01	Bedbugs						03:12
	02	Baby Wants a Diamond Ring						03:25
	03	Do What?						02:42
	04	Bent Out Of Shape						02:47
	05	Stop Drop And Roll						02:58
	06	Hush						04:12
	07	It All Depends						03:47
	08	Bedlam Ballroom						02:15
	09	Just This Side Of Blue						03:08
	10	Don't Fix It						03:33
	11	Missing Link						03:21
	12	Bedlam Reprise						00:21
	13	Do It This A Way						05:03
	14	Data						11:47

Bedlam Ballroom
Date of Release Oct 17, 2000

Despite undergoing massive lineup changes, among which were vocalist and guitar player Tom Maxwell going solo, the death of original trumpet blower Stacy Guess, and the birth of a daughter to bandleaders Jim Mathus and Katherine Whalen in May 2000, the Squirrel Nut Zippers persevered through all of it to release a wonderful, progressive (for them) album. Granted, the hot jazz and Dixieland tunes that the band is known for are still present, but the first thing one hears upon listening to this album is a synthesizer and a Spanish guitar. And how about some '70s funk and soul? Funky is the surprising quality of this work, which is why the album stands out among the group's past efforts. Perennial Favorites had some good performances, but seemed more of a mere continuation of what was laid down on Hot. Here, New Orleans-type funky grooves mix with a Spanish guitar on consecutive tracks, and the juxtaposition reminds the listener of just how magnificent and inspired the Squirrel Nut Zippers can be when they try to grow. Perhaps those who were a part of the neo-swing "revival" of the mid- to late-'90s won't be so receptive to this album, but to anyone who enjoys spirited old-timey music (spanning a range of times), Bedlam Ballroom is a damn hoot. - Jeremy Salmon

1. Bedbugs - 3:12
2. Baby Wants a Diamond Ring - 3:25
3. Do What - 2:42
4. Bent Out of Shape - 2:47
5. Stop Drop and Roll - 2:58
6. Hush - 4:12
7. It All Depends - 3:47
8. Bedlam Ballroom - 2:15
9. Just This Side of Blue - 3:08
10. Don't Fix It - 3:33
11. Missing Link - 3:21
12. Bedlam Reprise - :21
13. Do It This Way - 2:33


Philip Gould - Photography, Back Cover
Greg Humphreys - Vocals (bckgr)
John Plymale - Producer, Mixing
Gavo Tomasini - Conga
Brent Lambert - Mastering
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Chris Eselgroth - Graphic Design
Mike Napolitano - Guitar, Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Jay Blakesberg - Photography
Lane Wurster - Art Direction
James Mathus & His Knockdown Society - Vocals
George Rossi - Piano
Katharine Whalen - Banjo, Vocals, Baritone Ukulele
Andrew Bird - Strings, Violin
Michael Doret - Illustrations
Stud Cole - Bass, Vocals (bckgr)
Je Widenhouse - Trumpet
Tim Smith - Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor), Vocals (bckgr)
John Pfiffner - Bass
Chris Phillips - Percussion, Drums, Gong, Sound Effects
Giustino Riccio - Timbales
David Wright - Piano, Trombone, Piano (Electric), Vocals (bckgr), Wurlitzer

2000 CD Mammoth
2000 CD Hollywood 165502
2000 CS Hollywood 165502
2000 CD Hollywood 165512





Squirrel Nut Zippers
Formed 1993
Group Members Tom Maxwell Ken Mosher Stacy Guess Jim Mathus Don Raleigh Katharine Whalen Andrew Bird Je Widenhouse Chris Phillips


The commercialization of alternative music in the '90s resulted in many strange one-hit wonders, but few were quite as unpredictable as the Squirrel Nut Zippers. During a time when hipsters were obsessed with swing music in its relation to Sinatra and Martin's Rat Pack, the Zippers were fascinated with big-band swing and Harlem, creating a tongue-in-cheek salute to '20s and '30s jazz. For younger listeners familiar with the style but not the content of classic hot jazz, the band was good fun, but purists found the group's vaguely campy sense of humor and amateurish technique off-putting. This debate would never have even been a matter of consideration if "Hell," an incessantly catchy single from their 1997 album Hot, hadn't been able to sneak through loosened alternative airplay to become a novelty hit. "Hell" became a crossover hit on the strength of a bizarrely theatrical vehicle, and Squirrel Nut Zippers quickly became one of the hottest alternative bands of the first half of the year.
Jim Mathus (vocals, guitar, trombone) and Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo) formed the Squirrel Nut Zippers in 1993 after leaving Chapel Hill, NC, for the nearby small town of Efland. As soon as they settled in Efland, the couple renovated a farmhouse, where they pursued various arts and crafts, and eventually the band fell into shape as Mathus and Whalen met local citizens like Don Raleigh (bass) and Ken Mosher (guitar, saxophone, vocals) who shared an interest in hot jazz. Before long, Chris Phillips (drums, percussion), Tom Maxwell (vocals, guitar, baritone saxophone, clarinet), and Je WindenHouse (trumpet) were added to the band, which was now named after an old-fashioned candy bar, Squirrel Nut Zippers. The group soon made their live debut in Chapel Hill and within a few months had developed a large fan base throughout the South.

By the end of 1994, the Squirrel Nut Zippers had signed with Mammoth Records, and they released their debut album, The Inevitable, in the spring of 1995. The album didn't make much of an impact, but the group continued to tour. Their second album, Hot, was released in January of 1997. Soon after its release, "Hell" became a hit on such influential radio stations as Los Angeles' KROQ, and MTV soon made the video into a buzz clip. By the spring, "Hell" and Hot had become hits, as the single was a staple on modern rock stations. Although the group was now successful, they received mixed reviews, with many critics claiming that they were mocking hot jazz, not paying tribute. Nevertheless, the album went gold, and a second single, "Put a Lid on It," was released in the summer. Perennial Favorites followed in 1998, as did Christmas Caravan. Two years later, the band released Bedlam Ballroom, showcasing a cut by late bandmate Stacy Guess. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine


1995 The Inevitable Mammoth
1997 Hot Mammoth
1997 Sold Out Mammoth
1998 Perennial Favorites Mammoth
1998 Christmas Caravan Mammoth
2000 Bedlam Ballroom Mammoth