The John Byrne Band - After The Wake

The John Byrne Band - After The Wake
2010, ri-ra Records

Dublin-born singer/songwriter John Byrne came to the US as a teenager. As a 1960's folk fan in his native Ireland, Byrne explored both the music of Bob Dylan and his influences, as well as delving deeper into the Celtic musical traditions of his upbringing. Dylan, Woody Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliot all had major effects on Byrne as a music fan and burgeoning songwriter, as did the poly-melodic stylings of the band Planxty. Byrne is a co-founder of Celtic band Patrick's Head, a fan-favorite for their eight year run in the Northeast US. In February of 2010, John Byrne stepped out in another direction, combining his love of American folk and Celtic roots music with his new band. The John Byrne band's debut album, After The Wake shows off the distinctive voice and songwriting of Byrne as well as the supple and talented musicians he's surrounded himself with: Bassist Jaron Olevsky (Amos Lee); drummer Freddie Berman (Amos Lee); fiddler Sara Milonovich (Pete Seeger, The McKrells) and on guitar, banjo and production board Andrew Keenan among others.

After The Wake opens with "In Your Savior's Place", a musical dichotomy that's interesting for the conflict between what it sounds like and what it actually is. "In Your Savior's Place" is delivered in a pretty Americana arrangement full of strong vocal harmonies and top-notch instrumental work. In spite of the uplifting sounding chorus, it's a dark and angry song rife with jealousy. Byrne is gritty in the verses, fueling the impression of darker thoughts delivered in rosy terms. "It's A Gas That Makes You Laugh" continues the trend of upbeat, gritty tunes. The arrangement here is just outstanding; highly danceable in spite of the dark subject matter. It's a brilliant tune about suffocating (figuratively) in a place you never wanted to be but can't seem to leave. Byrne ruminates on life's status as a patchwork built from our history in "Various Verses", casting music and life as reflections of one another in metaphorical terms. This is offered in a gentle Celtic arrangement with a mournful feel; a great listen.

"A Song With No Words" is a subtle love song with a mournful feel. Flute serves as a haunting garnish, while Milonovich delivers the stark counter melody to Byrne's competent vocal. Byrne shows a story-teller's flair on "See You Then", detailing the loss of a friendship and offering advice about moving on. This is great songwriting, delivered with the aplomb of a master carver of tales. Byrne pays tribute to Bob Dylan on "Boys Forget The Whale", a delicious blues-flavored folk/rock romp that will be on repeat no matter what form your music player takes. At eight minutes the rapid fire prose of this song takes some listening stamina, but the song is brilliantly delivered and will keep listeners engaged from start to finish.

For all the quality that's come before, "Old Man's Disguise" may be the best pure songwriting on the album. It's not flashy or garish, but a quietly forceful musical recollection full of stirring imagery and palpable emotion. "The Ballad Of Martin Doyle" is a mournful ode to an Irish hero of World War I for the British Army who later served in the Irish Republican Army in its fight for independence. The song laments the loss of a homeland, and seems to regret the conflict of serving a country that has taken away his home. After The Wake closes with "Already Gone", a gorgeous and sad tune that's loaded with a pragmatic sense of destiny and many layers of meaning ("What's one more drink when you're already gone.") It's a brilliant closer, though provoking and full of heart while remaining ultimately tuneful.

John Byrne's After The Wake is the sort of album that an artist spends their entire career trying to create. Every once in a while someone actually manages to do it; mix splendid story-telling skills, top-notch musicianship, and a grand creative sense with just the right mix of songs. After The Wake is nothing short of a brilliant collection; either an album that is the benchmark for the rest of Byrne's creative life or the magical apex that he'll approach the rest of his life but never quite achieve again. If you only buy one new album this year, make sure that John Byrne's After The Wake is one of your considerations. After The Wake is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The John Byrne Band at http://www.johnbyrneband.com/ or www.myspace.com/byrnemusic. After The Wake is available as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Doug Folkins - Another Last Call

Doug Folkins - Another Last Call
2009, Fenwick Music

British Columbia, Canada's Doug Folkins opens his fifth album, Another Last Call with Calico Girl, sounding like a cross between Blue Rodeo and early Crash Test Dummies. Folkins has a strong and clear voice that works very well with the material presented here. The arrangements are pleasant; perhaps a little loose in presentation but not uncharacteristically so. Pour Me Another is an acoustic Celtic Rock tune that features some hot fiddle playing. Promise Me sounds a bit more like commercial country music, but without the high gloss sheen that tends to rob popular country music of its flavor. The harmonies here are notable, and Folkins' band has pulled together as taut as a wire.

Streets Of Rome is a Celtic flavored song about Italy; one of the more anachronistic tunes I've heard this year, but extremely well written. The sound here actually reminds me a bit of The McKrells in their heyday. Park The Car is a humorous take on the Irish Drinking Song that might not sit well with members of MADD but fits very well into the musical tradition. One of my favorite tunes here is King Henry's Good Times. The pace here is frenetic, and Folkins' voice rises to the occasion perfectly. See You Smile is an upbeat, wistful love song that will strike home to those who have "been there", and would work just as well in a more rock-oriented arrangement as it does here. Folkins closes out with three classic Celtic tunes, two from the Maritime songbook, Paddy Murphy, Mari Mac and Black Velvet Band. If you've not heard these songs before, pay particular attention to Mari Mac, which turns into a devilish tongue twister that likely doubles as a drinking game in some places. This isn't my favorite arrangement of the song, but I've heard many people mangle this song and Folkins presents the song better than most (although he doesn't push the speedometer the way bands like Great Big Sea have). Black Velvet Band is a bit more traditional and very well presented here.

Doug Folkins reminds me more and more of Kevin McKrell as I listen to him. There is a definite tendency to mix other musical styles with Celtic sounds on Another Last Call, and for the most part the results are positive. The play, singing and writing/arrangement on Another Last Call are all very much above average. I hesitate to call it a great album, as there just wasn't a "whoa" moment here, but it's very, very, very good.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Doug Folkins at http://www.dougfolkins.com/. You can purchase a copy of Another Last Call at www.cdbaby.com/cd/dougfolkins.

Review: Broadcast Live - Boomerang Metropolis

Broadcast Live - Boomerang Metropolis
2009, Rebel Army Media

The Albany, New York region has long held a relatively un-noticed well of musical talent (perhaps due to its relative proximity to New York City). Artists such as Sirsy, Rosanne Raneri, Denise Culhane, Matt Smith, The Figgs, The McKrells, Katie Haverly, Eric Margan & The Red Lions, Peter Davis, John Nazarenko and Jeff Halstead have been consigned to trying to go outside of the area to gain significant attention or accepting the local market as something of a boundary. Some have done well for themselves; The Figgs have been together for close to twenty years now with multiple releases to their name and an extended gig as Graham Parker's touring band. Sirsy has made a long and successful career as a highly sought after Indie Act on the Eastern seaboard with significant critical acclaim. Matt Smith left for New York City and wound up as a highly sought after session guitarist. Nazarenko and Halstead still make music and double as educators. The McKrells are still together although not in their original and most dynamic form. Peter Davis continues to teach and play music running the gamut from Dixieland Jazz to country, folk and Rock N Roll. Denise Culhane had her career interrupted by health issues but continues to make music. Even some solo musicians have caught on, with two Saratoga Springs natives catching on with big bands. Dorian Crozier spent some time as touring drummer for The Rembrandts and has recorded with numerous artists, while Scott Underwood is the drummer for Train.

The point of all of this is that there is a wealth of under-noticed talent in the Albany region. I am certain there are several I have forgotten or overlooked as I haven't lived in the area in a few years, but the area continues to have a vibrant music scene. The latest band to make some big noise out of this small market is Broadcast Live, with their heavy dose of social commentary and atypical mix of Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop. Lead singer and resident urban poet laureate Victorio Reyes lists influences that range from KRS-One and Dead Prez to Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Tracey Chapman. Even some of his raps have a very musical quality to them; spoken word with the cadences of a singer. The band is filled out by Gaetano Vaccaro (guitar, drums, and bass); Seantel Chamberlain (drums, bass, guitar, vox) and Jory Leanza-Carey (drums, guitar, vox). Suffice it to say that a live show could be interesting with members playing musical instruments both during and between songs.

To the music; Broadcast Live is as groundbreaking and unique in sound as Gym Class Heroes were when they first appeared on the scene, but with a wider range of sounds and more powerful social slant. Boomerang Metropolis opens with the title track, which compares landlords and bankers to drug dealers, implying that all trap people into need based relationships that working folks can't afford but can't afford to get out of. This song appears to be about the current "gentrification" trend in New York City where landlords buy cheaper properties in poorer neighborhoods and start the process of raising rents. This has the net effect of pushing the working class, the poor and a disproportionate number of minorities to furthest edges of the City and beyond. This isn't happening just in New York, but New York might be the place where it is most apparent.

One Metaphor sounds like a mellow pop song from the outset, an autobiographical soliloquy about the cathartic effect of writing for Victorio Reyes. It is a reminder that communication can be the most important means to overcoming adversity and moving beyond wherever you are. Spoken Vision is a musical call for unity that is a highly infectious listen. This song is radio-ready and could be a potential hit. A Bronx Tale is about doing the right thing, the best way you can, regardless of the cards you've been dealt. It's a sweet musical arrangement with some great piano work and a strong melody in the chorus. Commonplace attacks the mindset of prejudice, excusing no one in the process. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the album is the thrash-punk mayhem of Harry Potter Is Black, which closes out with something that sounds like Dobby The House Elf beat-boxing. Pledge Of Allegiance is done Body Count style, turning from the ideological roots of the US to an ironic statement of the darker hours of our collective history. Other highlights include the singer/songwriter style of New Orleans, Semiautomatic and Willie Lynch.

Broadcast Live takes you down to street level; not the glorified Gangsta culture version, but the real people trying to live day-to-day street. With songs yearning and entreating for social justice, Broadcast Live initiates a new-sounding hybrid of Hip-Hop, Pop, Latin and Rock that is bound to garner critical attention and praise. The music is organic from start to finish; the songs alive with real people and real places. You can't help but caught up in Boomerang Metropolis. Well done.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Broadcast Live at http://www.broadcastlive.org/ or www.myspace.com/broadcastlive. You can purchase a copy of Boomerang Metropolis at www.cdbaby.com/cd/boomerangmetropolis3.

Review: The McKrells - Traveling Man

The McKrells – Traveling Man
2008, Thorntree Music

The McKrells are legends in Upstate New York, as well as being highly respected internationally in the Celtic music scene (Not to mention they are Wildy's World's Artist Of The Month for March of 2009). The band created a hybrid of Celtic and bluegrass sounds that earned them the appreciation of every crowd they played in, whether in a small pub in Ireland, their home base of The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY or even Carnegie Hall. The last few years have seen major changes in personnel and sound, but the heart of The McKrells; Kevin McKrell’s songwriting and voice, remains. Their latest CD, Traveling Man, was released in 2008 on Thorntree Music. It’s a change for longtime fans, but not necessarily an unwelcome one.

Traveling Man opens with the title track, a light and airy bit of Celtic influenced pop that will get your feet moving. This leads into the Bold Fenian Men, offered here as a low-key Celtic rocker. Kevin McKrell is in fine voice here, and harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell complete the aesthetic. McKrell offers up a primo performance on Shores Of America. Kevin McKrell’s voice has an iconic quality to it that is unforgettable, and Shores is the perfect opportunity to hear why.

Christmas Day is performed in the style of classic American Folk music by Kevin McKrell on guitar and vocals with harmonies from daughter Kate McKrell. It is a hopeful tune that strives for light at Christmas in darker times and is quite apropos amidst current events. One of two personal favorites on the disc is Two Peas In A Pod, a wonderful “silly little love song” that you’ll have on continuous replay. It’s a cute little mix-tape candidate that’s highly infectious and unforgettable. McKrell works in a glory days song on Ronnie’s Golden Mustang; if you’re a child of the late 1960’s or early 1970’s then this song will hit home (particularly with the Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grand Funk Railroad, John Lennon/Yoko and Lynyrd Skynyrd references), but every generation expresses these sentiments sooner or later.

My other personal favorite is The Motel de Marquis Lafayette. With clear roots in the Celtic and American Folk traditions, this is a virally infectious tune that will get stuck in your head for days, perhaps weeks. Traveling Man closes out with Tunnel Tigers in a bit of Celtic Funk/Rock (listen to the bass) that’s highly enjoyable.

There’s no doubt there’s been a big change in the sound of The McKrells. The strong Bluegrass element of their sound has departed, but it has turned the remaining McKrells back to their Celtic roots. The resultant CD, Traveling Man, is refreshing and immensely enjoyable album. As a writer and arranger, they don’t get much more talented than Kevin McKrell, and the rest of the band is top notch. Do yourself a favor and put this at the top of your listening list for St. Patrick’s Day. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kevin McKrell and The McKrells at http://www.kmckrell.com/. You can purchase a copy of Traveling Man at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mckrells8.

Artist Of The Month: The McKrells (March, 2009)

The McKrells have changed significantly over the past few years, but still at the heart of the band is lead singer/songwriter Kevin McKrell. The McKrells were essentially the house band in Saratoga Springs, NY’s The Parting Glass for years. Aside from their home base, the McKrells played everywhere from little pubs in the Irish Countryside all the way up to Carnegie Hall. Kevin McKrell, Chris Leske and Craig Vance combined their respective songwriting talents to create one of the most distinctive hybrids of Celtic and Bluegrass around. These days Leske and Vance had moved on, but one-time member Rick Bedrosian has returned to the fold, as well as Kevin’s daughter Katie McKrell, and the McKrells continue on perhaps a little bit closer to the Celtic heart that’s always run through their music. McKrell’s songs have been recorded by the likes of The Furey Brothers, Seamus Kennedy, The Woods Tea Company, Hair Of The Dog, North Sea Gas, Pat McKernan and The Kingston Trio.

Watch out in the coming week, we’ll have a review of The McKrells’ latest offering, Traveling Man. (We’ve also previously reviewed Cosmic Hayride, as well as one-time McKrells violinist Sarah Milonovich’s Daisycutter.

You can find several of The McKrells’ releases at CDBaby.com, both as CDs or downloads, but if you’re really going to appreciate The McKrells you need to see them live. Keep checking back for more information as the month progresses!

Review: Viper Central - The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please

Viper Central - The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please
2008, Viper Central

Vancouver's Viper Central knows what roots music is all about. The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please is the most strikingly brilliant mix of bluegrass, folk and country I have heard in 2008. Viper Central has gone so far to the roots on American music that you can't even properly call them Americana, I'd hedge by calling them pre-Americana. Shotgun Wedding is country music rolled almost all the way back to its Celtic roots with some good old Appalachian styling thrown in. Gold Road comes forward to a more traditional bluegrass sound with some amazing slide guitar work and finger picking going on. Viper Central reminds me a bit of one of my favorite bluegrass bands, The McKrells, but Viper Central perhaps exceeds even that vaunted, erstwhile band.

Mountain Of Trouble is a great listen, but Down in Western Virginia recalls the mix of country and rockabilly that fed the early Sun Records recordings. Down In Western Virginia features the most striking vocal harmonies on the disc, and you'll be humming this tune for days. Devil In The Hourglass is a work of dexterity for guitar and banjo and should be approached with extreme caution. If you're going to try to learn this one to play along you might want to start at quarter-speed. Roving Gambler is a gorgeous traditional tune that features Lorraine Cobb on lead vocals (something we could all stand to hear more of). Sadie's Ghost is a dark flavored tune that blurs the line between bluegrass and Celtic traditions and is one of the more interesting listens on The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please. The album closes with Come Along, a rousing instrumental that is the perfect aperitif here.

Viper Central gets down to the roots of American music in a way that revitalizes the sound and makes it new for today. Each generation needs at least one band to get into the metaphysics of its country's musical lineage and make sure that the music is preserved and expanded upon. Viper Central has answered that charge with gusto. The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please is a stellar offering, a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and a must-have for true music fans.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Viper Central at http://www.vipercentral.ca/ or www.myspace.com/vipercentral. You can purchase a copy of The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please at www.cdbaby.com/vipercentral.

CD Review: Sara Milonovich - Daisycutter

Sara Milonovich - Daisycutter
2008, Sara Milonovich
I first became aware of Sara Milonovich during her stint as violinist for The McKrells, a Celtic/bluegrass band from Saratoga Springs, NY who were well-known on the Celtic music circuit and were legends locally. Milonovich always managed to exude an energetic and sweet stage presence while ripping it up on the violin. I never really got to hear her sing anything other than background vocals however. In the summer of 2008 Sara Milonovich released an EP in the Saratoga/Albany, NY region as a preview for an upcoming full-length album. The EP is called Daisycutter. It proves her status as an incredible Celtic/Country violin player but also introduces Milonovich as a capable vocalist and front-woman.

Country Life opens the set as a banjo driven, Celtic influenced country/rock tune. This tune was my first introduction to Milonovich as a lead vocalist and I have to say it's impressive. She has a rich, full sound that is pleasant to listen to but also carries an edge that can as easily be cutting or vulnerable, in turn. Fiona's Breakdown and Wither Canada allow Milonovich to show off her fiddle skills in amicable fashion. When Sara Milonovich is on her game she's in the same league as Natalie MacMaster on violin.

Last Dance is a gorgeous country ballad that will have you on the edge of your seat. Willie Taylor is an interesting turn. This Celtic tune mixes a dark violin bridge that sounds middle-eastern and also draws in jazz-style woodwinds. It's a stunning musical choice and works very well after the initial adjustment (of the listener). Northern Cross comes across as extremely personal; nearly confessional in Milonvich's rich alto. The most poignant and moving event on Daisycutter is the cover of Peter Gabriel's Here Comes The Flood. Sara Milonovich was born to sing this song, or so it would seem. Her rendition encompasses all of the loss and loneliness the song implies and is overpowering in its emotional weight. I should add that I sat and listened to this in the wake of the September 2008 fiscal crisis and so the song had an added poignancy.

Sara Milonovich is the sort of musician we love here at Wildy's World. Here is a small, incredibly talented independent artist plying her trade in a small market in the Northeast. The music and talent she brings to the world around her are more than worthy of the larger stages of Nashville, New York and LA (and all the stages/clubs between here and there). Milonovich is the sort of artist record execs should be lining up to sign (and she's far from the only one we've reviewed here thus far). Daisycutter is an amazing debut, and means we will anxiously anticipate the forthcoming full-length release. There's no doubt, Daisycutter is a Certified Wildy's World Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

If you want to learn more about Sara Milonovich check out http://www.saramilonovich.com/. The full length album will be released under the band name Daisycutter. If you’d like to pick up a copy of Sara’s hand produced EP, check out http://www.celtictreasures.com/. You won’t find the CD on their site, but they do sell it in the store. If you call them I am sure they’ll be happy to mail order a copy to you.