Squirrel Nut Zippers

All Music Guide:

The commercialization of alternative music in the '90s resulted in many strange one-hit wonders, but few were quite as unpredictable as Squirrel Nut Zippers. During a time when hipsters were obsessed with swing music in its relation to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin's Rat Pack, the Zippers were fascinated with big-band swing and Harlem, creating a tongue-in-cheek salute to '20s and '30s jazz. For younger listeners familiar with the style but not the content of classic hot jazz, the band was good fun, but purists found the group's vaguely campy sense of humor and amateurish technique off-putting. This debate would never have even been a matter of consideration if "Hell," an incessantly catchy single from their 1997 album Hot, hadn't been able to sneak through loosened alternative airplay to become a novelty hit. "Hell" became a crossover hit on the strength of a bizarrely theatrical vehicle, and Squirrel Nut Zippers quickly became one of the hottest alternative bands of the first half of the year.

Jim Mathus (vocals, guitar, trombone) and Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo) formed Squirrel Nut Zippers in 1993 after leaving Chapel Hill, NC, for the nearby small town of Efland. As soon as they settled in Efland, the couple renovated a farmhouse, where they pursued various arts and crafts, and eventually the band fell into shape as Mathus and Whalen met local citizens like Don Raleigh (bass) and Ken Mosher (guitar, saxophone, vocals) who shared an interest in hot jazz. Before long, Chris Phillips (drums, percussion), Tom Maxwell (vocals, guitar, baritone saxophone, clarinet), and Je Widenhouse (trumpet) were added to the band, which was now named after an old-fashioned candy bar, Squirrel Nut Zippers. The group soon made its live debut in Chapel Hill and within a few months had developed a large fan base throughout the South.

By the end of 1994, Squirrel Nut Zippers had signed with Mammoth Records, and they released their debut album, The Inevitable, in the spring of 1995. The album didn't make much of an impact, but the group continued to tour. Their second album, Hot, was released in January of 1997. Soon after its release, "Hell" became a hit on such influential radio stations as Los Angeles' KROQ, and MTV soon made the video into a buzz clip. By the spring, "Hell" and Hot had become hits, as the single was a staple on modern rock stations. Although the Zippers were now successful, they received mixed reviews, with many critics claiming that they were mocking hot jazz, not paying tribute. Nevertheless, the album went gold, and a second single, "Put a Lid on It," was released in the summer. Perennial Favorites followed in 1998, as did Christmas Caravan. Two years later, the band released Bedlam Ballroom, showcasing a cut by late bandmate Stacy Guess. Squirrel Nut Zippers went on an extended hiatus in the early part of the decade and eventually reconvened in 2008 for the live concert album Lost at Sea, which saw release a year later .

Wikipedia:

The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, and ukulele), Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher.

While the band's eclectic fusion of Delta blues, gypsy jazz, 1930s-era swing, klezmer, and other styles makes them hard to categorize, their unique music found a niche in the late 1990s, when the band met with national recognition and commercial success, sometimes associated with the Swing Revival of the same period. They found their greatest success with the 1996 single "Hell".

After a hiatus of several years, the original band members reunited and took to the stage again in 2007, playing select dates around the United States and Canada through 2008.

They played the last night of The Voodoo Experience held at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana over Halloween weekend 2009.

History

1990s

The band was founded by James "Jimbo" Mathus, formerly of Metalflake Mother and Johnny Vomit & The Dry Heaves, and his then-wife Katharine Whalen in Carrboro, North Carolina along with Tom Maxwell, Chris Phillips, Don Raleigh and Ken Mosher. The group made its debut in Chapel Hill a few months later. Stacy Guess (formerly of Pressure Boys) joined shortly after.

"Nut Zippers," is a southern term for a variety of old bootleg moonshine, and the band's name comes from a newspaper account which related the story of a highly intoxicated man who climbed a tree one night, refusing to come down even after authorities arrived. The article's headline read: "Squirrel Nut Zipper." It is also the name of a candy dating back to 1890.

The band was initially lumped into the "lounge" movement, along with Combustible Edison, and credited as part of the brief swing music revival of the 1990s. The Zippers' sound incorporates a broad range of music, ranging in influence from Harlem Hot Music, Cab Calloway, Johnny Ace, Delta Blues, Raymond Scott, Fats Waller, Django Reinhardt, Tom Waits, and klezmer. The band's break-through single, "Hell", was distinguished by calypso rhythms, and helped push the band into further association with the "Neo Swing" movement.

Songs from the band's first album, The Inevitable (1995) were played on National Public Radio in the US. Their second album, Hot (1996) was certified platinum. (The Hot album was also one of the first ECDs - an "enhanced" audio CD containing an interactive presentation created by filmmaker Clay Walker.) In 1997, the band toured with Neil Young.

The band's next studio album, Perennial Favorites (1998) also received critical acclaim.. Also released in 1998 was Christmas Caravan, a Christmas themed album. The band then recorded Bedlam Ballroom in 1999, after touring extensively.

The band performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, on Prairie Home Companion, President Clinton's second inaugural ball, Comedy Central's Viva Variety, and major television shows: The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in 1998.

The band had recorded a version of "Under The Sea" which was going to be included on the DVD release of The Little Mermaid, but Disney decided against it. Disney had purchased Mammoth just months prior to this recording. The song was eventually released on the band's greatest hits CD.

2000-2006

The early 2000s rendered the band largely inactive, due to members pursuing other projects, but also due to Mathus and Whalen's divorce.

Contact was a musical dance play made up of three separate dance pieces set to pre-recorded music. The show used Zippers' music along with the music of other artists. Although many criticized the show for its lack of original music, it was also widely-acclaimed and won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical. Movies that have licensed Zippers' songs include Monkeybone, Dead Man on Campus, Flirting with Disaster, Fido, Blast from the Past and the animated feature film Happily N'Ever After. The band performed in a segment on Sesame Street in 2001. The single "Hell" was also featured on the pilot of MGM Television's Dead Like Me.

During this period, Katharine Whalen released two solo albums, Jazz Squad and Dirty Little Secret. Jim Mathus toured with Buddy Guy before forming his band, Knockdown Society. Je Widenhouse and Reese Gray are recording and touring with Firecracker Jazz Band. Chris Phillips spent two years playing with the Dickies, as well as William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain. His current side band The Lamps included members of the Bangles and The Connells. He also was the composer for the Comedy Central television show Lil' Bush and some contemporary films. Jimbo Mathus owns and operates a recording studio outside of Memphis, TN, where he has worked on albums with artists ranging from Elvis Costello to the Hives.

2007-present

In early 2007, the band's official website and MySpace blog announced new tour dates, with a lineup consisting of founding members Jimbo Mathus (guitar, vocals), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, percussion, ukulele), Chris Phillips (drums), Je Widenhouse (trumpet), Stuart Cole (bass), and Will Dawson (piano/guitar/saxophone). With the proclamation "Ladies and Gentlemen... They're Back," the band performed concert dates throughout the United States and Canada in spring and summer of 2007 and through 2008.

In late February 2009, Chris Phillips sent out an e-mail announcing a forthcoming live album called You Are My Radio, recorded in Brooklyn in December 2008. The e-mail included a link to a free download of "Memphis Exorcism" from the album. The album title was later changed to Lost At Sea and was released on October 27 through Southern Broadcasting/MRI. They also announced their plans for a new studio album in 2010. The band taped a new performance for NPR's Mountain Stage, which aired in mid-November.

As of 2011, plans for a new album from the band appear to be on hold for the time being.

Membership

Present members

Former members

Guess left two weeks prior to the recording of Hot, in September 1995. He died of a heroin overdose on March 11, 1998. Je Widenhouse (formerly of the Sex Police) joined the band in 1995.

Raleigh departed in the middle of the Perennial Favorites sessions in November 1996. He was replaced by Stuart Cole. In July 1999, Maxwell left the band. In October 1999, Mosher also quit. In 1999, Reese Gray, Tim Smith and David Wright joined the band.

Eugene Cottrell played trumpet in "Hell."

Singles