Tumultuous, rocking, rowdy, bar music that somehow sounds like it's being played by a band from the Irish side of the tracks down near the Mexican border. All the lyrics were written by Nancy McCallion, who is also one of the lead singers. The other lead singer is Catherine Zavala, who also plays mandolin and bodhran, while Kevin Schramm (accordion, guitar, banjo, bouzouki, and vocal) helped write some of the music. The laments and raucous strains of accordion and mandolin are backed by a legitimate backdrop of American folk music. Just give a listen to "All Around My Hat," a traditional tune give new lyrics by Nancy McCallion, and the next song, the instrumental "Hat Trick," written by Schramm, and try to tell where this band hails from.
© Bob Gottlieb /TiVo