Girl Haggard

Gonna kick it off with a new disc by the wonderfully named Girl Haggard (get it?). The record's called Country And Eastern, and it's exactly the kind of booze-fueled hootch'n'hayride hootenanny we love so dearly here at the 'Mountain.

According to their bio Girl Haggard were "formed in December 2008, in order to give its members something to do while drinking, other than stand around in barrooms. Girl Haggard’s goals were simple, and easily attained; play rock n roll and country music, loud and fast (while drinking beer and whiskey)."

The band reminds us of early Bloodshot, when the label featured the go-for-broke punkass hillbilly that paid it's dues in hardscrabble shit-kickin' and honky hangovers. And that's a goddam compliment.

The songs on "Country And Eastern" are full of alcohol, regret, and defiance, at once sly winkin' and pickup-truck ready, full throttle tavern-smoked vintage, loaded and brawlin'. Lead singer Mandy Allen is the Loretta Lynn of the trailerpark, full of kiss-offs and fuck-ups, a yowling yodel of a voice. Guitarist Adam Theroux slings off greasy fried chunks of country-seared chug-a-lug. The whole damn mess is the best diner skillet you ever had, flavored, of course, with a hearty dose of bourbon.

The song titles say it all: "Drunk, Broke and In Love (The Hank Shuffle)", "Early and Often", "Pick Up Lines", and "Thinkin' About Drinkin'", to name a few. On the song "Modern Lovers", the band give their best "(We're Not The ) Jet Set", with Mandy Allen intoning:

"Drunk enough to wake up next to you
Listen to your tired lies of always being true
Wish I could be stronger and find a love that's new
Instead of being drunk enough, to wake up next to you."

It's a great song, on an album full of 'em.

This is the kind of band we wanna hear every damn night we're out at the bar, downing tall boys and long necks. Hell, this may be the best drinkin' record you'll hear all year. - Big Rock Candy Mountain

Adam Theroux on guitar was an experience much like a rock skipping across water. Fun, fast, all over the place and hitting every note perfectly until the inevitable end, when it sinks below the surface. Aaron Jaehning tears up the bass. I’m surprised this guy even has any finger tips left. He stands as a testament that not all bass players are converted guitarists, I haven’t seen too many people that play as well as he does. John Hunter on drums never misses a beat. He provides perfect, clean timing and patterns for the rest of the band to be able to play so many notes, so fast, it contributes to their overall solid live sound. Finally, Mandy Allan’s vocals are what set the band apart. She seems to invoke the spirits of Kathleen Hannah and Dolly Parton but in a way that makes it all her own, as she belts out honest lyrics like; “you woke me up hung-over, and now I’m pissed off”. You really can’t argue with a genuine prose like that. - LowCamp

I seriously love this CD. It is a very quirky mix of the best of country with a splash of punk. This is white trash at its best. The only way I could love this CD more would be if I lived in a double wide, had a mullet, and sat on my patch of grass in a plastic chair, sipping a PBR, scratching my gut through a white wife beater. The songs are about drinking, love, a ’56 Ford and drinking. Mandy’s vocals have a deep whiny twang, and it is hilarious during “Early and Often” to hear her say “do a bootie dance.” It however is not all fun and games, even though the CD is very playful, it covers serious issues; in “Hungover/Pissed Off” we find out how being awakened early after a night of hard drinking, leaves a person pretty pissed off. It is a cautionary tale for the ages. “Drunk, Broke and in Love” features Hank Sinatra, Jr. This song is a perfect example of white trash love; one of the lyrics is “You say get a job, and I say shut up! Even Building 19 makes you piss in a cup.” This band takes what Exene and John Doe started twenty years ago, perfects it, then takes it into a whole new direction of greatness. (Melvin O.) - The Noise: Rock Around Boston

Besides being in a playlist type post on Largehearted Boy last week not much has been written about Girl Haggard on the blogs. I’m surprised too because the band combines an indie rock ethos with their honky-tonkin, whiskey-drinkin’ take on country music. I particularly like the lofi aspect of the band’s music. It somehow makes the band more real, more working class, and more authentic even if they’re not cowboys or live in Texas/Nashville (they’re from R.I.).

The new record Country and Eastern came out in September and is available at their shows or on 75 or Less Records. - Songs:Illinois

“It’s hard not to find Girl Haggard endearing, with its obvious nod to music legend Merle and its particular brand of hard-drinking, punk-infused country music. Lead singer Mandy is convincing in the role of the outlaw cowgirl, and sells the songs of drinking and fighting with a visceral rawness that more evokes punk empress Exene Cervenka than it does country music’s more demure female royalty…”
- Victor Infante, Worcester Telegram - Worcester Telegram

“As if Girl Haggard needed any more adrenaline pumped into their live set, they just recruited none other than ‘09 Best Music Poll ‘Category-Defying’ dude Adam Theroux, better known as Hank Sinatra, Jr…, who will join Allan, Jaehnig, and drummer John Hunter. Seems like a perfect fit… ” - Boston Phoenix

“When we checked in with Girl Haggard last summer, the band had just recruited guitarist/charismatic loon Hank Sinatra Jr. and planned to record a full-length debut, building on the demos “Providence and Bourbon” and “Hungover/Pissed Off” (both appear on Country and Eastern). Mission accomplished. On the duet “Drunk, Broke and In Love,” Hank and Mandy trade barbs as quarreling white-trash lovers, with Sinatra Jr firing off lines like, “You say get a job and I say shut up/Even Building 19 makes you piss in a cup.” But Allan remains the star, endearing even on a chorus like “I’m drunk, I’m pissed, and I’m coked up/and still pretty sure I love you” (“Pick Up Lines”). And on “Early and Often,” Allan informs her lame suitor, “You don’t know nothin’ about me or how to treat me right/A shot and a beer and a li’l pinball might help your chances tonight,” and sounds right at home with the shout-along chorus of “Take me to the E&O!”. . .”
- Chris Conti, Providence Phoenix, September, 2010 - Providence Phoenix

“Girl Haggard are not lame. They have no problem backing up the whiskey talk no matter if it’s a raging on the weekend or enjoying a mellow blue Monday night. Country and Eastern progresses into a couple of classic bad romance nuggets which find singer Mandy Allan channeling her inner Exene Cervenka on “Modern Lovers” and “Drunk, Broke, and in Love (TheHank Shuffle)”. . . when the fuzz tone stomp of “Early and Often” came blasting through the speakers, shit just got real!. . . “Early and Often” is a Hell of a lot closer to The Cramps than anything that would be called Country Western, eastern, or central for that matter. The rhythm section of Aaron Jaehnig (bass) and John Hunter (drums) drop anchor on the beat and when I heard Theroux unleash those dirty Poison Ivy riffs, my eyes lit up like a fat kid at an all-you-can-eat buffet. . . Allan’s vocals sound gorgeous waltzing above the rhythm before exploding into the punk chant of “I’m drunk, I’m pissed, and I’m coked up. . . After nearly two years of waiting for material from Girl Haggard, Country and Eastern is worth the wait! Good music for good whiskey drinking people. ”- Marc Clarkin, Motif Magazine, September, 2010 - Motif Magazine