2016-08-31 EP REVIEW - IN FOR A PENNY "Every Day Should Be Saint Paddy's Day" (2016)

In for a Penny "Every Day Should be Saint Paddy's Day"
Release date: July 3, 2016
Runnning time: 15:56, 5 tracks

In for a Penny are back with a bunch of ballads and drinking songs. Last year we loved the band’s 9 track debut album. They followed apparently a simple approach, but the final result was amazing. This time they have chosen a couple of standards and three self-penned songs and they have delivered a fine EP.Little by little, Sean and his bandmates are stretching the boundaries of their own musical territory. A bassist have been added to the band (Bryce McNally) and they have hired a couple of friends who have played violin (Ricardo Ochoa from Velvet Caravan) and tin whistle (Daniel O’Connell from the Savannah Ceili Band).

The EP kicks off with "The Rare Old Mountain Dew". This number was recorded by The Dubliners and The Pogues for The Dubliners “(25 Years) Celebration” in 1987 and it has been covered by a lot of bands. Although normally I’m not interested in overexposed standards, I must admit that In for a Penny do a great job thanks to the American folk arrangements.

The following track is called “Stumblin’ Home”, a number showcasing the band’s skills to write kick-ass XXIst century ballads. Even if you don’t want it, you’ll be singing along the infectious chorus “1, 2, 3 shots of whiskey …”. Ricardo guests on fiddle.

Track no 3 is the title track. Celkilt told us that “Everyday’s St. Patrick’s Day” and In for a Penny agree with them: “Every Day Should Be St. Paddy’s Day”. Daniel guests on tin whistle in this outstanding number.

The next song is my fave: the mandolin driven number “Whiskey in Heaven”. Mr. Irish Bastard told last year that they hope that they sell beer in hell and now In for a Penny hope that there’s whiskey in heaven: “Woah, I’m not ready to go / I’m having too much fun, I’m having too much fun / Woah when it’s my time to go /I hope there’s whiskey in heaven”. Sean lost his father on Thanksgiving last year. The last time he heard In for a Penny play, they introduced this prophetic new song. Therefore, the song is dedicated to Sean’s pop Jim McNally.

The EP is over with “The Parting Glass”, the song that used to be played at the end of The Clancy Brothers’ concerts. Brilliant rendition by Sean on mandolin.
"Every Day Should Be St. Paddy’s Day" has been engineered and mixed by Shane Baldwin of VooDoo Soup at Elevated Basement Studios and digital copies are available at Bandcamp.

In for a Penny know the path they want to follow and they are going straight to their goal. Not only is the EP catchy, but they have chosen the best possible running order, starting with a standard, placing their own numbers in the middle and closing with the perfect farewell song.

Tracklist:

1 - The Rare Old Mountain Dew 2:31
2 - Stumblin' Home 2:55
3 - Every Day Should Be Saint Paddy's Day 3:24
4 - Whiskey in Heaven 3:07
5 - The Parting Glass 3:49

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Review by Kinksmarkham

2016-08-28 FREE DOWNLOADS - INDEX OF "EPs"

Index Of is a band from Rosario, Argentina (the city were Lionel Messi was born). The band was established in 2011 and released an EP sung in English in 2012. A new EP in Spanish was released in 2013. A bagpiper joined the band in 2013 and they released their debut album in 2016. The following tracks from the new album are already being played on Celtic Folk Punk Radio: "Nada queda en pie" and "Latidos".

Index of is influenced by Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, Face to Face and NOFX.

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Line-up:

Charly Barreiro - Guitar, vocals
Agustín Siles - Guitar, backing vocals
Lucio Zappa - Bass, backing vocals
Nacho Cis - Drums
Grimgurth Heru - Bagpipes

Guests on their debut album "Nada queda en pie":

Marc Orrell (Wild Roses) guitar solo on "Aprendiendo A Perder"
Sapo Ramone (Violación Auditiva, Régular y Martín Ré) on backing vocals
Billie Arregui (Régular) vocals on "Dulce Amargura"

Discography:

"I'm Drunk and I'm Here" (EP, 2012)
"Aprendiendo a perder" (3 track EP, 2013)
"Nada queda en pie" (10 tracks, 2016)

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EP 2012

EP 2013

2016-08-26 VIDEO - SMZB "The Song of the Seagull"

New music video from the Wuhan-based punk band SMZB. The song is based on a poem written by Lin Zhao, a student from Peking University, who was imprisoned for defending students, persecuted during Mao Zedong's Anti-Rightist Movement in the late 1950s. A gifted writer, Lin composed endless articles and poems from her cell. Forbidden to use pens, she wrote with a hairpin dipped in her own blood. In 1968 she was executed, her tragic life lost to the margins of history.

SMZB - The Song of the Seagull

 

2016-08-22 VIDEO - LEVELLERS "One Way" Live

Levellers' classic Levelling The Land album gets a 25th Anniversary release on the band's own label On The Fiddle Recordings on 18th November.

Available as a 2CD+DVD, 2LP blue vinyl set and Box, includes the original album plus a live version recorded at Brixton Academy. Features the hit singles 15 Years, Far From Home and One Way.

Levellers - One Way (Levelling The Land - Live at Brixton Academy)

 

 

2016-08-21 ALBUM REVIEW - DRINK HUNTERS "Shameless" (2016)

Drink Hunters "Shameless"
Release date: August 10, 2016
Running time: 28:52, 11 tracks

Drink Hunters are back with their third album, “Shameless”. Some line-up changes have occurred, as Rosa (button accordion) and Fernando (fiddle) left the band and Biel from Lád Cúig is the new fiddler. However, Drink Hunters have not changed their style, since “Shameless” is another dose of the same SoCal punk infused stuff that they’ve been delivering from the beginning. The production is top-notch and the balance between the punk instruments (electric guitar, bass and drums) and the folk instruments (tin whistle and fiddle) is perfect.

The starting point to this new Celtic punk trip is “1234”. The first passage reminds me of Green Day from the “Dookie” era, but the song is 100% Drink Hunters: a fast paced number, excellent chorus and backing vocals and great fiddle and whistle arrangements.

The next song, “Trashy Music”, is one of my faves thanks to their infectious chorus. Drink Hunters are really tight on this number about sellout bands whose only goal is to top the charts and make money.

“Do More Listening” is another highlight on “Shameless”. The lyrics are about the most common nightmare when Spanish people are learning English as a foreign language and the solution that the teachers usually provide.

Drink Hunters advanced a couple of acoustic versions for songs from “Shameless”. “I Need to Forget” was one of them, a song with a slight Nirvana feel. The brilliant rhythm section is showcased on the title track, “Shameless”.

“Picnic Blanket” is probably the folkiest song on the Drink Hunters discography. The polka arrangements come straight from the Kerry area. Needless to say that I love this song.

“My Car” is the other song that got the acoustic treatment on video. SoCal Celtic punk at its best with fantastic fiddle and tin whistle arrangements.

Track no. 8 is titled “34” and features guest “El Nota” on the rap part. “What Am I Waiting for” and “Someone Else” are typical Drink Hunters fast-paced numbers before reaching the album climax: “Celtic Punks”, a catchy number that will become the Spanish Celtic punk scene unofficial anthem. The words “We are Celtic Punks” can be heard on Basque, Galician Asturian, Castillan (Brutus Daughters on guests vocals) and Catalonian languages.

Legend has it that Paul McKenzie told that new fans are expecting to listen to some Dropkick Murphys infused music when they go to a Drink Hunters gig, but they are surprised when they get a great deal of Bad Religion and Pennywise influenced songs. Yes, Drink Hunters have created their own niche and probably their punk side is bigger than the Celtic one. But one thing is for sure: their sound is perfect. I’ve listened to a lot of albums where the tin whistle or the pipes are “killed” by the electric instruments in the final mix. However, Drink Hunters and the guys and the studio have done a great job and tin whistle and fiddle are showcased as they deserve it. You can contact the band via Facebook to buy a copy. Go ahead, you won’t regret it!

Tracklist:

01. 1234 2:25
02. Trashy Music 2:48
03. Do More Listening 2:13
04. I Need To Forget 2:14
05. Shameless 2:12
06. Picnic Blanket 2:06
07. My Car 3:00
08. 34 2:56
09. What Am I Waiting For? 3:11
10. Someone Else 2:07
11. Celtic Punks 3.15

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Contact the band to buy the CD
 





Review by Kinksmarkham

2016-08-20 VIDEO - SHAMBOLICS "Banshee"

"Banshee", a track from the new Shambolics CD "Riot on Race Day".

Shambolics - Banshee

2016-08-19 HOBOFOPO, Four days of folk-punk around Hobart

Have you heard of HOBOFOPO?

Just announced for November 2016 - Tasmania is getting a new festival. It’s the first ever Tasmanian, (and as far as we can tell, the first ever Australian) Folk-Punk Festival! What’s that you ask? Well you know folk festivals, where you run from venue to venue to catch the acts you want to see? Well it’s just like that. Only all the bands are playing folk-punk, all the venues are pubs around Hobart, and nobody will tell you you’re being too loud.

Yes the irrepressible hobos responsible for Tasmanian folk-punk legends The Dead Maggies and Tassie based label Folk ‘Til Ya Punk Records are on the rampage once more. Not satisfied with bringing the best of Australian folk-punk bands down to the south island one at a time; they’ve decided they should all be thrown together in one massive four day folk-punk orgy across various venues all around Hobart Town.

With some of the biggest names in Australian folk-punk, along with some of the best you’ve never heard of, all thrown together in mass celebration alongside the explosion of excellent local Tassie talent you’ve got something damn special. Whether you’re a fan of folk music, punk music, something in between or something totally different - this is an amazing opportunity to see a whole music community coming together to see what each other have got.

The first round of the 15+ acts to be announced include globetrotting superstars The Go Set fresh back from the USA on their constant world tour. Two acts from the Folk ‘Til Ya Punk Records roster: Sydney’s bush-punk immortals the Handsome Young Strangers and Brisbane’s celtic-punk rising stars Fox ‘N’ Firkin. And two Tassie home-grown heroes: This Is A Robbery, acoustic anarcho-punk fronted by internationally revered songwriter Chris Burrows; and new kids on the block Squid Fishing – who are just 18 and still in school, but are rapidly winning respect from the folk-punk and punk-rock communities. 

Yes 2016 will go down as the year the first ever Folk ‘Til Ya Punk Festival was held; Hobarts very own folk-punk orgy, 10 -13th November. They're calling it HOBOFOPO, you can find it at www.folktilyapunk.com/fest, www.facebook.com/hobofopo or by following the hashtag #HOBOFOPO.

Hobart's Original Folk Punk Orgy HOBOFOPO has just announced the second round of acts, for their folk-punk festival in November. Joining The Go Set, Handsome Young Strangers, Fox 'N' Firkin, This Is A robbery and Squid Fishing are

Celtic Punk band The Ramshackle Army, who have been back and forth between the US from touring with Dropkick Murphys, The Tossers and Frank Turner.

No surprise that local band The Dead Maggies are on the bill, but they're bringing all the musos that they know to form The Dead Maggies' Dark Orchestra to perform a special piece titled "200 years of oppression, a history of van diemens' land".

Potty-mouthed, middle-aged Newcastle yobs The Australian Beefweek Show, are in for a fun and raucous time. They used to have some cow-punk and folk-punk songs, but they've aged disgracefully and now just get drunk and swear a lot.

The alternative darlings of beer-soaked country folk The Stragglers make their first trip to Tasmania, featuring members of The Little Sisters and Cherrywood, expect some sweet tunes and sweet melodies to swig a few bottles of whiskey too.

And, local enigma Hairyman will be venturing out from the forests of the far south of Tasmania to deliver his a'cappella bush-ballads.

And where and when will this folk-punk orgy be I hear you ask???
the dates and venues follow.

Tickets will be available soon, so keep your eyes on www.folktilyapunk.com and follow #HOBOFOPO

Thurs 10/11 - The Republic Bar 9-11pm
Fri 11/11 - Willie Smiths Apple Shed 7-9pm
Fri 11/11 - The Brisbane Hotel 9pm-late
Fri 11/11 - Big Dan's Franklin Tavern 9pm-midnight
Sat 12/11 - Frankies Empire Cafe - intimate lunchtime acoustic sets.
Sat 12/11 - Afternoon All Ages, The Brisbane Hotel 3-6pm
Sat 12/11 - The Homestead 9pm-midnight
Sat 12/11 - The Brisbane Hotel 9pm-late
Sun 13/11 - Arvo BBQ session, Fern Tree Arts Hall 1-8pm
Sun 13/11 - Folky wind-down at The Homestead 9-11pm

2016-08-18 VIDEO - BEYOND THE FIELDS "The Falcon Lives"

Beyond the Fields  are thrilled to introduce the second Official Music Video for their album "The Falcon Lives".

This time it's the title track itself. The video was once again directed by their good friend Metunar, and once again shot at the Lion.

Beyond the Fields - The Falcon Lives

2016-08-17 VIDEO AND FREE DOWNLOAD - MAD MAN'S CREW "Way to Go"

Mad Man's Crew is a kick-ass band from Veszprém (Hungary) that plays loud folk-punk Rock&Roll. The songs from their demo are regularly played at Celtic Folk Punk radio. They have a video for "Way to Go" and lyrics videos for all of the songs from their demo. Besides, the link to their demo is on their Facebook page too.

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Mad Man's Crew - Way to Go (X-Faktor Edition)



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2016-08-16 VIDEO - SIGELPA "L'infern està pujant"

Video for "L'infern està pujant", footage from Sigelpa's Prost! 2016 Tour.

Sigelpa - L'infern està pujant

2016-08-15 LYRIC VIDEO - MICK O'TOOLE "Still in Cider"

Mick O'Toole lyric video for "Still on Cider", the first single to be released from the new EP 'A Working Class Battalion'

Mick O'Toole - Still in Cider