- Icewagon FLU

Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
Resumé:
Festivals & Events
Compilations
Celtic Fling & Highland Games, Lancaster, PA w/ Scythian
Shamrock Fest, Washington, DC w/ Flogging Molly
Manhattan Irish Fest, Manhattan, IL w/ Black ‘47
Rockin’ the Catskills, East Durham, NY w/ Black ‘47
Connolly’s Irish Rock Fest, New York, NY w/ The Kissers
Jivin’ Jones Irish Rock Fest, Hoboken, NJ w/ The Prodigals
Shite ‘n Onions Irish Fest, Boston, MA w/ The Pubcrawlers
Hoboken Arts & Music Festival, Hoboken, NJ w/ The Animals
Big Night DC, National Harbour, DC w/ Carbon Leaf
Troy Annual Pig Out, Troy, NY
Decent XPosure, Volume 6
Shite ‘n Onions, Volume 2
Paddy Rock Radio, Volume 1
Emerald Diamond Soundtrack
Typical Venues
Stout, NYC
Connolly’s, NYC
Mick O’Shea’s, Baltimore, MD
Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
Shenanigan’s, Ocean City, MD
Brittingham’s, Philadelphia, PA
Rocky Sullivan’s, NYC
Albums
Trouble Has a Car, 2003
Mr. Norman, 2005
Live: Take One, 2005
Off the Wagon, 2006
The Great American Something, 2007
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
Film Credits
Tommy Hobson , 2003 – Justin A. B. King
Guys, 2004 – Robb Baddlam
The Emerald Diamond, 2006 – John Fitzgerald
Francis I. Lazenby, 2006 – Scott Duffy
Frame of Mind, 2007 – Carl T. Evans
Perfekt, 2007 – John Trigonis
Bio
“A wild ride of free ranging songs that sound like Phish, if they swam in
the Hudson…. Icewagon flu is a bug worth catching” (Irish Voice)
“Jokesters on a musical adventure that takes the audience to Ireland….
and to the Calypso Islands” (Pulse Weekly)
Icewagon Flu is the most original band to come onto the music scene in years.
Since 2001 the band has created a fun mixture of genre bending world music
pop, which has solidified a growing cult following and insured a place in Indy
rock. While releasing four full length studio albums, one EP, included on five
compilations, and six film soundtracks, The FLU has toured all over the east
coast, performing with bands as far reaching as Black 47, Eric Burden and The
Animals, Carbon Leaf, Flogging Molly, Scythian, and Roger McGuinn.
Started by ex Small Frye band mates, George “Sgt. Deacon Dr. J.J. Slides”
Smith and Kevin “First Mate Gobshite” Adkins, Icewagon Flu was born from
good times, clowning around, and a sincere love of music.
George’s aptitude for acting and theatrics, coupled with Kevin’s visual
artistry and showmanship, would later create a live performance that both
dumbfounded and endeared audiences to them.
“Insanity!” (Nude as the News)
After a few changes in lineup, the two began writing with a bloke calling
himself Martin “Beast” Bristow. Crossing the ocean to escape his joke town
of Swindon England, Beast, brought his British Isle sensibility and Hugh Grant
wardrobe to a band in great need of a guitar.
Clutching their music degrees for dear life, two more members hopped on
board. Chris “Tom Thompson” Speich, with his cage of Metallica-esque drums
and Tim “Fisheye” Murray plinked his plinky mandolin, before resolving to play
bass - completed what we now know as “The Greatest Band of All Times!”
“We’re American music,” stated Smith recently. “We’re just like America,
we’re a melting pot of everything.”
In a time when the music industry wanted to put every band in a category,
The FLU sprinted in the opposite direction, releasing “Trouble Has A Car” on
Jivin Jones Records label. It saluted The Pogues style Celtic punk, Gram
Parsons’ country, Snoop Dogg Rap, Springsteen rock, and… barber shop.
“Icewagon Flu is like water,” says Beast, “you pour it out and it flows in
every direction.”
Trouble Has A Car was greeted with great reviews from The Irish Voice, Time
Out New York, and XM Satellite Radio.
After Trouble, they released the bitingly satirical Mr. Norman EP, which was
mixed by Mitch Easter of R.E.M. fame. The Album blended prayer for peace
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
messages (Trinity) with comedic Weezer/Beatles rock/pop (Norm & Liza was
Rejected). It concluded with a calypso inspired African mish-mosh known as
Shameless Exhibitionist, which at the time, described the bands live experience.
“I believe heavy exposure is a good thing,” states Adkins.
Today the band continues to make some of the best independent music
to be found. Their songs are both radio friendly and underground comedic,
making them at home in any Irish Pub or funk dance hall.
“Blending Blues, Irish Rock, roots and Jazz, The Flu creates a smooth and
catchy sound.” (Hudson Current)
“Highly original combination of loud Rock’N’Roll, American Roots,
whiskey soaked Irish Folk, with an almost jam band feel.” (Shite’N’Onions)
“An infectious mix of eclectic music that simultaneously gives us chills
and fever.” (Ross Reviews)
“Icewagon Flu takes nerd rock international and then circles it
back to good old fashioned hillbilly jams… Catch The Flu’s next gig.”
(Time Out NY)
With the release of their biggest studio album to date, The Great American
Something, Icewagon Flu is being heard on independent and college radio
stations throughout the world. Produced by Push Stars bass player Dan
McLoughlin, the album boasts, “five, count them, five top ten hits.” And a
“bunch of other stuff everyone should dig.”
“Although one cannot certainly call an album by an unsigned band a
“statement” record, The Great American Something comes awfully close.”
(Nude as the News)
“A well crafted album from start to finish.” (Epinions)
They’ve been called The Rolling Stones meets XTC meets The Hothouse
Flowers meets They Might Be Giants meets The Pogues, but you shouldn’t
believe any of that. The FLU are exactly what they say they are…
The Greatest Band of All Times.
“If you’ve ever been blown away by fresh instrumentation, and unique
songwriting, that makes most of the crap on the radio seem as generic and
flavorless as it really is, you will definitely be able to appreciate…
Icewagon Flu.” (XM Satellite Radio)
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
ICEWAGON FLU
Nude as the News — The Great American Something - August 2007
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again -- Someone, somewhere, give these
guys a record contract.
Surely there must be some “Best Unsigned Band” contest that Icewagon
Flu, the They Might be Giants meets the Pogues band from Hoboken, N.J.,
can win. I mean come on, this is getting ridiculous.
While their live act and first few independent releases Trouble Has a Car
and Take One should offer enough evidence that these gainfully employed
musicians deserve a chance to say goodbye to their day jobs and give rock
and roll a try, their newest, The Great American Something, closes the case.
Someone, Bloodshot Records, Yep Roc, hell, Mint Records, someone, do
your job, get on the horn, and sign these guys.
The Great American Something, while not perfect, is such a leap forward
for the Flu boys that it is almost stunning. Don’t get me wrong, I liked
Trouble and really dug Take One, but if the latter is an example of what the
Flu can do with a few rushed hours in the studio, than The Great American
Something demonstrates the potential these guys have when given time,
money, and free reign. The production, the songwriting, the mixing, the
arranging--it sounds as if some label opened up the pocketbooks and threw
the Flu a wad of cash.
Now Before I get into too much detail, let me go over some history. As
some of you may remember, I wrote a glowing feature about two years ago
after seeing an abbreviated live set during the giant D.C. frat party known as
Shamrock Fest. Playing in front of hundreds of drunken wanna-be Paddys
brought out the best in the ‘Flu, who gave it their all despite the frigid weather, stiff wind, and less than desirable stage location (in front of an office
building in suburban Washington).
Anyway, two years later, after Take One and two E.P.s, the Flu have resurfaced with The Great American Something. Although one cannot certain call
an album by an unsigned band a “statement” record, The Great American
Something comes awfully close. The band is often pigeonholed into the “Irish
Rock” category a’la Black ‘47, Flogging Molly, and the Finians, but its been
obvious from the beginning that there’s more to these guys than a tin whistle
and a few drinking songs.
I mean sure, Adkins does a mean Shane MacGowan, and their live set is
full of traditional numbers like “Tell Me Ma” and “Whiskey in the Jar,” but
George Smith’s strong and varied vocals bring enough of a Mike Patton/Faith
No More vibe that you can’t just say these guys are an Irish band.
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
In fact, only on the self-penned “Wild Irish” do the Flu boys sound anything like their influences. Rather, The Great American Something is defined
by the reggae-drenched “Little Red Devil,” the groovy “I’m the Best,” and the
smoking “Drowning in Air.”
Take “I’m the Best,” for starters. This song appeared on 2005’s Take One
as a straight-up rocker, but here, the Flu boys slow it down, add some harmonica and clever background vocals, and it’s a brand new tune. The song
never takes off, and that’s the beauty--drummer Christopher Speich maintains a quiet, street corner groove, while bassist Timmy Murray and guitarist
Martin Bristow stay in the background, yet they anchor the song.
From there, “Drowning in Air” picks things up a notch and is probably the
best tune on the record. The song is driven by Smith’s and Adkins’ harmony
vocals, alongside a driving drumbeat with a quick Irish-tinged guitar hook. I
must say, I’d put this song up against anything recorded by anyone else this
year, this has “sleeper hit” written all over it.
Now that’s not to say everything on The Great American Something is terrific; “Blue #9” is a little too catchy for its own good, and “Red Light” would
do well at a college party, but sounds too much like a white band trying to
do James Brown.
And lyrically, these guys aren’t exactly Nobel Prize winners, as evidenced
on “Little Red Devil,” where Smith croons, most Sublimely, “Are you feeling
me girl?/ Or just stealing my mind away,” repeatedly.
But hey, if you name me an album without a few downers, I’ll show you a
band that does this sort of thing full time with a massive budget and, most
likely, strong company support. The ‘Flu is doing all of this on their own, and
its about time someone got wise and handed them a deal.
— RODEO ROB, STAFF WRITER
Band Vox
— The Great American Something - July 2007
I bought Icewagon Flu’s newest
release The Great American Something
the weekend it was released. I’d love to
say that it’s taken me this long to feel
that I could do it justice in a review- but
that’s just silly. I don’t feel that I can do it
justice, I just feel that I can’t hold it back
any longer.
This is a great album which explores
a slightly broader range than their last
CD, Off The Wagon. Where Off The Wagon was more traditional in nature,
though still played with a strictly Flu sound, The Great American Something
is completely theirs. All songs were written by the band, and while the
sound isn’t quite as strong as it is when they’re live, you absolutely will not
be disappointed.
We knew they could perform the heck out of a live gig, and songs like
Nudity and Whiskey & Soda showed us that they could write great songs too.
But pulling together an entire original album and making it work is what separates the good bands from the great. And Icewagon Flu is a great band.
True, this album nearly backs entirely out of the Celtic and Paddy Punk
genres, but the originality of everything they play should keep it in the rotations of your favorite stations that have played them before.
Clowns & Jokers starts off the CD with a mellow kind of groove, followed
by a slightly more upbeat Blue #9. I have no idea what it means, but it’s one
of my favorite songs on the album.
The rest also follow Flu’s basic sound while maintaining each song’s individuality. Little Red Devil actually sounds a bit beachy while Wild Irish and
Industry Down hold Icewagon Flu’s place in Celtic and Paddy Punk music.
All in all, I’d say the only thing better than this CD is seeing them live. And
for $15 it’s a great value.
Shite ‘n’ Onions — The Great American Something - July 2007
In the whole Irish rock scene
in the US, IWF are totally on
a planet of one. I think someone; somewhere likened them to They Might
Be Giants meets Hothouse Flowers – sort of lad back, somewhat funky
OnTap Magazine
alt-rock with a touch of Irish. “The Great American Something” builds on
the bands previous 2 full lengths and I would say easily their strongest
release. Check out “Talk to Me”, it’s a rock radio hit if ever I heard one –
that's if radio ever had the balls to play it.
— The Great American Something - September 2007
What do whistles, a banjo, a harmonica and a mandolin have in common? They all appear on Icewagon Flu’s eclectic fifth
album, “The Great American Something.” The Jersey-based rock outfit follows suit with groups like O.A.R., producing music
you’d love on a roadtrip...Fans of multiple genres will appreciate the grab-bag approach that has been taken instrumentally. The
album has a little bit of everything, from reggae to quasi-new age...Check the site for the closest show to you.
Read Junk
— The Great American Something - August 2007
“These guys might be New Jersey's answer to the Barenaked Ladies.”
“Far less lame than John Mayer.”
“I’m sure suburban college kids eat this sh*t up.”
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
Decent Xposure — A Decent Interview with Icewagon Flu - June 2, 2005
By: Ben Hordell
DecentXposure — 5/2/2005
FLU: Nope, we just come straight to the gigs from our day jobs.
GO JUVENTUS!!!
BH: Icewagon Flu, where did this name come from?
BH: What are your musical influences?
FLU: Back in the days when the icebox was the best
form of refrigeration, icemen would deliver large blocks ice in horse-drawn
wagons. Chunks of ice were placed in the icebox which became the predecessor to the modern day refrigerator. The good-neighbored iceman would
supply his frozen goods with a grin on his face and an outstretched hand.
Often the unassuming civil servant, would receive an extra "tip" from lonely
housewives. And the telltale sign of their secret tryst was a nasty case of
"icewagon flu."
FLU: The year was 1993 and everything they played on college radio was
pure gold! The Posies, the Judybats, the Connells and Buffalo Tom are some
of my favorites. The band draws a lot from Irish greats like the Pogues and
Black '47, but we cannot deny the wide variety of eclectic influences. Beast,
our guitarist, models himself as a handsome Andy Summers with a Peter
Gabriel-esque instinct for showmanship with a dash of XTC for flavor. Our
lead vocalist, Doc Slides, has been described as a mix between a rowdy
Sid Vicious and a young Shane MacGowan.with teeth.
BH: So Irish Rock is your specialty, any other bands to recommend?
FLU: Definitely! Here are some of our Irish Rock Favorites: Neck, The
McCabes, The Ruffians, Young Dubs, and The Prodigals.
But we don't really categorize ourselves as Irish Rock, it's just that we have
some of those tendencies. We have the same amalgam of musical styles that
help build our greatly diverse nation. The songs invoke the great spirits of
blues, country, punk, Irish, folk, Caribbean and rock.
But we'd be lying if we didn't mention the nagging pop influences and our
emphasis on an energetic live performance.
BH: How did the band start?
FLU: It all started when Slides and I met during the first year of high school
in Northern Virginia. We both got cut from lacrosse tryouts, and all we kept
talking about was the new Sting album and the pranks we'd play on that rotten dean. Slides and I formed a band called SMALL FRYE our senior year and
modeled ourselves off of They Might Be Giants and The Ramones. After nine
years of college (collectively), Slides and I ended up in North Jersey and it
was time to invent the greatest band of all times!
We began by playing traditional Irish covers in crap bars around town until
we met Beast, our soon-to-be new guitarist. He gave us the flexibility to
develop our original material. We met the other clowns performing in the city.
Fisheye left a chick band to join us, Earl was persuaded from his symphony
orchestra and we talked Absolutely out of continuing his career with
Riverdance.
BH: Rumor has it you wear referee jerseys to shows, any truth behind this?
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
Our music is steeped in a wide variety of musical traditions ranging from
Irish, Calypso, Blues, Country and Soul. Icewagon Flu is the true American
music melting pot; we take all the great sounds of yesteryear, run them
through the Flu blender and present them in a totally new way.
BH: So you were alone on an island, say Ireland, what 5 CDs would you
bring?
FLU: That's easy.
1. The Police: Zenyatta Mondatta
2. Pogues: Hell's Ditch
3. Nil Lara: Nil Lara
4. Rustic Overtones: Rooms by the Hour
5. Decent Xposure: Volume 6
BH: Dream lineup, what band is opening for Icewagon Flu?
FLU: The Monkees, Lamb of God, along with a special comedy performance
by Gallagher.
BH: Plug your CD....now!!!
FLU: The newest ICEWAGON FLU release, Mr. Norman (produced by
Ted Comerford and mixed by Mitch Easter) is now available on iTunes, CD
Baby and Tower Records. Visit www.icewagonflu.com for more info.
Nude as the News — Get the Flu - July 22, 2005
All right y’all, Rodeo Rob here, checkin’ in from hot and humid
Washington, D.C. I don’t do this sort of thing often, and by that I mean these
stream-of-consciousness types of musings here at Nude as the News.
But because this is no ordinary review or interview — and because the
band I’m writing about is certainly no ordinary band — certain adjustments
have to be made. Although Joe Gibbs’ return to the football sidelines to
coach the pathetic Redskins may not show it, old dogs can learn new tricks
and this old dog reviewer is trying something new.
So here goes:
Let me introduce everyone to Icewagon Flu, a group of motley characters
currently hailing from Hoboken, N.J. You may not know them, and — disclosure alert — I only do because I went to college with one of the guys in the
band, but you probably should get to know them. Soon. As in, Now.
These guys are hard to categorize, which really shouldn’t be much of a
surprise seeing how I have no clue what their name means. But because I
like to think of myself as some sort of authority on these things, I must do
my best to describe their sound.
Here are the main ingredients: Take one helping of the Pogues, mix in a bit
of Black ’47, throw it in the blender with They Might Be Giants, and add a bit
of Faith No More and the Red Hot Chili Peppers — you know, when they
were good, like in the mid- to late ‘80s through 1991 -- and you might get a
small sense of what the Flu sound like.
It’s easy to lump these guys in the “Irish” bin, but it’s also easy to watch
TV. And aside from watching reruns of “The Simpsons” and “Arrested
Development,” who likes to watch TV?
So I will take the harder route and say while the Flu have a few Black ’47esque songs and one or two Pogues songs, these guys are no one-trick
pony. Look, I love Black ‘47’s Larry Kirwan as much as the next guy, but
there’s more variety on the Flu’s latest EP Mr. Norman than on any of
Black ’47 albums.
And if you don’t believe me, get a copy of either Mr. Norman or Take One,
a set of 15 songs recorded in one take at a studio in New Jersey. The tune
“Norm,” which appears on both, would fit well on any They Might Be Giants
album, while “Trinity” seems at home with anything on the Pogues’ Peace
And Love.
But listen to “Shameless Exhibitionist,” also on both, “Four And A Half” and
“Interstate Highway” from Take One and tell me what you’ve got. You’ve got
dual vocalists George Smith and Kevin Adkins chameleoning their voices
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
almost as effortlessly as former Faith No More singer Mike Patton, careening
from Anthony Kiedis-esque funk in “Four And A Half” to FNM’s fusion prog
rock a la Angel Dust on “Interstate Highway.”
They also sound quite at home on the one or two traditional Irish numbers,
although both Adkins and Smith commit a carnal sin in my book by singing
these tunes in a faux-Irish accent, a no-no for American singers. I’ve seen
quite a few bands do this and even here, where even the covers are quite
original choices — like “Tell Me Ma” — the fake Irish accents are a distraction.
Not a major one, but just enough to detract a bit from the songs and slow
the momentum.
And behind these two versatile vocalists is one hell of a versatile band,
bopping back and forth between traditional Irish music, George Thorogoodtype stomp rockers, straight-up blues and even a bit of David Lee Roth-era
Van Halen.
Hey, I told you these guys were hard to pin down.
While the rhythm section of drummer Christopher Speich and bassist Tony
Steele is top-notch, the secret weapon, no doubt, is guitarist Martin Bristow,
a.k.a. the Beast. In most bands the rhythm section is key in moving from
genre to genre, and the Flu’s is no exception, but the Beast is clearly the reason why the band can move in and out so easily and flawlessly. Sounding
equally at home in playing heavy, crunchy power chords in “My Blood Runs
Cold” and tickling the strings in “Liza Was Rejected,” the Beast is one with
whom to be reckoned.
Adkins and Smith have a great comedy routine down, with Smith being
the straight man to Adkins’ Cosmo Kramer. And the two seem to feed off
each other, an important attribute for a band that changes styles and genres
so often. They can be serious when needed, but they demonstrate throughout Mr. Norman and Take One that music, above all, is to be enjoyed, not
analyzed and educa-fied.
Of course, I have no idea what that last word means, but then again, I
have no idea what Smith means when he sings “Let’s expose ourselves to
passengers of a hovercraft / you know what I’m saying, man?” on
“Shameless Exhibitionist.”
No man, I have no idea what you mean. And believe me, with so many
woe-is-me songwriters out there taking themselves too seriously, I don’t
mind not knowing what you mean.
Hey, this Web site is all about learning about new music, and while I tend
to stick to the Wilco/Scott Miller/Honeydogs medium, I’ve learned a thing or
two from listening to the Flu. I suggest you do the same. Help ‘em out.
Y’know, they’d do the same for you.
— RODEO ROB, STAFF WRITER
IRISH VOICE — Cool Tunes from Icewagon Flu - March 9, 2005
Hoboken’s Icewagon Flu has a new friend
they want to introduce you to. Mr. Norman is
the name of their new EP CD, and it is a wild
ride of free ranging jams that sounds like Phish
if they swam in the Hudson.
“I simply call our music a melting pot,” explains guitarist Gobshite
(no one has a real name in this band).
“We have the same amalgam of musical styles that help build our
greatly diverse nation. The songs invoke the great spirits of blues,
country, punk, Irish, folk, Caribbean and rock.
“But we’d be lying if we didn’t mention the nagging pop influences
and our emphasis on an energetic live performance. Our hope is to
create music that people can instantly relate to and enjoy on
multiple levels.”
With a crunchy college rock riff and a mandolin trill, the band is off
like a shot, with “Norm,” a song about a lovable loser. “He doesn’t tap
any kegs but he does know the square root of 682” they sing.
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
On “Liza Was Rejected,” they clang a couple of melodies from “Bang
Bang Maxwell”-era Beatles and mix them in with a jazzy percussion and
the essence of sixties British smarminess.
Yes, it is somewhat dizzying to keep track of the tempo changes and
varying musical ideas that exist on one song. The producers might want
to consider giving the band a Ritalin smoothie before the next recording
session to deal with this musical ADD; still, the band is great fun all
the same.
They are rapidly gaining a reputation as a great live act, and you can
see for yourself when they share the stage with the Prodigals at the
Knitting Factory on Sunday, March 13.
They will be flying solo at Princeton’s Triumph Brewery (one of my
favorite places to get a pint) on March 17, and Siamsa Irish Pub in
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on the 26th.
For more information, log onto www.icewagonflu.com.
— Mike Farragher
Jersey Journal— Rockin’ To Their Own Beat - November 27, 2004
At the Willie McBride's bar in Hoboken, a row of Corona beers were lined up
on a table. And not one crossed my lips.
Official reason: I was working. The real reason: I hate beer.
But the beer lovers I was there interviewing were cool to hang out with. And
from listening to their work, they're decent musicians to boot.
Together, they play under the name Ice Wagon Flu, which at first glance
seems intriguing. But that pales in comparison to the nicknames the
members of the band prefer to be called.
There's Beast, Gobshite, Meef, Spike and Absolutely Steele. Hard to believe,
but those are the tame monikers. The one that takes the cake, though, is Sgt.
Deacon Doctor JJ Slides. Try putting all that on a job application.
In any case, Ice Wagon is one of several bands on
tap to perform at an inaugural Irish Rock Festival to
be held in Hoboken and New York City clubs next
week. Gobshite (aka Kevin Adkins), a Hoboken resident, calls Irish rock one of the hottest styles of
music out there.
"People are tired of listening to straight pop,"
said Beast, whose real name is Martin Bristow. "We
take some of the Irish instrumentation and mix it in
with all kinds of stuff. We are probably more eclectic than some of the bands that will be playing at
the festival."
Beast likens Flu's music to water.
"You pour it out and it goes everywhere," he says.
George L. Smith III, whose actual name is almost as long as his "JJ Slides"
nickname, said the band, which has been together for three years, has sometimes been criticized for a style that's all over the map.
"How can you call yourself an artist and pigeonhole any type of group?"
Slides asks. "It's like being an actor and only doing comedy. Art is all encompassing. From sculpting to writing songs, it's all self-expression."
Well, if you listen to the words that Flu members write for their songs, you
get the sense that they have plenty of thoughts to express. Some of their lyrics
strike me as a bit eccentric. However, the one feeling you won't get while listening is boredom, and that's key for me.
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
One song, titled "Norm," serves as an ode to computer whiz/billionaire Bill
Gates. "It's about a nerd dreaming of his success," Slides says. "And his
thought that jocks are dumb."
Another song, "Liza Was Rejected" traces a close friendship between two
teen girls. Liza is good looking, while her friend, Grace, isn't as attractive. The
girls get so close that they have a lesbian encounter.
By the end of the song, though, Grace starts dating a guy Liza was interested in. The band also dabbles in political commentary. The song "Trinity" focuses on the status of Middle East peace.
"It talks about how three Semitic religions should stop fighting each other
and believe in acceptance," Gobshite says. A song on the band's last album
gets straight to the point. Called "Nudity," it is a shout out to the band's female
fans. "We encourage a lot of the ladies to get nude, but they never do," Beast
says. Flu cites bands like the Pogues, XTC and the Police as some of its influences.
But Slides reserves the highest praise for Flu. "We're the greatest band of
all time!" he shouts before breaking out into spurts of laughter.
Gobshite says although each band member holds
down a day job, they do as many as 85 performances
a year at clubs up and down the East Coast. Each third
Friday of the month, they do a regular gig at Rocky
Sullivan, a bar on Lexington Avenue in New York City.
Gobshite says the band's strength lies in their live
performances.
"We're energetic and all about having fun and making people feel the music," he says.
If he had one wish for the band, Slides says he
would want it to write and record more. But members
face time constraints because of their day jobs.
"If we had more time, we could put out one or two albums a year," Slides
says. "We have a backlog of songs."
Gobshite says the band's promoter also may book it to perform at another
Irish festival in Boston. But don't take that to mean that Flu is sticking with only
the Irish rock scene. They plan to tackle other genres of music, which is true
to form with their across the map style.
"We wanna think about doing a country fest, a hip-hop fest," Gobshite says.
"But this (Irish) festival will be the tester to see how things go."
— Jeff Theodore
IRISH VOICE — Get on This Band’s ‘Wagon’ - January 14, 2004
Trouble Has a Car is also the debut CD
from Icewagon Flu, a Hoboken-based
band who has been causing quite a stir
in the clubs on both sides of the Hudson.
The band flirts between poking fun at
and paying homage to their inner Willie
Nelson while dipping the proverbial musical toe into elements of calypso and Irish
folk. They strap on a faux country accent
as they strum their acoustic guitar atop
melodies than a bad vaudeville act.
"We come from many different backgrounds with a wide variety of
influences," says Kevin "First Mate
Gobshite" Adkins (vocals, tin whistles,
banjo, harmonica, and kazoo). "We like
the alt-country sounds, the ones that mix
traditional country with putting some of
the more modern contemporary things onto it. We were also looking at
the early roots of rock as we formed our sound. The roots of things like
bluegrass come from some of the Irish traditional music. So, we wanted
to reach back a bit into those roots and put our own spin on it."
The Celtic spirit from the whistles and the mandolins bubble up through
the catchy rock tunes on tracks like "Storm Cloud" and the rootsy,
dustbowl instrumental introduction to "Comb."
The band got their start in the DC area, where they were known as Small
Fry. The band split up and some of the band members decided to reconvene as some of them found themselves relocated to the North Jersey
area. Along with Adkins, the current band lineup includes Martin "Beast"
Bristow (guitars and vocals) Chris "Mr. Winslow" Winslow (keyboards),
Christopher "Tom Thompson" Speich (percussion), George L. "Doc
Slides" Smith III (vocals, bodhrán, slide whistle, tres), and Josh "Sauce"
Winslow (bass, backing vocals).
The tongue-in-cheek country delivery makes the listener highly suspicious of their motives, but it’s hard not to fall for the stellar dung kicker
called "Virgin and A Pornstar" even if it is a joke. Fortunately for them,
their sly songwriting is top-notch, which allows them levity to mix styles
and humor in ways that lesser bands can scarcely imagine.
Contact:
Kevin Adkins
Jivin’ Jones Records
201-851-2738
[email protected]
The aggressive, breakneck pace of the pub
singalong "Whiskey and Soda" burns your
throat like a shot of the strong stuff. Their
compositions are one part caffeinated tin
whistle, a dash of banjo, and an equal measure of Irish shenanigans the come together
beautifully on this country Celtic experience.
The band’s Catskill slapstick is back in
spades during the Elvis goes to Memphis
barbershop quartet tribute to the birthday suit.
"I think I saw you in the shower/I want to do
you for an hour/don’t you dare put on your
clothes/I’m gonna get my garden house." OK,
so "Nudity" isn’t going to win Icewagon Flu
any Anne Sexton poetry awards for this
fraternity prose, but it has all the comedic
charm of passing wind in church. And nothing, folks, is funnier than that.
"We wanted to get this almost vaudeville sound to that track," says
Adkins with a laugh. "I was watching "O Brother, Where Art Thou, and I
was trying to get that ‘four guys around a microphone vibe."
The jokes don’t stop after the last note is played: they do a hilarious, five
minute lounge lizard’s take on the tired genre known as the band introduction that provides a hidden treat on a disc that is chock full of them.
Though I haven’t seen this band live yet (I plan on changing that at the
end of the month), I can only imagine how much fun this irreverant production must be in the flesh.
"We’re just up there to have a good time," says Adkins. "I think if we’re
going up there to have fun, then the crowd is going to have a good time
as well.
There are a lot of nasty bugs going around this winter, but Icewagon Flu
is a bug worth catching. Be sure to catch them at their frequent Rocky
Sullivan’s gigs and make it a point to get their CD while you’re there. You
can also log onto www.icewagonflu.com or catch them on the following
tour stops.
— Mike Farragher