20 Watt Tombstone
Written By: Hunter MacLeod
Whenever things were ever about to get a little crazy or off kilter, my late Grandfather would always turn to me with a gleam in his eye and say, "Hold on to your hat and your ass, son!" Musically, I've always had a preference for loud, gritty, nasty and heaving grooving music. There has always been something primal and a bit sexy about dirty blues.
20 Watt Tombstone definitely hits that cord (literally) with their self styled Alt Blues/Noise Rock. As the band states in their bio, "If The Stripes, The Black Keys, and Left Lane Cruiser had an illegitimate love child with Lemmy while Hunter S. Thompson documented the whole torried thing you might get 20 Watt Tombstone." The band's sound is a mix of loud distorted dirty blues, southern country groove rock, punkish attitude under tones, with a nice touch of comedic tongue in cheek.
Since being formed in 2011, guitarist/singer Tom Jordan and drummer Mitch Ostrowski have been nominated to the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Best New Artist first year in existence, and People's Choice 2013 and 2014. They won in 2014. Not to be mistaken simply as a Wisconsin or regional band, 20 Watt Tombstone has toured extensively throughout the eastern US, particularly in the midwest and southeastern US.
May 2nd they released their second recordings on a split album with group Left Lane Cruisers, called Death Blues vs. The Dirty Spliff. 20 Watt Tombstone carries the last three songs on the album with songs: Your Man's A Jerk, Lair of the Witch, and Whiskey in My Brain. There is an immensely bold fullness to this recording, which is surprising being a two man group.
As with their first release, Wisco Ditch, these new releases on Death Blues vs. The Dirty Spliff, have a feeling of fuzzed out southern blues rock with plenty of fantastic slide work by Jordan. Also, Jordan's voice is spot on and a convincing, growling baritone. Ostrowski fills the gaps and you don't notice that there isn't any bass, if anything it sounds as if there is a drop in tuning on Jordan's guitar, but it makes you feel like dancing or doing multiple shots of whiskey, whatever your preference. Check out their touring schedule, as they are on the road this spring at a venue near you, starting May 6th through mid June.
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About Hunter:
Hunter is a freelance music writer that concentrates on finding outstanding, unsigned, unknown and under appreciated bands from around the world and unabashedly wields them onto the unsuspecting and the great unwashed. His work has appeared on music sites kilScene (NYC/Brooklyn), Mother Church Pew (NYC), and East of Eighth (Nashville). One of his writings has even been shared and press quoted by a Grammy Nominated artist (Do the Grammy's even matter anymore?!)
After a particularly difficult and surreal week of work about five years ago Hunter decided to search the dark, dusty corners and obscure underbelly of the Internet. It was after hearing one of the same 30 songs that a so called "New Rock" radio station played yet again on his way home. That is what started him n his quixotic quest.
Since then through many seasons of bleeding ears, anguish, and many neurotic episodes, he has learned well how to hone the power of the Internet in his search. Along with that, he has a vast array of concerts and music rouges throughout the US and around the world, and his goal is to find some of the most unique, fresh, and kick you in the ear hole artists and bands. You can follow him on Twitter or Facebook (if you can find him!)
About Hunter: Hunter is a freelance music writer that concentrates on finding outstanding, unsigned, unknown and under appreciated bands from around the world and unabashedly wields them onto the unsuspecting and the great unwashed. His work has appeared on music sites kilScene (NYC/Brooklyn), Mother Church Pew (NYC), and East of Eighth (Nashville). One of his writings has even been shared and press quoted by a Grammy Nominated artist (Do the Grammy's even matter anymore?!) After a particularly difficult and surreal week of work about five years ago Hunter decided to search the dark, dusty corners and obscure underbelly of the Internet. It was after hearing one of the same 30 songs that a so called "New Rock" radio station played yet again on his way home. That is what started him n his quixotic quest. Since then through many seasons of bleeding ears, anguish, and many neurotic episodes, he has learned well how to hone the power of the Internet in his search. Along with that, he has a vast array of concerts and music rouges throughout the US and around the world, and his goal is to find some of the most unique, fresh, and kick you in the ear hole artists and bands. You can follow him on Twitter or Facebook (if you can find him!)
Awesome article about an awesome band. First song I ever heard from them was Shitty Ex Girlfriend and was hooked. Left Lane Cruiser is also very cool and the two of them together is even better.
ReplyDeleteIf you like boring, slow, boring, put you to sleep music these bands are not for you. This CD is awesome, check it out.