14
      Arts
      &
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Cadre
      +
      9
      February:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fannigan’s
      Isle
     
     
      Rambles
      of
      Spring
     
     
      (Folk
      Era
      Records)
     
     
      www.
      folkera.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      RYAN
      O’CONNOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fannigan’s
      Isle
      have
      been
      quoted
      saying
      that
      this
      al-
     
     
      bum
      is
      “our
      tribute
      to
      Tommy
      Makem
      and
      the
      Clancy
      Broth-
     
     
      ers”.
      Almost
      all
      of
      the
      16
      tracks
      are
      songs
      that
      were
      popular-
     
     
      ized
      by
      the
      Clancy’s
      and
      Makem
      --
      with
      the
      exception
      of
      the
     
     
      Archie
      Fisher
      penned
      “Witch
      of
      the
      Westmoreland”
      (a
      song
     
     
      which
      was
      largely
      popularized
      by
      Stan
      Rogers
      --
      in
      fact,
      this
     
     
      song
      uses
      his
      arrangement).
     
    

    
     
      The
      instrumentation
      by
      this
      duo
      is
      quite
      fine,
      although
     
     
      the
      vocals
      come
      across
      as
      questionable
      at
      times.
      All
      in
      all,
     
     
      it’s
      a
      good
      album,
      but
      not
      to
      the
      degree
      of
      excellence
      reached
     
     
      by
      the
      Clancy’s.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Makem
      Brothers
     
     
      Who
      Fears
      to
      Speak
     
     
      Red
      Biddy
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
      www.redbiddy.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      RYAN
      O’CONNOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Makem
      Brothers
      are
      the
      sons
      of
      the
      legendary
      Irish
     
     
      folk
      singer
      Tommy
      Makem.
      This
      album
      is
      a
      collection
      of
     
     
      songs
      relating
      to
      the
      1798
      Irish
      uprising.
      Released
      by
      Red
     
     
      Biddy
      Records,
      this
      album
      of
      12
      tracks
      is
      full
      of
      classics
      that
     
     
      their
      father
      helped
      to
      immortalize
      with
      his
      wonderful
      voice
     
     
      and
      feeling
      of
      the
      songs
      (not
      to
      mention
      his
      storytelling
      and
     
     
      musicianship).
      Unfortunately,
      the
      Makem
      Brothers
      lack
      the
     
     
      intesity
      and
      emotional
      attachment
      to
      the
      songs
      that
      their
      fa-
     
     
      ther
      had,
      and
      as
      a
      result
      the
      album
      suffers.
      The
      boys
      are
      fine
     
     
      instrumentalists
      and
      do
      in
      fact
      possess
      fine
      harmonies
      --
      but
     
     
      what’s
      the
      use
      of
      a
      rebel
      song
      that
      isn’t
      rousing
      in
      nature?
     
    

    
     
      The
      selection
      of
      songs
      on
      this
      album
      is
      indeed
      fine,
      with
     
     
      classics
      such
      as
      “Roddy
      McCorley”
      and
      “Rising
      of
      the
      Moon”,
     
     
      but
      the
      songs
      suffer
      from
      unispired
      vocals
      --
      and
      therefore
     
     
      the
      album
      as
      a
      whole
      suffers,
      which
      is
      a
      shame
      because
      it
     
     
      was
      a
      great
      idea.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Popes
     
    

    
     
      Are
      You
      Looking
     
    

    
     
      At
      Me
     
    

    
     
      (Scarlet
      Records)
     
     
      www.scarletrecs.co.uk
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      RYAN
      O’CONNOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      is
      the
      debut
      album
      from
      the
      Popes,
      a
      band
      best
     
     
      known
      as
      Shane
      MacGowan’s
      back-up
      band
      since
      his
      days
     
     
      with
      the
      Pogues.
      Apparently
      feeling
      restless,
      the
      band
      de-
     
     
      cided
      to
      put
      together
      an
      album
      and
      go
      on
      tour
      (something
     
     
      MacGowan
      doesn’t
      like
      to
      do
      anymore).
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      an
      excellent
      release,
      despite
      only
      having
      five
     
     
      tracks.
      The
      album
      starts
      off
      with
      a
      very
      energetic
      “Are
      You
     
     
      Looking
      At
      Me”,
      followed
      by
      “Hillbilly”,
      another
      upbeat
      tune
     
     
      with
      a
      Cajun
      feel.
      “Sleepless
      Nights”
      is
      a
      major
      contrast
      to
     
     
      the
      other
      tracks,
      as
      it
      goes
      about
      with
      a
      much
      slower
      pace.
     
    

    
     
      The
      only
      track
      on
      this
      album
      that
      I
      didn’t
      like
      was
      “The
     
     
      Popes
      Instrumental”,
      in
      which
      the
      band
      played
      a
      straightfor-
     
     
      ward
      (and
      almost
      boring)
      piece.
      The
      album
      is
      rounded
      out
     
     
      with
      another
      version
      of
      the
      title
      track.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Young
     
     
      Dubliners
     
     
      Alive,
      Alive
      ‘O
     
     
      (Cargo
      Music)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      RYAN
      O’CONNOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I’m
      happy
      to
      say
      that
      after
      hearing
      this
      album,
      I
      no
      longer
     
     
      despise
      the
      Young
      Dubs.
      In
      all
      seriousness,
      after
      hearing
     
     
      their
      previous
      studio
      release,
      Rocky
      Road
      to
      Dublin,
      I
      thought
     
     
      the
      band
      was
      a
      bad
      joke
      --
      living
      off
      of
      the
      name
      of
      the
      Dub-
     
     
      liners
      (a
      famous
      Irish
      folk
      group).
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      a
      live
      release
      {as
      the
      title
      implies),
      with
      an
      added
     
     
      studio
      track
      at
      the
      end
      for
      good
      measure.
      An
      interesting
      fact
     
     
      is
      that
      out
      of
      the
      eight
      tracks
      on
      the
      album,
      six
      of
      them
      have
     
     
      never
      been
      recorded
      by
      the
      band
      on
      either
      of
      their
      previous
     
     
      releases.
     
    

    
     
      The
      music
      is
      lively
      and
      rocking,
      especially
      on
      tracks
     
     
      such
      as
      “Fisherman’s
      Blues”
      and
      “Change
      the
      World”.
      If
     
     
      you
      haven’t
      heard
      the
      Dubs
      before,
      their
      music
      is
      rock
      that
     
     
      adds
      the
      occasional
      touch
      of
      a
      Celtic
      flair
      --
      such
      as
      a
      fiddle
     
     
      instrumental.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      if
      you’re
      looking
      to
      get
      introduced
      to
      the
      Young
     
     
      Dubs,
      buy
      this
      album
      and
      forget
      about
      their
      previous
      studio
     
     
      material.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      a
      few
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Skinny
      people
      piss
      me
      off!
      Especially
      when
      t
     
     
      say
      things
      like
      “you
     
    

    
     
      know
      sometimes
      |
      just
      forget
      to
      eat.”
      Now
      |’
     
     
      forgotten
      my
      address,
      my
     
    

    
     
      mother’s
      maiden
      name
      ,
      and
      my
      keys
      but
      |’
     
     
      never
      forgotten
      to
      eat.
      You
     
    

    
     
      nae
      to
      be
      a
      special
      kind
      of
      stupid
      to
      forget
     
     
      eat.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      friend
      of
      mine
      confused
      her
      valium
      with
      her
     
     
      birth
      control
      pills.
     
     
      She
      has
      14
      kids,
      but
      she
      doesn’t
      give
      a
      shit.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      They
      keep
      telling
      us
      to
      get
      in
      touch
      with
     
    

    
     
      Lodies.
      Mine
      isn't
     
     
      that
      communicative,
      Lut
      I
      heard
      it
      the
      other
     
     
      after
      I
      said
      “Body,
     
    

    
     
      would
      you
      like
      to
      go
      to
      the
      six
      o’clock
      class
     
     
      vigorous
      toni
     
    

    
     
      Clearas
      a
      Lell
      my
      Lody
      said,
      “Listen
      Bitcl....J0
     
    

    
     
      and
      die.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      trouble
      with
      some
      women
      is
      that
      the!
     
     
      get
      all
      excited
     
     
      about
      nothing
      (and
      then
      they
      marry
      him).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      J
      hetoie
      what
      Victoria
      ‘
      secret
      is.
      Th
     
    
   
   
    
     
      secret
      is
      that
      ae
      than30
      can
     
     
      fit
      into
      their
      stuff
     
     
      If
      men
      can
      run
      the
      world,
     
     
      why
      can’t
      they
      stop
      wearing
      neckties?
     
     
      How
      intelligent
      is
      it
      to
      start
      the
      day
      by
      ty”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      a
      noose
     
     
      around
      your
      neck?