I recently received the debut cd from The Craigs, a relatively new band out of Toronto.  Their music is a lively blend of country, roots and honky-tonk and their disc contains several tunes I’d call “unheard country classics”, meaning you can instantly relate to them you’d swear you’ve heard them before, but you haven’t.  Take Without Whiskey for instance.  It is a songwriters lament about trying to write country songs that don’t deal with whiskey:

The boys in the band they say to me,  no more songs about whiskey son if you please.   But its a tradition in my family,  without whiskey where would country music be?   You might as well ask me not to sing about pickup trucks.. cheatin’ hearts, old dogs, honky-tonks, trains and jail and cars…..

And then there’s The Days That End in Why as in “I only miss you on the days that end in why.”    

The Craigs were formed in 2006 by singer J.D. Johnson and former Craig, guitarist Scott Blake, who connected on CraigsList, hence the name of the band!  The band now consists of J.D. Johnson (vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin), Chris Johnston (vocals, rhythm guitar), Wayne McKenzie (bass), Bob Fitzgerald (vocals, drums), Paul Magee (vocals, electric guitar), Jim Robbins (pedal steel), and Rick Bauer (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar). Their debut disc is an upbeat fun disc that will surely leave your toes tired from tapping!

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