Dirty Shirt, Your New Favorite Transylvanian Folk-Core Band

Words fail me with Dirty Shirt. Calling them “Romanian folk metal” or “folk-hardcore fusion” doesn’t do them justice, given the weird European rock and pop influences going on here. Imagine Xibalba met up with Gogol Bordello and Sigh, and they tried to write music for a Transylvanian wedding together. That’s the best description I can think of.

Dirty Shirt seems to be a considerably big deal in their motherland, so I’m somewhat surprised that I’ve never heard of them, but then again I know little about the Romanian scene (other than kvlt goat herders Persekutor). I also know very little about Romanian folk music, so for all I know their material is about as Transylvanian as Flogging Molly’s is Irish, but whatever it is they’re doing Dirty Shirt are doing it right. Sure, some of their Soilworky moments aren’t the best, but most of the album is infused with a really interesting manic insanity. The band has seven members not including the countless studio and live musicians who join them to add the folk elements to their stuff. Every song sounds like a mosh pit full of drunks dressed like Punch and Judy.

Below is the video for the song “Maramu,” which showcases the beauty of living off the Romanian countryside (so long as you’re wasted on moonshine). You can listen to the band’s latest, Dirtylicious, on their Bandcamp, which you really should do if you have a minute.