Named after a peanut-butter dessert made in Massachusetts, Squirrel Nut Zippers came together in 1993. Jim Mathus and Katherine Whalen began their guitar playing and singing in a renovated farmhouse as newlyweds hosting jam sessions with a number of talented friends. Best described as a mix of swing, jazz, rock and roll, and “30’s punk" the Squirrel Nut Zippers provide a unique blend that is hard to match in modern music.
Their first full-length album, The Inevitable was released on Mammoth Records in 1995 to respectable reviews and a growing fan base. The follow-up album, in 1997, Hot fared much better than anyone expected, especially the Squirrel Nut Zippersband members. This solidified their place amongst fans that can best be described as ecklectic, which were then growing with each performance
The newly released, Bedlam Ballroom provides both a glance into the past
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of the Squirrel Nut Zippers - with the inclusion of a song written by the deceased former Zippers’ trumpet player, Stacy Guess – and into the future direction of the band. Produced by Mike Napolitano, the already large band has added some new comers who make a definite contribution to the sound of the Zippers’.
A upbeat, raw work, Bedlam Ballroom is easy-listening collaboration for all those who are not afraid of ghosts nor love gone wrong, and still love to dream. It is both solid and daring, covering stylistic grounds rarely attempted by today’s bands. This may prove to be either the bands road to success or their doom. Time will tell…
Erin Boyle CanEHdian.com, 2000
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