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 Caught in the Carousel "There will be music despite everything"
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Asylum Street Spankers
God's Favorite Band
Spanks-a-Lot/Yellow Dog
To round out what they call their Agnostic Gospel album, Austin's Asylum Street Spankers call upon the great spiritual writers—including everyone from Blind Willie Johnson to the Violent Femmes to help them get the job done. Secular as the the results are decidedly heavenly. Their sprightly take on Robert MacGimsey's "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego" is utterly charming; George and Ira Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" is turned into a buskers' street romp and Johnson's "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" is aching and mournful. Sent through the acoustic jug band machinery of the 'Spankers, these numbers come out sounding richer than ever. The Violent Femmes' "Jesus Walking On The Water" is made over into a rootsy romp, while the band's originals ("Right And Wrong," "Volkswagen Thing") stand equally alongside these selections.
—Alex Green
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