Take a punk band, throw in some world music influences, and what do you get? Ballydowse, seems to have the answer in their very intense and eccentric musical blend. Fiddles, Uillean pipes, didgeridoos, and traditional instrumentation fuses with aggressive electric guitar, bass, and percussion sure to move your body and soul. Vocals are heard from nearly everyone in this ten piece band, but Robina and Andrew Mandell take the lead. Robina's voice fluctuates between being alternately dainty and hearty. Andrew's singing is really more of a grunting, guttural yelling and screaming, which makes me think of the battle scene in Braveheart (where William Wallace's army flips up its kilts at the enemy). This is a little bit of the attitude that comes across with Ballydowse, but the enemy here is not so physical, but rather the vices of corruption, greed, and abuse.
Set to a traditional Celtic tune, "Bud Morris" is a challenge for people to abstain from alcohol and tobacco, not for the sake of legalism or dogma, (for more thoughts on that, read the insert) but because people's addictions to substances put money into greedy corporate pockets, and leaves behind innocent victims. "Indulgence can be freedom, moderation liberty, but the freedom for the weakest is the one that is for me." This is also one of the few 'upbeat' songs in terms of chord progression, and key. Most of the music on this album carries with it the same haunting minor keys, and wistful tunes that are so prevalent in Celtic traditional music. That is not to discount that there is a definite edge, and a toughness to this music.
Other songs that stand out are "Song For Elie" which opens with a beautiful violin solo and a mournful Hebrew inspired melody, in tribute to Holocaust victim Elie Wiesel. "Lucrece" is also a very moving song, which seems to touch on sexual abuse, but still providing elements of hope and forgiveness. There is a poetry to all these lyrics that is rarely seen, because it embraces both culture, tradition, and political activism in one.
For this clan of Celtic rockers hailing from the JPUSA commune in Chicago, IL, there are ties to bind between the past and present; contrasting right from wrong, and pointing out the light that is to be found in Jesus.
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #76Reviewed by Doug Van PeltFlash back to the Cornerstone festival (any of the last three years will do): You're freshly toasted after four hours of intense skanking, moshing, surfing, pogo-ing, and screaming your face off to some killer hardcore sets at the Underground Stage. You head over to the food vendors to quench your diehard thirst with a lemon shakeup. Besides, that tongue piercing you got the week before itches so…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradThis album gets plusses just because I don't hear this type of music too much. It's like Irish folk rock or Celtic Rock. It's got the mandolins and violins, etc. Imagine Irish pub songs and folk songs made into rock. Many of the songs are pretty upbeat and fun. There's enough diversity on the album to make it an interesting listen. One main concern I had was with the production. If it were…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Tom BastianI didn't really like this CD too much. None of the songs really stood out to me, even after a few listens. I guess stylistically they kind of reminded me of the Dropkick Murphys at times, with less punk, and more celtic rock. They have both a male and female singer. The male does most of the lead vocals, yet I liked the female's vocals more. She just had a really sweet voice, although it didn't…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by TimI like these guys. They are fun, and they don't complain... which is something you don't hear very much anymore. It sounds like Irish music. That's all I can say. I've never heard this type of music before...so I don't really know how to grade it. I enjoyed listening to it, but it got a little old after a whole album....but most bands get that way. BThe Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Josh SpencerI've been waiting for this album since 1990, which is when I first heard "Bloody Lane" on Crashdog's first album, a song (written by Glenn Kaiser) that paired Crashdog's '80s punk with Scottish bagpipes. The combo of those two earthy musics struck a chord that I've been dying to have plucked again ever since. Now, almost a full decade later...Ballydowse. More than just punk-with-bagpipes, Brian…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinWhoa Nellie! Did you hear the rumor that JPUSA moved the Blarney Stone to Chicago? Probably not true, but it's curious that this small, devoted community of faithful American Christians are so fascinated with the music of the Green Isle that they now sport two bands with a distinctively Irish sound. The Crossing was the first, and far and away the more traditional of the two. The latest is…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Shari LloydOne of the most original albums to hit the CCM market since Burlap to Cashmere. This is an amazing clash of Celtic meeting punk. With a wide range of Celtic and Australian Aborigine instruments that include mandolin, bodhran, moohran, percussion, violin, didgeridoo, bullroarer, and whirligig this group not only manages to carry this off on the album but are even better live. The only drawback to…Similar sounding releases
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