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Whapweasel
Relentless
$16.99
Trad sounding but all original, they divulge the secrets of the world in a distinctly British style that will remind you of Tiger Moth or Barely Works, but ultimately will put the name Whapwaeasel in your head as the band others will sound like. Totally unique.
fRoots says of this Brit big band: 'they're a very tight electric eight-piece (melodeon, guitar, cittern, bass, drums, keyboards and two saxes).. add into the brew things that remind you of everything from Madness to Manu Dibango and stir...they really are all clever bastards"
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Listen:
Relentless
Badunga
Bus to Bombay
The musicians:
robin jowett - melodeon
brian bell - bass
mike coleman - cittern
bob wilson - drums
stewart finden & fiona littlewood - saxophones
heather bell - keyboards
rick kemp - guitar
Moe by Whapweasel
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"Madness meets Brass Monkey is the initial impression that comes to mind." - The Folk Mag, UK
"Whapweasel (who hail from Hexham as it happens) could very probably be regarded as the ultimate modern ceilidh band, which is no doubt why they're in constant demand - dancers just don't want to let 'em go… And to be honest, neither does my CD player! The somewhat eclectic instrumental complement - melodeon, cittern, two saxes, keyboards, guitar, bass and drums (look, no fiddle!) - gives a clue to the sparky ride you're in for, with innovative and genuinely cosmopolitan arrangements of material that appears to consist solely of energetic original compositions by band members and yet (rather ingeniously) manages to sound solidly traditional in whatever musical/world idiom it manages to end up (morris, rock'n'roll, deep ska, township jive, sand dance)... This is one of those rare dance band albums that just won't let you go, so keep on whappin' that there weasel - it's tremendous fun, honest!" - Stirrings, UK
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What the band has to say for itself:
Their performances have sent pundits scrambling for superlatives. “Awesome!” gasped one. “The
mighty Whapweasel!” marvelled another. (Just sit down and take this tablet, sir...) The Luton And
Dunstable Gazette was unfettered in its admiration. “Currently one of the best dance bands in the
UK in any genre,” panted the paper’s music and scrimshaw correspondent. Famed Steeleye Span
bassist Rick Kemp produced their debut CD Skirl Naked (1998), and quickly became one of their
leading advocates. “Their playing is a joy,” he declared, “and the original material achieves a
seamless blend with the traditional. Whapweasel have taken the genre into hitherto-unexplored
areas.” As a reward he was invited to produce their two subsequent CDs, Burn (2000) and Relentless
(2003). On the latter he added his searing guitar to many of the tracks, which has led to his stepping
out occasionally with the band on live gigs.
In recent years, Whapweasel have become a fixture on the national festival circuit, picking up
immediate rebookings with impressive regularity. But they’re as much at home in small village halls
as in vast festival marquees—in fact, wherever their unique blend of folk, rock, ska and jazz takes
them. And they continue to set new benchmarks for excitement, innovativeness and sheer
danceability.
When you hear a band playing at the very top of its form you might be forgiven for thinking,
“This is as good as it gets.” Not with Whapweasel. Take your eye—or ear—off them for a
minute and they’ve moved up another gear, conjured another innovative arrangement,
added another apt ingredient to their cosmpolitan re-imagining of English dance music.
With a line-up of melodeon, cittern, keyboards, guitar, saxophones, bass and drums, Whapweasel
nail the beat from the opening bar, and when they get your feet moving the rest of you just has to
go with the groove. Such is the energy the band produces that dancers have been known to discover
their mobile phones and electric toothbrushes fully recharged at the end of the evening. This helps
perhaps to explain why Whapweasel find themselves prowling the motorways of the land every
weekend, causing structural damage to dancefloors from Sidmouth to St Andrews and most points
in between. Indeed, only a dramatic advance in cloning technology would eneable them to meet the
ever-growing demand for their irresistible dance rhythms and distinctive, compelling tunes.
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Please note!
Most CDs have been
imported from Europe or Asia.
They are not all
shrink-wrapped, and I am not
going to con you by wrapping them
here just to make you think they
have been sterilized in America.
We guarantee that the CDs and the
contents are all brand new and in
perfect condition. Whenever I
can, I use recycled shipping
materials. They may not look as
pretty on the outside, but they save
money and keep the trash dumps a
little bit emptier.
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