The Downs Family is a product of a St. Patrick’s Day sing-a-long nearly twenty years ago at San Diego's Casbah. At the time, they played loose renditions of Irish folk tunes and songs by The Pogues. Since then, their sound has evolved to include the influences of bluegrass, polka music, Sham 69, Big Country, and blues. The Downs Family eventually settled on a line up of two guitars, bass, drums, accordion, banjo, and tin whistle. They began getting gigs with this line up with such bands as Ed’s Redeeming Qualities, The Rebel Consortium featuring Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana, and Deadbolt.
The Downs Family's, first recording, a cassette on their own Drunken Sod label, now out of print, featured four original songs: Milo’s Jig, Falling Down Drunk, Arkansas XX, and Doped Up on You. Side B was recorded live at The Casbah in 1992. In 1993, they recorded their first single with Vinyl Communications, and played with John Doe and Rocket from the Crypt.
In 1994, they went on tour with Rocket from the Crypt to Mesa, Arizona, Albuquerque, New Mexico, as well as Austin and Houston, Texas. They recorded a full length CD/Cassette on Vinyl Communications featuring nine original songs and three Irish traditionals called Beer is Like a Dog... It Knows When You’re Scared. In that year, they gigged with Red Aunts, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Candy Cane, Little Jack Melody and his Young Turks, Yo La Tengo, Southern Culture on the Skids, Tanner, Buck O’ Nine, No Doubt, Inch, and Crash Worship. That year suicide claimed the life of their accordion player and their banjo player left the band to live in another city.
In 1995, a new banjo player, Erik Brashers, joined the group. He played and recorded with them for six months before he moved to Arkansas with his wife and two children. The recordings with Erik have never been released. Prior to Erik’s departure, he passed the reins to another banjo player, Ernest Cline.
During the first two months of 1996, they completed their second full length CD, Top O’ the world. This self-released CD features five original songs and eight traditional songs of both Irish and American origin. Top O’ the world was released in 1996 on St. Patrick’s Day at a CD release party at the Casbah. The CD release party was the homecoming show of a west coast tour that included shows in shows in Eugene, Seattle, Tacoma, and Vancouver.
Original line-up:
Dave Dick - Guitar, Vocals
Brendan Berg - Guitar Vocals
Brian Van de Wetering - Tin Whistle, Mandolin
Dave Gardner - Bass
Vaughn Franklin - Drums
Nora Brackenbury - Banjo
Chris Cruise - Accordion
Discography:
"The Downs Family" (12 tracks, 1992)
"Finnegan's Wake / Falling Down Drunk" (2 track 7",1993)
"Beer is Like a Dog ..." (12 tracks, 1994)
"Top o' the World" (14 tracks, 1996)
www.myspace.com/thedownsfamily
You might want to add the album "made it boys! top o the world"
ReplyDelete