Squirrel Nut Zippers formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by James "Jimbo" Mathus, Tom Maxwell, Katharine Whalen, Chris Phillips, Don Raleigh and Ken Mosher. The band is still performing and recording today with a much different lineup, but they still retain that same spark.
The band's music is a mix of 1930s–era swing, blues, jazz and other styles. They found commercial success during the swing revival of the late 1990's with their 1996 single "Hell". During the late 1990's Squirrel Nut Zippers released many albums but none of them ever reached the popularity of "Hot" which featured their single. After a hiatus of several years, the original band members reunited and performed in 2007, playing in the U.S. and Canada.
Listen to "Hell" by Squirrel Nut Zippers
"Nut Zippers" is a southern term for a variety of old bootleg moonshine. The band's name comes from a newspaper story about an intoxicated man who climbed a tree and refused to come down even after police arrived. The headline was "Squirrel Nut Zipper." It is also the name of a Squirrel nut caramel candy dating back to 1890.
This is a very talented band and I should note, in this author's opinion, Katherine Whalen was a highly under-rated member of this band. Her vocals on song's such as "Put a Lid on It" and others had the flavor and feel of some classic Billie Holiday studio performances. But that's just my humble opinion.
Listen to "Put A Lid On It" by Squirrel Nut Zippers
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