Marc Gunn of the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine notes that Black 47 is one of the biggest secrets of Celtic rock.1 Since their inception in 1989 by Larry Kirwan and Chris Byrne, Black 47 has released over eight albums both independently and through major labels (one of which, Fire of Freedom, was produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek), had a national debut on David Lettermen, and been a staple act in the New York City area. Yet, Black 47 remains relatively unknown outside of the Celtic music scene despite the success of bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly.
Lyrically, Black 47 might be written off as another politically-charged Irish punk band. But in addition to the in-your-face vocals and solid guitar riffs, the band brings together traditional Celtic instrumentation in the form of uilleann pipes, flute and pennywhistle with the jazz staples of saxophone and trombone. They are also not afraid to mix in elements of hip-hop and reggae; all while maintaining a certain recognizable style.
Black 47 is still going strong even after the departure of founding member Byrne in 2000. Most of their albums including their most recent, 2008's Iraq, are readily available through Amazon.com and iTunes, and they continue to be a busy touring band.
1http://www.celticmp3s.com/bands/black_47/
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