Armchair Boogie – Hard Times & Deadlines
This interesting upbeat conglomeration of rollicking banjo work comes consistently with a whip snap recorded in Wisconsin. Not exactly a place where funk & bluegrass originated but it’s there. The playing by the Armchair Boogie is exceptional, but the vocals can be quirky. Sounds like somebody’s Uncle who works down by the service station. But I guess that’s what happens when you sing with a modicum of joy & charm in your voice.
Both lead-off tracks “Hard Times,” & “Livin’” are fuel-injected, gutsy & lively creations with some humorous lyrics that take a back seat to the fiery performance of the fast & loose musicians. “Boneyard,” even has an early 60s song humor & sounds like an outtake from Dante & the Evergreens after they recorded their hit “Alley-Oop.” But nothing on this CD is novelty-oriented. Oh no…
They’re not exactly the Grateful Dead in tradition but do have that jam ability & they smoke the way the Dead going full bore. Jerry Garcia would’ve liked these guys. The tunes are all well-arranged & come down to one big factor: fun.
They have several musical traits — jam-grass, new-grass, funk-grass but what they are is simply good. A quartet known for sparks & energy; they get themselves across with vigor. If they don’t poke your ears with a feather, you’ll be impressed by the fun they generate as they perform their 10 diverse & never predictable assault on your tender ears.
They display it all righteously with expertise on their 4th CD Hard Times & Deadlines (Drops March 15-Independent/36:00). If compared to anyone it would have to be Charlie Gearheart’s old Goose Creek Symphony (their 1974 Columbia LP — Do Your Thing But Don’t Touch Mine) is a hoot like this CD. A convincing similar workout comes with AB’s “All the Same,” — as imaginative as bluegrass can get. Bill Monroe was right when he believed his music would someday be like a shot of B12.
The song topics vary from broken hearts & memories to broader horizons & the end of journeys. After all the bluegrass flurries the band cruises into a more soulful groove. Their Chet Atkins milkshake music now turns into the warm whiskey Steve Cropper kick with their funky “Low Down Time.” It sounds more like it dripped out of a Stax studio with a splash of early Little Feat. Quite engaging & always entertaining.
Highlights – “Hard Times,” “Livin’” “Gone In a Day,” “All the Same,” “Low Down Time,” “Liquor Store” & “Boneyard.”
Musicians – Ben Majeska (acoustic & electric guitars/lead & bgv), Denzel Connor (drums/ piano/auxiliary percussion/bgv), Eli Frieders (electric bass/bgv), John “Augie” Dougherty (banjo/lead vocals/harmonica/bgv) with Jeremy Garrett & Ernest Brusubardis IV (fiddles), the Big Payback Horns — Allen Cordingley (tenor sax), Jon Schipper (trumpet) & Jamie Kemper (trombone).
Color photo courtesy of the band’s website. 12pp color stitched lyric insert included. CD @ Amazon & https://armchairboogiemusic.com/
1 thought on “REVIEW: Armchair Boogie “Hard Times & Deadlines””