Celtophilia

Welcome back, we're glad you're here!

Artist: The Mighty Regis
CD: Co. Sligo

Bonnie Raves: Do you like punk music? Obviously you like Irish music, or else you are in the wrong place and possibly about to get your arse kicked. Aww, I’m just teasing. But seriously, if you don’t like Irish music you’ll be much better off here.

Everyone that’s still with us is in for musical nirvana of the mind blowing variety. What would you get if you put The Wolfe Tones, the Dead Kennedys, and The Beastie Boys in a cement mixer along with a few hundred liters of Guinness? Literally, you’d have a lot of wet, drunk, and angry Irishmen and punk rockers, theoretically, you’d have The Mighty Regis.

Co. Sligo is the first c.d. we’ve reviewed that I’m going to have to put a language warning on, but don’t let that dissuade you. Heck, let it encourage you. This is hard hitting punk rock, and the fact that it’s created by an Irish band and infused with shots of trad songs only makes it better. I doubt you’d want to spin Co. Sligo during a play date with the neighborhood’s six year olds, (unless you want them to learn a brand new word that rhymes with duck) but it’s perfect for blasting in the car with the windows rolled down.

The Mighty Regis has seven members, and all of them are both singers and musicians, which gives great versatility and a unique sound. Guitars, bass, mandolin, drums, and accordion are all played like they’re on fire, and the vocals are incendiary enough to have lit them. I couldn’t love this album more without hurting myself. It’s completely different from the music we typically listen to for Celtophilia, but it would be right at home in my c.d. collection, and indeed, now it is.

There are no bad songs here, so I shall endeavor to pick out a few of my favorites to expound on.

Black Shamrock is the best song I’ve ever heard that utilizes an accordion. I didn’t realize it was possible for an accordion to sound badass, but allow me to assure you that it can. Awesome drumming, intense vocals, and earthy anti-authority lyrics make this one a knock out. Plus they yell “kiss my ass” in Gaelic, and who doesn’t love that?

Me Mother Became A Werewolf is an offbeat, more than a little twisted, and hilarious number about what has to be done when your mum stops baking cookies and starts barking at the moon and eating people. (Eating people? When’s that get fun?) It’s fast and funny and it ends with howling and a somewhat inexplicable amen.

The Parting Glass is sung a capella and practically bleeds rawness and vulnerability. It’s an extraordinary contrast to the rest of the album, and one of the best ending tracks I’ve ever heard.

If you like your music a bit harder, with sharper edges, you will fall hard for The Mighty Regis and Co. Sligo. And if anyone has seen them live, tell me all about it so that I can be eaten up with jealousy, since I am stuck out here on the East coast and they are based in Hollywood. Buy this if you love punk rock and Irish accents, leave it alone if you don’t appreciate heartfelt profanity in liberal doses.

I thought that was the end but I have to add that these guys are phenomenal songwriters. Great music, great lyrics, just all around awesome and I’m thrilled to be writing about them. And I’m really done now, mostly because I ran out of superlatives.

Mike adds rather weakly when compared to all that: Celtic punk is one of the most interesting subgenres of Celtic. I sometimes loathe it, and sometimes love it. When it’s done right, it is an awesome fusion of two styles that I like individually. When done wrong, it’s a contrived attempt to play on the stereotypes of both genres, and a way of getting attention by a band that is hardly deserving. I’m happy to say, The Mighty Regis does it right on Co. Sligo. My favorite thing about the CD is that for the most part it is Celtic “influenced” punk, rahter than just a bunch of trad tunes rattling by like they’re strapped to the back of a rocket. (Although there are a few of those, if you’re into that.)

I really didn’t have any trouble nailing down a favorite on this one, it was Take Me Home. The song flat out rocks. In fact, I like it so much, I posted a video of it a few months back. I really liked 21 Paddy Finn, and The Brothers Rafferty as well.
If you want more info about these guys, you can find it on their Myspace page.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 4th, 2008 at 8:02 pm and is filed under Celtic Rock Reviews, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.