Record Label: Side One Dummy Records
Genre: Alternative/Folk/Bluegrass
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link
Former pro-wrestler Dusty Rhodes finally put his wrestling career in the past and gathered up a bunch of his rowdy friends and recorded their first full length for Side One Dummy. Says Dusty’s son Dustin, “This album is better than the first time my Pa defeated Ric Flair for the NWA title belt.”
Ok, none of that is true but it would be funny if it were. The truth is that Dusty Rhodes and the River Band have released their first album on Side One Dummy but it has nothing to do with the former polka dot wearin’, cowboy boot sportin’ pro wrestler. “First You Live” sounds like it could have come from Dusty’s home state of Texas. With banjos, accordions, mandolins and harmonicas, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band sound like that bluegrass that your grandpa used to listen to from Tennessee but they hail from sunny California.
Heavy on the folk and bluegrass but with a touch of southern rock and alternative music, this six piece provide you with a full ranged musical experience. There are so many instruments over the course of “First You Live” that it makes a symphony hang its head in shame. The one thing that I enjoyed most about the album was its constant shifting in styles and sound. One minute there’s barnstorming ho-down song like “Oh Icicle”, the next minute there’s the twangy keyboard driven folk song “Strike” and pretty soon you’re listening to the campfire sing-a-long song “Keys to the Truck”.
With each and every track that skipped on by, I found myself more and more impressed with the talent within the band…from the extensive list of instruments that they play to the throwback songwriting and their overall charm. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band are a breath of fresh air in a stale indie community. Kudos to Side One Dummy for picking up this band even if they stick out like a sore thumb on a roster that includes bands such as the Casualties, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Flogging Molly.
Bottom Line: SoCal indie music that reminds you more of Charlie Daniels than Reel Big Fish.
Notable Tracks: Leaving Tennessee, Keys to the Truck, Street Fighter
Overall Rating: