– Damian A via Limited-Release
Release Date: 06-March-2012
Genre: Americana / Garage Rock / New Orleans-inspired rags and romps
Publisher: (C) 2012 Lakeshore Records
Label: Lakeshore Records
Time: 46m 36s
Review Date: 14-February-2012
Format: CD
JivePK: http://jivewired.com/dancehallpimps
Find it at:
Band Website | Amazon | iTunes (not available)
Track Listing:
01. Seems Holy 3:38
02. Underneath Your Stone 3:34
03. Mommy Was A Zombie 2:16
04. Heartbreak Of Dawn 3:05
05. Wrong Guy Baby 4:06
06. In The Back Of My Mind 3:12
07. Beast For Love 3:54
08. You'd Drink Like I Do Too 5:02
09. I'm No Prince Charming 3:43
10. Transylvania Girls 5:26
11. I Put A Spell On You 4:16
12. Walk On The Wild Side 4:24
Review:
From the first notes of "Beast For Love", it's evident that the Dance Hall Pimps don't think of themselves as a nostalgic gimmick hoping to capitalize on a revivalist rock and roll sound. They are serious about their craft and this is seriously good music. There's nothing here that hasn't been done before, but D.H.P. does it better than most. It’s a winning recipe: Lean on old time, pre-Beatles rock and roll arrangements, filter it through a filthy, unbridled garage-bred attitude and ratchet the New Orleans swamp-n-grind factor up to eleven. The result: A howling party record that’s infectious in all the right ways and tasteful about tackling serious issues in decidedly deceptive fashion. "Beast For Love" is proof that what the kids were playing in the bowling alleys and at the sock hops nearly sixty years ago still plays up and kicks ass today.
Lead singer/songwriter RJ is not afraid to tackle tough issues, but does so while wrapping reassuring arms around the listener, and that's what makes "Beast For Love" so much more than a nostalgia piece. For instance, "Mommy Was A Zombie" relates a tale of growing up in a single-parent home with a drug addicted mother. "Beast For Love" leans on the classic tale of "Beauty and the Beast" and uses it's subtle cinematic reference and revivalist arrangement to emphasize it's message. A less confident performer might have stripped this arrangement completely, but that would actually make the song less accessible. Going the ballsy route was the right thing to do.
Hidden, deep messages and story morals aside, the band packs every ounce of it's collective soul into a musically muscular package, and includes all the right production nuances: frenzied horns, white hot keys, a driving backline. The lead and backing vocals are a perfect fit and the entire mixture is, plainly put, a deliciously good time. The Dance Hall Pimps offer up a big sound that doesn't get so big that it becomes aurally asphyxiating. The best song on the album may be "Underneath Your Stone." The lead guitar/horn section interplay is positively blistering. In fact, that may be the underlying theme of the entire album, and "Wrong Guy" and "Seems Holy" are great examples. The keyboard and sax solos on "Heartbreak Of Dawn" and "In The Back Of My Mind" are similarly scorching.
There's nothing minimalist about this band or their sound. The effective production defines a band who have obviously done their homework, ascertained their collective strengths and established the best way to present them. The Dance Hall Pimps pay homage to rock history with an unwavering, affinitive nod to their predecessors without coming off as blatant, soul-stealing wannabes. There is no better example of their rock and roll reverence than their excellent covers of Screamin' Jay Hawkins "I Put A Spell On You" and Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side". I may not have concluded the album with two covers, and perhaps "You'd Drink Like I Do Too", a slower, New Orleansy-ish, last dance, last call, bump-n-grind blues number may have been a more suitable choice. Then again that might be a little too predictable and preconceived on my part. Still, the prohibition-era throwback backed by Steve Carr's incendiary saxophone is one of the highlights on the album.
As I said, it’s been done before, of course, but that states the obvious while deflecting what "Beast For Love" really is. If you truly wanted to define the band's sound, you might just call it pulp rock rather than revivalist nostalgia. Hidden meanings and genre classification aside, the bottom line is that "Beast For Love" is a fun album, and it's a good album. It drops March 6th, but they've made their first two singles available now if you can't wait that long. It would behoove you to scoop up all Dance Hall Pimps has to offer.
MEET THE PIMPS
RJC is the band’s charismatic front-man. He created the Dance Hall Pimps and leads the band on-stage and off. RJ’s music passion comes from three wildly different directions, starting when he was a young boy singing in church. His mother was a big band singer in the late 40’s and 50’s and taught RJ the great American songbook. His father was into bluegrass and gospel music, which sparked RJ’s interest in the banjo. Elvis Presley and Lux Interior taught him the rest.
Jeff Jourard is barely used to the gravity on our planet. His distinct and undeniable guitar skills are truly out of this world. It was Jeff’s third grade talent show that sparked his continuous love for music. He played the guitar for the class, and received a screaming reception from the girls. Hook, line and sinker; Jeff was determined to make music his life. Jeff left Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to form the New Wave sensation The Motels. Thirty years after leaving the The Motels, Jeff is back making music with the Dance Hall Pimps.
“Brother” Bruce Mann was born in Britain and now lives in sunny California. He has played the horn and organ ever since he was a child but his passion developed when he heard John Fogerty singing “Have you ever seen the rain” during a road trip with his father. Bruce claims, “Well I don’t know about the rain, but I certainly saw the light . . . and damn the light was loud.” Bruce has since worked in more bands, orchestras and sessions than he cares to remember.
Eddie Fish was born into music, his father being a music professor in Seattle. He started playing jazz professionally at the age of 15, studying with the great Gary Peacock. At 17, he was seduced to the dark side by a whisper of a woman who screamed rock & roll. Eddie then studied with Tim Bogart for a bit and played with many different bands over the years when, by chance, he stumbled upon the debauchery of the Dance Hall Pimps. Seeing kindred spirits in the wickedness of thought and talent, he’s home.
Vic “Baron” Migenes was once a drummer for the extended dysfunctional family of The Bay City Rollers, although gratefully never officially inducted. Accomplishments include movie soundtrack work for Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl” and studio/ghost drumming for acts signed to Sire and Metal Blade Records. Vic’s earliest musical inspiration came from the great R&B artists of the 60’s and mimicking them in his room. However, it was the track “Sorrow” by David Bowie that made him never look back.
Steve Carr has worked with many notable composers including Lalo Schifrin, Charles Fox, Benny Carter, Lenny Neihaus, John Parker, Buddy Collette, John Cacavas and David Rose. A personal highlight was playing tenor sax on the Benny Carter Band’s Japan tour with Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffen, Marlena Shaw and Phil Woods. He was a featured soloist on Buddy Collette’s 2001 Grammy nominated “Big Band in Concert” album. Why an accomplished life-long jazz-cat like Steve enjoys playing with the Dance Hall Pimps is becoming one of the great mysteries of Jazz legend and mythology.
1 comments:
Love this band. Will be getting the cd as as soon as it's available!
Post a Comment