If Hooley, and Cuts From The Turf, is the finest example of traditional Irish music Pittsburgh has to offer, then Ceann na Caca, by the band of the same name (Irish Gaelic for "shithead"), is the finest example of traditional Pittsburgh that Irish music has to offer. Largely a demo-quality live recording of acoustic bar standards ("Wild Rover," "Whiskey in the Jar"), this otherwise skippable disc is an instant classic because of a few originals contained within and a few times when the personality quirks of Ceann na Caca members Patrick Halloran and Marc Wisnosky shine through.

Combining their twin passions for acoustic Irish balladry and hardcore rap ("Cockles and Mussels" slides, somehow, into a Snoop Dogg cover) is a funny shtick to start out, but its shelf-life prospects ain't so good. However, when Halloran and Wisnosky sing about their passions for Pittsburgh on "The BBT Song" and "'Ahrn At This Bar," things look up a bit. "'Ahrn …" in particular is inspired, a wonderfully stupid version of "Whiskey In The Jar" with a "Yinz want a beer n'at" chorus and verses all about Pittsburghisms. Wisnosky is also editor of Souf Oaklin fo' Life!!! newspaper, so, as you can imagine, there are a few anti-North Oakland jabs as well. Other songs center around drinking ("Wicked Hangover") and drinking ("Terri the Irish Rover"), and, more specifically, drinking in South Oakland ("Top of the 'O'").

Justin Hopper
Pittsburgh City Paper