Every single year that we have been doing this has got better and better for celtic-punk releases. As happy as we are that this is so it also means that we just simply cannot keep up with everything that get’s released. We haven’t had the chance to review everything we received or heard so here is Part 1 of our 2017 Round Up where we catch up with some of the releases that we missed first time round. Here at 30492- LONDON CELTIC PUNKS blog we much prefer to do really detailed reviews but it has been impossible to keep up so here’s a few quick ones just to catch up and get 2017 out of the way. Each and every one are worthy of your time so go ahead and check them out and apologies to the band’s concerned that we had to squeeze them in. This week we visit not just North America as originally planned but further afield as well. Read on and find out where and shortly we’ll head to Europe so join us in a few days.
THE DREADNOUGHTS- ‘Foreign Skies’ (Buy)
This year gave us the ambitious ‘concept’ album, Foreign Skies, from Canada’s own Dreadnoughts. It was released to mark the 100th anniversary of the first world war (yeah, I know, the Great War ran from 1914-1918, so that includes 1917!), and features 12 original tracks all based on events, people and places that were part of that war. There are a few standout tracks, notably; ‘Daughters of the Sun’, ‘Anna Maria’, ‘Jericho’ and ‘Black Letters’. The rest is all good with the usual fantastic musicianship we’ve come to expect from the Dreadnoughts. The subject matter does make it a rather sombre listening experience, and while the feeling/belief behind the album is admirable, there is no getting away from the subject matter. An interesting work, but it won’t get too many airings at parties over the festive season.
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CRIKWATER- ‘Crikwater’ (Buy)
Now on first listen to this album from Crikwater you may wonder why they are appearing on a celtic-punk site and you may be right. They are here for the sole reason I love them! Formed in 2010 round the rust-belt in the Irish-American neighbourhood of South Buffalo, NY in 2010, Crikwater play beautiful but rowdy, country tinged Irish American traditional folk. No hint of an electric guitar on this their second album instead the band offer up 74 minutes and fourteen songs of classic Irish ballads that we all know and love like ‘Dicey Riley’ and ‘Long Black Veil’ and a few lesser known as well as some lively as hell polka’s, jigs and reels accompanied by some fantastic red-hot fiddle from Charlie Coughlin. The highlight for me was ‘Bruach Na Carraige Baine’ and words can’t explain the beauty of hearing the Irish language sung by someone born outside Ireland. Outstanding and you hear it below on the Soundcloud player. Recorded live in the studio in Orchard Park, NY. their long awaited follow up to 2012’s Don’t Stop ‘Til The Ship Goes Down showcases the bands amazing musicianship and their sound which encapsulates the modern Irish American experience laden with Americana, folk and country influences while all the time being steered by their Irish roots. Having grown from a humble quartet to a versatile sextet their mix of elegant ballads and rowdy pub songs is certainly among the best I have heard in recent years and they are almost certainly ready to give the big hitters of the Irish folk scene in America a run for their money. This is music for the pub to be heard with the drink flowing and the good times occurring and a tear in your eye for the auld place you left behind.
PLASTIC PADDY- ‘Lucky Enough’ (Buy)
“A person who retains a strong sense of Irish identity despite not been born in Ireland or being of only partial Irish descent; used in reference to Irish-English or Irish-Americans. Perceived as irritating by Irish nationals”
Arriving in the same week as Crikwater this is as similar a album as you could find though separated by 1000’s of miles away from NY on the east coast of the US in sunny California. Though all born many miles away from Ireland this bunch of Irish-Americans have taken a similar, though much less trad, route as Crikwater distilling their own version of Irish music through country, Americana and folk and yet it still lives and breathes the atmosphere of yer old fashioned Irish boozer. Formed out of Pladdohg who disbanded in 2014 the music here again we would be hard pressed to describe as celtic-punk but I like it, a lot, so here it is! Their debut album Lucky Enough is 12 songs and 42 minutes long and consists of mostly original Plastic Paddy songs but with a small smattering of well loved standard Irish tunes including ‘Whisky You’re The Devil’ and ‘Dicey Riley’ popping up again. Highlights include an amazing version of Greg Trooper’s ‘Ireland’, a song with truly amazing words and I was saddened to read that Greg Trooper passed away in January this year just after his 61st birthday. R.I.P.
“With your mandolins, fill up the hall
not a dry eye left, you killed them all
Its just like you
just like you, Ireland”
Drawing on influences of Californian rock and country with Erin Bloom’s wonderful voice it also evokes late 60’s and 70’s British folk-rock and not many album’s featured here have slide guitar that much is true. Still it’s a polished album without being over produced album that captures their catchy sound and while they are home in the local pub I get the feeling that they could slide into the arena side of things as well with their music having appeal to anyone interested in Irish music.
THE WILD IRISH ROSES- ‘Fill Yer Boots, Man!’ (Buy)
Now The Wild Irish Roses are your absolute true family band with Mom, Dad and all eight kids involved it doesn’t get more family than this! Again in common with the two previous bands Irish blood courses through the music and The Wild Irish Roses have a bright future ahead of them. Josie (15) sings and plays banjo, mandolin, penny whistle, viola while sisters Hanna (17) plays bodhran, Evelyn (13) plays concertina and viola, Penelope (10) sings and plays tambourine while the two youngest of the clan brothers Aengus (8) plays drums and Lazarus (5) plays harmonica. Father and guitarist of The Wild Irish Roses is Michael X. who also stars in recent London Celtic Punks featured band TheTemplars Of Doom while the Mammy Kristi plays bass. They cut their teeth in Brooklyn post-punk band The Astro-Zombies in the 90’s while during the 2000’s they were in The Brian Wilson Shock Treatment who released 8 albums up to 2010. Fill Yer Boots, Man! is an incredible 21 songs lasting 42 minutes and their is no let up throughout with the songs over as swiftly as they arrive. Kicking off with ‘Margaret Thatcher’s Death Song’ one of many self-penned numbers from the band including Evelyn’s ballads ‘Dancing Widowed Fool’ and ‘Blind Marianne’ and Josie’s contribution ‘Haunting Highland Laddie’, a tale of a piper who drunkenly fell from a castle tower and will haunt you to your grave- unless you pay him in pints of beer! Their is though a London connection here and that is from ex-Neck piping maestro Stephen Gara. Now happily settled in the States he made a special four foot bodhran called a Bodhran Mohr (Great Drum)which led to the song of the same title. It can be heard booming out throughout the album. The album closes with what for me was the absolute album highlight ‘Christmas in Kingston’, a sordid tale of lost love and redemption set in the former state capital of NY. Its rousing chorus of
“It’s Christmas in Kingston You Basterds, Every Junkie and Whore will be saved”
is up there with “You scumbag, you maggot, You cheap lousy faggot” and is sure to make it a surefire holiday favorite. It’s a bit of a mish-mash of an album but there is NO denying it’s originality and it’s an album that you’ll find yourself singing along to after a couple of plays. An incredible feat and a perfect example of ‘The family that plays together stays together’.
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LA FIESTA DEL DIABLO- ‘Mis Colegas, La Barra y Satán’ (Buy)
Proof that we are now a truly international scene comes in the shape of La Fiesta del Diablo. They are the very first band from Chile to appear on these pages and though celtic-punk is alive and kicking in Brazil we had never heard of it existing elsewhere. This is the bands second album having formed in November, 2015 in the capital of Chile, Santiago. They play what they call what they call themselves ‘multicultural noise’. On this album they take us on a journey through folk music with Celtic, Irish, gypsy, klezmer, tangos, rancheras and Russian, among others although with its roots firmly in punk rock. Whatever it is, one thing I feel that it’s got in common with celtic-punk is that La Fiesta del Diablo would be fantastic in a live setting.
(Video filmed in Bar Badalu in Santiago’s Italia neighborhood)
Twelve songs of which all but a small handful are written by the band. Kicking off with the brilliant energetic ‘Manifesto’ and its bouncy Russian trad folk sure to make your feet dance and get your head nodding away. Fast paced throughout and here the accordion is king with it’s sound dominating and nowt wrong with that. The songs are in Spanish and the vocals are nice’n’easy on the ear. A real mixed bag of an album and quite an eye opener as maybe it’s not celtic-punk but so much in common it deserves its spot here. Available for only $4 so take a punt and put it on on New Years Eve to get the party flowing. Brilliant.
COCKSWAIN- ‘For the Whiskey’ (Buy)
Was only going to do five album’s per Round-Up but just had to give this one a quick mention. From Phoenix, Arizona this bunch of Irish-American’s must suffer in that local heat maybe that’s why they spend so much time in the pub! Rounded up in 2012 this is the bands second album after ‘Seamus’ in 2015. For The Whiskey is a fantastic release that I loved from the very first play. Their are hints of many of the scene’s big hitters from Blood Or Whiskey to DKM’s or the Molly’s but all played with plenty of individualism too. Ten songs that veer from full on Irish folk punk, ‘For The Whiskey’ (free song download here), to sober maudlin ballad ‘When I Die’ and all in between. All played with a fiery temperament and a real love of trad Irish folk music.
If you think you’ve heard just about everything a band can do it with ‘Dirty Old Town’ then Cockswain have a shock for you. An very interesting and surprising version. ‘Johnny Be Fair’ mixes in some female vocals and the curtain comes down with ‘Whiskey, Love and War’ utterly brilliant and a fine example of the celtic-punk genre. this came out around St.Patrick’s day and I can’t believe it took us so long to catch up with it.
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…and so ends Part 1 of our Round-Up’s and apologies to all the bands as each and every release deserved that full epic London Celtic Punks review treatment. We have still probably missed some fantastic music so all the more reason to send in your stuff to us to review. For details how use the Contact Us section. We are always looking for people to join the reviews team so don’t be shy if you fancy giving it a go. If you don’t want to miss any of our posts then you can follow us by simply filling in your e-mail address in the box that is either below or to the left depending how you are viewing and you will receive every post to your in-box.
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