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With St. Patrick's Day only a month away now seems as good a time as ever to make a Celt Rock and Paddy Punk thread. In March most of you will be off to find a green beer and hear some guitars and fiddles, maybe a bodhran. But for some of us Celtic rock is a year-round thing. We just really like wearing kilts, ok? The purpose of this thread is to talk about and share Celt Rock and Paddy Punk bands, as well as new releases, tours, war stories, etc. Since Celt Rock is such a diverse genre I don't want to limit what can and cannot be talked about. However, use some common sense when posting. As much as I love them, the Irish Tenors, Celtic Women, and the Pipes and Drums of the Blackwatch are not Celt Rock. An FAQ What is Celt Rock? Celt Rock is a genre of music that melds Irish/Scottish/Celtic folk music and themes with modern rock instruments and styles. This can take on many forms, which has led to a very diverse genre, all of which can be discussed in this thread. Tempos, influences, and instruments vary greatly from band to band due to the dispersion of Celtic culture around the world (thank you British Empire). For some bands Celt Rock means playing traditional folk songs on electric instruments. Other bands write songs about modern topics in a Celtic style. How did Celt Rock start? That's hard to say. Celtic folk music is as old as the Celtic nations but most songs we know best today originated in the 19th Century or later. In the 1960s folk bands such as the Dubliners and the Irish Rovers began to appear. Their music is pretty much all acoustic and traditional, but their style was rowdier and their song choices bent towards being humorous and fun, as well as somewhat satirical with a hint of commentary. The 1980s saw the first real genesis of Celt Rock, notably with the formation of the Pogues in 1982. The folk songs being played by the Dubliners and Irish Rovers were sped up with electric instruments often mixed in. However, the real leap forward was the songwriter, which began to have topics on contemporary subjects and especially politics. Often these modern songs were recorded alongside renditions of traditional folk tunes, sometimes so well it was difficult to tell which song came from 1885 rather than 1985. The mid 1990s brought about a small explosion in Celt Rock bands of all shapes, many of which continue to record and tour today. What's that Paddy Punk thing you mentioned? Paddy Punk is a subgenre of Celt Rock, where "Paddy" is taken from the ethnic slur for an Irishman. Like punk music, it tends to incorporate faster tempos and puts less emphasis on superior sound quality (although this is not always the case). Paddy Punk also has more to say about politics and social commentary. The line between Celt Rock and Paddy Punk is pretty blurry. Generally you know the difference when you hear it. Do I have to be Irish or Scottish to like Celt Rock? Of course not, just be aware that like any cultural music Celt Rock deals with a lot of topics and themes unique to its culture. Band X is from [insert Celtic country], does that make them Celt Rock? Probably not. Just because a band is from a certain place doesn't mean they play music with a folk background. U2 is from Dublin but there's nothing Celtic about their music. Utilikilts are cool. No. gently caress you. Some Bands Here's a list of just some Celt Rock/Paddy Punk bands I recommend. I'll update the list with other suggestions along the way. the Pogues: Probably the godfathers of Celt Rock, as mentioned, the Pogues were more or less the first real Celt Rock band. I seriously doubt they will ever be topped though many will try. Shane MacGowan will outlive us all. Some songs: If I Should Fall From Grace With God, Body of an American, the Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Flogging Molly: started in LA by Dave King, an experienced musician exiled from his native Ireland, Flogging Molly is probably the most well known Celt Rock band today. Their formation did a lot to jump start the Celt Rock boom of the mid 90s. Some songs: Drunken Lullabies, Black Friday Rule (live), Seven Deadly Sins. Dropkick Murphys: Also an extremely well known band in the genre, the Dropkick Murphys are also a product of the mid 90s explosion. From Boston, they began as an Oi! Punk band but quickly began incorporating Irish music into their songs. Today they are more or less entirely a Celt Rock band. Some songs: Fields of Athenry, Rocky Road to Dublin. the Dreadnoughts: up and comers from Canada, the Dreadnoughts are pretty solidly in the Paddy Punk category. Alongside the more common Irish themes, the Dreadnoughts also take a lot of inspiration for their Canadian roots, as well as sea chanties and some Russian influences. I first heard Grace O'Malley and really liked it, so I went looking for more of their music and came across Mary The One-Eyed Prostitute Who Fought The Colossal Squid And Saved Us From Certain Death On The High Seas, God Rest Her One-Eyed Soul. I decided that if "Mary" was good I would immediately buy (then) both of their albums. I ended up buying both albums and everything they've recorded since. Enter the Haggis: just plain fun. The Litter and the Leaves. Scythian: making the accordion sexy again (their words). A good mixture of new songs and old folk. New York Girls (live). the Tossers: binge drinking is kind of their thing. Goodmornin' Da. Oh, this one sounds kind of familiar. Seven Nations: My first Celt Rock band. The Factory Song and Scream. Black 47: This band is just hard to describe. Sometimes they're Celtic folk, other times it's straight punk rock, then bam! Irish Beastie Boys. Bloody Irish Boys: pretty much sums them up. Enniscorthy in a Bottle. The Real McKenzies: some have called them the Scottish Iron Maiden. I don't know if I would go that far but they're loud. Will Ye Be Proud. the Young Dubliners: Some lighter fare. Rosie. Ok, that'e enough bands for now, although I have plenty more I can post later. Alright all you Celt or just drunk goons, have at it.
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| # ? Feb 19, 2013 21:57 |
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| # ? May 21, 2013 14:37 |
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Yes! Awesome! I posted this in the ska thread but I'm seeing Flogging Molly in Pomona on this year's Green 17. It's been a while since I saw them last (pre-Float), so I wonder if it'll be good. Also, I live like 15 minutes away from Molly Malone's so I'm going to drink there quite a bit that week in hopes of sharing a pint with Dave. Edit: This is my favorite Flogging Molly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uCOrLJ_rQQ Lieutenant Dan fucked around with this message at Feb 19, 2013 around 22:27 |
| # ? Feb 19, 2013 22:24 |
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My first show was Flogging Molly right after they released Within A Mile of Home, and it's tied for best live show I've ever experienced. The challenger for the top spot is the third time I saw Flogging Molly, which was post-Float but in a really intimate setting because my school put on the show. Some of the Float songs are ok live, but still not great. Scythian opened for them and did an amazing set. I've never met Dave but I met Nathan Maxwell after the show at my school. He came up to me at a bus stop and asked me for bar recommendations. We ended up talking for about 5 minutes afterwards. Also, I've had Tobacco Island on repeat for the last week because I've been studying the Colonial Caribbean lately. Edit: thought I'd add this link to Paddy Rock Radio. They do an online podcast/radio show that yields quite a large number of good bands and songs. At one point they had Itunes podcasts but they may have stopped doing that. Edit 2: And how could I forget to add Shite 'N' Onions. Hobbit fucked around with this message at Feb 19, 2013 around 23:29 |
| # ? Feb 19, 2013 23:05 |
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Well the Pogues were the first "celtic rock" band that weren't terrible, but I think the grandfather position goes to Horslips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5G8AJf4Xzw Later on you have Moving Hearts kind of resurrecting that side of things, though with much more of an authentic trad edge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x35B7kKmpQ Never been a big fan of the Pogue wannabes, and lately I've been thinking that it's less to do with them being inauthentically trad and more because they don't have the country and western influence that functioned to glue the punk and the folk sides of the Pogues together.
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| # ? Feb 21, 2013 01:12 |
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Seven Nations was the first celtic rock band I came across too. They played a show in the national guard armory in my town. That was back not long after they'd picked up Dan and when Kirk still played pipes during the show. I learned about Flogging Molly not long after from a friend and discovered The Pogues after that. I still enjoy Flogging Molly, but everything time I try to listen to them I get half way through a song and think "Man, I want to listen to The Pogues."
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| # ? Feb 21, 2013 01:57 |
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Sargeant Biffalot posted:Well the Pogues were the first "celtic rock" band that weren't terrible, but I think the grandfather position goes to Horslips: I'd never heard of Horslips or Moving Hearts before. This thread is paying off already. I also think it's a great point about the Pogues and country/western influences. When I first started listening to the Pogues I wasn't overly fond of the Peace and Love album but it has since really grown on me. Originally I only really liked "Young Ned of the Hill" from that album. Now I'm more into "Tombstone", "Lorelei", and "Night Train to Lorca." TerminalSaint posted:I still enjoy Flogging Molly, but everything time I try to listen to them I get half way through a song and think "Man, I want to listen to The Pogues." That's what happens to me when I listen to the Dropkick Murphys these days. They used to be my favorite band but now I always drift to the Pogues or Flogging Molly. As much as I loved the Dropkicks, fight songs and union anthems stopped being very interesting about the same time as I stopped being a teenager. The Meanest of Times was the last album I have by them; haven't picked up Going Out In Style or their latest release, whatever it's called. That said, I met Ken Casey the one time I saw them live and he was a pretty cool dude. I did see the Christmas music video that the Dropkicks did, that was pretty amusing.
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| # ? Feb 21, 2013 08:44 |
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Hobbit posted:I'd never heard of Horslips or Moving Hearts before. This thread is paying off already. Same here with Dropkick Murphys. I put on Shipping Up to Boston in the car and it didn't really hit me. It's funny, cause as a kid I always thought Dropkick Murphys were better than Flogging Molly, but now... eh.
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| # ? Feb 22, 2013 19:26 |
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If you don't like Pogues, I don't even want to loving talk to you, okay. I've been meaning to check out Planxty for some time. What I've heard so far is on the same par.
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| # ? Feb 22, 2013 19:37 |
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Lieutenant Dan posted:Same here with Dropkick Murphys. I put on Shipping Up to Boston in the car and it didn't really hit me. It's funny, cause as a kid I always thought Dropkick Murphys were better than Flogging Molly, but now... eh. Yeah, but now Flogging Molly makes albums that would be kind of ok if they were written by Against Me! Every year I debate whether or not I want to see the Pogues when they're in the northeast but $60 or more for the ticket and no guarantee that Shane won't die on stage.
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| # ? Feb 22, 2013 22:40 |
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I've seen The Pogues once and Flogging Molly and Dropkicks a few times. Still debating whether to fly to Melbourne to see Flogging Molly with Lucero & Lawrence Arms next week. I prefer Flogging Molly to Dropkicks. There are a few Australian Celtic punk bands. Rumjacks were the best until the singer got arrested for domestic violence. Ramshackle Army, Mutiny, and Sydney City Trash are also decent.
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| # ? Feb 24, 2013 11:51 |
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No love for the Popes? I went to see Shane and the Popes in Dallas years ago (I think they were touring for Crock of Gold). Standing in line outside the show, rumors started flowing that Shane wouldn't show. Turned out those rumors were true--it seems that he was so drunk in San Francisco that they wouldn't let him board his flight. Talking with the merch guy about this, he said they'd brought along a babysitter for Shane, but "the babysitter needs a babysitter." The club cut the ticket price, and the band played without Shane, and they were absolutely great. Honestly, they were probably better without Shane than they would have been with him. The Popes have become one of my favorite bands, though each album is a little less folksy than the last. I highly recommend their Holloway Boulevard album.
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| # ? Feb 24, 2013 15:22 |
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Count Chocula posted:I've seen The Pogues once and Flogging Molly and Dropkicks a few times. Still debating whether to fly to Melbourne to see Flogging Molly with Lucero & Lawrence Arms next week. I prefer Flogging Molly to Dropkicks. There are a few Australian Celtic punk bands. Rumjacks were the best until the singer got arrested for domestic violence. Ramshackle Army, Mutiny, and Sydney City Trash are also decent. So that's what happened to the Rumjacks. Three or four years ago they would turn up a lot on things like Paddy Rock Radio. An arrested singer explains a lot. El Miguel posted:Shane MacGowan and the Popes. You know, I want to like the Popes, but Shane's drunken slurring just does it in for me; it's just too much. The Pope's also just don't seem to have the same intensity as the Pogues. I'll admit I don't know the Popes' music too well, but do they have any songs with the same kind of musical intensity as "Thousands Are Sailing?" As a fun aside, though it has since been removed, Shane MacGowan's wikipedia page used to contain a very lengthy description of his dental problems. Also, how would you guys classify Albannach? They're just pipes and drums, nothing electric, but their sound is so hard to place.
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| # ? Feb 25, 2013 21:51 |
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Hobbit posted:So that's what happened to the Rumjacks. Three or four years ago they would turn up a lot on things like Paddy Rock Radio. An arrested singer explains a lot. Oh, they're much better without him, to be sure. There's three Popes records without Shane, plus a live album without him. They're a bit less grandiose in their ambitions than the Pogues were around the time of Thousands Are Sailing, so I don't know if they'll do it for you. They're really more of a trad. pub band, just louder, on their early records.
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| # ? Feb 26, 2013 00:08 |
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I'll have to check those albums out. I don't like seeing straight pub bands anymore because for some unknown reason every time I see one I get called out by the band for looking and dressing like one of the band members. It's weird and it happens way too often.
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| # ? Feb 26, 2013 05:27 |
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So did anybody hear anything good on or around St. Pat's?
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| # ? Mar 19, 2013 15:07 |
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Total bust on the rear end-kickin' music this year for St. Patrick's. Everyone around seemed to be playing more traditional celtic music, even the local divey place. 
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| # ? Mar 23, 2013 19:33 |
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Originally I was supposed to be in DC for a conference on St. Pat's so I considered popping over to Shamrock Fest for a few hours. In the end the conference was so bad I left two days early. Spent St. Pat's resting and watching Archer re-runs while drinking Jameson with the roommate. Oh well, always next year. I probably would have been just as happy with the traditional Celtic music. Every St. Pat's I get the urge to get my bagpipes out again but 
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| # ? Mar 24, 2013 08:06 |
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Horslips are amazing, I was lucky enough to see them live a couple of years ago and they smashed it. Their live album at the O2 in Dublin is seriously good. I really like Scottish fusion stuff along the lines of Peatbog Faeries, Shooglenifty and Treacherous Orchestra. And a special mention goes out to the Red Hot Chilli Pipers cos the world needs more bagpipes in it.
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| # ? Mar 24, 2013 12:14 |
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| # ? May 21, 2013 14:37 |
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Lieutenant Dan posted:Total bust on the rear end-kickin' music this year for St. Patrick's. Everyone around seemed to be playing more traditional celtic music, even the local divey place. What's wrong with that? Clancy Brothers or bust
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| # ? Mar 24, 2013 13:48 |
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