The BuzzHounds: “Dangerous Ride”.
Blues, Rock, and Americana mixed with an Acoustic and Alternative flair… This multi genre compilation is a welcome addition to a storied Chicago Blues Scene. (ChiTown Rocks Magazine)
Heavily influenced by such artists as Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Townes Van Zandt, and The Rolling Stones, The BuzzHounds meld alternative vocal stylings with Delta Blues and 70’s Outlaw Country to form their own brand of Americana and Rock n Roll.
The title Track, “Dangerous Ride” comes out of the gate galloping to a swingin’ four on the floor beat, peppered with a thick boogie blues bass line and a catchy turn around hook. “We wanted to write a song that made you feel like you do when you ride around in a classic convertible… like a ragtop ’59 Cadillac…and use that feeling as a metaphor to describe the ride as it compares to a beautiful woman”…dangerous.
“Cinderella Needs New Shoes” is a down tempo acoustic duet penned from the likes of 70’s outlaw country era icons Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The song features a beautiful vocal harmony and a classic song structure, making it both singable and memorable…. sweet and smooth.
“I Quit” is a modern day “Take This Job and Shove It”. This Johnny Paycheck tribute was recorded with vintage gear from the 50’s and early 60’s including a ’59 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 guitar, and a ’62 Fender Princeton reverb.
“We used a full tone tape delay to get that rockabilly “slap” on the vocal, set at 10 milliseconds, just like Elvis did at Sun Studio.” …classic rockabilly.
“Say a Prayer” is a three chord country blues throwback with a Muscle Shoals feel, using the same gear and recorded on the same day as “I Quit, with stripped down acoustic drums. The song has a “Waylon Jennings meets golden era Rolling Stones” feel, and explores a familiar hometown lost love motif…reminiscent.
Initially recorded during the “Weapons of Mass Seduction” sessions, “Rollin” is an audible family tree, spanning 7 decades in 4 minutes, detailing early family influences and saluting Jeff’s grandfather, Ulas Taylor, a Nashville musician and Kentucky coal miner…old school.
“On Fire” is a full throttle screamer, featuring a searing Robert Plant style hi octave vocal, an overdriven slide guitar riff, and huge Bonham style drums. “We used a vintage Moog analog synth for some of the bass parts and this is by far the most produced song on the record…we spent days on the drum sound alone. We wanted the song to be way over the top on every level and we filled every ounce of headroom with frequency.” …slammin’.
“Queen of Diamonds”. The record shifts gears with this melodic down tempo acoustic number, channeling the acoustic prowess of Chris Cornell and Jimmy Page. “With the open guitar tuning and down “swing” tempo, we wanted to give the listener the illusion of floating on water.” Emotional and moody, the song takes the listener on a 3 minute rise and fall journey, conveying in emotion, the ups and downs of life’s great rollercoaster… dreamy.
“Give to Live,” written along side “Rollin” during the Weapons’ sessions, is another ode to family and a modern day proverb which drives a positive vibe and attempts to simplify the secret of life with the hook… “There ain’t no secret to livin’, just got to keep on givin’ and givin'”…Kid Rockish.
“Save My Soul” is a heavy metal gospel hymn in which the vocalist pleads for the safety of his soul in the afterlife. This track is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “In My Time of Dying”, and is stripped down with only a heavily overdriven guitar, kick drum, and vocal. “We used a vintage Octavio pedal, the same one Hendrix used on almost everything he did with “Band of Gypsies” for the solos”…. wide f’n open.
Finally, “Endless” ends the record with a paradoxical acoustic discussion about life’s greatest mind-blowing thief….time. The song features a 3 part octave and melodic minor harmony mirroring “Alice in Chains” and a 12 stringed stereo panned acoustic rhythm guitar…. philosophic.