BOB CUSSEN plays the mandolin (and anything else with strings) like a man with centuries worth of music inside him and only one lifetime to let it all out, his road-worn old Gibson always on the verge of spontaneous combustion. Montreal-based and of German/Hungarian descent, he was the founding member and leader of the White River Bluegrass Band, which, over the course of twelve years, produced three recordings, six European tours and made appearances at festivals, concerts and clubs across the U.S. and Canada, from the Western Arctic to the Magdalene Islands. He went on to become the 1985 U.S. Midwest Irish banjo champion. From 1992 to 1999 he appeared with his band the Immigrants, also known as Nobody You Know, playing extensively in the U.S. and Canada, producing several recordings. As well as Swift Years he is a mainstay of the Montreal Irish scene where he performs with singer-songwriter Belfast Andi. He also occasionally plays with Notre Dame de Grass. Bob has collaborated with a great many artists, including Tom Paxton, Jean Leloup, Kate and McGarrigle, Plume Latraverse, Karen Young, Michel Faubert, Lawrence Lepage, Claude Lafrance, Georges Langford, Garolou, Ian Tamblyn and the Venezuelan instrumental group Çavana. He has appeared on numerous CBC recordings, as well as many TV shows in Canada, Germany and Hungary. He has also recorded for the National Film Board.
PATRICK HUTCHINSON grew up in remote parts of rural Scotland and England, before coming to Montreal in 1978 with a box of punk-rock 45s and an incomprehensible accent. Formative influences were his parents' love of folk/world music, and John Peel every night on BBC radio who could go from the Buzzcocks to the Bothy Band and Little Feat to Lee Perry without batting an eyelid. As a tasty, soulful, ensemble-minded guitarist he tips his hat to the likes of Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper, and Richard Thompson. Patrick was an original member of Top Ranking (Montreal's first ska band) in the 1980s, and half of minimalist torch-and-twang duo Bare Bones in the '90s, putting out several well-received albums and gigging extensively both alone and with the likes of Johnny Clegg, Procul Harum and Ani Difranco.
SUZANNE UNGAR embodies the bass virtues of talking softly and carrying a big stick. Whereas bass players tend to be in the background in folk acts, Suzanne's silk-and-steel basslines are an essential up-front part of the Swift Years sound. Born in Budapest, Hungary, she lived in Europe and California before establishing herself in Montreal. She studied piano and classical guitar, before concentrating on the electric bass and becoming a part of the Montreal folk scene in the 1970's. She performed with the Jay Sewall Blues Band and the Celtic trio Anam Cara, and was member of the folk/rock group Harlequin for a number of years, as well as the R&B/pop group Random Hush. Suzanne has also performed and recorded with the New York artist Barbara Lewis and also the Irish/Gaelic singer Beverley McGuire.
Influences
Lots of old records on the Monitor label, with titles like "Dance, Gypsy!" or "Around the Samovar"; Hungarian fiddle masters like Yoska Nemeth & Sandor Lakatosh; bluegrassers like Greenbriar Boys & the Dillards; electric folkers like Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention & Alan Stivell; the Clash; Billy Bragg; Cream; The Corries; Lee Perry, Culture and pretty much all '70s roots reggae; Slim & Slam and all manner of pre-WWII hokum; et multiple cetera.
Sounds Like
The house band in a joint where Woody Guthrie could trade licks with Johannes Brahms.
SWIFT YEARS cook up a potent blend of roots music from the old and new worlds, served with hot sauce and lyrics both sweet and sour. One-word description? Worldbilly: music that originates in the hills & backwoods of many nations, plugged in for a night on the town.
SWIFT YEARS is the happy result of a chance encounter of three musicians who between them have played everything from Bluegrass to Reggae, via East European, Celtic and North African folk. The treatments of traditional material are marked by musical intensity and adventurous spirit, and the original compositions combine this with playful/serious lyrics that turn a satirical eye inwards as well as outwards.
They have entertained audiences of all shapes, sizes, ages and persuasions (in English and in French), though on occasion have been reprimanded by the Folk Police for having too much fun. Swift Years have a sincere love for traditional music; but as a living changing entity rather than a museum exhibit, much in the spirit of the likes of Steeleye Span and Los Lobos. ......................................ET, EN FRANÇAIS...............................
"Trio de folk (celtique, tzigane et amérique) à l'exentricité magique. Cosmopolitisme résume leur ouverture sans frontière. Déjà qu'ils-elle sont d'origines européennes diverses (Hongrie, Écosse, etc.), que leurs expériences les ont fait jouer blues, reggae-ska, folk et chanson avec bien du monde, que Montréal les habite, que leur virtuosité ne sert qu'à allumer humour et gouaille... Guitare, mandoline/banjo et basse sont les outils pour bourgeonner des trucs qui grouillent; telles La banqueroute d'Oscar Thiffault, des pièces traditionnelles ré-éclairées ou des compos inimitables de gouaille- Couldn't we?"
- Ramon Vitesse, LE COUAC, Montréal *~!*~*!*~*!*~*!*~*!*~*!*~*!*
WANNA PICK UP AN ALBUM? Drop us a line, paypal us, and we'll ship you one (or more...) Joe's Report and Three @ $20 incl. delivery, first one & Démo @15. Full info on track listings (also email contact, if you're not a myspace cadet) available at www.swiftyears.com.
ENVIE DE VOUS PROCURER UNE DISQUE? Contactez-nous; nous acceptons paypal, nous allons vous envoyer une (ou plus...) Joe's Report et Three @ $20 incl. livraison, première & Démo @15. Informations plus amples sur les contenus (et addresse couriel, si vous n'êtes pas myspatiel) trouvable chez www.swiftyears.com *~!*~!*~!*~!
Voici le bouton facile! Here's the easy button!
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...and on the telly with Belfast Andi:
How cool, Patrick! Nice of you to comment on LOLs in LC's home town re: Fin de Siecle. I think it's funny too! I sent a promo pack to the Yellow Door Cafe but have not heard back. Would love to sing it there. Any suggestions at this late date?
Will check out Swift Years when I get home tonight! I look forward to it. Again: thanks for writing.
Thanks! You were indeed friends with the prior incarnation of the band... just now getting around to reacquainting with our A-list buddies from that period. Big up Swift Years! Dave
Just stopping by to say hello and give you some news. The new album 'Coolgilly and the Freakshow' from Centascope is now available worldwide from CD Baby and directly from the merchandise page of the official website. You can also get the album from Apple iTunes, MSN Music, Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon and many more.
Glad you enjoyed our new CD Dust Bowl Roots: Songs for the New Depression on yer trip back to MTL. We LOVE yer music too! Gotta gig together when we come to MTL in July! HOTCHA!
Here's wishing everyone a tremendous time over the Festive Season and a Divine 2009...
I know where I'll be on New Year's Eve (and Norman and Wilko and Monti). What about you?!
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