2017-11-27 ALBUM REVIEW - IRISH STEW OF SINDIDUN "City of Grigs" (2017)

Irish Stew of Sindidun "City of Grigs" Ammonite Records CD051
Release date: October 16, 2017
Running Time: 35:14, 10 tracks

Irish Stew of Sindidun have recently released “City of Grigs”, their fourth studio album and follow-up to their CD from 2011 “New Tomorrow”. Ana Milanovic left the band and the current fiddler is Nemanja Jovanovic. Apart from this line-up change, Irish Stew of Sindidun have released their new album with a new label, Ammonite Records.

“City Of Grigs” comes in a jewel case with a 16 page booklet. Ten songs have made the album, which is an interesting Celtic pop-rock work. There are seven original numbers and three covers. Regarding  the original songs, five have been written by the band leader Bojan Petrovic, one by Bojan and fiddler Nemanja and another one by Dejan Grujic. The production is excellent and the sound is based on fiddle banjo and tin whistle.

Bojan’s songs are the tracks no. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8. “Stranger” is a fantastic opener that sets the pace for the rest of the album. “Heavier than Sin” was the first single from the album. A video clip was released for this song that features “The Fermoy Lasses” reel at the end, a tune that The Dubliners used to play together with “Sporting Paddy”. “Awake” has a livelier beginning and the banjo-fiddle-whistle tune is spotless too. “Holiday” has a Christy Moore spin. And “Emerald Blue” is a kick-ass Celtic pop-rock number.

“The Old City Keeper” is the only instrumental on “City of Grigs”, but I’s one of the highlights on the album. It has a funky touch that reminds me of Canadian band Mad Pudding. Hats off!

“Drink and Sing” is probably the most upbeat cut on the CD. This number was written by the Orthodox Celts bassist Dejan Grujic. As you probably know, Bojan joined the Orthodox Celts around 2011 and played the whistles till 2016.

Finally, Irish Stew of Sindidun deliver 3 covers too. My fave is Peadar Kearney’s song “Down by the Glenside”. Many bands insist on covering the same The Dubliners / The Clancy Brothers songs. However, Irish Stew of Sindidun have proved that there are other gems that should be re-arranged.  “Paddy’s Lamentation” is another good choice and, IMHO, “Step it out Mary” is maybe the softer cover of the three.

“City of Grigs” shows a different side of Irish Stew of Sindidun. The band’s sound is easily recognizable, but they have pushed it to a calm direction. They have taken The Corrs folkier moments and added some drops of Capercaillie and Four Men and a Dog to the mix. The final result is an amazing Celtic pop-rock album.

 

 

Track listing:

01. Stranger 2:47
02. Paddy's Lamentation 3:23
03. Heavier Than Sin 4:05
04. Awake 3:28
05. Drink And Sing 1:59
06. Holiday 4:07
07. The Old City Keeper 2:50
08. Emerald Blue 3:44
09. Down By The Glenside 3:59
10. Step It Out Mary 4:27

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Review by Kinksmarkham

2017-11-26 VIDEOS - THE FEELGOOD McLOUDS, FINNEGAN'S HELL, BENJAMING'S CLAN

These are the latest videos that have been added to our YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on Facebook. Then you'll be able to watch all the new videos before they are posted here.

The Feelgood McLouds - Never Stop

 


Finnegan's Hell - Paradise Town (Christmas edit)



Benjaming's Band - The Last of the Mohicans

2017-11-23 EP REVIEW AND NAME YOUR PRICE DOWNLOAD - BALEYCORN BASTARDS "Hops & Dreams" (2016)

Barleycorn Bastards "Hops & Dreams"
Release date: May 1, 2016
Running time: 13:58, 5 tracks

Barleycorn Bastards are a five piece band hailing from Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The band was established in 2013 and the line-up is Sid (guitar, vocals), Maarten (tin whistle, vocals),  Martin (drums, vocals),  Niels (bass, shouting) and Elmar (banjo, backing vocals). I had never heard of them, but recently the guys from London Celtic Punks posted on their facebook that Barleycorn Bastards were touring England. Then I found that they had released a 5 track EP in 2016. I was really impressed and therefore I decided to write an EP review.

The Barleycorn Bastards EP is titled “Hops & Dreams” and is based on covers. However, the lads have chosen songs that are not overexposed (tracks 2 and 4) or have given a new spin to some well-known standards (tracks 1 and 5).

The first track on the EP is “Nancy Whiskey”. The Barleycorn Bastards' approach reminds me of an Australian band that I reviewed some months ago, Sailors Grave. Apart from that, the tin whistle gets an “in yer face” treatment that reminds me of The Skels.

Some people will be familiar with the next number, “Bully Boys”, as it was featured on the "Robin Hood" movie with Rusell Crowe and ex-Great Big Sea member Alan Doyle plays this song on their brand new album. Electric guitar, banjo and tin whistle will make you enjoy this cut.

The following song, “Banjo Breakdown” is a fast-paced number with yeeha shouts and addictive banjo and tin whistle.

The banjo starts slowly on the shanty “Coast of High Barbary”. But the band goes mental on the second half of the song which is led by a manic tin whistle.

The last song on the album is “All for me Grog”. The banjo intro sounds similar to a song by their fellow countrymen Drunken Dolly, but the song evolves into a Dutch answer to The Skels.

“Hops & Dreams” is available as a Name Your Price download on Bandcamp. Besides, three songs are on rotation on Celtic Folk Punk radio since November 2.

After having listened to this brilliant EP, I’m looking forward to hearing the debut album by these lads.

Track listing

1. Nancy Whiskey 02:09   
2. Bully Boys 02:19   
3. Banjo Breakdown 01:43   
4. Coast of High Barbary 03:49
5. All for me Grog 03:48

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Review by Kinksmarkham

2017-11-22 MINI ALBUM REVIEWS - THE GREEN DUCK "1er EP" (2015) and "2ème EP" (2017)

The Green Duck "1er EP"
Release date: July 28, 2015
Running time: 29:02, 8 tracks

The Green Duck is a French three piece band: Grégoire Butaeye (fiddle and background vocals, from Brittany) Laurent Réval (lead vocals, harmonica and drums, from Montepellier) and Lionel Fouchet (guitar, mandolin, background vocals, from Paris). This is the official line-up, but often they are joined by a banjoist and a bassist.

Their first CD was a mini-album released in 2015. That mini-album consists of 5 studio tracks and 3 live tracks. The studio tracks were recorded and mixed by Steph Legrand, who also played the bass on the first track. The live tracks were recorded by Bertrand Truptil.

The Green Duck set-list is based mainly on Irish standards, but there is enough place for the odd bluegrass number, some celtic style covers of rock classics and some originals. Then, the track listing on their first CD follows the same approach.

The mini-album kicks off with “Blow it away”. This amazing song was written by Laurent. It’s more bluegrass than Celtic, and guest Manu Bertrand plays dobro and banjo.

The next three numbers are Irish standards: “Drunken Sailor”, “Step it out Mary” and “Whiskey in the Jar”. These songs have been covered by a lot of bands, but the arrangements are top-notch. “Drunken Sailor” features the tune “Drowsy Maggie”. "Step it out Mary” has a beginning that reminds me of Louise Attaque, together with interesting fiddle arrangements and backing vocals. “Whiskey in the Jar” has some appealing fiddle arrangements too.

Track no. 5 ("Around the World") is the kind of number that I love: a kick-ass set of tunes. The three members do a great job.

The last three tracks are the live ones. Jean Marc Delon plays the banjo while Billy plays the bass. “Dirty Old Town” is played with gusto. “American Land” is a badass number too. “Highway to Hell” gets a country spin and the final result is awesome.

Track listing:

1 - Blow it Away 4:15
2 - Drunken Sailor 2:37
3 - Step it out Mary 3:40
4 - Whiskey in the Jar 2:32
5 - Around the World 2:31
6 - Dirty Old Town (live) 4:04
7 - American Land (live) 5:14
8 - Highway to Hell (live) 4:10

The Green Duck "2e EP"
Release date: July 12, 2017
Running time: 28:12, 8 tracks

Two years later, The Green Duck have released their second mini-album. Once again, there are 8 tracks, but all of them are studio takes. “On the Rise” is the first cut on their second CD. It has been written by Laurent Réval (lyrics) and Lionel Fouchet (music) and recorded and mixed by Steph Legrand. After listening to this gem I keep on wondering why these guys have not recorded more self-penned stuff.

The other 7 tracks on the mini-album were mixed and mastered by Lionel Fouchet. Even if they have been recorded at the studio, all of them have a “live” spirit. Regarding the standards, I’ve enjoyed their renditions of “Johnny I hardly knew Ye”, “The Foggy Dew” and “The Raggle Taggle Gypsy”, because the arrangements add something new.

Fortunately, there is a set of tunes on this new CD: “Paddy on the Turnpike and Tommy’s Tarbukas”. Maybe another set of tunes instead of a cover of a pub standards would have been better for the tracks balance.

The Green Duck’s second mini-album is over with “Hush Little Baby”. No, it’s not a cover of The Men They Couldn’t Hang's song, but the well-known lullaby. Weird choice, but it works.

Track listing:

1 - On the Rise 3:54
2 - Galway Girl 3:03
3 - Johnny I Hardly knew ya 4:47
4 - The Foggy Dew 3:53
5 - Paddy on the Turnpike and Tommy's Tarbukas 2:34
6 - The raggle Taggle Gypsy 3:15
7 - The Wild Rover 4:22
8 - Hush Little Baby 2:25


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Review by Kinksmarkham

2017-11-17 VIDEOS - THE FATTY FARMERS, MALASAÑERS AND PIPES AND PINTS

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

 

The Fatty Farmers - El Vendaval

 


Malasañers - Sell the Night



Pipes and Pints - Raise our Flag




 

2017-11-09 ALBUM REVIEW - TORTILLA FLAT "Forward to the Past" (2017)

Tortilla Flat "Forward to the Past"
Release date: November 3, 2017
Running time: 43:25, 12 tracks

Tortilla Flat (Lagenthal, Switzerland) have just released their 7th album, “Forward to the Past”. Their brand new recording has been produced by the band and their longtime producer Mauro Grossud (he has been working with Tortilla Flat since “At the Tavern”, their album from 2005). The title track is obviously related to the movie “Back to the Future”. One of the tracks is an ode to the vinyl singles (“45 r.p.m.”) and several old songs have been revisited too.

There are different groups of songs on “Forward to the Past”. First of all, three instrumentals can be heard, the opening track and the last two tracks on the album. I feel that more instrumentals should be written by Celtic punk/rock bands and therefore I’ve enjoyed Tortilla Flat’s efforts. “1946” is a kick-ass intro featuring bagpipes (The Independent Pipers) and accordion (Asi MacHasi). The traditional tune “Bear March” kicks off with powerful pipes and then the Ramones infused rhythm section joins. The closing number “When the Roses Start Growing Black” is a poignant number based on acoustic instruments: guitar, accordion (Asi MacHasi) and fiddle (Christine Sdiri).

The second bunch would be the songs that were previously recorded. Original versions of “Tough Love” and “Don’t Ask Why” can be found on Tortilla Flat’s debut album “In the Grip of the Grape” (1996). The Independent Pipers give a new lease of life to those old numbers. “Tough Love” is an interesting song whose sound reminds me of Bob Dylan. Christine Sdiri also guests on “Don’t Ask Why”, a mid-tempo punk pop number.

Usually Celtic punks bands tend to cover the same songs. Fortunately, Tortilla Flat have chosen a couple of fresh songs. Phil Coulter’s “The Town I Loved so Well” is a killer track. It differs from other badass renditions (The Devils Advocates and California Celts), as it gets the Tortilla Flat’s pipes and Ramones treatment. “Seven Drunken Nights” is one of The Dubliners’ greatest hits. A previous version can be found on Tortilla Flat’s fifth album “A Trainload Full of Stout”. Nevertheless, the fans will prefer the new pipes arrangements.

Tortilla Flat showcase a quieter side on “Forward as One” and “You Thought You’d Get Away”. Both of them could be filed together with some Black Tartan Clan's songs.

Finally, three tracks have the Tortilla Flat’s trade mark. “The 45 rpm” was the first single and “F.U.C.K.U.” the second one. They are Ramones infused catchy songs. But my fave is the excellent “Little Wild Rose”.

“Forward to the Past” will be available on vinyl in December 2017, but digital copies can be  bought now from the main retailers. BTW, the album cover has been made by Frankie from The Rumjacks.

Track listing:

01 - 1946 1:22
02 - The 45 Rpm 3:50
03 - Forward as One 3:33
04 - The Town I Loved so Well 4:53
05 - Tough Love 2016 5:10
06 - F.U.C.K.U. 4:01
07 - Little Wild Rose 3:09
08 - You Thought You'd Get Away 4:16
09 - Seven Drunken Nights 4:15
10 - Don't Ask Why 2016 3:59
11 - Bear March 2:17
12 - When the Roses Start Growing Black 2:12

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Review by Kinksmarkham

 

2017-11-06 VIDEOS - RATS, ERROR99, DEIEDRA

Brand new videos by RATS (Brazil), ERROR99 (Thailand) and Deiedra (Basque Country).All of them have been added to added to the Celtic Folk Punk YouTube channel. Don't miss any update, subscribe!

RATS - Do meu jeito



Error99 - Moon



Deiedra - Ortziren mailukada

2017-11-03 VIDEOS - THE WAILIN BANSHEES, RESTLESS FEET, TOXIC FROGS

Some videos that were added last month to the Celtic Folk Punk YouTube channel. Don't miss any update, subscribe!

The Wailin Banshees - Step it Out Mary



Restless Feet - Waste my Throat



Toxic Frogs - Go!

2017-11-02 NAME YOUR PRICE DOWNLOAD - HAWTHORN "RavenWood" (2017)

Hawthorn are a duo from Tucson, Arizona. They were members of West Winds (our Band of the Month in December 2015) and they've just released a 6 track EP titled "RavenWood". The songs are already on rotation at Celtic Folk Punk radio.


"A dark, heart pounding style of Celtic punk full of raw energy and a romantically mournful sound. Additional guest vocals courtesy of Zane Zway.  All songs written/arranged by Hawthorn."

Line-up:

Sarah Elizabeth - Vocals, Flute, Whistle, Harp, Uilleann Pipes
Brent Anderson - Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Upright Bass, Mandolin, Banjo, Hurdy Gurdy, Bodhran, Cello

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