It's time for some first wave punk

Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material

I am not exactly in the mood for reviewing. If you haven't listened to Inflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers, do so. Now. Without delay. Very raw, direct and energetic 77 punk out of Belfast, NI. Political topics too. Probably my favourite band.

Tracks of notice - all of them, really, but especially Alternative Ulster, Barb Wire Love, Wasted Life, Suspect Device.

The Moondogs

And then there are The Moondogs - more powerpop than punk, really (as if I care). Also from Northern Ireland, but they could hardly be more different from Stiff Little Fingers than they already are, and kinda stay in the same genre.

Lovely, sweet, humorous, ironic. Very catchy too. Never fail to cheer me up, really. They resemble Undertones, but I like The Moondogs way better. They are completely underappreciated - although you can find their songs on most of the punk/powerpop compilations from those times, hardly anyone ever remembers them.

Unfortunately, their songs are very difficult to track down, so I've zipped all the songs I have together, regardless of albums (7" more likely). There's circa 25 songs.

My favourite songs: Roddy's Gang, She's Nighteen, Ya Don't Do Ya, Who's Gonna Tell Mary, Schoolgirl Crush.

Download 'em, you won't be sorry. Really.

Greenland Whalefishers

Loboville

Down and Out

You just got off your ship, there's booze, the port's dirty, the pub's crap, and there are no members of the opposite sex around. Greenland Whalefishers are cynical. They would have been angry if it wasn't so much bother. But they aren't depressive either - the GWF are too badass for that :)

You may say they sound a lot like The Pogues, but, basically, you may say whatever you like. It is good to see one band following a more traditional celtic punk sound, with so many Flogging Molly ripoffs around. Arvid, the singer, sure gives a good Shane impression, with his harsh vocals. But although GWF are as cynical and drunken as The Pogues, their music is often faster and more energetic. Also, Agnes plays one hell of a tin whistle.

Basically, listening to them makes you want to get drunk, smash your fist into the wall (but that's too much bother too!), rant about how much crap you've seen in your lifetime, and then have another round.

Loboville is their first album. Down and Out is my favourite. Loboville is more down'n'dirty, maybe, Down and Out is more energetic. The spirit is the same.

They have a couple of albums in between, so if you want me to upload them too, just leave a coment. I probably won't be able to do it at once, I'm busy, but I'll do it asap.

Track of note: 'The Thirsty Cave' from Loboville; 'Rocky Road to London' and 'Brody' from Down and Out. Also, I'm very fond of 'Ramones' from 'Down and Out', a lovely homage to The Ramones:

Ramones, Ramones, you made me sing,
I lived my life under your wing,
Worldwide misfits' society,
Gabba gabba, we're a happy family.