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!
The Best of 2018 will be posted next Friday December 21 at 19h00. As usual, only the albums that have arrived to Celtic Folk Punk and More headquarters will be taken into account (albums forwarded for review and/or airplay, and free downloads).
For those who have asked, the albums depicted on the picture are the ones that are on the list for the moment (in no particular order). More albums can be added if they are forwarded now.
Apart from the albums, there is another list with 20 EPs/Demos/Mini-albums. If you need to know if your CD is on that second list, please feel free to ask.
Bands: This is the last call. If you forgot to forward your CD, but you want to be on the list, please send me an e-mail asap.
Fans: If you are missing some CDs, help your fave band and tell them to send me an e-mail asap.
Highland Bastards (Hungary) released their second EP "Lost at Sea" at the end of June. All of the songs are available at YouTube (Playlist at the end of this post). Some songs are already on rotation at Celtic Folk Punk Radio.
Line-up:
Lukács Péter - Vocals, guitar Schlögl Dávid - Vocals, harmonica Puchreiner Gábor - Bass,vocals Kovács Zsolt - Accordion, flute, vocals Beri Ádám - Fiddle Progner Péter - Drums
The Dangerous Folk are a like minded band of misfits that love Guinness beer, punk rock sing alongs and Celtic tunes mixed with Orange county punk rock. A mix of band members who have played in brisvegas over 25 years in bands like Fat, Ringpull, Bad Ronald, Strange Stains, Nocturnal Tee Teetotalers to name a few. They have recorded first EP in Winter 2018 entitled ‘1’.
Remember that only free downloads and the CDs that have been received for review and/or airplay will be taken into account. If your band forgot to forward a CD and you want your CD to be eligible for the Best of 2018, please drop me a line asapcelticfolkpunk@gmx.es.
Please don't forward links to albums on streaming.
I'm looking for new studio albums/EPs released in 2018. Compilations and albums whose songs are not mainly original material (that is, albums based only on covers and/or trad stuff) won't make the Best of 2018.
Sydney bush/ folk punk institution Handsome Young Strangers will drop their brand new mini album ‘The Bleeding Bridge’ on Fri Dec 07. The mini album will be the ninth release on the fledging Tasmanian label “Folk ‘Til Ya Punk” and is available in physical and digital formats.
It has been six years since the release of the ‘Thunderbolt’ single and the accompanying video which gathered nearly 2 million views on YouTube and even found its way onto the Country Music TV Channel !
In 2016 the band released their ‘Battle Of Broken Hill’ EP which was their first for the ‘Folk ‘Til Ya Punk’ label and made many end of year best of lists for 2016 worldwide.
The Bleeding Bridge EP contains three original tracks as well as a cover of the Triffid’s classic: ‘Wide Open Road’ (featuring Jason Walker on pedal steel) and notably, a suitably shambolic breakneck version of the Australian Trad tune “Limejuice Tub”!
About Handsome Young Strangers
Handsome Young Strangers are a Sydney folk / punk / bushband comprising of 6 core members and a revolving door of guests. Formed in 2004 and taking influences from bands such as Roaring Jack, Weddings Parties Anything, Redgum and The Bushwackers, the band built a loyal inner city following through their intense live shows. This interest quickly led to major festival appearances and to date they have appeared at: Woodford Folk Festival, National Folk Festival, Great Escape Festival, Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, Illawarra Folk Festival and many more.
Handsome Young Strangers today show no sign of slowing down with an album planned for 2019 backed up with plenty of interstate touring and festival appearances.
Sydney launch show:
Sydney – Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville: Fri Dec 14, 2018
Also appearing at:
Botany View Hotel, Newtown: Mon Dec 31 Hobofopo Folk/Punk Festival, Hobart: Dec 7 – 9, 2018 Illawarra Folk Festival: Jan 17 – Jan 20, 2019 Union Hotel, Newtown: Sun Jan 27, 2019
1. Coming Home (Dickinson) 3.26 2. The Bleeding Bridge (Dickinson) 3.30 3. Limejuice Tub (Trad / HYS) 3.15 4.The Rose Hill Packet (Hyland) 3.09 5. Wide Open Road (D. McComb) 4.10
Track 5 originally recorded by The Triffids
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Michael Carpenter at Love Hz Studios, Leichardt – Aug / Sep 2018.
Handsome Young Strangers are:
Drizabone D: Lead Vocals (Tracks 1,2,3 & 5), Mandola, Acoustic, Percussion Mark ‘Na-Na’ Hyland: Lead Vocals (Track 4), Electric Guitars, Acoustic, Baritone Edward Lawlor: Mandolin, Tin Whistle, Vocals Adam Young: Electric Guitars, Vocals Dave Hatt: Bass, Electric Guitar (Track 4), Vocals Mark ‘Looch’ Lewis: Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Special guests on this recording:
Ben Pattinson: Squeeze Box (tracks 1,2 & 3) Luke Moller: Fiddle (tracks 1, 3 & 5) Jason Walker: Pedal Steel (track 5) Michael Carpenter: Honky Tonk Piano (track 4), Backing Vocals (track 5)
Front cover art by Jimmy Meeks at Fatal Design
Cover layout and design by Jim Mongrel at Drink Coffee & Destroy
Alternative Ulster have just released their third album "Merry Feckin' Christmas!" on December 1, 2018
Todd Henry - Drums and Vocals Jay Andersen - Guitar and Bass Wendy Henry - Vocals John McGovern - Bagpipes and Banjo Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jay Andersen at Operation-Audio / Bohemosphere in Saugerties, NY
The Basque band The Potes hails from Arrasate ("Mondra") and started in 2012. I saw them live together with Skontra at the Elorriko Gaztetxea. In 2014, Jul Bolinaga (banjo) died after a gig in Bergara. Jul was a punk legend in the Basque Country and Spain, since he was a member of RIP, The Kagas and The Meas. Besides, he was a guest playing guitar on Kortatu's third studio album.
In September 2017 The Potes opened for Ferocious Dog in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
The Potes have just released their debut album titled "Ametsak dira egi erabat bete aurretik". Twelve tracks together with a couple of bonus tracks, "La sombra del banjo" (sung in Spanish), a tribute to the late Jul, and "Harro nago". Aitor Huizi (Huntza) plays fiddle. The tracks are sung either in Basque or in English.
The album has been recorded at the band's place and at Higain estudioa. Physical copies will be available at the beginning of December at the Durangoko Azoka (Basque Book and Record Fair).
