High Sea Looters hail from Switzerland. The band was originally acoustic (guitars, fiddle and accordion) and then they added a rhythm section. They released their debut album "The Beginning" in 2016 and after a 2 years hiatus they're back with a new EP.
McDermott's 2 Hours have just released "Besieged". If you like this band, then you can download for free the tracks from their cassette "North and South" (1992) from their fiddler's site.
The original version of "Darknes and Sail" can be found on the band's debut album "The Enemy Within" (1.989).
"La Passionaria" and "Blue Bandana" were recorded later for "World Turned Upside Down" (2.001) while "North and South" and "Stór mo Chroí" were recorded later for "Claws ands Wings" (2.003).
Line-up:
Nick Burbridge - guitar and vocals
Matt Goorney - bass and Spanish guitar
Áine King - bodhran and vocals
Bing Lyle - accordion, flute, whistle and vocals
Ben Paley - fiddle
Tracklist:
1 - Darkness And Sail
2 - North And South
3 - La Passionaria
4 - The Crack
5 - Murphy's Wake
6 - Stór mo Chroí
7 - Taking It On
8 - Blue Bandana DOWNLOAD: (right click on every track and then "save as")
"When writers wax lyrical about the rugged Celtic beauty that came to fruition with The Pogues and Shane MacGowan, they often seem to suggest that time has stood still and that Irish music had been sitting,waiting, since the mid-sixties ballad boom of The Dubliners et al for something suddenly to connect the urgency of punk with the heart and soul of traditional music. But out in the rough and ready bars of Hamburg and a hundred other German hostelries a band was carving out and whittling its own take on the beauty of Irish folk music; adding fire, vitality and punk-style energy while handling the travails of fights and frolics, women, dark streets and the drink. This was before it was trendy or cool to take Irish folk music and add a rock edge, long before Pogue Mahone turned it all upside down. The band morphed into McDermott’s 2 Hours in 1986 (named after a wonderfully unexpected happening on pirate radio during the Battle Of The Bogside as recalled in Eamonn McCann’s War And An Irish Town) ‘being Irish and in the wrong place and at the wrong time’ - to paraphrase MacGowan. In the pubs and clubs of Brighton and London they built a reputation for their incendiary live performances that have become legend. Among their wild and youthful admirers were a gaggle of friends who, a few years down the line, influenced by the spirit, fire and camaraderie of Nick Burbridge and McDermott’s 2 Hours, would strap on guitars and call themselves The Levellers. Those in the know realise that Nick Burbridge has been, and continues to be one of the best songwriters in the Anglo-Irish tradition. He fashions songs that, as well as perfectly capturing the gritty underbelly of the Irish experience in 60s/70s mainland UK, beautifully capture the longing for home and reality of the Troubles with all the evocative magnificence of Beckett or Joyce.
But that was then and this is now.
"Besieged" is not so much a final curtain as a magnificent encore, serving as the last instalment of a magnificent career. Singer, songwriter, poet, playwright and frontman with folk, rock, roots and punk outfit McDermott’s 2 Hours, Nick Burbridge releases his final album with the band on 8 February. Besieged sees Nick again team up with members of The Levellers (Jeremy Cunningham and Simon Friend), Oysterband (Dil Davies and Al Scott), Ben Paley (son of the late folk music giant Tom Paley), plus Tim Cotterell and friends, for the album’s twelve tracks. Released via The Levellers’ On The Fiddle Recordings, advance orders will also secure a bonus CD, "Anticlockwise", featuring a fourteen-track ‘best of’ McDermott’s 2 Hours. Jeremy Cunningham has co-written the opening song, "Firebird".
The Templars of Doom have just released their second album "Hovels of the Holy"
5 Original
Celtic Punk songs, 3 classic rebel songs, "Wrap the Green Flag" and Roddy
McCorley", and "God Save Ireland". Throw in a Ramones song, "Chinese Rock",
and a bit of Slade, "Mamma Weer All Crazee Now", and you have perfect
album.
Released January 17, 2019
Produced by Rory Quinn and Michael X Rose.
Engineered by Rory Quinn and Michael X Rose. Mixed by Rory Quinn.
Mastered by JZ Barrell.
Brinde à Revolta is a new Celtic punk band from Fortaleza, Brazil. They've just released their first single, "Correndo para o Bar", that can be found on Spotify and Youtube.
The Placksare based in the Scottish Highlands and islands: guitar, accordian, fiddle. The band play a dynamite mixture of Celtic infused punk rock and folk, with melody, mirth and message.The Placks include two former world champion pipe band members in the ranks. The accordion and fiddle players are full time professionals.
The Placks have decided not to release the 4 track EP "Rebellious Sons" in physical format and go back to our original idea of releasing a full album and they will be going back in the studio in February to finish it all. The 4 songs are already on rotation at Celtic Folk Punk radio.
Respect for Paddy Murphy hail from Chernihiv, Ukraine. Their 4 track EP is available at Bandcamp (3,00 EUR): three covers and an original.They've shared the stage with the likes of O'Hamsters and Bce_Crazy.
Francisco Javier García - Guitar Manuel - Guitar Ana Esecé - Fiddle Gianni Perna - Flute Gonzalo Millán - Lead vocals Alvaro Humanes - Bass Nuria García - Drums
Green Spirit offers a special blend of soulful Irish melodies and lively pub music, and does this in a fairly unique instrumentation. The cello and the bodhrán, the fiddle and the fife all hold the promise of a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
The band was founded six years ago, on a windy Sunday in October. The members hail from all around Hungary, possess very diverse musical backgrounds, and have met in a small rehearsal room on that fateful day by no more than pure happenstance.
The harmony that is present in Green Spirit doesn't only exist on stage, but beyond music as well. The inspired and energetic music-making is backed by mutual respect and care and, of course, a willingness to make a tremendous party anytime and anywhere; in a train's buffet car en route to Transylvania, or in an upscale pub in Switzerland.
Green Spirit has shared the stage with The Rumjacks, Paddy and the Rats, Jolly Jackers, Highland Bastards, The Crazy Rogues, Punk Whiskey or Rapalje.
BTW, Júlia and Dominika are members of The Scarlet too.
Seres Júlia- Tin whistle, recorder, flute, lead vocals
Polonkai Éva - Bodhrán
Discography:
Rum in the Coffee (6 track EP, 2014)
Gleaming Breeze (4 track EP, 2017)
Matrózok dala ( Single, 2018)
Both the 2017 EP and the single can be purchased/downloaded for free from Bandcamp (Name Your Price). The songs from their first EP with all the girls, but different guys on guitar and cello, can be found on their youTube channel. Some songs are already on roation at Celtic Folk Punk radio.
Junkman's Choir, the Scottish band, has just released a 3 track EP titled "Anarkeilidh - Volume 1": "Anarchy in the UK" (Sex Pistols), "Blitzkrieg Bop" (Ramones) and "Guns of Brixton" (The Clash) are the three songs that are covered.
Facebook The EP is available on Bandcamp as a Name Your Pricedownload.
T.C. Costello, the accordionist from Greenville, South Carolina, a.k.a. The Mozart of Multi-Instrumental Folk-Punk, has released a new album on December 28th, 2018.
The album is titled "Horizon Songs" and includes a cover of The Brandy Thieves "The Muse of Mary Molloy" originally on "Old Tattoos", standards "The Leaving of Liverpool", "Botany Bay" and "Lowlands of Holland" (reworked and retitled "Highlands of Afghanistan") and amazing Celtic punk numbers "The Ballad of Being Born in a Bar", "It Starts with a Funeral" or the Flogging Molly-ish "May the Horizon Be Your Home". Don't miss the hidden track !
18 albums from Europe, 17 from America (12 from the USA, 4 from Canada and 1 from Brazil) and 2 from Australia
1) ALBUMS TOP 40
1- The Rumjacks "Saints Preserve Us" 2 - Firkin "We are the Ones"Review 3 - Bastard Bearded Irishmen "Drinkin' to the Dead"Review 4 - St. George's Folly "Along this Road"Review 5 - Hold Fast "Black Irish Sons"Review 6 - Bastards on Parade "Cara a liberdade"Featured album 7 - Krakin' Kellys "Promised Land"Review 8 - Medusa's Wake "Rascals and Rogues"Review 9 - The Pikeys "The Sons of War & Whisky"Review 10 - SIR REG "The Underdogs"Bandcamp 11 - Finnegan's Hell "Life and Death"Review 12 - Bodh'aktan "Ride Out the Storm"Review 13 - McOnak "Gure naufragioak"Free download 14 - Tempest "Thirty Little Turns"Review 15 - The Potes "Ametsak dira erabat bete aurretik" Featured album 16 - Punching Namard "First Round"Review 17 - In Search of a Rose "Horses for Courses"Review 18 - The Muckers "One More Stout" Review 19 - Kings and Boozers "Still got the Booze"Review 20 - Muirsheen Durkin and Friends "11 Pints & 3 Shots"Review 21 - Irish Moutarde "Perdition"Review 22 - Kilt the Messenger "Hellfire and Rescue"Review 23 - Lexington Field "Dreamers"Bandcamp 24 - Bleeding Hearts "The Rules of Division"Review 25 - Tir Na Nog "From the Gallows"Review 26 - Alternative Ulster "Beer, Boobies, Banjos & Bagpipes"Bandcamp 27 - Sliotar "Voyage" CDbaby 28 - East River Rats "When the Cat's Away"Review 29 - Jolly Jackers "Out of the Blue"Review 30 - The Mahones "Love, Death, Redemption" 31 - The Langer's Ball "Hard Time in the Country"Bandcamp 32 - Falperrys "Nova abordagem"Free download 33 - Mary's Lane "Wild Unknown"Review 34 - Ebri Knight "Guerrilla"Free Download 35 - Airs and Graces "Voting at the Hall"Soundloud 36 - Malasañers "Footprints"Review 37 - Alternative Ulster"Pog Mo Thoin"Review 38 - The Dogs from the Grapes "In the Name of Captain Ludd"Review
It should have been a TOP 40, but some albums didn't arrive before the deadline :-(
2) EPs AND MINI-ALBUMS TOP 25
13 recordings from
Europe, 9 from America (4 from the USA, 2 from Canada, 2 from Argentina
and 1 from Mexico), 2 from Australia and 1 from Asia
1 - The Grinning Barretts "The St. Padraig's EP"Review 2 - The Grinning Barretts "The Riot EP"Bandcamp 3 - The Barley Hops "Rhymes from the Pub"Review 4 - Scotch "Last in the Bar"Free Download 5 - Mosche di Velluto Grigio "Of Pain and Glory"Video 6 - Handsome Young Strangers "The Bleeding Bridge"Featured Band 7 - Green Guard "Green Noise"Featured Band 8 - 7 Stout Clan "Alcohostility"Review 9 - Raise My Kilt "A New Tartan"Review 10 - Lexington Field "Modern Times"Bandcamp 11 - The Royal Spuds"Unforgotten Lore" 12 - Aires Bastardos "Demo"Featured EP 13 - The Dangerous Folk "EP"Featured Band 14 - The Silk Road "Justice for Daniel" 15 - Sigelpa "País de Titellaires"Free Download 16 - Bucky Lastard "EP"Featured Band 17 - Pilgrim's "Demo"Featured Band 18 - Deiedra "Ortziren mailukada"Video 19 - Highland Bastards "Lost at Sea"Featured Band 20 - Budweis Drunken Bastards "Demos"Free Download 21 - Uptown Chiefs "Songs from a Western Pub" 22 - Clover's Revenge "Gotta get o'raggednized"Video 23 - Drunken Shamrocks "Demo"Featured Band 24 - Anchor in Ink "Death and Salt"Bandcamp 25 - Konsumo Respeto "Los primeros días de la ley seca"Free Download
Other interesting stuff that has been issued in 2018: VA "Latinoamérica Folk Punk 2018 " and Piñata Protest "Necio Nights".
BTW, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel! and listen to our 24/7 streaming radio Celtic Folk Punk on radionomy.
Thanks again to all the bands for sending their stuff and special thanks to my mate Phil (PaddyRock) for friendship and support.
REMARKS
1) As usual, this post is titled as “the best of”. However, this is not a competition, but a sort of 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 2018. 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 2018, but unfortunately no copy was submitted or they got lost on their way to Spain.
8) This Best of 2018 covers the CDs that have been released from December 2017 to December 2018. In fact, only one EP was released in December 2017.
9) Neither live albums, nor covers albums have been taken into account. The same applies to compilations/best of albums.
10) To be at the bottom of the list doesn't involve that an album is bad.
11) Several songs from these albums have been added to the streaming radio along the year and they are regularly played.
12) To the fans: feel free to share your comments. No trolls, please!
13) 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!
