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In 1998, Perennial Favorites didn’t exactly win over the critics.
But nearly three decades later, it still sounds dangerous.
On this episode, we revisit Squirrel Nut Zippers’ misunderstood third album — the one that followed the breakout success of “Hell” — and explore why it never quite fit the swing revival label that defined the era.
We talk about the Chapel Hill scene, pre-war jazz influences, industry pressure, and the musical tension that gives songs like “Ghost of Stephen Foster” and “Pallin’ With Al” their bite.
This wasn’t nostalgia.
The menace was always the point.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:15 Our history with Perennial Favorites
04:18 The critics were wrong
07:06 Squirrel Nut Zippers weren't Swing Revivalists
14:50 The Chapel Hill music scene
16:34 Leading up to Perennial Favorites
22:32 Track by track
56:34 Our correspondence with Tom Maxwell
01:10:52 Track by track continued
01:23:30 Perennial Favorites still sounds incredible
01:26:20 SNZ after Perennial Favorites
01:34:43 Rapid-fire questions
