Best of 2013 - Top Ten of Irish CD’s of 2013 :

1.) The Wakes “ The Red and The Green” :

This Glasgow Celtic Rock tour de force has become one of the best bands of the century, with the best Irish Rock since the days of The Pogues and Horslips. These Irish Glaswegians just can’t be topped. Songs of solidarity, liberation and working class harmony, The Wakes reign as one of the best bands of today, and “The Red and The Green” deserves to be rated as the best CD release of 2013, without any doubts. It wasn’t difficult to decide who should wear the Celtic Crown of 2013, and that had to go to the mighty melodious yet boisterous, and show stopping, never letting you down, and always fighting for your rights while rocking and reeling, Glasgow’s finest, The Wakes.

2.) The Rapparees “RE:SESSION” :

This 5 piece Belfast band are the latest and the greatest and they’re about to kick start a France/Germany tour in 2014, so if you get a chance to see them live, don’t miss it, they are one of the finest new Irish bands today. And I think that they have done the best version of “Outlaw Rapparee”, yet.

3.) Dropkick Murphys “Signed and Sealed In Blood” :

This Boston band really needs no introduction so I will just say that they are undeniably the best Celtic Rock band in the world with no exceptions (except for maybe, The Wakes…), and this CD just proves that they are still the world heavyweight champions of Irish Rock and Reel.

4.) Brick Top Blaggers “Two Years Enough” :

These Californian Celts are no joke, and this 2nd full length proves that they are a band that is here to stay. Their brilliant tribute to the heroes of Easter Week, 1916, “The Rising” is reason enough to check these folks out.

5.) McAlpine’s Fusiliers “When Giants Walked Our Streets” :

These Australian Celtic Rockers never cease to amaze me, and this latest creation by these Fenian Aussies is proof positive that these musicians are in a class of their own and cannot be overlooked or forgotten. Their tribute to the heroes of the legendary Fremantle Fenian prison break, “The Edge of the World” is just another reason to remember these Fenian Australians.

6.)  Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones “Let You All Be Irish Tonight” :

These legendary balladeers combine grace, grit and Gaelic melody into one amazing, incomparable Fenian masterpiece. Be sure to get a copy of this rafters roaring, singing larks a soaring, high-stepping, rebel baby.

7.)  Kevin Flynn and The Avondale Ramblers “The Broken Pavement of Avondale” :

From the streets of Chicago, comes something that you only experience, once in a lifetime, and that’s the whiskey fuelled, bar room brawling Irish-American Rockers, known as Kevin Flynn and The Avondale Ramblers, who have done it again, with another phenomenal tribute to the Celtic Spirit of working class Chicago. A must for any fan of genuine Irish Rock n’ Reel. Added bonus is guest singer, Tony Duggins, who sings with Kevin Flynn in one dynamic duo in one of my favorite tunes on this kick ass CD, “Don’t Bury Me Outside of Chicago”.

8.) Pol Mac Adaim “My Name is Troy Davis” :

Although this CD didn’t come out in 2013, it’s still one of the best and most radical folk albums of the 21st century. Pol Mac Adaim is the Joe Hill, the Woody Guthrie, the Luke Kelly, of today. Revolutionary music that comes from the heart, that can make you cry or pump your fist in anger, Pol Mac Adaim has that ability.

9.) Damien Dempsey “Almighty Love” :

This is another release that wasn’t released in 2013, coming out in the fall of 2012, and was given my Top Ten rating in 2012, but its still, in my opinion, one of the Top 10, Irish CDs of today, by a gifted pugilist, songwriter, musician and Dubliner, the unbeatable, Damien Dempsey. And you have to listen to his “Fire In the Glen”, to really understand why this musician will always be a crowd pleaser.

10.) The Tossers “ The Emerald City” :

Last but never least, goes to my favorite South Side Chicago rabble rousers., with one of their best releases to date. Get a copy folks, you won’t be disappointed. You can love them, you can hate them, but they’ll always be The Tossers, to me.

               --- Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael

Feats of Strength

"Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza, oh heck, Happy Festivus, haha.

While it first came to the attention of most of America by way of a television show, the celebration of a holiday called 'Festivus' is part of human history throughout the ages, most notably in ancient Rome, nineteenth-century California, and upstate New York in the 1960s.

Three basic rituals have become associated with Festivus :

First, the erecting of a Festivus pole, an unadorned length of lusterless metal or something that looks like metal, which symbolizes nothing;

Second, an Airing of Grievances that asks celebrants to take turns telling gathered friends, enemies, relatives, acquaintances and strangers in which way each has been a disppointment;

And finally, the tension-dispelling Feats of Strength, which, traditionally involve wrestling the head of the household to the floor, but has evolved to include variations such as laser-printer bench pressing, thumb-wrestling and endurance hula-hooping."

Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones “ Let Ye All Be Irish Tonight” CD:

It takes a special skill, fortitude, grace, Fenian spirit and staying power to remain as long as Derek Warfield and his Young Wolfe Tones, in the business of rousing the crowd, entertaining fans on three continents, and lifting the spirits of countless generations of Irish music enthusiasts and with the latest melodious bout of Fenian fealty, “Let Ye All Be Irish Tonight”  is yet another inspirational testament to the international love for Irish musicians like these accomplished, Young Wolfe Tones.

  There’s always something magical about listening to Irish Rebel music, it has the power to either make you cry in your beer or pump your fist into the air, depending on the mood of the melody. Beginning this 19 song Rebel opus with a cheerful sing along written by Derek Warfield and banjo maestro, Damaris Woods, the title track “Let Ye All Be Irish Tonight”, this uplifting tune reminds listeners of the global appeal of good Irish music, and that it’s not only on St. Patrick’s Day that :

“Big Herman Moser, the fat German grocer
sat down by the side of contractor McCann
While Sandy MacPherson the tall Scottish parson
Paired off with McGinty the big alderman
And Tony Moreitti who deals in spaghetti
Held hands with charming Bedelia Mc Gee
While the Swede Arthur Swanson and “English Bill” Johnson
They both strained their throats, singing ‘Mother Mo Cree’ ….”

Next, “The Three Flowers”, is a  mighty tribute to Irish heroes Theobald Wolfe Tone, Michael Dwyer and Robert Emmett, and is really turned into a buoyant dancing jig, thanks to the brilliant banjo work performed by Damaris Woods. This rousing tune reminds us of a memorable quote (printed in the in-depth and full bodied insert booklet that comes with this handsome CD) by Padraig Pearse on the power of Irish music :

“Had the Gaelic race never produced a scrap of literature, had our treasures of history and romance never had a being, had our Cormac’s, Keating’s and our O’Clery’s and Donnachadh Rua’s never written a line, these folk songs of ours would have been sufficient to prove for all time the glorious capabilities of our race.”

Wise words, indeed.

Afterwards, “Step It Out Mary”, features the stirring singing of Fintan Warfield, with a lively chorus in an unforgettable song about the dark side of arranged marriages, written by Sean McCarthy in the 1960’s, who also wrote other classics like “Highland Paddy” and “Shanagolden”. This track really resonates with me musically, with the powerful voice of Fintan Warfield, the amazing banjo backing of Damaris Woods, and Padraig McGovern’s tin whistling, and not to forget Damaris Woods brother, Jim Woods on bodhran, and Luke Wards on bass guitar boom boom, ladies and gents, please make room for another magnificent traditional reel made merry and mighty, by Derek Warfield and his Young Wolfe Tones.

   Next, 4th track on this rocking, reeling, and crooning Celtic jamboree of Fenian harmony and Rebel melodies, “Song of the Celts”, is a new tune that was written by Derek Warfield and Damaris Woods, a song that calls for Celtic solidarity across the six Celtic nations, reminding us of the shared heritage of Irish, Bretons, Scots, Manx, Welsh and Cornish, whom are all connected through our Celtic ancestry and as this mighty tune reminds us :

“There’s a blossom that’s red as the life’s blood we shed
And for Liberties cause against alien laws
When Loughgeil and O’Neill and Llanellen grew steel
For Alba and Erin and Cambria’s weal..”

Next, 5th track, “Boys of the Old Brigade”, is again given a victorious boost by Damaris Woods banjo finesse, and the uillean pipes of Padraig McGovern take us back, to raise our voices and raise the green banner of The Republic. Love the jubilant chorus that accentuates this Rebel classic.

Afterwards, “Dusty Dublin Streets Set”, is a merry medley of reels and slip jigs arranged by Damaris Woods, where yet again, her banjo prowess shines like the sunset over Tara’s halls. Traditionalists will be pleased and surprised by the bouzouki backing by Alan G. Murray, Luke Ward’s guitars. Padraig McGovern’s pipes, and Jim Woods proud percussion accompaniment in this stellar set of traditional classics.

Next, “Sweet Kitty Neil/Jimmy Ward’s Jig”, is an old harmony written by Limerick native, Francis Waller in the 19th century, and one that reminds us of the importance of dance in the Irish tradition. A tune that’s bound to cause even the most die hard of couch potato to get up and dance, only the Young Wolfe Tones could make such an old time ditty sound so relevant today. Fair play, ye Young Wolfe Tones, may your sons and daughters, carry on your proud talent and tradition.

      Afterwards, “Admiral William Brown” is a fine tribute to Foxford, Mayo native, Argentine naval hero and founder of the Argentine Navy, Admiral William Brown, whose naval genius sent the Brits running. So much of a lasting legacy was left by this proud Irish sailor, that to this day, every year,  the Argentine Navy still marches down the streets of Dublin City in commemoration.

 Next, “Mandella, The Legend”, written by Bronx native, Dan Hannon, and sung by Fintan Warfield, reminds us of Nelson Mandella’s historical  speech at Yankee stadium in the Bronx and his support for the cause of Irish Freedom. Fair play, Fintan, for some stirring singing in this legendary Rebel ballad.

Afterwards, “Boys of Fair Hill”, is an old yet memorable Cork tune that is really brought back to life by the banjo skills of Damaris Woods and the dynamic duo of crooners, Derek and Fintan Warfield, whose rousing singing will make you want to clap and sing along and maybe even after a few pints, move your feet on the dance floor. A remarkably Irish classic that the Young Wolfe Tones have truly reinvigorated with their notable talents.

Next, “Cead Mile Failte”, welcomes us home, and asks us to come in from the cold, sit down by the fire and have a cup of tea and listen to this uplifting aria of warmth and Gaelic hospitality. One hundred thousand welcomes indeed. The high spirits of the Young Wolfe Tones soars like the lark of the morning in this endearing ballad.

    Afterwards, “Paddle Your Own Canoe”, once again puts a smile on the face of even the grumpiest, and gives us the privilege to listen to the booming voice of Fintan Warfield, a tune that was written by English musician Harry Clifton in the 1800’s (whose most popular ballad of the time was his lively rendition of “Rocky Road to Dublin”, written by Galway poet, D.K. Gavan) and given wings to fly by the accomplished balladeers, the Young Wolfe Tones. I was surprised to find that this one, second only to “Step Out Mary” was one of my top picks of the album. It just makes you want to sing along, waking up your neighbors and rousing the dead.

    Next, “The Galtee Mountain Boy”, is a fine Fenian ballad about the daring exploits of Dan Breen, Sean Hogan and Sean Moylan and the part they played in the Irish War of Independence. Derek Warfield proves that he will never be too old to do what he does best, rouse his audience with another brilliant Irish Rebel anthem.

  Afterwards, “Let Mr. Maguire Sit Down” is another timeless classic that will never be forgotten, thanks to these accomplished balladeers, the Young Wolfe Tones.  A classic tune about old school Irish courtship, that is so old that its author and the exact time it was written has long since been forgotten. But from what I hear, some of the same sentiments still thrive in Ireland today :

  “Johnny get up from the fire, 

get up and give your man a seat

Don’t you know it’s Mr. Maguire and 
he is courting your sister Kate
You know very well he owns a farm a wee bit out of town
Will ye get up out of that, you impudent brat and let
Mr. Maguire sit down.”

Padraig Pearse’s legendary poem, “Oro se do Beatha Abhaile”, next thrills our hungry ears with the help of Damaris Woods mighty banjo strumming, the music keeps us all humming with a stimulating Young Wolfe Tones choir led by Derek Warfield himself. I really love this version of the timeless Fenian tune, especially with the pipes and powerful percussion, thanks to the skills of Padraig McGovern and Jim Woods.

Next, “The Dying Rebel”, written by Seamus Kavanaugh and Harry O’Donovan (and first recorded in Ireland in 1961 on the Glenside label and sung by Patricia Blake), is sung so gloriously by Fintan Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones choir, with Damaris Woods banjo, Alan Murray’s bouzouki and Luke Ward’s guitars, making it one of the best versions of the tune that I’ve had the opportunity to listen to yet.

Afterwards, “Flower of Scotland” puts some thistle on your shamrock, reminding us of the fight for freedom that continues with our Gaelic brethren in Alba, this ballad was written in 1967 by Roy Williamson of The Corries, and although I prefer their version of this stirring anthem, the Young Wolfe Tones rendition isn’t bad. It’s unique because it combines that hillbilly banjo sound with classical accompaniment. Only a true musical genius can entertain you from highbrow to low, and its another talent that they have duly mastered.

     Next, “The Stone of Destiny Set”, gets us up off our arses to dance gaily to a boisterous traditional medley that will get you moving and grooving to Gaelic vibrations and Celtic sounds that will light a fire in your mind and a lightning bolt of clarity and wakefullness in your soul. Pure Irish bliss delivered with grace and skill by the Young Wolfe Tones. The old saying “seeing is believing” might be essential to some, but with these stout balladeers it’s instead a case of hearing, is believing. And the Young Wolfe Tones will kindle a roaring flame in your soul that will burn eternally.

Finally, “Patsy Fagan” concludes this momentous CD, with a funny lark of a song, an old time lullaby that is simple yet brilliant, written by Corkman, T.P. Keenan,  and yet another example of how the Young Wolfe Tones are blessed with the gift of sound and the gift of remembrance and keeping the memory of legendary Irish bards, balladeers, seanchai, heroes and composers, fresh in our minds. God Bless Derek Warfield and his Young Wolfe Tones, may they never cease to amaze us and delight us with their ability to keep us tuned into the eternal spirit of Ireland and all of her musical lore and legacy.

                                --- Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael

     

That's That (A Memoir) By Colin Broderick

(Broadway Paperbacks, 2013) 

There aren’t many authors that can make you both laugh and shout in anger while guiding you through the troubled and often deadly fields of tribulation in the Rebel countryside of Tyrone, while teaching you about the different types of rain that you may encounter while cutting turf on an Irish mountainside.

Told with wit and depth, this tragic-comic coming of age story is one that you won’t be able to put down, reading from cover to cover about the inner strength of one Irishman, caught up in the Troubles of 1980’s East Tyrone.

The best Irish book I’ve come across since Larry Kirwan’s “Green Suede Shoes”, one of favorite segments must be the author’s anecdote of his conflict turned friendship with the feared Donnelly-Arthurs clan, the very same men of whom would later be renowned as The Loughgall Martyrs, and as the author says himself; “They were dignified soldiers….Then in the clean white of the past I could see the faces of the two young boys I had first wrestled with in Kelly’s Inn not two years before, boys I had fought and drank and laughed with and whose families I had come to know and love : twenty-one-year-old Declan Arthurs and nineteen-year-old Seamus Donnelly were dead.”

 Sometimes tragic, sometimes poignant, but just as often high-spirited, “That’s That” is literary gold and a must read not just because it’s one of the first books to come out of the Rebel country of Tyrone with the ability to bring forth laughter and perhaps sadness and anger, but because Colin Broderick is a postmodern Seanchai with brilliant insight on the North of Ireland today.  Colin Broderick, is the realie dealie.

                         -- Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael

Pol Mac Adaim "My Name Is Troy Davis" CD

I awaited this new release by Belfast native and Irish Rebel balladeer, Pol Mac Adaim with great anticipation. And without any doubts, my wait was not in vain. And what a marvelous release, dedicated to both, Pol’s mother and Troy Davis, victim of State persecution and injustice, this CD will undoubtedly be remembered as one that stands apart, and proves that Pol Mac Adaim’s contributions to folk music has reached the greatness of Luke Kelly, Woody Guthrie, Pecker Dunne or Matt Mc Ginn, and proves also, that the rebel sounds of Ireland still shake the earth like summer thunder.
  

Beginning with David Rovic's rousing tribute to those Irish soldiers that joined in the cause of Mexican freedom, "St. Patrick's Battallion" is a great anthem of solidarity and who better to do a fine version of this classic than Pol Mac Adaim,    a musician, Fenian, socialist, and working class hero, who has sung songs in four different languages, and who understands the importance of international solidarity, and a reminder of the deep friendship between Irish and Mexican soldiers :

“From Dublin City to San Diego

We witnessed freedom denied

So we formed the Saint Patrick’s Battallion

And we fought on the Mexican side”

Continuing with mighty sing-songs of freedom, “Legacy of Brendan” is a stirring tribute to the legendary freedom fighter, Brendan “Darkie” Hughes, a tune that really causes you to reflect and reminds us all of one of Ireland’s finest and bravest sons. With beautiful melody and moving prose, this rebel ballad will be remembered as one of the greatest Irish Rebel ballads of the 21^st century :

“Farewell to the streets of Old Belfast

The place where I was born

Farewell to my friends and brave comrades

Those gallant ‘dogs of war’

When I think of the lives that were sacrificed

In 30 years of war

And I see what became of my country

I ask myself ‘what was it all for?’

Great ballads always make you stop and think and reflect on great men and women, and this tune ranks as one of the finest of rebel ballads, without any doubts. And if this tune does not resonate with you, you don’t have a heart.

Never to cease to amaze us with great anthems of proletarian rebellion and Fenian resistance, Pol marches on triumphantly, with a brilliant tribute to the people of Mayo, “Do You Feel?” , who are standing up against the tyranny and injustice of Shell Oil Corporation. Stripped of their native rights to fish their own bays and seas by the Corporate parasites and Free State puppets whose greed has no bounds and who do not have a bone of compassion or courage in their over-fed bodies, this great tune reminds us of the courage of the people of Mayo , fighting back to protect their waters from the toxins of Shell , whom have no ethics nor any respect for the people nor the people’s natural eco-system and their need to defend that eco-system from the Fat Cats of Shell Oil. As Pol says himself so well :

“So here’s a health to the people

Who’ve kept up the fight

For the cause you’ve embraced

Is both noble and right

And a message for the gangsters,

Their henchmen and media clowns

Despite all your tricks and your tactics so sick

Like the system that you’ve rammed down our throats with a stick

Your methods will all be in vain, We won’t let you prevail….”

Next, Pol does a stellar cover of Christy Moore’s tribute to the Blanketmen, "Ninety Miles From Dublin",  and all the Irish Freedom Fighters confined to the H Blocks in the 1980s. Well done, Pol, no one else can tackle a Christy Moore classic like yourself and breathe new life into an old mighty ode to the Men of 81’ like Pol Mac Adaim.

Afterwards, Eamon O’Doherty’s accolade to gallant Joe Mc Cann is done splendidly by Pol, reminding us of how much of an impact, just one man can have, even when faced with his own inevitable death, but still deciding to fight with his last breath against all odds :

“His cause was the freedom of the people in this land,

The Protestant and Catholic working man

But he caused the Bosses fear and for this they paid him dear

So they murdered brave Joe Mc Cann.”

Next, without skipping a beat, the rousing title track, “My Name Is Troy Davis”, begins with a mighty harmonica call-to-arms, reminding us of the cruel injustice and State brutality that still continues in the “United States of America”. Pol’s stirring ballad, reminds us all of Che Guevara’s wise words on solidarity in the face of injustice :

“If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine.”

And also reminds us that even in the “land of freedom”, if you happen to be black, poor, not one of the privileged class, or just not wealthy, and you are at the wrong place at the wrong time, you can become another victim of injustice in this so-called “democratic state”.

Next, another amazing and powerful original by Pol is his “H-Block to Maghaberry”, causes us all to pause and reflect on the P.O.W.s in Maghaberry and Portlaoise, and their daily tribulations:

“I know this is now and that was then,

But the same situation is looming again

As British intransigence drags us all back through the slime

How long will we let the Brits dictate

What is a crime in this illegal state

As they rape, murder and pillage

Their way through time?”

Pol’s tribute to the imprisoned Freedom Fighters in Maghaberry and Portlaoise is a powerful reminder that the fight goes on and that as long as there is a British military presence in Ireland, the injustice and tyranny that is always a part of the British Occupation will keep Ireland without freedom, equality, justice, peace or sovereignty. No matter how the Media, the British Crown, and their Sinn Fein puppets spin it, the chances of having a United Ireland under these unjust circumstances is very slim.

“Wild Mountain Thyme”, next takes us away from the slum landlords, drugs, violence, turmoil and tribulations of the city, for a nice intermission, and Pol’s splendid version of this William Mc Peake classic is worth your while. Mellow tunes are always a great listen after songs of rebellion, war, tragedy, injustice and the fight against tyranny, just like sitting down and having a beer with the guy you just fought, after the rumble.

Afterwards, “Another Day”, is a great tribute to the freedom fighters of Palestine and a great reminder of the horrors and injustice of foreign occupation and Zionism. As Pol says himself in this brilliant tune :

“In the White House they refuse to hear our children scream

Far too busy trying to fool the world, with their American Dream

But humanity knows and humanity cares,

Humanity will bring an end to the oppression of the people there

Then we’ll see another day in Palestine…”

And as this great CD comes to a grand conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the last track of this stunning album, “Butterflies”, a nonpolitical and very spiritually uplifting tune, was to be my favorite song of the CD. Another brilliant original by Pol, this song kind of creates a musical dreamscape where the melody gives you wings and allows you to fly, like a butterfly :

“Would you like to fly away

With me for a year and a day?

Our troubles we’ll cast to one side

As we embark on our mystical flight

We can be butterflies….”

-- Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael 

www.polmacadaim.org

The Wakes " The Red and The Green" CD :

I know that not every band can survive through its third release, sometimes its just like sequels to movies that you once liked. You wish that they had just released the debut and then called it quits. But with The Wakes, you realize that you have discovered a band that only gets better with each release, and this “The Red and The Green” is proof positive that The Wakes are here to stay, to keep you dancing, boxing, drinking, thinking and demanding more of their unique Glaswegian euphony. So I felt obligated to share my strong feelings about this CD and review which is a stupendous third release by The Wakes, with an awesome cover that gives tribute to revolutionary Scot and Clydesider, John Maclean, a man whom would feel at home with these Rebel rockers, known as The Wakes.

There are musicians whose sounds are bound to cause a riot, and if not a riot, than atleast a good fight, the spirit of their music so moving that you are ready to wage war. Dropkick Murphys or The Battering Ram, led by legendary crooner and balladeer, Declan Hunt, qualify in that regard, while other bands might make you sentimental, thinking back to those “glory days” of yore. Other musicians write songs that make you want to cry, their ballads so heartbreaking that you can literally feel the pain of the man or woman that the musician is singing about. Johnny Cash or Christy Moore come to mind. And there are not too many bands that can combine that fighting spirit with that distinctively Irish, poignant feeling, like these Rebel Glaswegians, known as The Wakes.

“Colours” , the first tune on this shining example of Glasgow-Irish Rock n’ Reel that is “The Red and The Green”, is a moving tune about hate and the walls that are built up by the State and society, to divide us all. Here , The Wakes, call to battle is a call to tear down those walls, and let peace and the brotherhood of man, prevail, even if momentarily. And even though I have never been a believer in utopian ideas like “World Peace” or the idea that Big Business is building jobs for you and me (dream on suckers, they are outsourcing your job to China, as we speak), I like the sentiments, because all The Wakes are really saying is to not judge a book by its cover, don’t judge someone simply because they are different, don’t assume that all Protestants are Loyalists, or that all muslims are in Al Qaeda, or that all supporters of Westham United are wankers. Haha. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Paul, can really croon and reminds his fellow Glaswegians :

    “This is our city and these are our colours…”

Afterwards, Eamonn’s thunderous drumming and Chris Crooky’s flute finesse take us to the goldfields of 1849, where its “To Hell or California” because we aren’t going to live forever, and we might as well risk it all for the chance of a lifetime to rise from our grim poverty by striking it rich. A mighty and upbeat tune that will make you want to dance a merry jig on the skull of Maggie Thatcher. And you can just blame The Wakes, because ladies and gents, they have that kind of infectious rhythm that drive a man to dance, rather than drink.

Next, “Men To Be Feared” reminds us of a rougher day in Irish-American history where law held less sway than the law of the gun, and where men, lived by the creed; “You live by the sword and you’ll die by the sword”, a song that is probably my favorite on this kick ass album, another historical fighters anthem that brings to mind the gangs of the 5 Points, circa 1857, and the legendary battle between the Bowery Boys and the Dead Rabbits on Mulberry Street on July 4th, 1857, in New York’s , Lower East Side. As the song goes :

“Baptized in blood….We live to fight another day !”

Probably the best sluggers sing-song since Dropkick Murphys “The Warriors Code”.  Brilliant fighters melody by Glasgow’s finest, The Wakes.

There are so many magnificent melodies and Fenian harmonies on this amazing CD that its difficult to pick favorites, but after “Men To Be Feared”, which rates as my #1 brawlers tune, their stellar version of “Peat Bog Soldiers” must be noted as one of the finest versions I’ve heard yet, and I would be remiss not to give accolades to Christopher James, whose harmonica really made this tune so damn beautiful to your ears. Not to mention the powerful chorus sung throughout this marvelous battle hymn.

But, “John Macleans March” really must be remembered with special recognition, possibly being a tie with  “Men To Be Feared” as the top tune of 2013, and 2014. it’s the kind of tune that brings the Rebel Spirit of the Red Clydeside to your living room with surround sound and marching feet , chanting slogans of protest and solidarity, as you feel like you are marching against recruitment for the British Army with John Maclean himself, and I know that this tune would make him proud, if he was still with us, as it’s a jubilant reminder that the fighting Celtic spirit of Glasgow is still alive and kicking !

        -- Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael


http://www.thewakes.info/

Brick Top Blaggers "Two Years Enough" CD :

California has spawned some stellar Celtic Rock bands over the years, notably Flogging Molly, The Mighty Regis, Lexington Field, and now Orange County’s bar room heroes, Brick Top Blaggers with their 2nd full length , “Two Years Enough”, which is beautifully illustrated by artist Michael Wade Malone, whose album art captures the blood soaked, bombed out streets of Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916.

     Beginning their mighty musical tribute to those who’ve gone before with wit and enthusiasm, Intro track, “Plastic Paddy”, thunders from your speakers like a rocket propelled hand grenade or the pounding hooves of a thoroughbred at the Punchestown Races, a rowdy brawlers beat with brilliant  breakneck speed accordion playing that demonstrates the Brick Top Blaggers furious fighting rhythm that leaps at your ear drums like an angry mountain lion. Lead vocalist, Steve Almond, never fails to keep us singing along, as he leads us over Bunker Hill, through the mountains of Harlan County, Kentucky, to march triumphantly onto the steps of the GPO, and then back home again, towards whiskey soaked revelations and bare knuckled brawlers bruises. A true treat to behold, Nick Morgan's fiddle finesse, and Nolan Lynch’s prowess with banjo, bouzouki and mandolin and Matt Maulding’s accordion attacks will keep you on your toes, for high kicks and melodious deliverance.

Next, “Quitters Never Win”, gets us off our arses as we pogo and slam dance through one round after another of lager, stout, whiskey and raucous reels backed up by jubilant jigs that will keep us dancing, drinking, thinking, and boxing, every man for himself, as Brick Top Blaggers mop the floor with their Celtic Rock strumming and victorious drumming , thanks to accomplished drummer, Kevin Ousley, and the booming bass of Dustin Lindberg, as we stage dive through another musical melee that will keep the punches flying, the bar stools soaring through the air, and the brilliant guitar work of Daniel Murillo, strumming (that keeps us humming) through the mighty storm.

As incredible this tune , “Quitters Never Win” truly is, my favorite track on this fearsome CD must be the title track, “Two Years Enough”, which launches from your speakers like a  Surface to Air Missile, Matt Maulding’s bag piping taking us to the battle field, where we trade blows with rival football hooligan firms, swinging our hurley with a mighty whack against the thick skulls of our foes. One of the mightiest Punk tunes that I’ve enjoyed yet, this is just another reason why Brick Top Blaggers are a force to be reckoned with.

        Afterwards, “The Rising”, is a stirring ballad and an amazing and poignant tribute to the men and women of Easter Week, and with poetic grace and Fenian harmony, the Brick Top Blaggers  again surprise me with their ability to go from rowdy drinking tune to Fenian ballad without skipping a beat.

“Spancil Hill”, is next, and is probably one of the best versions of this old air that I’ve listened to yet, and definitely the loudest.

Afterwards, “The Burning of Bridget Cleary” is a provocative and rocking tune based on the true story of a woman who was burned alive by her husband in 1895 in County Tipperary because he believed that she’s been abducted by fairies with a “changeling” left in her place. Like the old Irish nursery rhyme ;

Are you a witch, or are you a fairy
Or are you the wife of Michael Cleary ?

This tune reminds us of one of the last alleged “witches” to be burned in Ireland, and how powerful the belief in the Spirit World really was at the time.  Fair play to Nolan Lynch, the band’s banjo and mandolin player, for writing a great tune, my only criticism is that I kind of felt that this tune really should have been creepier, with the eeriness of a good macabre Irish tale, you’d expect the music to reflect a darker ambience, instead of the Dropkick Murphys-like , party feel that you get with this song. But to be fair, its still not a bad tune.

Next, “The Battle of Stirling Bridge”, takes us back into the mists of time, and magically captures the Gaelic spirit of the Rebel Scots who fought on that fateful day. Probably one of the most brilliant tributes to Scotland’s fighting spirit that I’ve heard yet, and Nolan Lynch’s mandolin playing, accompanied by Matt Maulding’s bouyant bag pipes, really makes this tune the ultimate Celtic Warrior’s anthem. Proud, defiant, rousing, this is the rebel spirit that Brick Top Blaggers invokes in this fighters melody.

“Coffin Ships”,  next takes us back to the dark days of 1848 and the huddled hungry masses of Irish, exiled from their native soil by the British mandated genocide that is mistakenly called “The Famine” :

      “From the empty fields and empty graves
      Where once the seas of barley waved
      Down to the bay the starving slip
      To board their coffin ships…….

    The waves are full of hungry eyes
    And stabbing teeth as the tempests rise
   The sky grows dark above the Devil’s ark
They call the coffin ship…”

A moving lament written by Nolan Lynch, whose prose is as stunning as her mandolin and banjo playing, with her natural talent, the deftness of these Brick Top Blaggers really shines through the darkness in this poignant tune.

Afterwards, “Eastern Promise” is another brilliant song written by Matt Maulding, which reminds you of the first time you heard Gogol Bordello, or Andy Irvine’s love for Bulgarian melodies. Kind of reminiscent of some good Klezmer as well, this raucous reel tells a tale of toil, turmoil and fighting for every bit of earth that you stand on.

And if that wasn’t enough to keep you singing and dancing, get ready to swash buckle with those Buccaneers from Orange County, with this tune of plunder and pillage and poitin, “Walk The Plank Again”, which is like rum in your coffee, just another rousing rocker that will keep you on your toes.

Next, “Love By Attrition”, is an intoxicating Punk Rock love song that brings back the spirit of Joe Strummer and Phil Chevron both, reminding you of the first time you kissed that girl that you had been day dreaming about when you were supposed to be studying Trigonometry. A marvelous song of romantic days gone by, taking you back to that London street corner when Victoria first kissed Shane. A song that really makes it possible for the blackest of hearts, to believe in love, once again.

“Witness To My Own Wake”, follows, a boisterous ditty that reminds us all of our mortality and that friend we once drank with, who is no longer with us, but who will always be with us in spirit, keeping our spirits high. With catchy lyrics and revolutionary rhythm, and a little bit of bittersweet memory, this mighty tune almost makes me want to go to Church, almost :

“Lay me down on a Sunday in the early morning mist
Where the cold Atlantic meets the western sky
Sound the pipes and the trumpets one last time
Raise the banners in remembrance of me…”

This one should be played equally at weddings and funerals.

Lastly, “American Dream”, is a reflective broken heart aria that says farewell and is about shattered dreams and regrets and the hard reality of 21st century America. This imaginative track is a good choice to conclude a phenomenal and groundbreaking Celtic Rock epic, one that I am sure will become as timeless and unforgettable as the first car that you crashed. Brick Top Blaggers really capture the spirit of working class Irish-America, in all its grit, grime, grace, rhythm, melody, rebellion, and ruminations.

 
                                       - Rory Dubhdara, Radio Rebel Gael

DUBLIN NOIR : The Celtic Tiger vs. The Ugly American

Edited by Ken Bruen, Akashic Books, 2006

Men stand in dark alleys in pools of yet darker shadow, drinking dark amber fluids from flasks that shine like the very grail. Booze here is salvation. The gun, a cross. Smoke leaks from square unshaven faces, blue as sadness. Neon signs across the alley are greasy and smeared, buzzing in the never ending rain. Trash scutters along concrete. Sirens blare in the distance. Tail-lights wiggle in sky black puddles; the sky itself leans like a drunk on the tallest buildings.

“The Canonization of Pulp” - Greg Bottoms

 Bottoms perfectly captures the essence of noir, for those who may be unfamiliar with this style of literature, the urban tales and hard boiled crime stories that brought James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart to the silver screen and put a face on the poverty, despair, depravity and urban turmoil that often creates the street crime and bloodshed that paints the city crimson. From Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler to Mickey Spillane and Chester Himes, a darker , rougher, unrefined urban saga of the modern concrete jungle and street justice became familiar to a growing audience. The popularity for this “pulp noir” or “noir crime” literature would grow in leaps and bounds, and not remain confined to the dark alleys , bordellos, and speak easies of New York, Chicago or London, despite the whims and whinings of Do gooders, politicians, preachers and the so-called “moral majority”, who were always content to point the finger, but always lacked any concrete solution to the problems that plague the metropolis, only moral platitudes and “Just Say No” jingoism. 

Whether they like it or not, this crime and violence will not go away simply because they wish to ignore it or brush it under a rug, after their tiresome and self-righteous “moral” lectures. And now that the metropolis, the nation and the globe, is sinking into the deepest financial abyss since the great depression, crime will inevitably rise and therefore, the grim and gruesome, blood-soaked, bullet riddled and knife scarred stories of hardboiled detectives and the criminals that plague our city streets will leave many stories behind for accomplished writers to tell. Too long noir crime fiction has been seen as something only local to New York, Chicago, or London, and now there is a growing Irish under current in this genre of urban crime literature, with many Irish authors proving to the world that the Irish, have always had a strong dark undercurrent in many of their tales. Even pre-Victorian , Irish fairy tales illustrates this. The leprechauns, fairies and banshees of Irish folklore , before these tales were appropriated by the British, were known for killing humans, stealing babies and being up to no good, on a regular basis. If Jung was right when he wrote that all ethnic folk lore is simply a blueprint, laden with tribal symbolism, of the collective soul of said culture, (perhaps some of these dark fairies and bad leprechauns symbolized “the enemy within” during centuries of foreign occupation) than it should be no surprise, that these Irish authors just happen to be the best hardboiled crime writers in the 21st Century. Ken Bruen, Declan Burke, Pat Mullan, and now, former author of teenager-based fantasy series, “Artemis Fowl”, Eoin Colfer, this Wexford native is now also proving his noir finesse with his new novel, “Plugged”, a hardboiled story that takes place in the grimey pavements and back alleys of New Jersey. And this anthology, DUBLIN NOIR, is hard evidence that the best writers on Dublin street crime mysteries are, inevitabley Irish, as with the sole exceptions of Reed Farrell Coleman and Charlie Stella, it takes some authors of Gaelic blood to properly illustrate the horrors of the savagery of Dublin street crime. Not to apologize for it, not to try and put a “moral of the story” at the end of the tale, but to just, tell it like it is. And no one can get right to the (sharp and deadly) point, while weaving an intricate plot laden with suspense, grim tidings and death defying feats, like these modern seanchai.

When I interviewed Belfast native and Irish Rebel musician, Ray  Collins, a few years back in front of the Baggott Inn (R.I.P.), we were talking about all of the “Irish” bands from Germany, Holland, Japan and Eastern Europe, who rarely had a single Irishman in the band. Ray commented that whenever people who aren’t Irish play Irish music, it’s a compliment if they play the music well, and an insult if they do it badly. This reminds me of this DUBLIN NOIR anthology a great deal; it really proves that tales are better told by the natives than tourists, people that only know Dublin from their weekend visits, hen parties or stag parties, and lets face it, I would rather hear about Dublin from a Dubliner, and this is the main flaw of this book, because it is an American publishing house, they had to choose primarily American authors to talk about a city that they have only visited, and it is not as genuine as having a local tell you about their hometown and let’s face it, many Yanks, clearly do not understand the Irish psyche nor the true nature of those dark Dublin streets (like authors who insist on every Irish character in their stories, having a pint of guiness in each hand, even if they are homicide detectives on the job, or IRA volunteers, executing a rapist, they must be drinking beer while exacting justice), but despite these obvious flaws, there are indeed a few shining stars (like Brooklyn based author, Reed Farrell Coleman). But it goes without saying, that all of the Irish authors in this anthology, are indeed, the best, hardboiled crime writers, that the 21st century has to offer.

"Jaysus Christ , I hate feckin’ Americans ! The donkeys worst among ‘em. And them arse-licking cops worst of all. Them with their fifty-two paychecks and pensions, their red noses and “Danny Boy” tears. They think glen to glen is a conversation of like-minded punters. Cunts, every last one. Them that sees romance in a bloody holocaust and the smell of cordite in the streets of Derry. And they ease their guilt and fancy themselves Provo men because they open their wallets and sing Pogues songs and drown themselves in pubs with a gold harp above the threshold. What a load of shite.

Oh, and how they imagine us Irish in the worst possible sense; a race of toothless spud farmers in white cableknit sweaters and black rubber boots, spouting Joyce or Yeats, herding lambs with a switch in one hand and a pint of Guinness in the other. And what of our race of red-haired colleens? Why, they’re out in lush pastures in their white blouses and green-plaid skirts gathering clover and hunting for pots of gold. Bollix !"

---- Reed Farrel Coleman, Portrait of The Killer As A Young Man