Gas
Money
Hopeless Love Affair
Ah…Philadelphia.
Home to cheese steaks, soft pretzels, the Liberty Bell and American
Bandstand. Who knew that the City of Brotherly Love is also home
to some of the finest Rockabilly bands in the nation? Among them
is Gas Money, who deliver a high-octane blend of modern rock with
a Rockabilly flair reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis (sans the piano).
I first had the opportunity to see Gas Money live in 1997. Four
years later, this hot trio has released their debut record, Hopeless
Love Affair (Gas Peso Records). Hopeless Love Affair
begins with a traditional Rockabilly sound in "Tongue Tied Jill."
Next up is the saxaphone-rich "Juvenile Delinquent," which races
straight into "Sugar Sweet." Your feet start to really move as
singer/guitarist Fred Stucky rips guitar solos while keeping up
with the pounding rhythms set down by drummer Tony Bello and bassist
Adam Driscoll.
Hopeless
offers a dynamic range of vision in songwriting that many Rockabilly
bands tend to forget, with hints of punk rock roots that have
matured to expose solid songwriting capabilities that shine through
on their 12 track debut. Balancing fast tempo, guitar-laden tracks
with softer, slower numbers, Hopeless delivers intriguing combinations
back-to-back. For example, the laid back, twangy "El Camino Blues,"
which solemnly describes the pain of lost love, is immediately
followed by the high-speed "Juke Box," a song that instills the
desire to drive at breakneck speeds in an old Chevy.
Hopeless
Love Affair is not your everyday recording from a modern Rockabilly
band. There's no Brian Setzer influence here. Gas Money is true
home grown RAB, and they are unafraid to show their own unique
flair for the roots of rock-and-roll.
-Smilin' Buddha Joe
Visit
the band online at: www.gasmoneyweb.com
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