Everything about “Ugly Brothers,” the new single from SouthDogRock, screams the Deep South at you – its southern rock groove, its soul-blues vibes, the wailing harmonica, the low-slung, raw and crunching guitars and indeed the subject matter. And, as it conjures images of southern bayous and roadhouse rock and roll bands and talks of freedom and long-lasting friendships, it might come as a bit of a surprise to find that the band are not product of the recognisable sound and culture of those living below the Mason-Dixon line but are actually from the Deep South of Germany!
That tells you just how small a musical world we find ourselves in today. Forget the Mississippi Delta sound; this is Rhineland Rock!
It’s a song built in tribute to a classic sound, one forged of relentless groove, funky moves, killer riffs, lyrical immediacy (tell me you are not singing the chorus even by the time it comes around for the second pass!), energy and anthemics, swagger and attitude, fluid solos and raunchy lyrics. If “SouthDogRock” has left anything out, then it probably doesn’t need to be anything that you worry about too much.
But, if the references and ruminations above suggest that this is perhaps music made by staring too much into the past, nothing could be further from the truth, for amongst the old-school, blues-infused, rock-infested, swampy grooves are an equal amount of forward-thinking and of-the-present moment sounds. This is the counterpoint where a raw-edged sound of the past meets modern-day production and poise. But with not too much polish, obviously, for therein lies its charm.
This is music that sits at the end of a long and illustrious family tree of Southern rock and outlaw American sounds, music that might shimmer with the familiarity of what’s gone before but which is entirely focused on its mission to take such music kicking and screaming into a bright new future, and doing so with one foot on the monitor and one fist in the air! How cool is that?
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