While visiting friends on my first night back from school for Winter Break, I got a chance to see the nightmare fuel Portland folk outfit, Butcher Boy perform one of their last sets before packing up their things and voyaging off onto their nationwide-ish tour. The church-turned-performing arts venue on Mayo Street where Butcher Boy were playing also featured a band I had yet to witness called Speaker For The Dead, a Worcester-born folk punk collective with a bit of a pep in their step fronted by Greg McKillop, the gentleman who put on this whole wonderful event.
And while not knowing what to expect from a band that seemed to be half a folk punk band and half a brass section that I thought would play ska music (but ended up playing more of a gypsy rock accompaniment), Speaker For The Dead definitely made a tremendous impression on me that night. It was the kind of clean fun and excitement that I needed and hadn't experienced in a long while.
Seeing these folks was a real nice treat to me on my first night back and a hell of a way to ease into my winter vacation. I suggest anyone who likes upbeat punk music with horns and blacksmiths wielding guitars to check SFTD out! Or even, if you just like music that makes you jump out of your chair (remember those at shows?) and dance around with strangers like there's no tomorrow!
Speaker For The Dead can surely do that to a person!
Speaker For The Dead have lots of music to choose from in their discography but 'I Hope You Have Fun While You Sleep' seems to be their most accessible album to date. It's also their most recent not counting Greg McKillop's new solo album that was released a month ago today.
Highlights: "Journal", "Pile of Dirt (Allenby Beardsly cover)", "If You're Dead Please Raise Your Hand", and "I Hope You Have Fun While You Sleep Pt. 2"
And: For all you book readers out there, I'm pretty certain that the name of this band comes from the Ender's Game series written by Orson Scott Card, a series I almost read as a kid (which doesn't sound like much, but for someone who doesn't read anything, this is a big deal).
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