Shoot Your Radio
Studio album by The Chicken Chokers
Released 1987
Recorded 1987
Genre Country
Length 37:48
Label Rounder
Producers Karen Kane, The Chicken Chokers
The Chicken Chokers were an old-timey string band from the Boston area who intersected their roots influences with reggae, punk, and rap. Fiddler Chad Crumm and multi-instrumentalists Paul Strother, Taylor Smith, and Jim Reidy released two albums on Rounder, 1987's Shoot Your Radio and Old Time Music in 1990. But when Crumm departed for New York City, the group fizzled. The remaining Chokers went on to form Primitive Characters, a more tradition-oriented fiddle band. Together with fiddler Sandy Stark, the band issued The Leavin's in 1997 (Chubby Dragon CD). However, PC fizzled too, since the rigid song structure didn't allow for the kind of creativity Strother, Smith, and Reidy craved. This led to the formation of Twang with bassist Robbie Phillips. Twang's debut, Second Slam, appeared in 2000.
From the back cover:
This album is a collection of songs and tunes, both old and young, that we've written or learned over the years from records, tapes and friends. The music is energetic, covering a wide spectrum of sound, from the prehistoric rural southern stringbands of the 20's to the streamlined synthesizer of the 80's. We play all the music with one ear on the future and one on the past, reflecting a range of feeling that speaks to us.
Professional Ratings:
allmusic 4/5 stars
Review by Mark A. Humphrey of allmusic:
Old-time instrumentation, a pseudo-punk bad attitude, and a hilarious title-track rap from this short-lived but fun band from Boston.
LP track listing
Side One
1. "Last of Reidy" (Chad Crumm) - 2:22
2. "Shoot Your Radio" (Chad Crumm) - 4:42
3. "Singin' the Blues" (Joe Young, Sam M. Lewis, Con Conrad, Russell Robinson) - 3:19
4. "Eef Got a Coon" (Traditional) - 2:00
5. "Blackberry Blossom" (Traditional) - 1:43
6. "Worthy of Estimation" (Uncle Dave Macon) - 4:17
Side Two
7. "High Dad in the Morning" (Traditional) - 3:05
8. "Cow Cow Yickee" - (Traditional) 4:59
9. "Eyes of Stone" (Chip Taylor Smith) - 3:42
10. "Watertrain" (Michael Hurley) - 4:25
11. "Shady Grove" (Traditional) - 3:14
Personnel:
* Jim Reidy - banjo, ukelele, baritone ukelele, banjo mandolin
* Stefan Senders - banjo, percussion
* Paul Strother - bass
* Chad Crumm - fiddle, synthesizer
* Chip Taylor Smith - guitar, hawaiian guitar