pinkeye d'gekko

When it comes to writing songs, you can get an entire albums worth of material out of just one broken relationship, says pinkeye dgekko vocalist and chief songwriter Steve Richards Mahoney. Fortunately, he laughs, Ive been in plenty of em, so Ive got enough tunes to last a lifetime. Mahoneys pain is pure pleasure for fans of barnstorming boogie-rockers pinkeye dgekko. Two years after releasing their audacious debut album Rhythm & Westrn, the St. Louis-based sextet is back with Dry Clothes for the Drowning, a scorching mix of grooving backbeats, feel-good harmonies, punchy pop hooks and loud, gritty guitars. We call what we do Southern Invasion, says Mahoney, citing influences ranging from The Beatles and Lynyrd Skynyrd to The Rolling Stones and Allman Brothers. Fans and reviewers may note some Beck and Cake overtones as well. This is a band that does a lot of things brilliantlyand they do all of them on Dry Clothes for the Drowning. Simply put, this new album offers something for everyone. Over the course of Dry Clothes dynamic dozen tracks, Mahoney (who also produced the album) and crew swing from six-string stomps (Riverboat Queen) and funky clavinet-flavorings (Queen of Fire) to meaty, beaty, bouncing (God Bless You Baby) and beautiful Lennon-esque ballads (Missing). But make no mistake this is Southern Rock at its finest! Among the discs many highlights is Girls of Arkansas, a freewheeling slice of heartland rock dedicated to the ladies of The Natural State. They are some of the sweetest, friendliest fans weve ever met, says Mahoney with a smile. They make us feel right at home. This tune is our way of saying thanks. The band road-tested a lot of new material during last years tour. It was an amazing experience. Audience reaction is instant, so you can immediately see what works best, says Mahoney. With that in mind, the road-enlightened pdg entered the studio determined to give their fans what they want: amped-up rock & roll dance music. Our roots dont begin with Nirvana and I think a lot of our fansespecially the older onesappreciate that, adds Mahoney. Dont get me wrong, we love the music of the 90s and beyond, but some groups dont know the rich history that came before. We dig a little deeper and then give it a modern twist. I think thats whats helping us break out from the pack. After coming together in 2002, pinkeye dgekkos multi-flavored sound quickly made its mark on a vanilla music scene. Debut disc Rhythm & Westrn drew rave reviews while the band garnered airplay on radio stations all across the Midwest and South. The response was tremendous, says Mahoney. It was really mind-blowing for us, because we originally just got together to jam in the studio. But the songs came out so good that we decided to release it as an album. Thats when our label, Force MP Entertainment entered the picture and the whole thing just took off. Suddenly, what started as a fun get-together among friends became a national touring band. The group hit the road in support of the album and proceeded to tear up stages across the heartland. Theres nothing like the feeling of going into a new town and winning over the audience, says Mahoney. Wed finish playing a song and this wave of applause would hit the stage. Its really exhilarating and almost knocks the wind out of you. It made us anxious to get back in the studio to make another record so that we could go out and experience it all over again. As he tells it, Mahoney fell for the promise of music at an early age, inspired by (of all things) an old episode of The Monkees. I remember watching them as a little kid and just being floored by these four guys who got girls, went on adventures, got paid and did anything they wanted just because they played music. I thought, That looks like a good job to have! Has his dream of a Monkee-like existence come true? It works out pretty well, he laughs. And were enjoying every minute of it. Find out more about pinkeye dgekko @www.pdgrocks.com

Steve Richards Mahoney vocals, bass guitar, piano, percussion, Tim Mauldin guitar, vocals, Dave Grelle keyboards, vocals, Dwayne Mitchell guitar, vocals, Jahmal Nichols bass guitar, vocals, Stephen von der Heyde drums, vocals

Steve -The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Beach Boys, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elton John, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and Harry Nilsson. Tim -Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, Abra Moore, and Juliana Hatfield. Dwayne -Frank Gambale, George Benson, Steve Vai. Dave -The Greatful Dead, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, The Roots, and Vivaldi.

Dry Clothes For The Drowning CD Review Band: Pinkeye D'Gekko Disc: Dry Clothes for the Drowning Label: Force MP Entertainment Band Members: Steve Richards Mahoney (vocals/bass/piano) Tim Mauldin (guitar/vocals) Dave Grelle (hammond B3/piano/vocals) Dwayne Mitchell (guitar/vocals) Julian Eubanks (drums/vocals) What's the 4-1-1? Bored with the latest burned out trends? Tired of hearing the same old clichés? Sick of the same limiting musical categories? Then get ready for a genre-defying, boundary-breaking artist that will challenge your ears and make you move your feet. Genre: Southern rock / blues / rockabilly / new-age country What's good about it? Every now and then I get sent a disc that makes me scratch my head. It makes me wonder, 'how does this fit in with RockRage?' Pinkeye D'Gekko's latest is one of those discs. It's not a hard rock album, but it is a unique combination of different music styles. "Riverboat Queen" is a twangy southern rocker that would do Lynyrd Skynyrd proud. "God Bless You Baby" tones down the riffage for some classic 12 bar blues. "Girls of Arkansas" keeps the style going, but adds some great Chuck Berry style guitar playing. Shades of The Alice Cooper Band (circa 1974) can be heard on the bass driven "Queen of Fire," and Bob Dylan's influence can be heard on "See You Again." Pinkeye D'Gekko starts to veer off the rock music track on "Call Me Adolph During Wartime." Yes, the title is bizarre, but on this track the vocals are dark, while the rhythms are electronic and progressive. "Have You Seen the Genie" is a country music track that will have you line dancing in no time (if that's your thing). "Slow Down" has a fast rockabilly beat that might have been heard at the bar in the Patrick Swayze movie Roadhouse. If that musical style doesn't do it for you, then the tropical rhythms of "The Velvet Fizz might do the trick. Anything bad? Even though the group sounds good, musically they're all over the place. It seems that Pinkeye D'Gekko is still trying to find their sound, which may be difficult with revolving vocalists. The spoken word, piano heavy ballad, "The Poet" just doesn't do it for me. Bottom Line You have to respect a band that goes out there and does it's own thing. Pinkeye D'Gekko refuses to be pigeonholed into any one musical genre. It doesnt matter what style their playing, because they play it all well. Standout tracks: Girls of Arkansas Queen of Fire Slow Down Riverboat Queen Did you know? Vocalist Steve Richards Mahoney is also the albums producer. Rating: m/ m/ m/ out of 5 George Dionne RockRage.com