With a name like Vagabondage, the duo of John Flaw and Emchy warrant at the very least a cursory listen. And if you're a fan of Americana roots and bluesy, whiskey soaked vocals then their self described catalog of "pirate shanties, murder ballads and carnivale vaudevillia" are just what the bartender ordered.

On their 2009 debut album "Songs from the Bottom of an Empty Glass" the combination of vocals, accordion, guitar and kazoo weaves together a tapestry of moody drinking songs, midnight ruminations and lovelorn revelry. As a whole, the album is the perfect soundtrack for a night of Jack Daniels inspired contemplation.

On the single "Second Heart," Flaw's vocals channel a slightly less smoky Tom Waits as his guitar drags behind Emchy's accordion with a melancholy stumble, like a lovelorn, punch drunk Django Reinhardt.

Secondheart-Vagabondage  by  Boothism

Team Vagabondage keeps a full dancecard of Bay Area shows, having just wrapped up gigs at Witches Brew at the Stud and the Wonderland at the DNA Lounge. On February 11, they'll be providing the soundtrack for the Hubba Hubba Review's Beerlesque at the Paradise Lounge and playing with Alan Black and Harmon Leon at the KnockOut on February 26.

To keep tabs on the busy bondage duo, check out the Vagabondage website and Facebook page. And you can download Songs From the Bottom of an Empty Glass from Reverb Nation.

Music Monday is our weekly series highlighting Oakland's diverse music community.  Soul, Indie, Hip Hop, Classical, Electronic-If you're an Oakland based musician we want to hear from you.  We'll be highlighting our songs every week.  Send us your tracks, bio and contact info.  You can also drop music into our Sound Cloud account.

About Kwan Booth

Kwan Booth is the co founder and Sr. Community Manager for Oakland Local. A West Oakland resident, Booth is also a creative writer, media consultant and cultural curator. He was recently a recipient of the Society of Professional Journalist’s Sigma Delta Chi award for a series on air quality and health issues in West Oakland. He writes at Boothism.com