Album Notes

In our newest, coolest CD we're traveling the High Seas with seafaring adventurers and piratical riff raff. These 12 tunes are our first adventures with the crew of the barque, Lucky Bird.

If you like Ska, Celtic flavors and Gypsy brass bands you'll like us.
If you like seafaring rogues and dance and drink worthy tunes you'll like this CD!

Mad Mags’ Listening Notes for “Skull & Magpies”:
1. Seaborne -- open sea ska
2. For the Love of Pete -- a sea-going adventure, Celtic, pop, swing hybrid
3. Navigate -- ska, to see where you are take a look at the stars
4. Dark Matters -- groove ska/swing
5. High Seas Lament -- slow and sad, the ocean's edge stretches wide ahead
6. The Folly of Fame -- Black Sea rogue
7. Sandglass -- instrumental from times past, atmospheric
8. Rough Music -- ballad of a roving man and a discontented crew*
9. Morning Star -- mad maggiefied traditional Celtic reel
10. Fair Winds -- love and promises
11. Il y a un Bal -- cajunesque
12. Where to Next? -- ska, reminiscent of bluebeat **

* when sailors were unhappy with they way they were being treated they would make noise at nighttime on the lower decks by rolling cannonballs (shot), banging iron objects together etc. These sounds are called rough music and were a warning to the captain and officers that the sailors’ discontent could turn to mutiny.

** Blue Beat Records was a label in Jamaica in the 60s which featured R&B and ska. The name became associated with a style of ska.


Michael Ashby: bass guitar
Johny Blood: tuba
Billy Dee Boom: drums
Adrian Gormley: alto sax
Lawrence Jarach; trombone
Rhian Robinson: whistle, clarinet
Maggie Martin: accordion, vocals
Lewis Wallace: bass guitar
Gary Wium: guitars

All music and lyrics by Maggie Martin
"Morning Star" based on a traditional reel
Music published by Media Rare/Squeezin' Diva Music (BMI)

Recorded, engineered & mixed by
Wally Sound, Oakland, CA - Analog, 2 inch tape, 16 track to 1/4 inch stereo
Mastered by "JJ" Golden, Ventura, CA

Illustration and design by Dale Horstman

Executive producer: Cash Vaquero

©2009 Media Rare/Squeezin' Diva Music (BMI)