Wow. Get this disc now! You’ll be dancing to a twisted, psychedelic mixture of bagpipes, accordion and hurdy gurdy that’s written after the French folk dancing music tradition. It’s great, man. You won’t be disappointed!
Oh, OK, that’s right, here we try to give you more in our reviews than what you will find in chat rooms. Sigh. All right. I’ll stop listening long enough to write this review. But only because the editor in me insists!
Red Dog Green Dog have a winner here — the disc is entirely original instrumental tunes written in the French dance music tradition. Between the accordion, bagpipes and hurdy gurdy there’s not a dull moment on this disc, which would be just as at home in a club as it would be at an open air festival, indeed anywhere there are hot, sweaty bodies ready to dance. The CD liner notes tell us the music is inspird by the beautiful land and its goddess, and all I can say is she is one wild woman I’d like to meet!
Red Dog Green dog are Mike York on bagpipes, Jo White on diatonic accordeon, Joel Turk on hurdy gurdy, Jim Penny on concertina and saxophone, along with Merlyn Sturt who playes viola on the bonus track. Although I couldn’t find anything about them on the web, Jo kindly responded to my email, and told me that the group formed in 2001, recording this disc in February of 2002, playing the French dance circuit as well as open air festivals and concerts, and teaching. As she says, “All the music that we record is original material-we feel strongly about moving folk music forward and interpreting it in our own way.”
There are no rough spots on this disc, but let me describe several of my favorite tracks. “The Ridiculous Sisters” has a bouncy, syncopated rhythm. Another standout track is “Acrobalance” which opens the album full tilt ahead, playfully referencing the French traditions while making it clear that Red Dog’s base in tradition doesn’t limit the band’s ability to be wildly creative with the music. “Hollyfield, Big Black” begins slowly, but rather than the mournful melancholy of some French accordion music, this track has a good deal of tension and energy bound to its slow, introspective rhythm.
I could go on and on about this disc, but suffice to say that Red Dog Green Dog have taken a bunch of loud solo instruments played in traditional music, and created something ironic, fresh and surprisingly twenty-first century. This is good time music, great for dancing, as the back drop to a loud house party, or in any situation that calls for a raucous good cheer. You’ve not heard anything like it. Play it on wild nights.
(Red Dog Green Dog, 2002)
[Update: This is the band’s only album, long out of print, but you can find it and a live set on the band’s Soundcloud page.]
