The Real McKenzies

The Real McKenzies do for Scottish folk music what the Pogues did for the traditional music of Ireland. They rev it up to a speed and power that approximate punk rock, but still maintain the melodic sense of the original sound, and sometimes use bagpipes and acoustic guitars to give it a taste of folkie authenticity, while the lyrics deal with the joys and tragedies of Scottish history, as well as the group's well-documented love of booze. The Real McKenzies were founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1992; the group was the brainchild of lead singer and songwriter ...