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And then there are bands that do their own thing and are only compared to the big names in the scene, yet they are so distinct that they can claim their own (small) place in the folk Olympus. Among these bands in recent years are the Czechs from Pipes & Pints.
With BASTARDS ON PARADE (is the musical inspiration recognizable? Dropkick Murphys have a song called “Bastards on Parade”) I initially thought that this was yet another band wanting to ride the folk-punk wave, but I was mistaken.
Right from the first listen, the band's distinctive style becomes apparent. Of course, certain bands come to mind that you can hear influences from. These include:
The Real Mc Kenzies, due to their traditional, raucous style
Pipes & Pints, due to their fast, melodic style and rough vocals
Flogging Molly, due to their traditional style
A mix of the mentioned bands is not a bad reference, and so BASTARDS ON PARADE can already claim a small interim victory, as they are better on the first listen than many other bands.
With repeated listens, their distinctive style becomes even more pronounced. The band combines traditional Celtic folk with punk rock and highly melodic songwriting. They manage to sound young and fresh in the process. This is probably because they have only been around since 2008 and have been very active in the studio (three EPs, one album) and on tour (Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, France). They know what they are doing, are still young and fresh enough to sound that way, and are not yet as jaded as perhaps other, longer-established bands in the genre.
BASTARDS ON PARADE are highly recommended to any folk-punk fan to conquer this genre. They have won me over. I look forward to seeing the Spaniards in my hometown. Until then, I will listen to “Empty Bottles & Broken Things” and treat myself to a beer or two, and of course some whisky in between!
