Hey I know I just reviewed the GC5’s singles collection in the last edition, but the GC5 seem to be able to get a release out a hell of a lot quicker then I can get an update out (God bless’em)

“Never Bet…” is the second proper CD from the 5 the other released being a CDEP and the previously mentioned singles collection. While the first CD “Kisses…” showed the bands potential in songs like “City Lights” and “White Flag”. They have now captured that potential after a year and a half solid touring, playing 250 plus shows, honing their song writing skills and getting some help from the Dropkicks; Ryan Foltz in the production department. The GC5 have taken their SLF, Utters, Clash and Billy Bragg inspired punk, stepped up to the plate and are ready to swing for the best punk band in America. And with this CD I think they will hit a home run.

http://www.thegc5.com/

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The back cover of this CD says it all. The industrial background, one man dressed in black, the tattoos, the quaff and side burns. The guitar ready to go. Brian Blood plays dark, brooding acoustic rock with strong roots in 50’s Rock and American Country with a touch of Irish. Perfect for someone who wished Johnny Cash was a little more rock’n’roll or Mike Ness was a little more country.

Brian Blood

The Pogues! There I went and said it. I knew it would be hard to review the new CD from Defenestrated without mentioning the Pogues (again!) From the first note of opener “Do As You Will…” to the closing note of the charmingly titled “Bird Shit Stained Rocks”, Defenestrated proudly nail the colors of the Pogues (again!) toothless Jolly Roger hard to the mast.

The music is a glorious, raw, drunken, riotous and chaotic tribute to the glory days of the Pogues (4 time’s) arguably greatest period, “Red Roses For Me”. So if you’re like me and wish Steve Lillywhite hadn’t cleaned up the rough edges and put the music through the studio version of the washing machine then this CD is for you. Pure raw poguetry in motion.

One complaint is that a couple of the songs just don’t work and if they were left off we’d have a great CD.

http://www.defenestratedmusic.com/

“Monk’s Not Dead” is the follow up EP to Belfast Oi-sters very excellent first CD “Reclaim the Streets” which set a new standard for Irish punk and arguably came very close to the sheer brilliance of SLF’s “Inflammable Material”.

Unfortunately of the 5 originals on "Monks'.." only one “PTA” comes close to the standards set by “Alcoholic Heros” or “Judge, Jury and Executioner”. Sure the music is still as hard as a crack over the head from a RUC baton but with the quality of songs lacking I doubt I’ll be wearing out this EP like I did with the first release.

The covers are GG Allen’s, “KTP”, which I suppose you can still get away with if you’re from Belfast. A version of those SMF’s Twisted Sisters “(Oi) We’re Not going To Take It”, that will crack Dee Sniders makeup foundation. “Runnin Riot” by Cock Sparrer is excellent but “Babylon’s Burning” originally by the Ruts doesn’t work and not being familiar with the song I can’t tell you if it’s a shitty version or just a shitty song.

Hopefully this EP is just a filler and the band are keeping the good stuff under raps tills the next full length.

http://www.runninriot.com/

I’ve never actually been to the Warped tour but I think it’s a great idea and a great way for bands that MTV or commercial or “alternative” radio won’t touch to gain exposure to a huge audience. Sure I hear you complain that it’s headlined by MTV punks like Blink 182 and Sum 41 are playing this year so it’s really a commercial sell out. But I say to you where else can you arrive a Sum 41 fan in the morning and leave that night a Flogging Molly fan (though rarely the reverse happens).

This comp. is a 50 (yes 50) track double CD of all the bands playing this year. Something for everybody and a good opportunity to hear those bands whose name you’ve only previously heard before and for a low price it’s a steal.

http://www.sideonedummy.com/

Boston’s hometown boys the Bosstones (F**k Aerosmith, who are really from New Hampshire- Jeeze I wish those guys would do us all favor and retire, they haven’t even managed to co-write a decent song since “Pump”) are back after a couple of years that would have split up mere mortal bands. The MMB’s were dumped by their label after much corporate shenanigans and the disappointing sales of 2000’s “Pay Attention” along with the departure of longtime guitarist and Dickey’s songwriting partner Nate Albert. Both have been suitably replaced, Mercury/Def Jam/Island with happening major-indie Sideonedummy (home of Flogging Molly) and Nate with Lawrence Katz, who certainly has picked up the Bosstone writing knack.

This is a much stronger CD then “Pay Attention” and much dirtier, gruffer and a lot less radio friendly then 1997’s “Let’s Face It”, but still with that original mix of Ska, Reggae, Punk and Hardcore and proud Boston roots that makes the MMB's so special. Something certain to please longtime fans and win some new ones. It certainly pleased this fan.

http://www.bosstones.com/

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A couple of months ago I got a whole serious of emails from a cocky bunch of Cornish men known as Bates Motel, telling me they were the greatest thing to hit Celtic rock since the beginning of creation and I should do a feature on them and listen to some mp3’s on their web page. Now I’m not too good at listening to mp3’s cos’ mostly I listen to music on the train to and from work and It’s often hard to bring the desk top along on the train so they went unheard for a while.

Finally this 3 track demo/promo arrives through the mail and man does this ROCK! Powerful Celtic rock from the new masters of Celtic Grunge (to quote Steve Davies), heavy on the fiddle with an energy that could raise a dead man and get him jigging. To steal a quote from Rock’n’Reel magazine, “a glorious hybrid of the Clash, the Levellers and vintage Thin Lizzy” and there is not much I can add to that except that the Levellers sound like the strongest influence and I also hear some NMA.

http://www.bates-motel.co.uk/

So you started out liking the Dropkick Murphys, then discovered Flogging Molly and then the Pogues and now your inspired to check out some pure tradition Irish music. Well this might be the CD for you then.

San Francisco’s Culann’s Hounds are one of the purest and best tradition Irish groups I’ve heard in a long time. This really is the real thing. The jigs and reels sound like they originated around a fireside in West Cork and the ballads like they came from the deepest Liberties of Dublin, especially with Frank Jordan whose voice at times sounds like he’s possessed by the ghost of Luke Kelly.

http://www.sfhounds.com/

Serbia's Answer To The Dubliners

I bet you're thinking, "Celtic music from.... Belgrade, Serbia??" Well, to answer your question, that even I was asking, aye! it is Celtic, and it is from Serbia! The Orthodox Celts are a seven member folk band that plays Irish traditional music with a slight rock edge to it. The lead vocals of Aleksandar Petrovic kind of remind me of good ole' Ronnie Drew. (just a slight accent) As soon as I heard the album, I could tell The Dubliners have made an impact on these guys. The Orthodox Celts are huge Glasgow Celtic Football fans (take a look at the photos on their website.) They have also popularized Celtic music and culture in their little neck of the woods, and they sell out concerts on a regular basis. (about 1000 to 5000 people) Some of the tracks on the album include, "The Rare Old Mountain Dew", "Rocky Road To Dublin", "Whiskey, You're The Devil", my favorites include "The Beggarman", and "Merry Sisters" and of course, the instrumental, "Marie's Wedding" I was surprised to say the least, but if you're a big Dubliners fan, take a listen. I bet you'll be surprised too.

review by Brian Gillespie

www.orthodoxcelts.co.yu/

A far as soccer songs goes this ain’t too bad, kind of middle of the road (middle aged) rock with a big locker room chorus. Better then anything Man. U. or Liverpool or the Huns ever released.

The story of the Lisbon Lions is much better. It’s the story of 11 scrappy Glaswegians who had reached the final of the premier soccer club championship, “The European Cup”. The first “British” club ever to do so thirty five years ago now. Facing them on the football pitch was the Italian powerhouse Inter Milan, previous winners who were expected to destroy Celtic. Inter Milan’s tactics were to score quickly and then defend the remainder of the match. True to form Milan went one up in minuets and retreated into their defensive bunkers.

Celtic played a very different style of football to the Italians. Where the focus was on ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK for the full 90 minutes. Celtic manager Jock Stein believed that the only place Celtic should defend was the inside of the opposition’s penalty box. Celtic’s high pressure cracked the Milan defense once (Tommy Gemmell) then twice (Steve Chalmers) giving them a fantastic victory for Celtic, Scotland and Football.

The b-side will musically be of much more interest to S’n’O readers. Shane MacGowan joins the Celtic Chorus with the first original MacGowan release in a long time. True to form the music is a rip-off of the melody of “Kelly the Boy from Killane”, the style is still that Country’n’Irish sound of “Crock Of Gold” and Shane sounds positively blotto. Certainly not a classic MacGowan but still nice to hear something new(ish).

http://www.thelisbonlions.com/

“Dragging The Lake” is the first in a proposed serious of low priced comps from the good people at Sideondummy Records and Atticus Clothing. With 24 tracks, 13 previously unreleased all for the low price of $6.00

Mostly the music is post-Green Day, likely to be on the Warped tour stuff with big guitars and chorus along with some whiney EMO. The best stuff is by Blink 182, Autopilot Off, Avoid One Thing and of course the Might Mighty Bosstones.

http://www.sideonedummy.com/

If your in Boston and have cable then definitely check this out. It’s on Wednesdays at 10:30pm on channel 23. If not you can purchase copies of past episodes from Sean Hick.

Sean Huck c/o The Life We Lead 20 Denton Terrace #1 Roslindale, MA 02131 http://www.thelifewelead.com/

Debauchery can be a beautiful thing, even more so when it comes with the Pronghorn stamp all over it. Those familiar with the work of Pronghorn - of which there must be many, given the bands almost god like status on the south-coast (of England) festival circuit, not to mention their one band assault on the near continent (Belgium, Holland and Germany) - will need no introduction to any of the tracks on the bands forth studio c.d., "Faster than a speeding Mullet". A collection of tunes that contains more hits and misses than a drunken Granny out on her first possum shoot.

From the opening bars of "Lady-boy of the Night", "Irish Thing" and "Don't Get On My Banjo Case" the band are in to their trademark 100mph banjo led chaos curtsey of Lamma, complemented by a fiddle sounding not unlike a fly-past of particularly ticked off hornets, brought to our ears by Ffi - don't ask it's a Welsh thing! When all seven members kick in with "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" the C.D. fairly screams in pain at what its being asked to do. Ah boys and girls this is a masterpiece of Hillbilly mayhem. If the burgers hadn't have made Elvis leave the building; this would have had him running for his life - glorious.

Pronghorn may never win prizes for subtlety - previous c.d.'s include titles as "Still Inbred With Me Doner", "Ten Gallon Nads" and "Fat of The Band" - but this is a group that could get the Pope whooping like Naomi Campbell on acid, they truly are Johnny Cash's bastard son's. Banging out a brand of Country- Punk that is all their own with a hard-edged attitude that would spit out the likes of the Dropkick's at first glance and capable of turning any dance floor into the most dangerous mosh pit in Christendom within seconds.

Where this c.d. differs from the earlier stuff, is on the tracks "Roobarb and Kurdish", "Jewish Thing" and the guaranteed attention grabber "Euro 2000, Disco Hell Mix" worthy enough tunes, together an anarchic trio of Klezmer/Ska influenced numbers that leaves for dead the bands detractors who are usually to be found screaming "one trick pony" and "play a song…they couldn't play a fruit machine!" into their lonely sherry glass. Which may augur well for the bands musical creditability but well. It just ain't what Pronghorn are about.

They fill venues with the promise of reckless partying and raising Cain like no other band of the genre. Oh and how it's needed, gloriously low down and dirty, blatantly irreverent and terrifying to non-believers of good old working class stomp music. In Pronghorns callused hands the squeezebox, harmonica, banjo and fiddle are not so much instruments, more offensive weapons that take no prisoners and long may it continue! If the dalliance with all things musical gathers apace the arts centers will start to circle like hungry vultures waiting to carry the corpse of a once great band in the dreary mediocrity of the middle classes. Oi! Pronghorn stay with cider guzzling Glastonbury and stay away from wine sipping Womad. You know it makes sense.

Steve Davies

http://www.pronghorn.co.uk/

Where do you go after fronting one of Celtic rock’s biggest bands? Obvious really - you head off “Across The City And The World”, the second studio album that Donnie Munro has released since leaving behind Runrig and heading off into the Skye sunset back in “97.

Donnie’s a different musical beast now that’s he’s left to fend off the wolves without the swirling, anthemic song writing of the MacDonald boys. Taking on the writing duties on all but two of the ten tracks sees a mellower side appear, though never completely leaving behind the ‘feel’ of the past - due in no small part to the production being handled by Runrig’s sound squelcher Chris Harley.

The albums at its best when Dave Paton - drums, Duncan Chisholm - fiddle and Sandy Brechin on squeezebox are given their heads to chase the vocals up to ‘jigging’ pitch - “Sweetness Of The Wind” and “Highland Heart” being the best examples of Donnie picking up a pint and pulling on his dancing boots. “Sweetness” especially showing a light for song writing that could’ve been hiding behind a “MacDonald” bushel for far too long.

“Weaver Of Grass” stands out as a song that will live with him forever, a pounding modern classic based upon a tragic story of society’s failings. Building slowly on a guitar intro until the drums are invited to the cause, from which point you can fairly taste the sweat as the vocals are delivered with a passion that must’ve had the veins on Donnie’s neck bursting. This’ll have crowds baying and punching the air from Uist to Utrecht and back again.

Shame then that he felt the need to give Daniel O’Donnell a run for his money with “She Knows Love”, blandness only matched by the sugar coated “You’re The Rose” - the new record company must be demanding a chart single! Finishing on a high with “Calum Sgaire” a Gaelic beauty of a song that sees the man right at home, near acapella with a chorus of Celtic angels behind him. A great way to end - it’ll leave you gagging for the tour to come a knocking. This ain’t no “Big Wheel” - you wouldn’t expect it to be, but it’ll certainly keep him up there with the big boys and after Hypertension’s investment - must have chucked a barrow load of filthy lucre at the C.D.’s sleeve alone - they’d expect nothing less.

Steve Davies

http://www.pronghorn.co.uk/

"If it wasn't for your stiff little fingers Nobody would know you were dead." - The Vibrators
If any band on Earth at any time was purely fucking incendiary - able to produce the soundtrack and atmosphere of riots, chaos, bombs, explosions, strife, hate and hope - it was certainly Belfast's Stiff Little Fingers circa the late 70's. Hailing from a city full of violence and disdain, SLF weren't some kind of art-students singing about pasting the Queen or Parliament, they were dodging gunfire and landmines, by God - and their attitude reflects this. Recognizing they had a life different from bands like the Clash who had inspired them, but wanting to be part of the same movement, SLF sprang to life. Spurred on by their manager/journalist Gordon Oglivie to write about what they knew, SLF would go on to become one of the greatest punk bands the UK would ever produce, mixing personal agendas with political upheaval to produce scathing melody, truly defining the over-used punk adjective "energy."

Led by the often imitated but never duplicated gravelly voice of one Jake Burns, SLF sprang to life in Belfast, in 1977, complete with a moniker taken from the above Vibrators song. With guidance from Ogilive, and musical backing from Henry Cluney on guitar, Brian Faloon on drums and Gordon Blair and Ali McMordie on bass, respectively, Burns was soon churning out such slice-of-life classics as "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Life" which would appear as staples of the debut LP.

Released in 1979, Inflammable Material debuted at #13 on the then-important UK Charts. The album itself is a burner. SLF classics fill the LP, from the aforementioned "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Life" to the classic rally-cry of "Alternative Ulster," it's a blistering journey through a teenagers Belfast. From the top-speed "He We Are Nowhere" to the musings of "Barb-Wire Love", all bases are covered. The LP also introduced the bands talent for fusing reggae and punk, by covering Marley's "Johnny Was." Throughout their career, the band always retained their love for reggae.

This is Irish punk in its purest form - as in punk from Ireland, from the heart, nothing more, nothing less. No mandolin or tin whistle present, it's simply geographically and politically a disgruntled bunch of Irish teens that vent their aggression and frustration with everyday life onto one of the best punk albums ever made. So many bands have covered so many songs from this LP, it's influence cannot be overstated. No excuses for missing this, kids….listen to it and feel what it was like to be blown to hell by a landmine in Belfast…and to survive and persevere.

Review by Sean Holland