you can view the original review HERE
Mike Badger and the Shady Trio; a Rockabilly band from England. The name was unknown to me, but they are certainly no newcomers in the music scene.
Mike Badger is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist and sculptor from Liverpool. He was co-founder of The La’s and went on to form alternative country/roots rockabilly band The Onset in 1988 and The Kachinas in 1996. He is also a partner in Liverpool’s independent Viper Label.
He has released several solo albums, performed in Austin, Texas in 2009 with local and international acts and formed a band called the Nashville Liverpool Underground Medicine Show. His current band, Mike Badger and the Shady Trio formed in summer 2010.
The Shady Trio is: Barry Southern (lead guitar and backing vocals), Chris Marshall (double bass and backing vocals) and Ian Laney (percussion and backing vocals).
They’ve released their first CD called “Lucky 13”. As the name suggests, the CD consists of 13 songs, all written by Mike, both the lyrics and the music! Surely this is worth mentioning, because many, especially new bands in the scene limit themselves to playing, well known or not so well known, covers.
On this CD Mike returns to his “old love” the pure, raw Rockabilly. As he quotes:
“I have made music in different styles, though usually Roots music, garage, rock and country, but I keep coming back to Rockabilly. It’s the fount from whence everything else has sprung, it’s raw, dynamic, uplifting and out for a good time! I want to bring original, contemporary Rockabilly back into people’s lives”.
The first song on the album Shake it up! sets the tone well. Pure, danceable Rockabilly. The fun of this CD is, that not all songs are alike. A clear influence of Hillbilly and Swing can be heard and musically, the guys are good.
Other titles on the CD, all great up tempo songs, are for instance Thank Hank, Jump back down up round (my favourite),Rockability, Rolling down the road, Routemaster ’59, Heading for Tibet and many more!
So if you’re in the mood for a good old Americana feeling, just listen to this CD!