Knockanstockan

If you’ve ever been, you’ll know that Knockanstockan, Ireland’s most underrated festival, is a relaxed affair. With probably as many visual artists as musical ones, the festival, which overlooks the breathtaking Blessington Lakes, is decidedly not the place to break your testicles running from one tent to another to fulfill the prophesy of your own pre-made gig schedule.
One is inclined to do precisely what one wants all weekend long and if that means missing some of the tuneage to share a vegetarian stew with the Hare Krishnas, then so be it.
However, this compilation CD confirms the quality of music Knockanstockan serves on a plate every year. The 16-tracker features the movers (Bipolar Empire, Enemies), the shakers (The Hot Sprockets, Scarecrow Disco) and the heartbreakers (ambient songmaster Enda Reilly). Hell, White Denim soundalikes New Secret Weapon even formed at Knockanstockan, way back in 2007.
Brass merchants The Candidates (‘Pass The Brack’), instrumental guitar maestro Stephan Galt (‘Stranger At Home’) and soulful acoustic trio Wyvern Lingo (‘Herbert Park’) bring the funk, while dirty countrified scoundrels The Envelope (‘Underneath The Covers’) and festival veterans The Hot Sprockets (‘Honey Skippin’’) bring the noise.
Knock-out moments include the dizzying clarinet on the North Strand Contra Band’s ‘Lautar G Funk’, Shane O Reilly’s gender-bending falsetto on Bipolar Empire’s ‘So I Think That You Should Know’ and pretty much everything about Enemies’ dizzying instrumental piece ‘We’ve Been Talking’.
So if, like me, you’ve been wondering where the country’s liveliest unsigned funk rockers and country poppers have been hiding themselves – they’ve all been hanging out on this CD. New gems to add to my own personal band bounty include New Secret Weapon and Stefan Galt and The Envelope, but listeners will no doubt have their own how-have-I-not-heard-of-these-guys-before moment.
A track from alt. rock powerhouses and Friday 2010 headliners And So I Watch You From Afar would have sweetened the deal but, all in all, this is an outstanding and hugely encouraging collection of tunes from some of your new favourite bands… (and a couple of old ones too).
Key Track: ‘Honey Skippin’’