Music Reviews
The Haymarket Squares

The Haymarket Squares

Light It Up

Wow! Protest music is back! Here’s a band that takes me right back to 1968’s “Summer of Hate.” This rollicking quintet sings about crooked bankers, gun-toting right wingers, for-profit prisons, and the NSA. The sound mixes bluegrass, gospel, and punk; the energy level is as high as the righteous indignation. They fuse a Punkgrass sound with political cred and high speed, high accuracy picking: banjo, steel guitar, and the occasional mandolin make these guys sound as good as any McDougal Street 1960s act. Most of the material is original but they light a fire covering “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

With their own material they tackle the NSA (“No Such Agency”) and the weather in their native Phoenix (“Gritty City”). The tune that most deserves hit status is “Working Reward,” here they lament “You’re worth more than they’ll ever pay you” as they moan about the dead-end jobs that are the only option for this student-debt ridden generation. Pop over to “Let’s Start a Riot” and share their happy hour: “We’ll be mixing up some cocktails, my favorite is a Molotov.” The vocals are clear and easy to sing along with, and The Haymarket Squares ought to be the house band for Occupy Wall Street. Woody Guthrie couldn’t encapsulate the grief of the modern world in pop songs any better than these bearded musicians.

http://www.haymarketsquares.com


Recently on Ink 19...

AFI Fest 2024

AFI Fest 2024

Event Reviews

For the tenth straight year, Lily and Generoso proudly present their coverage of AFI Fest, Los Angeles’s premiere film festival which took place in Hollywood this October.

Featured photo courtesy of AFI Fest.

C.L. Turner of Arctic Wave

C.L. Turner of Arctic Wave

Interviews

Ink 19’s Randy Radic spoke with C.L. Turner of the band Arctic Wave to discuss the latest single, inspirations, and next directions.

Featured image courtesy of Present PR