Preaching to the Choir

Adrian Carter

Looking for something a bit different in your listening this week? Junkman's Choir kindly sling everything in but the kitchen sink with their latest release...

A bit of a wander from my usual tastes for this review, still nothing like a bit of change to do the soul good hence my discovery (cheers Stuart) of Junkman’s Choir.

Imagine a melting pot that takes in the influence of The Pogues, Flogging Molly a touch of The Clash (and later Strummer as well), maybe some Paul Weller while tiny shades of Nick Cave hover in the background and that gives you grounding as to what Junkman’s Choir are all about.

In today’s pop market where message and story are often secondary to what a track is about, it’s nice to see a band bringing the storytelling tradition back in nice bite sized three minute chunks. The band mixes a blend of acoustic folk with shards of accordion and pot and kettle style percussion.

Lyrically it’s a festival of stories, there’s a dense poetry to some of the lyrics and some lovely turns of phrase in many of the songs (Hogweed John bears close scrutiny for this), and an energy in some of the performances that suggest this lot could be a fine live prospect (check out The Spike to see what I mean). Musically it has to be said the band are lock tight and there is a real consistency of performance across the album.

If you’re looking for something a little bit different then this might be worthy of your attention. Steel Linin’ Chant is available from the bands website and check back with their myspace page for any up and coming dates.

www.020.com

Daily Record

Friday, June 1, 2007

A HEADY mix of Cajun, punk and folk, this second album from the Ayrshire band is really worth checking out.
 The band are made up of members of Nyah Fearties and Dub Skelper. And like Galsvegas, take a genre of music but, because they sing in Scots, make it more relevant to us.
 Among the highlights are Holyrood Dream, which First Minister Alex Salmond should put on his iPod and remember each time he forgets his promises, and the almost Cajun Clash of The Spike – a protest song with accordion.
 Then there’s the dark paranoia Tom-Waits-style of Baptist Song. An album which makes you proud to be Scots.
 The band play the Wickerman Festival, July 20.

- Rick Fulton

Junkman's Choir kindly sling everything in but the kitchen sink with their latest release.

Rock 'n' Reel
5 Star Review

With a band pedigree that includes spells with Scottish folk/punk legends Nyah Fearties and Dub Skelper, Junkman's Choir were always likely to be an exceptional proposition. Steel Linin' Chant, their [second] album, doesn't disappoint. It's a heady and glorious mix of rootsy Cajun, hillbilly, folk and the kind of essential punk epitomised by the likes of The Pogues and The Clash.

 Steel Linin' Chant overflows with infectious stormers, shuffling rhythmic drivers and gritty ballads, the latter best exemplified in the stirring and imaginative tribute to Joe Strummer, 'Wide Blue Yonder'. They're nothing if not inventive and open to a rich diversity of influences as the dark, moody strains of mariachi that infect 'Baptist Song' show, and who else could create a reggae-fired accordion-led eulogy to mining disasters and actually make it work so damned well? They follow the theme on the ska-folk of 'Rothesay Bay', which further displays their abundance of talent, trumpet adding the required authenticity to the skanking sound.

Sean McGhee
Rock'n'Reel
ROOTS, ROCK, BLUES AND BEYOND
VOL 2 No 2 MARCH / APRIL 2007