Shite'n'Onions - reviews

Ceann: Almost Irish
Somewhere high in the Himalayas sits a a might mountain peak capped in empty Guinness cans and bottles of Paddy and on top (stay with me I was just watching Batman Begins) sits the great sage, CEANN. Despensing wisdom through song to all those who seek it.

Seeker: Why do Americans play Irish Music? What do you think of Colin Farrell? What will my butt tattoo like when I'm 80?

I could go on but the bands lawyer treatened to sue me if I published anymore of their material.

Oh, and the music? Strong contempary Irish-American folk. Black 47's/Seanchai's Chris Byrne guests of Uilleann pipes.

http://www.ceannnacaca.com/

In Arcadia: If it bleeds, can we kill it?
'If it bleeds, we can kill it' is the first full-length CD by Detroit based In Arcadia. Nine tracks of brutally powerful, yet melodic hardcore - screaming vocal, trashy metallic riffs with just a touch of alternative/ indie music - clocking it at just over half-an-hour. Not really my cupp'a, but if Hardcore is your thing then go for it.

http://www.inarcadia.net

The Kissers: Good Fight
I would wager that The Kissers have played every pub, club and toilet in the US at least twice in the last twelve months, or so it seems from their touring schedule. The hard work though has really paid off on their latest CD; "Good Fight". "Good Fight" is easily the bands best release and that's not a knock to their last release "Fire in the Belly" which is a fine CD in its own right. But on "Good Fight" the band really have their shit together - great playing, super tight and ultimately great songs. The Kissers started off as a Pogues cover band and yeah the Pogues influence is still strong but now they are also swigging from the same whiskey bottle as Johnny Cash (and maybe Jeff Damiler - I guess that's a Wisconsin thing but these guys can be dark, very dark.) It's hard to pick highlights cos' their all highlights but if someone put a gun to my head it would be; the rockin' opener "What they can", the redneck version of "Mursheen Durkin", the gospel rocker, "Kicked in the head" and an anti-war song that would get GWB moshing.

http://www.thekissers.com

Flatfoot Fixtysix: Knuckles Up
You may have heard of these guys already. If not, now is a great time to tune in. I swear I wasn't going to do this, but I can't help it! If you miss that early Dropkick Murphys sound, then "Knuckles Up" will probably make your day! That's right, some top-notch sing-a-longs, a whole lotta street-punk, a little bagpipe, some mandolin...You get the picture. Let me also mention, Flatfoot Fifty-Six sound amazingly tight. It probably helps when 3 out of 4 of the band members are brothers.

Flatfoot 56 call the thriving metropolis of Chicago home, and are currently enjoying, and contributing to some of the great music currently coming out of the Big Windy right now. I must apologise, I've been holding on to this album for 8 or 9 months. (Misplaced during a move.) I'm sure they sound even better with almost another year under their belts. If you haven't heard these guys yet, they have MP3's up on their website: www.flatfoot56.com (And have songs up on the very addictive Myspace.com)

Here's what I got from the website: Flatfoot 56 was formed during the summer of 2000 on the southwest side of Chicago as a three piece punk band.The brothers, (Tobin Justin and Kyle) started writing songs and putting a line up together in the fall of 2000 and by Christmas time of the same year they were playing their first show. In January of 2001 the band added the one man powerhouse of Josh Robieson to the line up and the band started working on including the bagpipes and a second guitar into its sound. With the addition of a new member, Flatfoot began to perfect their live show and build their fan base. In 2001 they recorded their first demo and the band got busy. In the summer of 2002 the band hit the studio once again to record their first full length album titled The Rumble of 56. This recording was done in Rockford IL. In a studio called the Noise Chamber. After the release of the rumble of 56, Flatfoot 56 was ready for the recording of their second album called Waves of War (2003). This second album saw great advances in the bands popularity. Flatfoot's song That's Ok saw some heavy radio play throughout radio stations across the mid-west. The band began headlining shows and even got a chance to play with some major acts in front of large crowds. Things seemed to pick up and the following year Flatfoot found themselves playing on a stage at cornerstone in front of an audience of over 700. It was at this show that the band released their latest album titled Knuckles up. This album has since been the bands best selling record and has shown no signs of letting up.

There's a few rumors out there regarding them as a "Christian" punk band. Let me be the first one to say... "WHO THE FUCK CARES!" Sure there's a lyric or two that mentions that topic, but is it going to stop you from enjoying the album? I should hope not. Any band that has influences that range from: The Pogues, The Real Mckenzies, The Street Dogs, The Proclaimers, The Business, Johnny Cash, Blitz, The Clash, Cock Sparrer are more than welcomed in my record player. I'm sure you'll agree.

Review By: Barnacle Brian Gillespie

http://www.flatfoot56.com/

Boys From The Hill: Boys From The Hill
It's not too often I'm ever at a loss of words, but every so often some random band comes along and commands my complete attention. Boys From The Hill are one of those bands. This Welsh trio have been playing various clubs, pubs, festivals, and whatnot for the past fifteen years and sure enough, I just now found out about them. Better late than never I suppose! Actually, they were recently recommended to me by Alistair Hulett, and in some circles, that carries some serious weight. Boys From The Hill play their own acoustic brand of Welsh urban folk that leans pretty heavy on the political, maritime, industrial, and historical issues that surround the culture of South Wales and beyond.

Just about every song on this album carries the raw energy of acoustic punk to that grand ole table of celtic folk we all love so much. The power of the 11 tracks on this album are undeniable. Pure, honest, and real. A must have album for any Shite'n'Onions reader/listener. Some of these songs are originals, and some are not, but then again, they are all songs worthy of a good listen. This self titled album is actually a few years old, but the years don't really matter when the topics are as timeless as the ones mentioned here.

These are powerful songs that speak of everything from forced labor camps in depression era Britian, to immigrants in Western Australia that were forced to work in the death plauged asbestos mines due to two-year government bonds, to tales of exploitation in the valleys and towns of South Wales. Other songs reflect the strong maritime history of the area, including Track 5. "SS Agnes Jack" a mournful song telling us the tale of the steamship Agnes Jack which ran aground and all it's passengers that drowned within sight of villagers who could only watch in horror as they tried to help. Other tracks include a latin flavored tune about the Sandinistas of Nicaragua on Track 6 cleverly titled "Guitarra Armada". There's a medley (Track 3) that contain a song written by Alistair Hulett, (Blue Murder) that turns into a foot stomping original, (Ffwrnanji) that eventually becomes a song not Welsh in origin, but in fact, Macedonian (Zletovsko).

Here is the tracklisting:
1. Brechfa Jail/The Ballad Of Ben Russ (Russ/Original)
2. Theme Park (Original)
3. Blue Murder/Ffwrnanji/Zletovsko (A. Hulett/Original/Traditional)
4. Bells Of Rhymney (Words:Idris Davies-music:Pete Seeger)
5. SS Agnes Jack (Tomi Jenkins)
6. Guittar Armada (Gary Phillips)
7. Lifeboat Mona (Peggy Seeger)
8. Waltzes For Nolwenn/Polka Dim Enw/South Glower Breakdown (Original)
9. Ffarwel Fo I Langyfelach Ion (Words:Siam Twrfyl)
10. Miner This, Miner That (Jock Purdon)
11. Dark Eyed Sailor (Traditional)

The band continue to write new material and develop their sound and they will be releasing an EP available for Download from their site (www.boysfromthehill.com ) around November, and their second album early in the New Year. Keep your eyes & ears open for these upcoming releases.

Review By: Barnacle Brian Gillespie

http://www.boysfromthehill.com/

The Wages of Sin: Custom Of The Sea
Billed as delivering a treasure chest of “Punk Rock, Sea Shanties & Appalachian Death Polka”, Seattle’s Wages of Sin do not so much fuse disparate musical elements as revel in the direct lineage of their influences. Sharp tense ‘50’s rock & roll hooks mesh with mountain fiddle stomps in a ballsy reminder that the two styles are just a short shuffle down the holler from each other; mountain music is the raw-handed grandfather of rock & roll after all. And, of course, bluegrass and Appalachian music are the frontier offspring of the Celtic and British ballad and dance music traditions. The Wages plunder these histories with total affinity and come up with a blend as clean and warm as a mouthful of Jamaican rum.

Steaming out of the yard with a version of the traditional ‘Railway’, complete with a chorus of navvies snarling and hollering in a shanty tent, the band are soon on a south-bound route with ‘Lay Me Down’ and its ‘Devil Went Down To Georgia’-style barnyard swing. The bull fiddle snaps, the mandolin rings and the rain drives down. ‘The Angel’s Share’ continues the singalong with a bottle of sly grog passed around the back pews of a lonesome Baptist church. And then we get to ‘The Tyburn Jig’which tells the grim tale of villainous wife-slaying cads and their road to the end of a rope. If this song is not on the next Shite’n’Onions Best Of, I will eat my scally cap for breakfast.

The Tossers: The Valley of the Shadow of Death
The Tossers remind me of an old baseball player on steroids - years of slugging away, playing decent but never going to make the all-star-team. Then the coach suggests steroids and suddenly its frigging home runs galore. "The Valley of the Shadow of Death" is The Tossers on steroids (or some other not too good for you substance). Now, I've always liked The Tossers, thought they were a good band, and especially on their last CD "Purgatory" but to me they were always going to play second fiddle to the likes of Flogging Molly. Never did I think they would make something as good and as powerful as "....Shadow of Death". Most of you will have heard or seen (here) the riotous first single "goodmornin 'da" and it's a great introduction to the full CD thought the rest of the CD is not as instant and much more dark and moody then the introduction offer. Very reminiscent of The Pogues at their best and I'm going to be so bold as to say it's the CD The Pogues should have made to follow up "If I Should Fall From....". Flogging Molly lookout, The Tossers are going to bite you on the ass very soon.

http://www.thetossers.com

Sharky Doyles: Back of the yards
I was out in Chicago very recently and the one thing that struck me most was the sheer scale of the place - fuckin' huge doesn't do justice to the place. Sharky Doyles are a very Chicago band, 'Back of the yards', being the stock yards on the south side, is their debut CD. Like their home town these guys are huge - riffs big enough to knock you on your ass and vocals that will stomp on you when your down - south side Irish are the tough guys in Chicago. Fans of crack it up, chant it out, punk rock'n'bag pipes like Dropkick Murphys, Real McKenzies and The Go Set will love this.

http://www.sharkydoyles.com

I've been waiting to hear this album for years. Even before I'd ever heard the album, or even heard of The Zydepunks, I've been wanting to hear Cajun-punk. I remember discussing the idea of starting a Cajun-flavored punk band with a few friends years ago as a joke, it sounded like a great idea. Too bad none of us had any clue about Cajun music, Zydeco music, or anything remotely close. We figured there were probably a few bands in Nawlins already doing it, and our discussion altered into who was buying the next round.

A couple of years later at a BBQ, I heard a Zydepunks song and got so excited, I attempted a drunken back flip, and landed on my head. lying upside down between the bushes, grass, a fence, and dog shit, at the edge of my buddies yard, I screamed "FUCK YEAH!" It was so original, fresh, and exciting. A totally new sound. I couldn't get enough. (True story!)

The Zydepunks like to call their flavor of music: Bayou Gypsy Punk. It's a combination of: New Orleans-Cajun-Irish-Breton-Klezmer-Slavic-Zydeco, and let me tell you, since the BBQ, I've been listening to it non-stop. If the combination of genres isn't enough for you, maybe the combination of languages will wet your whistle. The Zydepunks sing in English, French, German, Spanish, Yiddish, and Portuguese. The album "And The Streets Will Flow With Whiskey" is all over the place. The placement of the songs seriously reminded me of listening to The Pogues album "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" for the first time. The songs are all over the place. You'll be smiling from ear to ear with an irresistible urge to dive nose first into a bowl of gumbo. (Maybe that's just me.) It's an album you'll play in it's entirety, you won't want to skip a track. After a description like that, what more needs to be said? A whole helluvalot.

According to their website, the quick history of The Zydepunks goes something like this:

Five years ago, Eve Venema and Christian Kuffner met while street-performing in the French Quarter with a clown on a unicycle and a white rapper supposedly on the run from the FBI. A number of raucous shows at the notorious old Hi-Ho Lounge followed, planting the seeds for what was to come. The Zydepunks are moving from being a traditional folk band (or a glorified cover band) to creating original music inspired from their diverse backgrounds and instrumentation. From the heart of New Orleans, the Zydepunks tear it up on accordion, fiddle and drums, playing their own breed of Bayou Gypsy Punk. Singing in six languages and deftly mixing styles in a frantic pace, they take the audience from Louisiana Bayous to Berlin cabarets and everything in between, mixing traditional folk tunes with their own originals. Playing dance music that is popular across all ages and crossing all genres, the Zydepunks force their audience to get up on their feet and stomp through hours of music

I'm sure what happened to New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast is still in your thoughts. I'd like to happily mention that even if the members of The Zydepunks are temporarily scattered across the globe. (From North Carolina to Austria) Not even a fucking hurricane (Or two) will stop them, or their music. They'll be playing a Halloween show in Memphis, so make sure you support them when they come through your town. Even their CD's have been saved from the storm. So make sure you pick one up if you're lucky enough to see them live, or if you live too far away, you can order it from their website: http://www.zydepunks.com/store.php So, if you're looking to hear something somewhat similar to Celt-Punk, but with a spicy Cajun twist, I suggest picking up a copy right now, play it at a backyard BBQ, and keep an eye out for the village idiot attempting a back flip into the bushes.

Reviewed by "Barnacle" Brian Gillespie

First off this is the first time I've tried to review a album so go easy on me. That and I never got around to finishing high school and learning that grammar and spelling BS. Anyways, On to the review.

You might know John Allen (lead singer of BBB) as the guy playing whistle and singing with DKM on there song "Far Away Coast" That's the first time I heard him at least.
The bands lineup consists of John (Vocals, Whistle, Squeezebox), Pino (Guitar, vocals, keys), Ernie Wilson (Bass/Vocals) And Sal Vega (Drums) which Is a fairly light mix of traditional instruments compared to most of the Irish rock bands out there. At least half of the tunes on the CD have no or hardly any trad instruments at all. The bollocks however can outplay (and probably out drink) most of those bands easily, using a mix of great music writing lyrical storytelling and plain craziness.
To me the bands style makes me think of Irish folk, some good old fashioned rock 'n roll with some great football terrace choruses thrown in there. All the whistle/accordion driven riffs, Rolling Stones esque guitar and Oi! Oi!'s you could ask for.
So a little about some of the songs: Big Bad Bollocks is the bands anthem and sports a awesome driving accordion riff, 'The pubs of Liverpool' and 'Drunker than I was' could possibly be two of the best songs to swing a pint through the air to. 'Motorcycle jacket' is a distorted guitar driven song of teen angst, and 'Night on the tiles' chronicles all to well the mess that I and probably most of you find ourselves in every weekend night.
All in all this album is the best that I've found in a quite awhile. It stands out from the crowd of folk rock and doesn't really sound like any other band I've listened to before (in a good way) Defiantly going in my top 8 folk rock albums.
Its really a shame that information and music for these guys is almost impossible to find.

By Ben Taylor

I'm going to try and kill two birds with the proverbal one stone here by squishing the reviews of both Barley Juice CDs into one review. First up is 2001's self titled 'Barleyjuice' a collection of traditional drinking, fighting, courtin and sailing songs which is more Dubliners then The Pogues and much more Clancy Brothers then anyone else, both in song choice and performance. 2005's 'Another Round', follows on in the tradition of the debut but adds in a few originals which stand up well to tradition staple of covers. 'Scottish Samba' is a classic. If you haven't made up your mind were your going to be next Paddys Day then where ever these guys are playing would be a very fine choice.

The Scuttlers: Heathen Death Barrels
Its hard to believe The Scuttlers contain a member of legendary 70's Aussie punks X - Geoff Holmes - 'cos this is totally different to anything old punk fans could ever imagine. Think of a Celtic Grateful Dead tripping on Irish whiskey and magic mushrooms - jigs'n'reels and raggle taggle with spacey female vocals often hidden behind background tapes. The cover of "Whiskey in the jar" is an amazing Alt-country version.

http://www.geoffholmes.net/projects2.php?id=10

Con: 9 Songs
And now for something completely different. Well sort off. While most Celtic-rock bands use The Clash as their jumping off point from the rock world into the world of The Pogues and onwards to The Dubliners and Clancys. Con from Philadelphia have influences coming from late eighties/early nineties alternative rock - The Pixies and U2 when they were ~~ripping off~~, eh, being influenced by The Pixies. Adding to this base are traditional Irish melodies which soften the hard guitar edges. Singer-songwriter Frank Daly appropriately enough was with rebel group Spirit of '16 prior to Con. The lyrics here are some of the most pro-Irish Republican I heard this side of Black 47 or That Petrol Emotion and like both these very fine groups I feel the lyrics may hold the band back from wider acceptance outside the Irish rock scene but I doubt somehow they give a shit about that.

http://www.conmusic.com/

Various Artists: Paddy Rock Radio Volume 1
First of all hats off to Paddy Rock Radio's John Bowels for putting this comp together. As someone who has put together a similar project I know what's involved in pulling everything together and believe me it can be a major pain in the ass. Chicago based Paddy Rock Radio is a peer Shite'n'Onions and a long time supporter of the Celtic/Punk scene. Paddy Rock Volume 1 is a celebration of the shows 5th anniversary and is a collection of both classic and new Paddy Rock. Some of the the music on offer here will be very familiar (The Peelers, The Prodigals, Greenland Whalefishers and The Mahones) and some stuff is new even to me. The new bands to me that I loved and now want to check out further are Flatfoot 56 (bagpipes and hardcore), The Killigans (Flogging Molly like with feeling and great vocals), Switchback (Reggae'n'Irish).

Full band list: Flatfoot 56, The Peelers, The Bloody Irish Boys, The Killigans, Jackdaw, The Go Set, The Mahones, Switchback, The Prodigals, Greenland Whalefishers, IceWagon Flu, The Scuttlers, The Broken Shillelaghs

http://www.paddyrock.com/

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/paddyrockradio

The Pubcrawlers: Another night on the floor
The Pubcrawlers have come a long way from their rough and ready first demo recorded a little over two years ago and while they band still retain that early enthusiasm they have come on in leaps and bounds as a band in terms of musical and studio skill - fans of straight ahead, no frills Celtic-Punk like The Porters, The Real McKenzies and Dropkick Murphys will certainly get a kick outta this and all others should keep an eye on 'em cos that classic is just around the corner.

http://www.the-pubcrawlers.com/

The Dirges - I'll admit, this is the reason I felt the need to review all these bands I heard on Myspace. You seriously need to check The Dirges out right now. To put it very blunt...They have a great fucking sound. In fact, if you decide to check out Molly Malones Pub in Hollywood. (Of Flogging Molly fame) You'll probably see The Dirges up on stage playing some tunes. They are more or less, Molly Malones "weekday house band". Speaking of Flogging Molly, a member of The Dirges, (Francis DeAngelo) sing backup vocals on their last album. They also opened up for Spider Stacy/Filthy Theivin' Bastards in L.A. a few months back. Just what does this band sound like? Here's a description form the band: "The Clash meets Van Morrison in a Irish pub. They all leave, go to Shane MacGowans house for a few pints and ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!" I honestly think they sound better than that description, but what do I know! Reminds me of a young Van Morrison fronting The Low & Sweet Orchestra. Look for a big ol' review on Shite'n'Onions soon! Consider this as a quick teaser. Have I mentioned great fucking sound yet?

Meisce - From Seattle, Washington. They describe themselves as: "A drunken Irish folk singer dancing in the barn he just lit on fire." Meisce has been together since October of 2002, combining elements of Irish folk, gypsy, Eastern European klezmer, and punk rock, among other influences. We are excessively drink-friendly, and our live shows usually erupt into frenzied dancing and flying alcoholic beverages. They are in the process of recording a full-length album, and from what I've heard from these guys so far, it should be good. check out www.meisce.com or www.myspace.com/meisce

The Sharky Doyles - From the south side of the Windy City. I know they've been mentioned on S'n'O before, but you gotta love the way they decribe their sound: "If Social Distortion, The Pogues and the Dropkick Murphys had a three way with your little sister, the Sharky Doyles would be the little bastard that came out 9 months later." You've gotta admit, that description alone deserves a listen, and when you do, I'm sure you'll enjoy The Sharky Doyles.

Brennan's Revenge - From Eastlake, Ohio. I'm just going to get the band do the talking...
"As legend has it a man named Rick Sirl (quite possibly the sexiest man on Earth second only to the mighty Ogre…) was looking for pictures of naked tribal women in Readers Digest (he always confused Readers Digest and National Geographic) when he had a most terrific idea.
He thought to himself “I am going to start a progressive rock band and we will be called Silly Wizard and the Lazy Geniuses!” It was a glorious event, the dawning of a new day!
After a few hideous performances at his favorite bathhouse Rick decided to change things up a bit. He decided to play something other than progressive rock, something with a little testicular fortitude. Something like Irish influenced Punk-Country-Folk-Rock."

Larkin: Reckoning
I'd never heard Larkin before and didn’t know what to expect but I have to say I was missing out. I’ve nothing against Tulsa, Oklahoma. Any city with a hockey team is OK by me but I wouldn’t have expected this.

Pretty impressive shite from my point of view...This band really got my feet and other parts movin'. This is what I like from a band of this genre. Tunes full of energy with a good sound accompanying it. Nothing overpowering, just straight forward stuff.

As other outfits can easily be identified by their vocal styling, the same can be said of Larkin. Chad Malone's vocals are a perfect accompaniment to the music; providing a voice that brings Larkin’s songs to life, meshing the music and lyrics together nicely. The other members of the band do a good job providing the base for Malone’s voice.

Larkin does a good job mixing their songs so that the instrumentals don’t overpower the vocals; meaning you can actually hear what they’re singing about. There is a very nice blend of instruments in all of their songs from David Lawrence's pipes to Karen Naifeh Harmon's fiddle. All of them find their place in Larkin’s offerings. One would be hard pressed to find any place where the music didn’t fit.

The entire CD is pretty good but I really liked “Of Hope and Misfortune”, “Ghost of Long Gone Days” the instrumental “Woody Hornpipe” amongst others.

Give Larkin a listen. I think you’ll like what you hear. I’ll be givin’ this one plenty of play.

Bumfight: EP
Aha, DIY punk. To quote WFW, "recorded at one session, in one day, in an out building behind a farmhouse", "mixed and mastered in a few hours and on the streets a couple of days later" and in the Shite'n'Onions review queue for 6 months - sorry guys. This is 10 tracks of some of the most brutally loud punk rock I've ever heard and to quote Lemmy "If this band move in next door to you - your lawn would die".

http://www.ruberecords.org/

McDermott's 2 Hours Vs The Levellers: World Turned Upside Down
While M2H have had quite a storied history dating back into the eighties, in all honesty I had never heard of them until my trusty postman pushed a copy of their most recent collaboration (Disorder) with their old friends The Levellers through the Shite'n'Onions mail box. I promptly (honest) review it for S'n'O and posted a good review - though my thoughts being these guys are real good but not really my cuppa. Nick Burbridge, vocals, guitar and songwriter for M2H was good enough to forward a couple more McDermott's CDs (The 1986 debut and their first paring with The Levellers, 2000's World Turned Upside Down) to listen to - which I did, but moved on quickly.

Most recently I reviewed McDermott's latest release, a live CD, and was struck by just how good M2H really are and so after repeated plays of the likes of "Laying the Sligo Maid" & "Harry Brewer" I went back to listen to them on the studio version and was total and utterly blown away by how good M2H are and especially on World Turned Upside Down - It's not an immediate album (and that's my excuse for missing it on the first pass) but give it a chance because it worth it - possible one of the best Folk-Rock (with a heavy Irish twist) CDs ever made in my book and certainly one of the best I've every heard. The songwriting is superb, as too is the playing and the production. The aforementioned "Laying the Sligo Maid" & "Harry Brewer" (which compares to The Green Fields of France as an anti-war classic or in this case anti-war but if your going to fight do it for something you believe in) are must hears along with the Spanish flavored "La Passionaria" which is the song The Pogues were trying so hard to write on Hell's Ditch.

World Turned Upside Down will be very much towards the top of my best CD's of the year list - 2000 release or not