Squirrel Nut Zippers Are Lost At Sea

Live album will make all the other boats rise...

By Blurt Staff

The Squirrel Nut Zippers today announced an October 27 release date for new album Lost At Sea (Southern Broadcasting), the North Carolina band's first new release in nine years and their first ever live album as well.

Recorded live at Southpaw, in Brooklyn NY, the Squirrel Nut Zippers performed many of their greatest hits and strongest material for a standing room only audience.  "Danny Diamond," "Put A Lid On It," "Bad Businessman," "Blue Angel," and many other Zippers faves.

As the label puts it, "The title of the new release is very appropriate considering the bands unfortunate departure from public life in 2002 when the Disney cruise ship they were performing aboard hit a massive island of trash and was rendered unseaworthy. The Squirrel Nut Zippers were forced into a dingy which was quickly swept away by ocean currents and deposited on a remote and uninhabited island.  Surviving on coconuts and monkey scat they managed to stave off death until a location scout for the television reality show "Survivor" stumbled upon them and brought them back to the United States."

Ah, so THAT's what happened. Well, most Zippers fans know the alternate story of the band's rise, fall, demise, and return - plenty of personal intrigue, legal goings-on, and just plain unpleasantness. Bottom line, though, they remain a bit of a Tarheel institution, and a whale of a live act, to.  The band returned to the road in 2007 with the core of their original line up intact: Jim "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, ukulele), Chris Phillips (drums, percussion), Je Widenhouse (Trumpet) and Stuart Cole (Bass).

"The crowds we've had at these shows since coming back have been nothing short of fantastic," Phillips commented.  "It's been great to reconnect with our old fans and meet all of the ones who didn't catch us the first time around.  It's truly been a heartwarming experience. Honestly, the band is getting along better than we ever did in the past and I believe the desire is there to try recording a new album for release in 2010."

Track Listing:

Memphis Exorcism  

Good Enough For Grandad 

It Ain't You 

Prince Nez

Put A Lid On It 

Fat Cat Keeps Getting Fatter 

Danny Diamond 

Suits Are picking Up The Bill 

My Drag 

Happens All The Time 

Bad Businessman 

Hell 

Ghost Of Stephen Foster 

You Are My Radio 

Blue Angel 

Do What 

Missing Link Parade

[Photo Credit: Joshua Weinfeld]