Discovered this quite disturbingly good album yesterday: The Dreadnoughts - Polka's Not Dead at Interpunk
(as an aside: I found the album on a naughty music blog I follow, which had posted the whole thing up on Rapidshare. I played it about four times in a row then went and ordered the CD. I'd never have even heard of these guys if it wasn't for piracy, much less bought the CD..!)

I'm not going to post the whole thing up here but here's a sneaky 128:

The Dreadnoughts - Gintlemen's Club

It's hard to do the album justice by posting a single track though - while its all basically punk, there's so much pulled through that punk filter over the course of the LP. The most obvious points of reference to my non-punk-expert ears were Gogol Bordello & Flogging Molly - except that I'm a little bored of both of them whereas this is sounding fresh - and a much more refined (would punks thank me for saying that?) version of Bristol's Surfin Turnips (who they cover on 'Turbo Island'... you shouldn't have to ask). Elsewhere the album reminds me of Monkey Island ("Gintlemen's Club" strongly recalls the SCUMM Bar music for me!), Paul Cantelon's "Everything is Illuminated" soundtrack (on "Claudia's Waltz") and a sort of punk Shantel (on "Sleep is for the Weak" which is gonna find its way into some of my sets I think). And some amazing sea-shanty harmonies - there's one fully acapella track which, given that they're a punk band, should make anyone nervous, but these boys can sing...!

Check em out on them interwebs:
Buy The Dreadnoughts - Polka's Not Dead at Interpunk
The Dreadnoughts Website
The Dreadnoughts on Facebook
(eeeeuuuurh) The Dreadnoughts on Myspace - can I reiterate: SOUNDCLOUD PLEASE GUYS

Here's a few tunes from a project of mine from a few years ago...

Celtic music seems to have largely remained off the Global Bass radar - as other traditional sounds have got swept up and incorporated into the canon of cool, there remains something distinctly uncool about Celtic music. Maybe it's the Riverdance connection? Or maybe it's just that it's too damn white?

I don't know but I love it. These tunes are a selection from a bunch that were recorded by myself and my incredibly talented friend Sean Kilbride when I was living up in the Highlands a few years back.

No downloads at the moment - DJs hit me up if you want 320s :) The stems are all on a hard drive somewhere in my mum's attic (I think!) so next time I'm over there I'll dig them out then post em up for remixy fun times.

Donald McLeod's by Sean & Andy

Gravel Walk by Sean & Andy

Weaving Song by Sean & Andy

via Fiddlefreak...

Feeling quite intoxicated by this tune today... amazingly hypnotic almost-acapella (just a little hand drum action to accompany) which keeps lulling you into thinking you've found the groove for a few beats before hitting reset in an extremely jarring, wonky way.

Julie Fowlis - Thig Am Bata

Man I've had an awesome sunday, croissants with bacon & maple syrup (the real deal, posted to us from Vermont!) for breakfast, dog walk, paper reading & much relaxing leading up to a roast... and now only half an hour til X Factor! woo

Even though the only music I've actually been listening to has been speed garage circa 1997 (thanks to some charity shop finds in bath.. maybe more on that later in the week) it would have been much more fitting if I'd been listening to these tracks... so grab 'em and stick em on next time you have a roast...

Don't Wake Me by Fola, who played in the Social Club at Shambala about ten hours before I totally rocked it, and they also totally rocked it but in a much more sedate manner and then gave everyone CDs for free! WHAT A LOVELY PAIR. of people. this is a trad celticy thing with flute & guitar. nice

more after the jump...