2017-10-26 ALBUM REVIEW - THE BABES "Greetings from London" (2017)

The Babes "Greetings from London"
Release date: August 15, 2017
Running time: 32:32, 12 tracks

Two guys (Matt and Mao) met at IMW campus where they wanted to learn to record their own music. They talked about starting a band similar to The Pogues. Time went by and finally they formed The Babes, a new bagpipes punk band based in London. 

Some Czech guys have the same idea some years ago and Pipes and Pints were born. Curiously both The Babes and Pipes and Pints blend bagpipes and punk, but the link to The Pogues is not so obvious. In fact, I daresay that The Babes' attitude is closer to The Rusty Nails’ approach. The Rusty Nails from Pennsylvannia were probably the first band to play bagpipes (punk) rock without being pigeonholed as Celtic.

The Babes debut album is titled “Greetings from London” and the artwork idea is based on a postcard. “Greetings from London”was engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Mao Holiday. Mao plays the gaita asturiana (Asturian pipes) and sings, Matt Ren Ex plays the bass and sings and Marvin plays the drums.

The album kicks off with a badass bagpipes instrumental: "The Awakening".  As Mao learnt to play the bagpipes in Xixón, the tune has an Asturian touch. The next number is called “Gold Star” and it’s their single. Once again, the folk spirit is more Asturian than Scottish on this midtempo song.

The Babes move to the hardcore territory on “Down Here”. The following cut, “Do Something”, is a fantastic number where the pipes sound like sirens. “Lima-Limón” gets a streetpunk treatment. “Song of Finola” is one of my faves and it follows the same path of “Gold Star”.

The only cover on “Greetings from London” is track no. 7, “Rampton Song” (Disorder). “Kids” is another highlight and sometimes reminds me of Sham 69. Mao sings lead vocals in Spanish on “Dandellions”: kick-ass song featuring a bagpipes march.

“Tomorrow seems so far away” was The Babes first song and video, and it’s the only track that features electric guitar. Awesome number, isn’t it? The Babes come back to the streetpunk end with the amazing “The Choice is up to You”.

“Chia Sue” is the closing number. It has an intro à la The Stooges but soon evolves into a hardcore number. Mao sings in Spanish in a song about the role played by the Catholic Church in South America, specifically in his own country (Colombia).

The Babes play their own blend of punk and bagpipes. Celtic punk? Punk folk? Folk Punk? Let’s say bagpipes punk. Probably not your usual bagpipes punk, but highly recommendable. As Gord Taylor said in an interview: “(…) my advice for new bands who wanna play bagpipes in their band…don’t worry about trying to be ‘Celtic Punk Rock’. Just try to be Fucking Good!” And The Babes are fecking good!

Track listing:

01 - The Awakening 1:18
02 - Gold Star 4:03
03 - Down Here 1:46
04 - Do Something 1:52
05 - Lima Limon 2:29
06 - Song of Finola 3:55
07 - Rampton Song 1:31
08 - Kids 2:11
09 - Tomorrow Seems So Far Away 4:55
10 - Dandelions 3:18
11 - The Choice is up to you 1:46
12 - Chia Sue 3:01

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Review by Kinksmarkham

2017-10-22 NAME YOUR PRICE DOWNLOAD - THE REAL McCOYS "Barfly" (2017)

The Real McCoys (Josh Raught - vocals/guitar/banjo/spoons/mandolin, Barty Rodriguez - guitar/banjo/accordion/xylophone/vocals, Jeremy González - bass/vocals and Tommy Alba - drums and percussion) have just released their sophomore album, "Barfly".

The album was recorded by the band at Casa de Josh and is available as a Name Your Price download at Bandcamp.

Some songs are already on rotation at Celtic Folk Punk Radio.

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2017-10-18 ALBUM REVIEW - MAD MAN'S CREW "Riot without Weapons" (2017)

Mad Man's Crew "Riot without Weapons"
Release date: September 10, 2017
Running time: 40:39, 11 tracks

Hungarian band Mad Man’s Crew is going pretty fast. The band from Queen’s City (Veszprém) was established in 2015, they released a 4 track demo in 2016, then some video clips and finally their debut album has just been delivered.

Levente Molnár (guitar, lead vocals), Attila Nagy (accordion, vocals), Tamás Szikszai (tin whistle, trumpet, vocals), János Varga (bass) and Balázs Krajcsi (drums) define their music as punk rock. Neither (Celtic) folk punk, nor pub’n’roll, but punk rock. There are accordion and tin whistle on their songs, but also electric guitar and trumpet. Given their approach,  I’d file them together with bands such as Michael and The Wolfhounds, Hooligan’s Mountain or Strawdaze.

The album is titled “Riot without Weapons” and obviously Woody Guthrie’s guitar comes to mind straightaway. “Anthem of the Anarchists” is one of the hottest moments on the album with electric guitar and trumpet. “Way to Go” (one of the songs from the demo, featuring guest Máté Horváth on vocals) is another top-notch track with tin whistle, accordion and two vocalists. The bonus track in Hungarian “Igyál velünk!” is an excellent number with some reggae at the beginning and some ska punk at the end. And album openers “Leave Behind” and “Darling, Darling, Go to Hell” (featuring guest Júlia Seres on flute) are other highlights too.

Other interesting cuts are the songs from the demo “Drunken Society”, “Sit Back and Relax”, and “Orange Country”, together with “Riot”, a song that vocally can remind of Paddy and The Rats.

Mad Man’s Crew “Riot without Weapons” comes in a gatefold sleeve with the line-up, guests, studio credits and a “content disclaimer”. There is no lyric booklet, but lyrics videos for all of the songs are available at the band’s YouTube channel.

It’s hard to say which is the best (Celtic) folk punk scene in Europe, but one thing is for sure: Hungary has one of the most appealing scenes. And Mad Man’s Crew are offering something different from other Hungarian bands.

Track listing:

01 - Leave Behind 3:15
02 - Darling, Darling, Go to Hell 3:44
03 - Drunken Society 3:13
04 - Sit Back and Relax 3:11
05 - Orange Country 3:26
06 - Riot 3:40
07 - Anthem of the Anarchists 4:29
08 - From Paris with Love 3:46
09 - Don't Care (about the Past) 4:45
10 - Way to Go 2:58
11 - Igyál Velünk 4:05

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Review by Kinksmarkham

 

2017-10-16 CELTIC PUNKCAST

Celtic Punkcast is an Australian podcast hosted by Gareth Olver. There are 7 episodes so far and these are the latest playlists:

Episode #6 September 2017

THE MAHONES - Mahones Medley

NECK - Always Upsettin' Somebody
THE BASTARD SUNS - Never Say Die
AMADAN - Nevr 9to5

MATILDAS SCOUNDRELS - Bow To The Power
PADDY AND THE RATS - Bully In The Alley
THE AMERICAN WAKE - She Swears Like A Sailor

FEATURED BAND: THE REAL MCKENZIES
Pour Decisions
Ye Banks And Braes
Scottish And Proud

AMONGST THE WOLVES - The Rose And The Blaggard
SYDNEY CITY TRASH - Dirty Windscreens
THE DREADNOUGHTS - Knife To The Eye

BRUTUS' DAUGHTERS - Old Drunken Jig
SHANE MACGOWAN AND THE POPES - Nancy Whiskey
PIPES AND PINTS - Bravehearts

BLAGGARDS - Big Strong Man

Episode # 7 October 2017

THE BABES - The Awakening

THE LANGERS BALL - Johnny, You're A Rovin Blade
CELKILT - On The Table
DRINK HUNTERS - With My Crew

ROUGHNECK RIOT - Million Miles
BLACKEYED DEMPSEY - Sail Away To Amerikay
THE O'REILLYS AND THE PADDYHATS - Irish Way

FEATURED ARTIST: THE RUMJACKS -
An Irish Pub Song
No Pockets In A Shroud
A Fistful O Roses

CRAIC - Hold The Penny
BASTARDS ON PARADE - Gaelic
1916 - For Whiskey

SHAMBOLICS - Filfee Feevin Bastards
NEVERMIND NESSIE - Best Of Foes;
TOXIC FROGS - I'm Standing For You

THE FIGHTING JAMESONS - Ghost Ship Baltimore

Celtic Punkcast on Facebook

Celtic Podcast on Twitter

Celtic Podcast on Podbean (all the episodes)

Celtic Punkcast on iTunes (all the episodes)

2017-10-09 ALBUM REVIEW - FATUM "Sing mir noch ein Lied" (2017)

Fatum "Sing mir noch ein Lied"
Release date: June 16, 2017
Running time: 40:10, 10 tracks

Germany has always had some interesting non-Celtic folk punk bands, from instance the bands from the Pforzheim folk-punk scene (Across the Border, Ratsbane and Scatterbrains) or Mutabor from Berlin. Fatum hail from the Eifel area. They used to play traditional Irish tunes in their earlier years and they evolved into a real folk-punk / cow punk band sung in German. Fatum are Jiewesch Michel (vocals, accordion), Mucki (vocals, bass, banjo), Andi (vocals, mandolin), Ocean (guitar) and Josch (drums). When Celtic punk bands mention their influences, usually they say Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Tossers or The Mahones. However, Fatum state that their influences are the likes of The Pogues, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, The Whisky Priests and The Ukranians. And I must say that this is exactly how they sound.

“Sing mir noch ein Lied” comes in a digipack with a 12 page booklet. There are 10 songs that have been written by three members, Michel, Mucki and Andi. I have particularly enjoyed tracks 1 2, 5, 6 and 9. The opening cut “Sing mir noch ein Lied” is an Across the Border meets The Whisky Priests song showcasing mandolin, accordion and vocal harmonies. “Tanzen” is a drinking song that also has a The Whisky Priests touch (a passage reminds me of “The Hard Men”). “Novembertag” blends ska and East European beats (Fatum sound like the bastard sons of The Waxie’s and The Ukranians). “Einsam und allein” is an amazing uptempo song featuring accordion while “Morgenschlund” is a fast-paced accordion and mandolin driven number.

The other tracks are a couple of pirate numbers (the upbeat “Gelobtes Land” and “1.000 Mann und der Klabautermann”), an early pogues-ish song (“König Alcohol”), the most German sounding song on the album (“Berlin”) and the closing number, probably inspired by Werner Herzog’s film “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” (“Conquestadores” [sic]).

Fatum have moved away from the usual Celtic punk standards. They sing in their mother tongue and their main influences come from European bands from the 90's. Anyway, the average Celtic punk fan will find quite a few interesting songs on “Sing mir noch ein Lied”.

Track listing:

01 - Sing mir noch ein Lied 3:36
02 - Tanzen 3:05
03 - Gelobtes Land 4:24
04 - König Alkohol 3:41
05 - Novembertag 4:09
06 - Einsam und allein 3:35
07 - 1000 Mann und der Klabauterman 4:11
08 - Berlin 4:16
09 - Morgenschlund 3:48
10 - Conquestadores (sic) 5:25


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Review by Kinksmarkham

2017-10-08 VIDEOS - FEROCIOUS DOG, DUST RHINOS, KERVEGAN'S

Some videos that have been recently added to the Celtic Folk Punk YouTube channel. Don't miss any update, subscribe!

 

Ferocious Dog - American Dream



Dust Rhinos - New York Girls



Kervegan's - Loubard



 

2017-10-04 EP REVIEW - SHAMROCKS "Ye Olde Chariot" (2017)

ShamRocks "Ye Olde Chariot"
Release date: September 5, 2017
Running time:17:44, 5 tracks

The Ukranian folk rock band ShamRocks has delivered a new EP titled "Ye Old Chariot". The lads from Kiev have decided to stay in their comfort zone and therefore most of the tracks are covers. The five tracks follow different directions; ShamRocks are a versatile band, but sometimes the results may differ.

I have enjoyed their rendition of Korpiklaani “Viïnamen Mies / A Man with a Plan”. They have put Ukranian lyrics to the song and the new title is “Drunkard- Profligate”. The arrangements have a Fiddler’s Green attitude and they have changed the “Hey, Hey” by “Hop, Hop”. Anatoliy and Sergiy shine on fiddle and accordion.



“Topor Polka” is another standout track. The band is really tight and the tune will pleased both Celtic rock fans and Scandinavian folk rock fans.

ShamRocks have put music to a W.B. Yeats poem on “Kiltartan Cross”. The final result is an excellent song with a Michael McGoldrick touch thanks to the whistles and flutes.

Those would be my fave cuts on the EP. “Roll the Old Chariot” is an interesting number too. ShamRocks follow the usual treatment: first an approach closer to the original shanty, and then a fast-paced electric approach.

The Ukrainian quintet always takes risk. I love that, but I must admit that I don’t like their industrial cover of “The Star of the Co. Down” titled “Der Stern der Grafschaft Daun” (in German and in Gothic characters)

On this EP ShamRocks have written the music for one of the songs and the lyrics for another one. I expect that next time the guys won’t be shy and include more self-penned stuff. They have proved that they are able to re-arrange songs in an innovative way. The next step would be more songwriting.

The “Ye Old Chariot” EP is available as a digital release on bandcamp

Track listing:

1 - Roll the Old Chariot 4:04
2 - Пияка-Гультяй 2:52
3 - Der Stern der Grafschaft Daun 3:43
4 - Topor Polka 3:29
5 - Kiltartan Cross 3:26

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Review by Kinksmarkham

2017-10-03 PADDYS HOME AND PUB PODCAST - EPISODE #33

This the latest Paddys Home and Pub Podcast: Episode #33 The Workers featuring Dropkick Murphys, Mr. Irish Bastard, The Killigans, Flogging Molly, Jamie Clarke's Perfect, The Mahones, The Rumjacks, Kilmaine Saints, Barleyjuice, Neck, The Fisticuffs, Mickey Rickshaw and more. Enjoy!

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2017-10-02 EP REVIEW - BRICK TOP BLAGGERS "The Fury" (2017)

Brick Top Blaggers "The Fury"
Release date: September 30, 2017
Running time: 23:49, 6 tracks

Fortunately, Brick Top Blaggers are back with a 6 track EP titled “Fury”. The band from Orange County, California is one of our fave bands and they released two brilliant albums in 2011 (“Coaster”, review here) and 2013 (“Two Years Enough”, review here) apart from an EP in 2013 (“Plastic Paddy”, review here).

Some line-up changes have taken place. Nolan Bryan Lynch played banjo, mandolin and bouzouki from May 2011 to December 2014 and now Bill Singer plays those instruments. Phoebe Camiletti was the fiddler for a couple of years, but she left the band at the beginning of 2016 and the current fiddler is another girl, Karin Dell. And above all, one of the founding members and most respected musicians on the So-Cal Celtic punk scene left the band in October 2015 to spend much needed time with his family: accordionist, whistler and piper Matt Maulding.

4 years have gone by since their previous CD was issued, but the wait was worth it. “The Fury” is a badass EP. After several spins, you will feel that it’s too short. Yes, the quality is so high that fans will be looking forward to listening to a new full album soon.

The first tow cuts are high voltage Celtic punk. “On the Mend” showcases Bill’s mandolin and Daniel’s guitar. Their duel is followed by Karin’s fiddle, and Steve vocals are spotless. “Bloody Knuckles” is a fiddle led song with an amazing guitar work by Daniel. Steve reminds me of Mark Chadwick, the Levellers vocalist.

The next two tracks have a similar slow start with fiddle and guitar, but they evolve in different directions. “One Word”’s intensity is growing little by little, but “The Fury” burst into an excellent Celtic punk number.

“Last Call” is a highlight and will soon become a crowd favorite. Catchy number with banjo, fiddle and chorus to sing along. The closing track, “The Mountain” is the longest song on the EP and gets a (folk)rock treatment.

“The Fury” has been released at Get Shamrocked festival in Murrieta, California and, will be soon available at the main digital platforms. Grab a copy and enjoy. I’m sure that “The Fury” will be at the top of the Best EPs of 2017.

Track listing:

1 - On the Mend 3:13
2 - Bloody Knuckles 3:33
3 - One Word 3.59
4 - The Fury 4:37
5 - Last Call 2:59
6 - The Mountain 5:28

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2017-10-01 ALBUM REVIEW - KILMAINE SAINTS "Whiskey Blues & Faded Tattos" (2017)

Kilmaine Saints "Whiskey Blues & Faded Tattoos" KSCD005
Release date: July 14, 2017
Running time: 61:47, 17 tracks

The band from Harrisbug, PA Kilmaine Saints released their 5th album two months ago. “Whiskey Blues and Faded Tattoos” is their third studio album. The Kilmaine Saints debut album  “The Good, The Plaid and The Ugly” was one of the first reviews  that I wrote back in 2010 and their sophomore release “Drunken Redemption” was also reviewed here and reached the top 9 at the best of 2012. They also released a 7 track mini-album in 2014, “unTraditional”  and a 19 track live album in 2015, “Live at the Abbey”.

If the Kilmaine Saints first and second studio albums were recorded and engineered by Jason Shaffer and produced by a member of the band, “Whiskey Blues & Faded Tattoos” has been produced, mixed and mastered by Tyler “KougJ” Garrett, who also plays bass on “Mingulay Boat Song”. The album packaging is top-notch: an 8 panel digipack with the lyrics to all of the songs and full credits, together with the line-up and thank-you section.

One of the things that define Kilmaine Saints music is the fact that there are several songwriters in the band. Liz Mallin (fiddle) has written the music for 5 songs and the lyrics to 3 of them (singer Brendan Power has written the lyrics to the other two, “Memories Fade Away” and “Long Walk to Sonnagh”). Mike McNaughton has written the music for 5 songs two, and the lyrics to 4 of them (bassist and bagpiper Jon Heller wrote the lyrics to “Whiskey Blues & faded Tattoos”). Finally, Rich Lipski (guitar) has written the music for three songs. The lyrics to those songs are traditional (“Pennsylvania’s Finest”), by Jon Heller (“Innocent Hand”) and by S.Murphy (“2nd and Locust”).

“Idiom” is the perfect intro to the album. The song kicks off with the pipes playing “Hector the Hero” and then the catchy chorus pushes the rest of the instruments. One of the album’s highlight with plenty of woah and hey shouts. “Memories Fade Away” starts off with Mike’s drums and Liz’s fiddle. The beginning has a classic folk-rock sound, but afterwards the song gets a Celtic punk treatment. “Long Walk to Sonnagh” was previously released on “Live at the Abbey”. Kick-ass fiddle and mandolin on this fast-paced number. “Golden Rose” is a poignant song in memory of Mary Lou. It’s sung a cappella by Liz and the wifes of the other members. “Raise my Glass” is an excellent number with real punk lyrics. Brendan’s vocals are spotless, Liz does a good job on fiddle as usual, Rich shines on electric guitar and the bagpipes at the end are amazing too.

After having reviewed the songs written by Liz, now it’s Mike’s turn. “Whiskey Blues & Faded tattoos” is the title track and gets a classic American rock treatment. “Long Shot Nag” begins with a traditional fiddle tune and it’s a fast-paced Celtic punk anthem. “Wild Kolleen” is bagpipes punk at its best and features a bagpipes rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching in”. “Ride Like Hell” is a cut with an Eastern Europe fiddle and pirate vocals. And “This is the Last Call” is  the band’s answer to “Bugger Off” and a big thank you to their loyal fans. Class.

Finally the songs written by Rich are tracks no. 3, 10 and 12.  Banjo and fiddle can be heard on “Pennsylvania’s Finest”, an awesome Celtic punk number. “2nd & Locust” moves to the band’s classic rock’n’roll end while “Innocent Hand” follows the band’s sound from previous albums.

There are four covers on “Whiskey Blues & Faded Tattoos” and three of them are played in a row. My faves are “Mingulay Boat Song” and “No Awa Tae Bide Awa”. The former is an upbeat song with bagpipes that reminds me of the early Mudmen, and features “The Clumsy Lover”. The latter is really played with gusto.

“Whiskey Blues & Faded Tattoos” is the proof that Kilmaine Saints are still in the game. ‘nuff said.

Track listing:

01. Idiom 03:54
02. Whiskey Blues and Faded Tattoos 04:07
03. Pennsylvania's Finest 02:52
04. Tiocfaidh Ar La 03:39
05. Long Shot Nag 04:07
06. Memories Fade Away 03:13
07. Foggy Dew 04:18
08. Mingulay Boat Song 02:47
09. No Awa Tae Bide Awa 03:31
10. 2nd & Locust 03:05
11. Long Walk to Sonnagh 03:29
12. Innocent Hand 02:49
13. Wild Kolleen 03:45
14. Golden Pen 02:20
15. Raise My Glass 04:46
16. Ride Like Hell 03:55
17. Last Call 04:28



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Review by Kinksmarkham