Archive for the ‘Pub/Drinking Music’ Category
Review: The Skels’ Any Port In A Storm
On June 20, 2008 in Original Music, Pub/Drinking Music, Punk, reviews
Like most of my favorite Celtic punk bands, I first heard The Skels on Shite ‘n Onions on Live365. After hearing Have A Drink Ya’ Bastards I decided that I absolutely had to have at least one of their CDs. It took a few months for me to get around to actually ordering it, but I finally got my copy of Any Port In A Storm, and I love it! The Skels are a perfect blending of Celtic tradition and modern (but not pop) punk. All the songs on this disc are original, and packed with attitude.Chris Freid’s lead vocals are not what you would call smooth. But I love it. Not only his voice, but his attitude suits the band’s punchy music straight down to the ground. I can’t imagine their sound with anyone else in the lead.
I don’t know how the songs are written (individually, collectively, drunk, sober), but the lyrics always crack me up either with their humor or their audacity, and the music itself always makes me want to get up and dance. Wild and drunken style dancing, but dance nevertheless.
I should say that most of The Skels’ songs give me a much appreciated shot of energy. Come Hell Or High Water is actually a beautiful song, calm and wistful. A song like this in a more traditional Celtic band could make a name for the singer.
This isn’t the best cd to play if you’re at work, unless your co-workers are fairly easy going. I can guarantee you that if there’s a prim and proper person nearby, the first thing they’ll hear is the line “balls to your partner, your ass against the wall” (Pauper’s Grave). I can’t tell you how many times it’s happened to me.
If you already love bands in the Celtic Punk genre, absolutely give them a try. If you’re fairly new to the genre, take a listen first. This ain’t no wishy-washy won’t-offend-anyone kind of band.
For a quick taste of the Skel’s music, click here for their MySpace page. Currently, you can even listen to Pauper’s Grave which is my current favorite of their songs.
Or, better yet! Download the MP3s from Amazon:
Icewagon Flu Review: The Great American Something
On January 19, 2008 in Fun music, Pub/Drinking Music, reviews, traditional celtic music
This review was originally posted in July of 2007. We’ve changed platforms since then and the URLs have changed. Please adjust your bookmarks.
I bought Icewagon Flu’s newest release The Great American Something the weekend it was released. I’d love to say that it’s taken me this long to feel that I could do it justice in a review- but that’s just silly. I don’t feel that I can do it justice, I just feel that I can’t hold it back any longer.This is a great album which explores a slightly broader range than their last CD, Off The Wagon. Where Off The Wagon was more traditional in nature, though still played with a strictly Flu sound, The Great American Something is completely theirs. All songs were written by the band, and while the sound isn’t quite as strong as it is when they’re live, you absolutely will not be disappointed.
We knew they could perform the heck out of a live gig, and songs like Nudity and Whiskey & Soda showed us that they could write great songs too. But pulling together an entire original album and making it work is what separates the good bands from the great. And Icewagon Flu is a great band.
True, this album nearly backs entirely out of the Celtic and Paddy Punk genres, but the originality of everything they play should keep it in the rotations of your favorite stations that have played them before.
Clowns & Jokers starts off the CD with a mellow kind of groove, followed by a slightly more upbeat Blue #9. I have no idea what it means, but it’s one of my favorite songs on the album.
The rest also follow Flu’s basic sound while maintaining each song’s individuality. Little Red Devil actually sounds a bit beachy while Wild Irish and Industry Down hold Icewagon Flu’s place in Celtic and Paddy Punk music.
All in all, I’d say the only thing better than this CD is seeing them live. And for $15 it’s a great value.
You can purchase The Great American Something at CD Baby.
JD and the Longfellows Review: Confessions!
On January 19, 2008 in Pub/Drinking Music, reviews
The band that started it all. In an effort to tell the world about this wonderful band I found and yet avoid building a fansite, BandVox was launched. This review was originally posted January of 2007, but the URL changed when we switched format. Please adjust your bookmarks.
JD and the Longfellows describe their sound as “renegade folk, drunken country, shit-kickin’ western, psycho-skiffle” and after listening to their CD Confessions, I can’t find anything wrong with that. The first song that I heard (Another Drink, Another Round, Another Bar, Another Town) sent visions through my mind of people swinging, arms entwined, in drunken circles, with beer sloshing from their tankards. I quite liked this image, and so I searched out more.
After listening as much as I could from their MySpace page, and on Shite ‘n’ Onions (at Live365 ), I gave in, spent the $12.97 and bought the CD. I am so happy that I did. I have played this CD nearly every day since I received it from CD Baby and enjoyed every minute of it. There’s no denying that this is drinking music (and who’d want to deny it?), but it’s much richer, with more depth than your usual drinking songs.
The band has a unique and instantly recognizable sound, and yet the variety within that sound is astounding, especially when you consider that this is the band’s first CD.
For instance, the opening song Lenny sounds like country music would, if country music were actually good. And while I can’t explain it, I swear the horns in Another Drink sounds like mariachi. I also detected a hint of the Cure from time to time. Josh Davis’ vocals change from song to song as well. In Jamaican Rum and Why his smooth tone flows well with Clare Portman and Gemma Cumming’s back up vocals. In Another Drink and Wedding of the Year his voice switches to deep and growling, which contrasts nicely with the girls’ sweeter, higher vocals.
One of the many great things about this album is the humor woven throughout. Such as it can be difficult to tell if they really like tropical islands, or just the unscheduled in-flight entertainment (Jamaican Rum). It’s not so much what is said, as how it’s said. Listening very carefully is an absolute must, and the opening and closing lines of Holiday to the Sun are well worth the effort.
The subject matter runs the gamut between getting scammed out of your plane tickets, wedding nightmares or nightmarish weddings, and joining the mile high club. My personal current favorite Another Glass of Whiskey makes some very good points about the merits of whiskey over those of a whining girlfriend. Thunderstorm is also quite an entertaining song, involving an angry husband, a shotgun, and a pair of socks.
Confessions has it all! Humor: “Now this is an old, old basic drinking song that I’ve only just written” Pick-up Lines: “I’ll show you that my pencil’s full of lead” even Helpful Household Hints: “If you mix your women like you mix your drink, well the end is just the same”.
Final Verdict: A fun CD, great without paying attention to the words- unbelievably excellent if you do. Buy the CD, you’ll be glad that you did.
You can find JD and the Longfellows at CD Baby or their website, JDandtheLongfellows.com