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.