On a scale of Folk to Punk the Nogoodnix hit a Punk
9 and a Folk 1. Formally a red mohawked, union jack (???) clad punk band called
the Trauma School Dropouts they reinvented themselves in ‘99 as a ‘Pub Punx’
band. Musically the band plays really good Clash/77 style punk with an infusion
of Irish/Pub Rock - actually the remind me a lot of The Real McKenzie’s (w/out
the bagpipes). My big problem with this CD though is the ‘Darby O’Gill’ vocals
that singer Duane Beer seems to slip into on the more Irish oriented numbers -
Duane Beer is a really great punk vocalist who’s voice really carries the punk
tracks but when he breaks into the ‘Lucky Charm’s’ voice it just doesn’t work.
All the same a really good CD - outstanding tracks include: the mid temp
‘Angelina’, the punk rock of ‘Untimely Blessings’, ‘Wrong Again’ and ‘Every Now
And Then’. ‘Piss On Luck’ with its Louie Armstrong introduction that then
charges into Clash style punk. Stupid Cupid Records c/o The Nogoodnix PO Box 6066 Albany, NY 12206-0066 http://www.nogoodnix.com/
In my humble opinion The
Pogues were at least the greatest rock band of the eighties if not one of the
greatest band of all time - but if your reading this zine then you already know
that (and if you didn’t then fuck off your on the wrong site). The Very Best Of…
contains twenty one of their best known tracks each one a classic but each one
that you probably already own already. The big question is why was this released
(even the former band members were unaware this was coming out)- apart from as
another record company rip-off. When is the record company going to wise up,
stop trying to rip people off and put out that collection of rare shit we’ve
been waiting for. Track Listing: Dirty Old Town, Irish
Rover w/ The Dubliners, Sally MacLennane, Fiesta, A Pair Of Brown Eyes,
Fairytale Of New York w/ Kirsty MacColl, The Body Of An American, Streams Of
Whiskey, The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, Misty
Morning, Albert Bridge, Rain Street, White City, A Rainy Night In Soho, London
Girl, Boys From The County Hell, The Sunny Side Of The Street, Summer In Siam,
Hell's Ditch, The Old Main Drag, And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. http://www.pogues.com/ Click to Purchase
The Real
McKenzies: Fat Club 7" Singles Club Two tracks of bagpipe driven
77’ style punk from your favorite SCOTTISH PUNK ROCK GODS! Its out through the
Fat Chord Wreck’s single’s club on blue wax - get it if you can. See yee Jimmy,
Och I! Fat Wreck Chords P.O.
Box 193690 San Francisco, CA 94119 http://www.fatwreck.com/
The Tossers: Communication & Conviction (The
Last Seven Years)
This CD was a nice
introduction to the windy city’s The Tossers. The CD is actually a compilation
of the first two now hard to find Tossers releases, 1994’s ‘The Pint of No
Return’ and 1996’s ‘We’ll Never Be Sober Again’, along with a couple of
out-takes from the ‘Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya’ sessions and a live version of ‘The
Irish Rover’. ‘The Pint Of No Return’ was I believe The Tossers first release
and it’s fast and frantic acoustic punk with a nice mix of original and Irish
standards. ‘We’ll Never Be Sober Again’ shows a much bigger sounding polished
band with added horns and female vocals while still keeping true to their roots.
Real good stuff and I look forward to hearing a lot more from The Tossers. Http://www.thickrecords.com/bands/tossers.html Click to Purchase
Blood or Whiskey:
No Time To Explain I can't quite remember how I discovered 'Blood or
Whiskey' but some how I came across their self titled debut CD (on 'Sounds
Records' later re-recorded on 'Rejected Records') three or so years ago and it's
raw traditional Irish based punk would have put it straight to near the top of
my list of favorite CD's of all time if I was into keeping lists. So with bated
breath I awaited the new CD. Could the band really improve on the classic first
CD? And in short yes. The band still play fast hard edged 'Trad Punk' with
Barney Murray still sounding like the bastard son of Ronnie Drew and Shane
MacGowan (perish that image - yuch). Musically they have slightly expanded their
sound (not a bad thing) adding in the catchy as hell Undertone's style choruses,
a touch of 'The Clash' and do I hear the 'cut your bullshit attitude' of early
'The Radiators (From Space)'? So if you haven't heard Blood or Whiskey before
and are willing to take a chance on some thing special then you won't go wrong
here. Probably the only CD that can give 'Flogging Molly's' 'Swagger' a run for
its money. I'd almost say it's the best thing to come out of Leixlip, Co.
Kildare since Arthur Guinness brewed that very first pint of Guinness in
1756. My favorite songs so far, though this will change
with repeated listening are: 'Your Majesty', fast trad
punk about Bob Geldof and his OBE (Order of the British Empire) - an award 'Sir'
Bob received from Queen Betty II herself and what Barney and the lads think he
should have told her to do with it. 'Frank', another
fast one that sound like it's written about someone I know. 'Rudy' with it's ska feel and the punky 'Paranoid State'
and 'Breaking Through' Blood or Whiskey PO Box 47 Leixlip, Co Kildare Ireland http://www.bloodorwhiskey.com/
This CD single is an Ireland
only release teaser from Blood or Whiskey's new full length CD 'No Time To
Explain' (reviewed above). The 'A Side' tracks are from the CD, 'Never Be Me' a
fast temp catchy as hell Pogues/Undertones hybrid, which won't scare the old
dears who listen to 'The Larry Grogan Show' (is he still alive?) and 'Sober
Again', a slow 'bhoys' on the way home from the pub sing-along. The 'B Side' has
two previously unreleased songs 'Oh Oh' an anti-love song - fast and spiteful
and 'Kelly of Killann' the old Clancy standard given the 'Blood or Whiskey' kick
up the arse - worth buying just for this. Blood or
Whiskey PO Box 47 Leixlip, Co
Kildare Ireland http://www.bloodorwhiskey.com/
Click to Purchase
Click to Purchase