Archive for the ‘music’ Category

The 24th Street Wailers

Posted by Dee-Ann On September - 17 - 2014

24streetwhere are you from? We are from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
How and when did you start?  We started after meeting in music school and having a mutual love of blues and 50’s Rock n Roll.  I was glad to find 4 people to start a band with and not just have a backing group.  Each member, Emily Burgess-Guitar, Jon Wong-Tenor Sax, Jesse Whiteley-Piano and Michael Archer-Bass are talented and a feature in their own right.  
Describe your music style?  We are a 50’s RnB band.  

How did your love for this music start, which age, which artist?  I’ve always loved music, of all kinds, for as long as I can remember but when it comes to 50’s RnB I would have to say that Little Richard was the first to really move me.  I would have been around 10 years old then.  
Who did influence you?  My influences are very eclectic, however my main influences when it comes to the world of R n B would have to be Little Willie John,  Mickey Baker, Little Richard, and most importantly Nick Curran.  He was a great singer, guitarist and drummer.  He really brought this music forward for a whole new generation to hear and see.


Do you write your own songs?  Yes I write the songs, along with Emily the guitar player, we play a few covers but the lions share of the music is original. 

If so, where do you get your inspiration? Real life, or total fantasy.  I would say my song content comes very much from real life,  Emily on the other hand likes to mix some fantasy in with hers.  
Do you write together? We have in the last year begun to write together but up until this point the  song writing was very separate and we’d bring them in when either Emily or I was done with them.  Now we’re a bit more open to writing with each other. 

(Tell us about your latest cd)

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69Beavershot Baroeg

Posted by Dee-Ann On September - 3 - 2014

IMG_0133After a couple of silent years 69 Beavershot played at the the Scum Bash festival earlier this year. They kinda picked up performing again, with drummer Rene. In July they were sharing stage with Bob Wayne, at the Baroeg. A dark and little venue in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Mostly alternative bands play there. Mostly hardrock, metal, but gradually Psychobilly, hillbilly is setteling at the Baroeg.
Guitar player Robert always has this great style of playing, inspired by Brian setzer, Scotty More, James Burton. His growling voice is just right for their kind of rough rockabilly. All their songs have titles you can easily sing and shout along with, like, red headed woman (my favorite although I’m not a red head), hell cat and speed track. 69Beavershot played their own originals as well as some covers. While guys sang along especially woman danced exotically in front of the stage. Is it because of their music or are they hoping Robert is giving them the eye?

ROCKABILLY ROCKOUT OCTOBER 2nd – 5th 2014

Posted by Dee-Ann On August - 29 - 2014
219 We’d love to introduce you to some of the bands that you will see at Rockabilly Rockout!
 
Meet the Bands: 

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JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers interview

Posted by Dee-Ann On August - 27 - 2014
Picture by Joshua Black Wilkins

Picture by Joshua Black Wilkins

JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers started out as just the Dirt Daubers, an old-timey trio from Kentucky. However, we “went electric” over a year ago and started playing more blues and rockabilly. There’s a lot of old Chess era R&B in what we do too.

I have loved blues music since I was in my mid teens. I love the music of Muddy Waters, Magic Sam and Little Walter. I later discovered rockabilly guys like Charlie Feathers and Dex Romweber. Mojo Nixon, Jim Heath and other edgy modern guys made the music real to me. I draw inspiration from my home town, which is in the South and not far from where the blues and rockabilly were both born. I also still have a passion for Kentucky mountain music. Remember, you can’t have rockabilly without the “hillbilly” component.

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The WyattChristmas Trio – I’ve got rhythm: CD review

Posted by Miriam On July - 23 - 2014

WyattCD

The WyattChristmas Trio from Germany; I’ve already interviewed them in 2010.
But since then, a lot has happened.
The frontman of the band, Andy WyattChristmas (Wyatt like Wyatt Earp) is still leading the band, since he started the trio in 2008.
They’ve released their first album in 2010 called “Well, it’s allright”.
But since then two members have left the band and they’re replaced by Lee Diefenbach (drums & vocals) and Ralf Exter (bass & vocals).
With this line up they’ve released recently the second album, called “I’ve got rhythm”. And for sure, the name is perfectly chosen!

You can describe their sound as a mixture of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blues and swing. A vintage sound like the early fifties, very danceable music.
Most of the songs (90%) are self-written songs and the harmony vocals run like a thread through the whole album.

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DRAKE BELL – READY STEADY GO!

Posted by Dee-Ann On April - 14 - 2014

DRAKE BELL - promo photo 2014Drake Bell is the most popular TV actor in Nickelodeon’s history, with a fanbase that stretches to over 6 million Facebook likes and almost 3 million Twitter followers. As the star of the ‘Drake & Josh’ TV show and three movie spin-offs – all of which were hits in the UK – he has won numerous KIds Choice Awards, including Favourite TV Actor, International TV Star and International Singer. Having grown up in the entertainment business, Bell filmed his first commercial at the age of 5, while his acting credits include ‘Jerry Maguire’, ‘High Fidelity’, ‘Super Hero Movie’ and ‘Yours, Mine & Ours’ as well as providing his voice for several animated films.

However, his talent goes way beyond acting. With music being his first love, Bell has been writing and recording his own material since his early teens – including the theme song to ‘Drake & Josh’ – while his first guitar was a Brian Setzer Gretsch (Setzer having been his guitar god since he was 12 years old and discovered rockabilly), which he started playing when he was cast in the TV movie ‘Chasing Destiny’. Co-starring Roger Daltrey, it was The Who frontman who gave the young performer his initial lessons. Although Bell was primarily focused on acting for years thereafter, he continued to play music and write songs on the side, and the Drake & Josh show (which began airing in 2004 when he was 15) finally allowed him to show off his chops onscreen, playing an exaggerated version of his guitarist-self named Drake Parker.

‘Ready, Steady, Go!’ is Bell’s third album release but his first for 8 years. Containing a mix of original material and a selection of covers, its rockabilly influence is evident throughout. Co-produced by Brian Setzer and including two Stray Cats covers, the self-penned ‘BItchcraft’ is the first single from the record and a well-executed homage to the grace and style of the 50’s.

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Bobby Bare Jr. Album release “Undefeated”

Posted by Dee-Ann On April - 10 - 2014

BBJ_218_JBW_horizontalBobby Bare, Jr. could’ve phoned in a career. He could’ve exploited the fact that he’s the son of iconic Country Music Hall of Famer Bobby Bare, was born into Nashville‘s Music Row elite, and counted artists like Shel Silverstein as close family friends and George Jones and Tammy Wynette as next door neighbors. Instead, Bobby blazed a path of unique songwriting craftsmanship with a voice that blows through you like an unyielding wind on the desolate prairie. Undefeated is BBJ’s first release since 2010 and what he calls his “break-up record,” but the whole of it is much more involved: this isn’t escapism; it’s an emotional survival guide. Undefeated is ten songs of reality checks, clever wordplay, and daring arrangements, the aural companion to that buddy who pulls up a bar stool next to yours to help soak away your sorrows.

Bobby Bare, Jr. (https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artist/bobby-bare-jr) will release his new album Undefeated on April 15 via Bloodshot Records (pre-order available here). This is his first record since 2010, and his first back with the label since 2006’s The Longest Meow.

Recently, Garden & Gun premiered the album’s lead download track, “The Big Time.” The tune is Southern rock ‘n’ roll reinterpreted through the lens of soulful pedaled bass, celebratory and punchy brass, and the façade of big-city talk (“You’re gonna miss me after I hit the big time/ Gonna get brand new famous friends.”) You can download the tune here (https://soundcloud.com/bshq/the-big-time-by-bobby-bare-jrs/s-PWWJg?in=bshq/sets/bobby-bare-jr-undefeated/s-PWWJg).

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Bottle Cap Rockets: “Down And Dirty”

Posted by Dee-Ann On February - 26 - 2014

BCR feb 2014

Mathias: So Al, as I understand it you are the founding member of Bottle Cap Rockets, how about giving us your background.

Al: Ok … I’ve been a singer songwriter for several years, been in a couple of original bands, and it was all great fun and I learned a lot through playing live and working with other musicians. Then later co-writing with my good friend Peter Surdoval, an amazing producer and sound engineer we were lucky enough to sell twenty-five songs to Universal Music. Some of which appear in the academy award-winning movie Monster staring Charlize Theron, The Pentagon Papers, staring James Spader and TV shows such as Monk and Cold Case. By 2009 our partnership ended when Pete decided to leave the music business and pursue more profitable ventures. Well I was pretty bummed and I wasn’t ready to just stop making music. In 2010 I was actively writing and recording demos. I ended up writing about 20 songs, some were lame but others had potential. I then made the decision to look for band mates.

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Calabrese interview at the Oakland Metro Operahouse

Posted by christinadeath On February - 23 - 2014
DSC00066Interview by Christina Death on January 29th, 2014 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse
Text and Transcription by Christina Death
Photos by James Leon

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44 Shakedown

Posted by Dee-Ann On February - 21 - 2014

Tell us about your band.44 Shakedown Flyer

We’re called 44 Shakedown, and we hail from the western part of the Netherlands.

It all started out a few years back, when we got together as a West coast jump blues outfit with a blues harp, played by Jaap van Waardenberg. However, the majority of us felt more attracted by that particular style of 40’s and 50’s black music that rocks hard but is still very melodic. The blues harp player went his own way; we     found alto sax player Tim through the internet, and played with him for a couple of years. We also tried adding a piano for a while, but in the end were happy with the sound of just a guitar, as it creates a little more dynamic sound. It was at the premiere of our CD Atomic Jump that we ran into Louis as our additional saxophone player. He was the catalyst we needed to beef up our sound considerably. Since then we operate as a five-piece, with two horns.

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Graverockin’: Thee Gravemen – Rockin’ In The Graveyard

Posted by Rocky On January - 21 - 2014
Front cover of the single

Front cover of the single

I see you reading this title, and think: ‘Why in Elvis’ name would he post this on here? Isn’t this supposed to be on the psycho page? That’s what i thought when i got the 45RPM in my hands from Dee-Ann at her performance in the Cruise Inn. Looking at the cover, you would think that too. The guys, Sir Lee Tea on the guitar and vocals and Devilish Daz Thrash on the stripped down Voodoo drum set, look like a bunch of English gravediggers.

The two titles i saw on the cover are Rockin’ In The Graveyard and a cover of Tornado. Off course “Tornado” got my attention, because its one of the best boppers ever! I frequently bop to this song, be it on the hardwood floor in the Cruise or in my room 😀 So I didn’t go my normal way but decided to hear the B-side first. Their version of this song, originally published in 1959 by The Jiants, Begins with a storm over the graveyard, which you keep hearing during the song. It sounds new and not with that classic feeling to it, but that doesn’t take away that this is a good cover. Lee’s voice sounds raw.

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Amsterdam Beatclub 10th Anniversary in Paradiso

Posted by Dee-Ann On December - 16 - 2013

2013_Paradiso (16)On December 15th, we received the compilation album of the Amsterdam Beatclub released on the Sonic Rendezvous label. Our cover song “I shot Mr. Lee” is our featuring song amongst at least 20 other songs of other great bands who played for the Amsterdam Beatclub in the past 10 years. Way back in in 2008 we played for ABC in the Maloe Melo Amsterdam. It’s the first time a Dee Ann and the Nightcaptains song is released on cd and even on vinyl. Yes! The compilation is also available on a double vinyl album available at Sonic: http://www.sonic.nl/

The festival started in the afternoon with yours truly.

I bought a new dress especially for that day. It’s so cool to be on stage at the former church where I watched Brian Setzer and Chris Isaak blowing me off my feet with their show. Inspiring me to release the musician in me too. I was excited, but not nervous. Right before our show started I told Mars and Wim I would have a quick run to the restroom, and would be back just in time. I heard them play Mediterranian Surf, our intrumental intro song. In the middle of the song I was already standing sidestage. The second song would be “Wiggy Waggy Woo”, so I started walking towards the mic, but Mars and Wim played “Rockabilly All the Way”. I thought: “What the heck? This is the one Wim is singing, why are they playing this song?” Immediately I realized they didn’t see me standing sidestage. So I jumped back behind the curtains again and tried to get their attention, waving and jumping. Joe saw me first, then Wim smiled at me, and then Mars’ surprised face. They finished the song, announced my arrival and finally… the show started WITH me! Afterwards they said they were worried about me being gone. They kept on staring at the door, but I was already there. It was hilarious.

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Laverne and the Rhythm Kings

Posted by Dee-Ann On November - 27 - 2013

Laverne fotoI know Laverne very well. A good looking lady with a great voice. I want to introduce you to her band: Laverne and the Rhythm Kings.

She was born in Holland, her father was from Surinam and her mum from Holland.

How did you start your music career?

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Dee Ann and the Nightcaptains @Cultureel Cafe Ammerstol (NL)

Posted by Dee-Ann On October - 30 - 2013
IMG_5164 - kopie

Picture by Regine van der Heiden

We have been there earlier this year at Cultureel Cafe Ammerstol. Back then there were serveral inches of snow. But today it was a spring day in autumn. You wouldn’t expect a nice stage in this little village built on dykes. There’s even not enough parking space. So our drummer for today, Rene was not sure if the place would be packed or just empty like it was, when we arrived.

Rene was our drummer replacement for today. Het got a very last minute call, three days ago from our original drummer Joe, he could not make it to this gig this Sunday. Rene is a great guy and an even greater drummer, so he would help us out and managed to study 36 songs in a very short time.

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Bottle Cap Rockets

Posted by Dee-Ann On October - 23 - 2013

BCR BandNew Jersey, US rockabilly band Bottle Cap Rockets was formed in 2010 by vocalist/guitarist Al Gross, the band’s songwriter. Recruiting bassist/backing vocalist Chris Wolfer to complete the core of the band, with several different drummers recruited to make a trio for gigs

Al: My songwriting partnership with Pete Surdoval ended a few years ago so by 2010 I decided to put a project together on my own. I wrote a number of songs and then assembled a band.

Chris: When I hooked up with the Bottle Cap Rockets, we were playing mostly originals. Many of his songs had a feel of rockabilly at their core. We felt we needed to choose a direction as a band. We wanted “our sound” to be associated with a specific genre. The drummer we were working with at the time influenced the band as well to concentrate on a more consistent rockabilly sound. We then began adding some cover tunes to compliment the originals.

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Slapback Johnny is like a hurricane passing by!

Posted by Dee-Ann On October - 8 - 2013

SJ barSlapback Johnny is a Dutch rockabilly band. I asked drummer Richie, how did you come up with this name? Slapback is a short echo that is used a lot in rock & roll/rockabilly music. They wanted to name their band Slapback Trio but they are with four musicians so they chose “Johnny” because that sounded better. He tells us more about his band.

Slapback Johnny was founded after our former band fell apart in 2011.  Rex, Thijmen (aka the Real Killer) and myself had searched for a long  time before we found a suitable  Double bass-player, witch was Marcel  from .44 Shakedown. But due to the success of that band he  unfortunately had to leave our band way too early. We nearly wanted to  give up and go our separate way’s but luckily soon after that we  had found Peter, a crazy singer and Double bass-player “all in one”.  The Band has his roots in Wijk bij Duurstede (Utrecht) and we are  playing “on stage” now for about a year or so.  Slapback Johnny’s distinctive sound consists of swinging drums,  pounding doghouse bass, pumpin’ piano and some sweet guitar solo’s!

How did your love for this music start?

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Ollie Vee – Lonesome girl (album review)

Posted by Dee-Ann On September - 17 - 2013

Ollie Vee_Lonesome Girl 1516 x 1516Ollie Vee, a Canadian band, have their first cd released called Lonesome girl.

Jesse Adamson: lead vocals, guitar
Johnny Vassos :guitar
Howard Linscott: double bass
Adam Perzia: drums

The cover has some great pictures. Inside the sleeve you’ll find a story about the recording of the album, as they call it: it was live off the floor, some songs were recorded in one take! All on tape to get that vintage sound. (Jesse tells about it in RBO’s interview: https://www.karto.nl/?p=10417)

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Candye Kane – Coming out Swingin’ (album review)

Posted by Dee-Ann On September - 13 - 2013

candye-kane-coming-out-swingin-cvrCandye Kane’s new album Coming out Swingin’ has it all and proves again that Candye can’t be pushed into one musical direction. Starting with the title song, it has a the big band swing of the roaring twenties feeling. Then she takes us to rhythm and blues shuffles, sixties summer song “When tomorrow comes”. “Rise up” clearly refers to the Motown days and then back to her autobiographical and melancholic song “Invisible Woman”. You should listen to the lyrics to take a peek into her deepest emotions the last few years, of transforming from a big breasted singer, to a older and wiser cancer surviver, still singing and inspired more than ever to make music.

Although you’d think, can’t she make up her mind which way to go? This mixture of styles is held together by her great musicians like guitar slingerette Laura Chavez, master of the piano keys Sue Palmer, Thomas Yearsley, and of course her rhythm section, horn player etc. They create the sound on this album which makes it the perfect combination of songs which surprise you all the way through.

Most songs written by Candye and Laura. ‘What love can do’ is written bij Rick Estrin, one great Rhythm and Blues artist from today. All recorded live at the Thunderbird Analog Studio.

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Cousin Harley – B’Hiki Bop album review

Posted by Angel On September - 11 - 2013

bhiki-bop
As i might have mentioned before, Cousin Harley from Canada are one of the finer rockabilly trio’s out there. Deliberately i refer to them as a rockabilly band, however that label doesn’t do this band justice. For newbies to this band just a few words to better describe this pack of distinguished yet somewhat wild gentlemen; Drummer Jesse Cahill isn’t just a rockabilly drummer but in the Canadian jazz scene he is regarded as a fine craftsman practicing the art of subtle jazz drumming and played with quite a few jazz greats. Keith Picot has a great passion for Louis Armstrong and Bob Wills (keeps him up all night), which makes him a serious force in swinging the doublebass. Apart from his mysterious ways of turning soup into Cousin Harley’s greasy hairpommade he is a silent movie director and stars in his own productions regularly(with hilarious results too). Cousin Harley a.k.a. Paul Pigat doesn’t seem to have any hobbies and i imagine he doesn’t need any. Why? He is very serious about guitarplaying and songwriting and has brought out a couple of (solo)albums that showcase his talent. Travispicking at lightspeed is but one of his trademarks that made him earn the respect of guitarplayers all over the world.

B’hiki Bop is the fourth album the band has recorded and being the creative soul Paul is, he thought it was just the right moment for recording one strictly instrumental. Despite the fact that these gentlemen can play their rootsy brand of music at supersonic speed there’s a lot of variation to be heard and quite a number of styles and different rhythms.

All instrumental and originals except for 1 Chet Atkins original; Where Chet went for a Django-ish kinda’ tone, Paul seemed to have chosen for his own sound with class A backing from Jesse and Keith, love this one! I’ll talk you through a couple of the original tunes then.
Rigby’s romp; Big band floor tom groove with just guitar, untill Keith joins, that is. Freddie green-ish style rhythm guitar and a couple of whatevertherecalled whacky guitar effects. Nice snare and swing action on Jesse’s part there, love it, these guys cook!! Sounds like someone dusted off his cowbell on Winkle Picker. Not the everyday drumgroove, surf-ish guitar. This is a Cousin Harley signature tune.

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Rockin’ and rollin’ with Ollie Vee

Posted by Dee-Ann On September - 10 - 2013

Ollie VeeOllie Vee is a 4 piece band from a small farm town in Ontario, Canada called Seagrave. They have been together for about a year and half, but all of the members have been playing for most of their lives.  Howard has been playin’ double bass for more than 45 years. I’m talking to Jesse Adamson the lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player.

They describe your music style as roots music.

How did your love for this music start, which age, which artist.

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