Tearing Down Barriers
Got a question for y'all. What's more redneck than a hammerin' country song about "Going to Kentucky"? Let that idea sink in and give yourself a couple of minutes to ruminate ... I'd say that's a pretty sunburned neck of a song. What enhances that quality is said song performed in a yodel-sing, at which, in all honesty, singer Billy Stoops actually does a bang-up job. Junkyard Jane calls their stuff swampabilly. As I am wont to say, while this music ain't quite my cup of moonshine, the members of Junkyard Jane play and sing like their lives depend on it and fans of this type of music should eat up this fifth JJ CD quicker than steak grilled to perfection.
Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned (my hypocrisy does have its limits), but I am thrilled when a band plays more than one style of music, which JJ does. "But Honey" would be at home in Leon Redbone's hands, which means that while it has a country flavor, it also has swing and blues elements and is beautifully executed. "Can't Sit Still" and "The Legend of Beauregard `Bucky' Muldoon" are ballads featuring melodies that grab your attention and lyrics/stories that grab your heart. If you don't know `Bucky' right now, once you hear the song, you'll feel like you do. That rooster had real personality, I tell ya.
Gusto party songs, too? Damn, you bet! Try "Pony Up," "Stop It," "What Would Jimmy Do?" and the mid-temp and bluesy "Smile on Me." Song with the most reverb? "Mary," including a melody and lyrics we can all relate to.
JJ started in Washington state and relocated to Louisville. I'm sure they're a hoot wherever they go. If swampabilly music tickles yer fancy, wander over yonder to these hard-working and talented folks at www.junkyardjane.com