SongVault Artist Profile

Eamonn Dowd & The Racketeers recently released their 4th
album, "Silver and Dust" on German independent, Cannery Row
Records. It features 13 great songs by the Mayo born, Dublin
based songwriter, very ably backed up his regular Racketeers
crew with various guest musicians thrown in for good measure.
The album was recorded by veteran Paul Thomas, best known
for his work with Horslips,Thin Lizzy, Nikki Sudden and early U2.

"Silver and Dust" continues with even more assurance in the
americana / alternative country / rock 'n' roll direction taken by
the band on "Exit Hellsville" (2004) and has received favourable
reviews from the U.K., Germany, The Netherlands and beyond.
While influences like Johnny Cash and Steve Earle come to mind,
a lyrical darkness permeates the bands' roots infused rock 'n'
roll with Dowd's haggard vocal delivering his uniquely twisted
tales. Nick Cave and Green On Red have recently been
mentioned by some reviewers as reference points.

The band came together in summer 1996. The first album "By
Hook Or By Crook" was released the following spring on their
own Spellbound label, and distributed in Ireland by Gael Linn. It
received good reviews from the usual sources such as Hot Press,
but also from fashion glossy U Magazine !

During the summer of '97 they played the Galway Arts Festival
and promptly hit the road for a seven-week tour of Sweden, The
Netherlands and Finland.
"Long Time Gone" saw the light of day in 1999, and despite
several line-up changes the band continued to tour, surviving car
crashes, Nordic stabbing incidents and run-in's with some very
dodgy customers.

"Exit Hellsville" was released in 2004 and with it came the first
solo acoustic tours. These days, Eamonn Dowd & The Racketeers
are kept busy, flying the flag for the underground, and going
wherever the music takes them. Of the 80 -100 gigs a year,
about 70% are solo, the rest with the band - Chris Teusner on
drums and Lesley Keye on bass.