I had the pleasure of attending the sold out J. Roddy Walston & The Business show last weekend at The Troubadour on my birthday. 'Twas a lovely way to spend my special little day. Of course Mr. Roddy and his accompanying "Business" put on a fantastic show. It was a rowdy, raucous, and righteous display of old-school rock 'n roll. For anyone that harbors reservations about the spirit of rock 'n roll today, simply look to J. Roddy & The Business to deliver. The sound and attitude of said style is very much alive in this group. The long hair flails, the guitar wails, and the drums pummel. The bass thumps, the piano pounds, and flannel is worn. The group provides an accurate measurement of today's rock 'n roll pulse, and it is very much alive.
J. Roddy is currently touring in support of their latest release Essential Tremors, which I will now appropriately feature as "Album of The Month". This record, released last month, is the group's third full length effort. It continues with the gritty styling of their previous records, containing the usual suspects of distorted guitars and raw, boisterous drum sounds. Accompanying that are the traditional rock culprits of bouncing bass lines and rhythmic piano playing. Atop all of this sits J. Roddy's raspy yet sensual and, at times, riotous voice which is augmented by delicious, playful backing harmonies.
There is much to be said for this third effort, these fellas have matured well and offered up a great batch of classic sounding cuts mixed in with a few curveballs. I personally love the hypnotic, tribal pulse of "Sweat Shock" reminiscent of Led Zeppelin a la "Immigrant Song". "Black Light" is a groovy nod to AC/DC with a simple beat and a killer distorted bass tone. Another favorite is "Hard Times"; furnishing the record with the necessary rolling, rollicking drive that pairs well with a joyride, windows down. And a J. Roddy record would not be complete without a healthy dose of some good old boogie woogie shuffle which is achieved with the tunes "Marigold" and "Tear Jerk". "Boys Can Never Tell" is a country-esque ballad showcasing Mr. Roddy's sensitive side and contains some tasteful pedal steel guitar playing. And the closer "Midnight Cry" is a lovely anthem which yields a grand sing-a-long outro which was heartily embraced by all at the Troubadour show.
From the thrash of "Heavy Bells", the laid back funk of "Take It As It Comes", and the tender falsetto of "Nobody Knows", J. Roddy Walston & The Business have added a rock solid album to their arsenal. It is sure to receive many a repeat spin on my figurative record player (iPhone) and I hope it does the same on yours. Enjoy and keep rock 'n roll alive!
jroddywalstonandthebusiness.com
J. Roddy Walston & The Business - Essential Tremors on iTunes
J. Roddy Walston & The Business - Essential Tremors on Spotify
More soon,
Ty
No comments:
Post a Comment