The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Susquehanna
Space Age Bachelor Pad Records/In Music We Trust
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time to break out the zoot suits! Back in the late ’90s ska and neo-swing had become a sensation (albeit a brief one). The leader of the revival: The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. With their smash “Zoot Suit Riot,” they led a musical resurgence that had the nation swinging to their music along with dozens of other creatively-named groups like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and (my personal favorite name) Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives.
Now the Daddies are back. Eight years after their last album, they are ready to return with the multi-faceted Susquehanna.
“Hi and Lo” showcases their straight-up ska side (which was not even touched on their greatest hits compilation Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin’ Hits of The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies), and leads perfectly into the reggae “Blood Orange Sun.” The band, mainly lead singer and main songwriter Steve Perry, have always had a dark side that creeps up periodically. In the vein of their previous hit “Drunk Daddy,” “White Trash Toodle Oo” is a cynical and pointedly direct quickstep about a family and “All they’ve ever been / Is poor white trash.”
Susquehanna proves that The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies are no one-hit wonder. They are able to seamlessly go from one genre to the next while playing all of them (including swing) masterfully. The eight years between albums (as well as shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance) have proven that people want more Daddies. And with Susquehanna, they will not be disappointed.
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies: http://www.daddies.com
