Archive for the ‘reviews’ 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:
Review of Celtic Fling 2007
On January 19, 2008 in Shows/Concerts, reviews
This review was originally posted in the summer of 2007. BandVox has changed platforms, and the URLs have now changed. Please adjust your bookmarks accordingly.
For the first time in years I attended the Celtic Fling on the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire grounds. Why? Because this time they had a killer line up. Oh yes, they always had some classic bands such as Tartan Terrors, Empty Hats, and other more traditional Celtic and folk bands. But this year, oh this year, they had Icewagon Flu, Ceann, Enter the Haggis, and others with a more, shall we say, unconventional approach to Celtic music.
I wish I could share with you a broad range of bands that I saw at the Fling- for surely there were many great bands to choose from- but due to health issues and hitting standstill traffic 2 miles away from the grounds’ entrance I got a bit of a late start. Thank whatever deity you choose that the three bands listed above had three sets each.
I had planned to hit Icewagon Flu, Ceann, and Enter the Haggis in succession- according to the schedule finishing before 3:45pm and having until 8pm to explore other worthy bands (the samples on the Fling’s website assuring me that they were all worth a listen). Sadly, I missed Icewagon Flu’s first set, throwing my schedule askew and enforcing that I hit Ceann’s first set rather than their second as I had planned.
Since I’m not too good at faces it took several minutes for me to spot the hat. If you don’t know what I mean by that, kindly go look at their website and you will understand. The hat is both a blessing and a curse in that it is very recognizable. This is how I knew that I had found the right stage since they started with a traditional song rather than one that I recognize as purely Ceann’s. It also probably got me labeled as a stalker by the guy that wears it (can’t track down the name) since I kept staring at the hat and pointing it out to my companions when I saw him later in the day.
The set was good, but many of my favorite songs never were played during that set though I heard some in a later set as I was crossing the festival grounds (yes, the set that I would have seen had my schedule worked). Banter was at a minimum but “Handsome Pat” certainly seemed to enjoy the pickles. Which are very good by the way; try them.
Also, there was a bit of a Tina Turner moment- scary. I’m just grateful that none of them donned mini-skirts, though I’m sure that I’ve just given them an idea.
I had a few minutes afterward to wander, so I visited a few of my friends that have shops on the grounds and was hijacked to witness a proposal (everyone say “aww”). This made me a bit late to the Icewagon Flu (yes, again) set. Or so I thought. I ran around snapping pictures while the band announced that the new cd never made it to the show. I went up to the merchandise table and saw absolutely no cds! I asked the nice man behind the table, didn’t they at least have Off The Wagon? What a shame they didn’t have the new disc… He informed me that yes, they did have the new cd as well as Off The Wagon. The band that didn’t was Hunting McLeod. They were a few minutes over time, and Icewagon Flu would be on next. Lovely. I’d just told the band that I’d come to see that I couldn’t tell that the guys in kilts on stage weren’t them. (Hey, I’d assumed they’d dressed up since it’s a Celtic Festival and were playing songs from their new cd since I didn’t recognize them. I did say that I’m bad at faces…)
As humiliating as that was I am so glad that I didn’t miss their set. If you’ve never seen Icewagon Flu live- do it! Do it now! Not only are they energetic and fun live, but they’re completely insane. At one point I looked down to take notes, and when I looked up George Leo Smith 111 (aka “tall guy”) was on a bench in the middle of the crowd belly dancing, or possibly Bollywood dancing. They called two swing dancers up on stage while they sang Old Dun Cow, and Kevin Adkins (vocals/whistle) jumped in about halfway through. Kazoos and slide whistles were used; I kid you not.
If you do get to see them live there is one song that you absolutely must hear. Request Nudity. Trust me on this- it’s so good that a woman dragged her kids out of the crowd before they even hit the chorus.
Other events prevented me from getting to the other shows until Enter the Haggis’ last set of the day. I wish I could give you a some good tidbits about their show, but at this time sun poisoning had set in and I was unable to finish the show. I did get to hear several of my favorite songs, and the chess board made a good dance floor directly in front of the stage. They definitely seemed to be as popular as they should be; a large crowd was gathered around the board and a sizable crowd was gathered on the board- dancing away. They have a great sound live, and the crowd was into it. Unfortunately, the size of the crowd and placement of the chessboard kept me from getting close enough for a good picture.
While I didn’t see any other bands I could hear them everywhere I went. Glengarry Bhoys were excellent as usual, and the band that I believe was The Elders were very good as well. I completely missed Scythian and Screaming Orphans, though Scythian had so many fans in the crowd (and in the other bands) that I can only assume their popularity is for a reason. Ceann seemed rather enamoured with Screaming Orphans, but that could just be because they’re gorgeous young women. Though from the samples I’ve heard, it could just be because they’re good.
I missed a lot of bands, and all of the contests, shows, and whatever else was offered- but what I did see kept me busy all day. I imagine that I would have felt the same if I’d been able to get there at opening both days. And even though I still feel that $25 is a high entry price, for the quality of the bands they offered it was worth it to me. If you can get to venues that offer the same bands more easily, then it may not be worth it to you. But I just got to see three of my favorite bands (and Ceann’s cds were cheaper live than they are on CD Baby), even talk to a few, had a blast, and got sun poisoning all in the same day. Who could ask for more?
Enter The Haggis Review: Soapbox Heroes
On January 19, 2008 in Original Music, World music, reviews
This album was originally reviewed in October 2007. The URL has changed along with BandVox’s new format. Please adjust your bookmarks.
As with many of the bands that I review here, I first heard Enter The Haggis on Shite ‘n Onions. For months, their album Soapbox Heroes sat on my wishlist. I was about to finally order the CD, along with several others when I found that Enter The Haggis would be playing nearby. Excellent! So I saved up the cash for another two weeks, and headed off to the Celtic Fling. Not only did I get one of the best CDs ever, but I got to see this amazing band live.
While ETH is heavily influenced by world beats, they have an equally strong footing in Celtic and folk sounds. Their opening song Lancaster Gate is a very modern bagpipe tune. If you’re familiar with the band Off Kilter, this song will sound like home. It has a more modern, rocky sound than Off Kilter’s music, but is similar enough that celtophiles should be immediately drawn to it. By contrast, No More Stones has a strong country rock tone. Normally, I despise country, but these boys can turn common rocks into gems. Cynical carries over the celtic overtones and is also where the name of the album comes from( And we’re so lazy/we’re soapbox heroes/and we’ve got so much to say ).
Marti’s Last Stand and One Last Drink are strong in celtic theming (the first being a pascifist who’s forced into battle, and could apply to any person in any war, though it may be about a specific person- the second is about an old man who refuses to die until morning so he can have one last celebration).
Normally I abhore any song that makes me cry, but ETH’s The Barfly is so stirring that it really stands out on its own, and I won’t turn it off no matter how the tears fall. It’s about an old man and how he lost his wife and two daughters. While both daughters are still alive, one has moved far away and never contacts him, while the other lost her own husband, and hasn’t spoken since. There may be piano music in the rest of the album, I haven’t noticed it, but in The Barfly it really stands out and underscores the mood of the song.
This is an excellent CD. Very clean and professional without losing an ounce of individuality. The varied influences make Enter The Haggis popular with fans of many genres, though more particularly with fans of Celtic music. I highly recommend Soapbox Heroes, and am anxiously awaiting their next album.
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.
Flatfoot 56 Review: Jungle of the Midwest Sea
On January 19, 2008 in Punk, reviews
This review was originally written and posted June 2007. When BandVox made the switch to WordPress the URL changed. Please update your bookmarks.
This CD is best played one or two decibels below the pain threshold for two reasons. 1.) the energetic drive deserves high volume, and 2.) because it just sounds better LOUD. Jungle of the Midwest Sea was released May 15, 2007, and fans of their previous album Knuckles Up won’t be disappointed. The music is just as hard, driving, and fun as before but written with their added life experience.
The Galley Slave and Chinatown Jailbreak are getting the most airplay right now, and for a good reason. Their sounds are unique: The Galley Slave has the drum beat of a slave ship, the sound of waves crashing against the ship’s hull, and a slight Mediterranean undertone that can draw you into the feeling that you’re actually there, watching the ancient Christian slaves row for their lives. Chinatown Jailbreak meshes Celtic and Asian themes into the music with Tobin Bawinkle’s vocals remaining strictly hardcore punk.
I would like to add Loaded Gun to that list. It doesn’t get much air play, but it should. You might get cops following you if you start singing “Gun gun, this is my loaded gun” in public, but it’s hard not to. Despite the lyrics, the beat is a bit lighter, less driven, but still with their trademark sound.
These guys don’t just play for entertainment, they’ve got a message to get out. The title track, Jungle of the Midwest Sea, deals with the history of Chicago, their hometown, and particularly about a riot in the meatpacking industry due to some unsavory practices. And Pay Me A Dollar takes a different look at fathers who don’t have time for their families due to their jobs. Rather than taking the view of fathers who prefer climbing the corporate ladder to spending time with their families, they honor the men who have to work their days away just to provide. It’s a view that is often ignored these days, but one worth examining.
While most songs are serious in nature, they also have a bit of fun. I tend to read too much into things, so the line “Wondering if this is how life ends… then the folds come off and it’s all his friends” on Carry ‘Em Out had me convinced that this was a really deep song about gang violence- until the lyric description explained that it’s about the time they kidnapped their own bagpiper and scared the crap out of him. One of the guys also pops up occasionally throughout the album with a really bad accent. If the volume is high enough to hear him, it’s usually good for a chuckle.
In fact, the only song on the disc that comes out a bit weak is the last one, Same Ol Story, not for the lyrics but for the toned down, practically accapella rendition that comes off sounding a little like a highschool boys’ choir singing a hymn. Still, 13 tracks out of 14 being excellent is pretty good odds.
Bonus: Hoity Toity sounds a bit like a hardcore Offspring.
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
Ceann Review: Rave, Rant, Lose Pants
On January 19, 2008 in Fun music, reviews
This review was written and originally posted in August of 2007. Since then, BandVox has changed formats, and the URL changed along with it. Please update your bookmarks.
Fans of “Almost Irish” will be thrilled with Ceann’s new CD “Rave, Rant, Lose Pants”. For the most part they continue in the same style of (slightly bizarre) humor and beat. Saying that they’ve matured is rather like saying the sun is blue. Technically impossible and more or less irrelevant. They are, however, including already popular songs such as Monahan the Mutineer, New York Girls, and Go, Move, Shift. Naturally with their own flair. I was especially impressed by Patrick Halloran’s McGranahan’s Wife because not only was it funny, it sounded like a traditional song given a Ceann twist.
It may sound sacrilegious to say so, but three songs on their new disk beats the.. Um… pants, off their last album. Blame the Viking is the first actual song on Rave, Rant, Lose Pants and it’s earned its place in the top spot. From mysterious stains to mysterious pregnancies, everything can be blamed on the Viking. Trust me, it says so in the song.
Pretty on the Inside is the biggest insulting compliment that I believe I’ve ever heard. Is it an insult? Is it a compliment? Can anyone really tell? It’s funny as hell, and as a friend recently pointed out “It’s the ultimate guy anthem!”.
And Boom!. Has Al Quaeda ever been so funny? Suicide bombers that just can’t do the job right. Except when it comes to blowing up people who write songs about them. Last Ones Standing is a bit of a stepped up Almost Irish. On My Tab pretty much defines them as leaches- albeit likeable leaches. And I’ve Got No Beef With You might offend some vegetarians, but I have trouble believing that anyone wouldn’t find this funny.
In fact, the only downer on the whole album is the original song Home. Now, I can deal with them trying to stretch their wings a bit- I’m all for artistic integrity and all. It’s even a rather nice song in a soothing yet depressing kind of way. My problem isn’t even that they have a guest vocalist, Julia Reisse. She has a great voice, and she sounds good on the album. The problem I have is that both Patrick and Julia are singing on this track- in separate time. The result is entirely jarring. I don’t know if this is a result of how they recorded, how it was mixed, or if they intended it to sound this way- but no matter how hard I try I can not enjoy this song. If either Patrick or Julia was the sole vocalist I’d have probably warmed up to it by now. But not together.
Still, one black spot on an otherwise flawless album is pretty good odds- and you can’t beat it for the price!