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‘’That’s G-A-L-I-P-A-Y-G-O-S, G-A-L-I-P-A-Y-G-O-S’’
Mark Lamarr BBC Radio 2’s ‘’Gods Jukebox’’

The Demise of Gary Lipgloss
‘’Tremendous work/ Great Value’’
Stuart Baillie (BBC Radio Ulster/ Ex NME)

‘’The Demise of Gary Lipgloss’’
Album of the Month’’
www.bluesbunny.com

One of the many joys of reviewing albums is that you are guaranteed to be surprised by something every week. This week’s surprise came from Inverness band the Galipaygos with their album "The Demise of Gary Lip-gloss". As is our editorial custom, we give albums a quick listen before they get despatched to their reviewer. The day after we listened to this one, the Bluesbunnies kept humming the same tunes. When we thought about it, they all came from this album.

Scotland has a fondness for the alt-country/Americana genre as is evidenced by the many bands ploughing that particular furrow these days. The Galipaygos more than deliver the goods in this category. In fact, they also manage to give us 14 songs of pure class. The more we listened to this album, the more we liked it. "Pickin’ Fishes" is pure sing-along old style country. The Beach Boys like harmonies of "Good Luck, Bad Luck" mix perfectly with the quirky trumpet playing of Jamie Macgregor to produce a future pop classic. "Happiness Starts Now" is the Kinks go country. Ending on a song about the trials and tribulations of life in a band in "Don’t Start a Band", this was one album that ended only too soon. We suppose that is the best way for things to be - always leave them wanting more. Andrew Still does most of the songwriting and we hope that he has plenty more ready to satisfy our future needs.

The question that the Bluesbunny is often asked is whether a band is merely the sum of the influences. Galipaygos draw on many influences - the Flying Burrito Brothers, The Jayhawks and most notably of Edinburgh’s master popsters Dropkick. Like a fine wine, the proof is in the tasting when you can enjoy the complexity that goes into something so simple. The Galipaygos have simply produced a remarkably mature album of quality songs that deserves a wider audience than it will probably get. If you have any sort of musical taste then we recommend that you make the effort and track yourself down a copy now. Get in contact with the band via their Myspace page. In fact, the only way this album could be better was if you could get it on vinyl. 5/5

The Galipaygos ''Trucker Chic''
Americana NL (The Netherlands)

Bit of a rough day? Quickly irritated? Bad hair day? The Galipaygos will get you out of the deepest well. Five young guests from Inverness who surprise us with uncut, refreshing americana. Their debut from 2004 escaped us, but Trucker Chic (own management) makes for a pleasant introduction. Scotland yes, even though you might think yourself on the border of Mexico and California.

Besides Calexico they are influenced by Wilco, Ryan Adams, Brds, Dylan and the Band. More importantly they found their own unique sound. Nice three-voice harmonies, crystal-clear banjo and mandolin playing and a tight-kept enthusiastic tempo. At the same time this gets a bit repetitive after a while. But with more variety and the same enthusiasme their forthcoming cd will be something to look forward to.
7/10

Americana UK The Galipaygos ''Trucker Chic''

An open, honest and endearing album, with some lush harmonies and catchy tunes thrown in for good measure

Ladies, if you fancy having a go at exploring the minds of men (oh yeah, that old chestnut) you'd do as well to give this album a good listening to. It has a real disarming quality which, nice songs aside, offers an insight, of sorts, into what your fella might be thinking mid-row ("Sweetheart Smile"), or whether that bloke you're trying to chat up in the pub is genuinely interested, or about to nobly send you packing back to your husband ("The Day You Were Born"), that type of thing.

Of course not all songs are about relationships, there's all sorts going on here. "Open Water" is a joyful ode to, well, whatever you want really. It could be about embracing the wonderful unpredictability of life, or it could be that they're about to go on a camping holiday. It doesn't matter, the song is lovely either way. "Two Mouths To Feed" is (quite obviously) about sprogs growing up to be spoilt brats, and so on and so forth.
The Galipaygos have an interesting personal, and modern take on folk music, telling tales of relationships, family life, how they don't like disco dancing, and other such matters. This is all done with a naivety and charm that comes across as refreshing.

Overall, their gentle folk/Americana sound is clearly heavily influenced by the Cosmic Rough Riders, especially in terms of the harmonies, which are a key hook with this band. Not a bad sound to emulate by any means. Lovely jubbly.

The Galipaygos ''Trucker Chic''
Crooked Rain Review

This band from Inverness haven't been together too long but have now produced a second cd with a sound of their own that is already distinctive - a combination of Andrew Still's light, earnest singing and a band playing in an Americana style. Twangy electric guitar and strummed acoustic is augmented by banjo and mandolin but also frequently by Hammond Organ swirls that I, for one, can rarely resist. The whole is driven along by an insistent drumming style that sometimes contrasts nicely with the gentle, homely nature of the lyric. "Write about what you know" is taken to heart by these guys, and the songs are, almost naively, directly about their lives and the lives of their friendsand contemporaries. One of several songs re-recorded from the first cd, "The Band That Had No Songs", relates the tale of their coming together and getting a support slot to Ox, the Vancouver band, before they'd got any material to play.

What they already do well is to write songs with hooks that aren't obvious but that have a slow-burning persistence. It doesn't always come off but the best of these songs - "Sweetheart Smile" and "Two Mouths To Feed" for my money - have a bit of that magic that makes you start rooting for a band. I hesitate to compare them to Aberfeldy because they're not so wilfully offbeat, but they do have a similar sort of charm that leaves you with a happy smile on your face. Probably not at the top of their game yet, then, but it's going to be fun listening to them as they get there.

THE HIGHLAND NEWS
‘’Trucker Chic’’ Review

Sounding like something out of America by way of the Highlands, TRUCKER CHIC is the latest album from city band The Galipaygos.12 tracks of prime, juicy New Country come at you with lyrics so sweetly done that the whole thing should come in a honey jar. Live farourites such as 'Dog Leg Stair' (a wry hym to the city's Market Bar) and the newer 'Song for the Road' (which bemoans the routes Highlanders travel by), truck stop firmly on local soil but classically crafted numbers like 'Strangeress', 'The Day That You Were Born' and 'Lovers Loan', could be from - and for - anywhere from Nairn to Nashville. Arrangements reflect the time this expanded line-up have gigged these numbers. Restrained, inspired and always, always laid back, these songs are the last word in tongue-in-cheek chic.

THE I.C.A ‘’Trucker Chic Review’’

From the opener 'Theme' with its spagetti western trumpet and whirling hammond organ, the band demonstrate a combination of musical comprehension and knowing humour that runs right through this album. Musically they conjure up America, lyrically they are rooted right here - right now - with songs about themselves and their friends, places and times they enjoy - like the Market Bar on the uplifting 'Dog Leg Stair'. High point for me is 'Sweetheart Smile' - a straightforward plea to an unhappy partner after hours - a fine song by anyone's standards. The Galipaygos show that they have a good grasp of their chosen genre - American/ alt-country but their strength is in the lyrics that are a real joy!

Galipaygos Crooked Rain Live Review

The Galipaygos have been making steady progress on the live circuit since the release of ‘Trucker Chic’. They have some fine tunes, an eye for showmanship and are quite a sight with the trumpet, sax and gurning drummer all going at once. ‘Hands’ is an ambitious song which sounded a bit too much like a number from a musical for my liking, but ‘Dog Leg Stair’ and their theme tune are excellent. Nice one, boys
The Galipaygos are ‘’always entertaining’’ Stornaway Today