#1 1930s Calypsonian The Growler, recorded several tracks as Growler. The Growler, or the Mighty Growler, was the name Errol Duke used for his calypso work and recordings. His recordings date from the 1930s and 1940s, and he is thought to have died in the mid-1950s. #2 Growler began in 1997 as a side project for some of the original members of The Bad Men after an opening nationwide tour with Will Oldham. With a cult following, a fanbase that includes David Byrne and Little Richard, and hundreds of write-ups in underground 'zines, with one notable mention in Rolling Stone as one of the most influential and unheard of bands of the 00's, how Growler has escaped the limelight may confuse the uninitiated. The incredibly prolific group has released 37 albums (and double albums) covering most every genre from country to jazz to experimental and noise, all of them on dead formats—many of them vinyl, but just as many on 8-tracks, reel-to-reels, or DAT, and sold á la Jandek, via mail order in bulk, but never in stores. "Growler's music is like a home for the soul," Ben Chasny wrote. In this digital age of music, it can be increasingly hard to find home. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.