From the ‘magic highway’ between Memphis and Nashville, playing their own set, sorting through the finest Delta Blues, Country Gold and rock mixed with metal comes Jackson Tennessee’s Trash The Brand. Bringing their own brand of sweaty, smelly noise called ‘swamp rock’. They’ve somehow captured the sound of what BLS, Alice In Chains and some of your favorite 80’s LA metal bands would sound like if Mike Patton, Davey Suicide, Jeff Keith and Michael Starr of Steel Panther took turns on vocals. Luckily, multi-talent/main man guitarist Scotty Austin can do all the voices himself with bass and backup support from Scott Little and drums by Steven Pulley. This is music from under the sweetly-humid bayou rock gospel revival tent.
Souls On My Shoes starts out with the hillbilly midnight gospel hee-haw’n sing along knee slapper with guitars ripping out a good ole time. There’s swamp gas in the hairspray. They pay Alice a Social Call though she might be shackled in the backyard shed, sheddin’ out those demons, but they’re give’n ‘er enough ‘shine to keep her happy. It’s all business, done in-family like a Texas Chainsaw jamboree. They’re singing a jangly guitar melody with empty bottle slide blues. YouTube clip Larry and the Blue Dog (Devil’s Ride) is rock n roll played with dirty acoustics. Staying up on moonshine till the sunshine and the devil always wants to drive home and play on the rusty, spit and shined, wood planked porch, creaking out critter friendly perfection. Good thing we’re not in Georgia.
Weak Like Me gets all emotional, letting the church organs power the Tesla coils as we confess our faults and weaknesses, forgive me Father. It could be TTB’s Simple Man. Bad Bad Boy drowns our country boy sorrows in more numbness from momma’s ‘best’ and gets rocking quickly with an almost Chili Peppers groove, breaking out the hard speed blues.
1000 Songs shows every big-hearted, thick-bearded, non-duck-calling man of the land has a soft side. Expressing it in true over the hills, rock meets monster 80’s arena anthem style. We all need something to believe in. Low Down’s another taste of glam done country chisel style. We’re Mississippi Bound, down the tracks waiting to hitch a ride and fly to the angels on that oncoming train.
The choir gets mellow on Take It Fast, letting the story of a fast relationship play itself out against the crash and burns of the past. Sick’s a twangy sh- kicker with some Godsmack flavored southern slither and temptation. Serenity found in the serpents smile. www.trashthebrand.com
