D. Charles Speer
Singer-guitarist Dave Shuford possesses a deep, woodsy baritone and the confident intonation of a master storyteller. In a world populated by meh-rate bar bands, Shuford and his crack quartet are our best saloon band: listen to After Hours, Shuford’s second album as D. Charles Speer but his first with the Helix, and you’ll have trouble not thinking of dusty roads, big skies and rye whiskey served in bottles marked xx. What makes the group’s getting-by-in-hard-times boogie rock so commanding is that many of the players also perform with veteran experimental combos: Shuford and bassist Jason Meagher—who’s responsible for the production, polished but not slick—are from No Neck Blues Band and Coach Fingers, while guitarist Marc Orleans is in Sunburned Hand of the Man. So when these freewheeling bandits hit full gallop—Hans Chew’s rollicking piano is key—you’ll notice psychedelic fires backlighting the songs. And you won’t think this is anybody’s side project. That power notwithstanding, Shuford’s authoritative singing is the main attraction. On “Guns in the Hills” he describes just one of many situations coming off the rails: “Storm is rising, sky goes black now… And you feel it in the air?/?The fabric’s startin’ to tear.” Here and throughout After Hours, Shuford’s untroubled tone proves he’s intimate with some kind of truth, but savors the winding path that leads to it. —Mike Wolf
Corndawg
Montana born freak with dead on southern style who runs marathons, airbrushes t-shirts with pink panther & taz drawings, does medical experiments for cash, and knits sweater covers for his guitars. One of those great guys that every touring undergound band has met or played on a bill with & always has a loose & epic tale to spin about rollerblading from NYC to Baltimore, driving a race car, drinking grapefruit juice with Rick James, or some other such thing.
Myspace.com/thecorndawg
www.PissOnFord.org