://celtic-folk-punk.playtheradio.com

13) To the fans: feel free to share your comments below.

14) To the bands: it’s extremely difficult to rank every recording and I guess that some people won’t be happy. However, I really appreciate and respect the hard work by every single band. The quality of all of the recordings has been very high!

Albums Top40

25 albums from Europe: 5 from Italy, 5 from the United Kingdom, 3 from Spain, 2 from The Netherlands, 2 from the Czech Republic, 2 from Germany, 1 from France, 1 from Belgium, 1 from Norway, 1 from Slovenia, 1 from Sweden and 1 from Hungary

13 albums from North America: 6 from the USA and 7 from Canada

2 albums from Australasia: Australia

01 - Mr. Irish Bastard "The World, The Flesh and the Devil" Review   
02 - The Rumjacks "Sober and Godless" Review           
03 - Mickey Rickshaw "No Heaven for Heroes" Free Download
04 - Happy Ol' McWeasel "Heard Ya Say!"  Review
05 - The Waxies "Down with the Ship"  Review
06 - Paddy and The Rats "Lonely Hearts Boulevard" Review  
07 - The Fatty Farmers "Escape from the Dirty Pigs" Review
08 - Ferocious Dog "From Without" Review
09 - The Shillelaghs "Bury Me at Sea"  Review
10 - Smokey Bastard "Back to the Drawing Room" Review   
11 - O'Leary "Red Roads of Home" Review
12 - Greenland Whalefishers "The Thirsty Cave" Review
13 - Nevermind Nessie "Story of a Lost Generation" Review
14 - The Rijsel Irish Boy'Z "Whiskey'n'Beer" Review   
15 - Drunken Saints "Pubmosphere" Review
16 - Carotté "Punklore et Trashdition" Review
17 - The Bay Streets Bastards "s/t" Review   
18 - Black Anemone "King of Kings" Review
19 - Vintage Wine "Thrashfolk" Review
20 - Kitchen Implosion "Selfish" Review
21 - Dust Rhinos "I Should Behave" Review
22 - Dirty Artichokes "Losco Pruzio" Review
23 - Flannery "Happy Days" Review
24 - Folk the System "Unrest in the Wolds" Review
25 - Skontra "Foguera" Review
26 - Arse Craic "Crack Out Yer Arse" Free Download
27 - In for a Penny "The Guardian Angel Sessions" Review
28 - The Royal Spuds "It's a Feckin' Freakshow" Review   
29 - Driák "Tvrdá realita" Review
30 - The Dead Maggies "Well Hanged" Review
31 - One Eyed Reilly "Barstools & Gravestones" Review
32 - Cabo Norte "Cuando cae el sol" Review
33 - Lennon Kelly "Lunga vita al re" Review
34 - Stone Clover "Proper Vilains" Review
35 - Strawdaze "Sei" Review
36 - Cockswain "Séamus" Review
37 - The McDrinkers "Bring the Barrels" Review
38 - Incenere "Ombre" Free Download 
39 - The Clanns "s/t" Review
40 - O'Hanlon's Horsebox "Songs and Stories from the Border" Free Download
 

EPs and Mini-albums: Top30

As far as the EPs list is concerned, it ranks EPs and mini albums. Albums whose running time was shorter than 30 minutes have been considered as mini-albums.

25 CDs from Europe: 5 from the United Kingdom, 4 from Hungary, 3 from Germany, 2 from The Netherlands, 2 from France, 2 from the Czech Republic, 2 from Russia, 1 from Ukraine, 1 from Belgium, 1 from Spain, 1 from Italy and 1 from Norway

3 CDs from North America: 2 from the USA and 2 from Canada

1 CD South America: Brazil

1 CD Australasia: Australia

01 - Mick O'Toole "1665 Pitchfork Rebellion" Review
02 - Punching Namard "Demo" Review
03 - Rogue Scholars Post
04 - Drunken Dolly "Drunken Dolly and the Drunken Man's Curse" Review
05 - Circle J "The Year of the Goat" Review
06 - The Hydropaths "Wailing Away" Free Download
07 - River Jacks "s/t" Review
08 - Jolly Jackers "Sobriety" Review
09 - The Muddy States "Urban Legends" Review
10 - Toxic Frogs "Kill the Devil" Review
11 - Michael and the Wolfhounds "Folk Up Your Ass!" Review
12 - The Dogs from the Grapes "Sailor Without Sea" Review
13 - The Scarlet "Midnight Avenue" Review
14 - Greenland Whalefishers "Looney Tunes EP"   
15 - West Winds "Battled" Free Download
16 - Curlies "Zase sme tady" Review
17 - Zuname "Pipes Not Dead" Review
18 - Five Leaf Clover "Meet Me in the Pub" Review
19 - Harley McQuinn "Orden Svatogo Viskara" Free Download
20 - LochNesz "Leave the Captain Behind" Free Download
21 - Sigelpa "Ens van diagnosticar un transtorn" Free Download
22 - O'Hamsters "Kiss My Irish Ass" Free Download
23 - The CopOuts Band of November
24 - Barbar O'Rhum "Demo" Free Download
25 - The Stumblers "EP"    Free Download
26 - Matilda's Scoundrels "Beasts in Disguise" Free Download
27 - The Rogues from County Hell "Irish Dervish" Review
28 - Roving Crows "Up Heaval EP"   
29 - Boggin Leprechaun "Crosses" Free Download
30 - The Crazy Rogues "Chapter One" Free Download

Thanks to all the bands for sending their music to Celtic Folk Punk and More.

Special thanks to Jolly Jackers for putting the Celtic Folk Punk and More logo on their CD!!!

Enjoy!