The swagger stagger

The Sweaty Stagger (that’s what I WANNA call ‘em) are a three piece from Montreal and I do believe they’ve made my must-do-eventually list based on a strong elpee they’ve just put out named …And They Called It Whiskeybillie and a beautifully done live video-medley that’ll leave you smelling like cigarettes and bourbon with a mere click of the mouse, all in the comfort of yer own home!

Stand up bass, acoustic guitar and hand-broomed drums shape the band’s rough-hewn sound, made even rougher by their two raw-throated vocalists. Matt Lacombe and Pi Sailin Cutler roar like drunken pirates (or, possibly, death metal screamers) through songs that swing stylistically between punk rock, Russian folk, acoustic jazz, and at least a few more. I meant what I said in the strip this week about Tom Waits and the rest, and as I write this, it occurs to me that the track “Heavin’ Stone” has the weird cadence of a Les Claypool creation. …And They Called It Whiskeybillie is good, boozy fun, and The Steady Swagger must be positively bonkers live. If not, the first round is on me.

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