My tastes in Irish music run more to the traditional, but I enjoy a raucous, rockin' Celtic band as much as the next fellow ... and one of my constant guilty pleasures -- because their stomping grounds intersect my own -- is the Kilmaine Saints. A Celtic punk band with a long history here in south-central Pennsylvania, this band knows how to have fun.

Led by lead singer Brendan Power, a native of County Mayo, this powerhouse also features Liz Mallin on fiddle, bass and vocals, Mike McNaughton on drums and vocals, Dave Nields on guitar and vocals, Billy Brown on bouzouki, banjo, tin whistle, bagpipes, bass and vocals, and Jon Heller on bass, bagpipes and vocals. Combined, they put a hell of a lot of energy!

Mostly I love seeing the Saints at a live show, but their albums are a lot of fun, too ... especially on a long car ride, when you can crank the volume and sing along. (A pleasure now denied me, sadly, because a Saints CD is currently jammed in my dashboard player!)

Drunken Redemption is their second album, following the especially well titled The Good, the Plaid & the Ugly. Redemption doesn't pause much for breath, although they slow things up every now and again, such as on the traditional "Fields of Athenry" and "57," one of several original pieces on the album. The latter, penned by Power and Mallin, tells the sad tale of 57 Irish workers found in a mass grave at Duffy's Cut; for years it was believed they died of cholera, although further investigation has revealed the possibility of mass murder to control spread of the disease.

Most of the album is upbeat and rowdy, from "Battlecry" (McNaughton) and "Black & Blue Jig" (McNaughton and Mallin) to "Haul Away Joe" and "Go On Home British Soldiers" (both traditional). Another Saints original, "The Whiskey's Calling," is a surprisingly moving anthem to friends near and far.

You like Irish punk? You'll love this. 'Nuff said.

[ visit the Kilmaine Saints online ]