Maryland’s Corduroy 9 are building an enigma, a self-described “big rock noise” that they don’t want to associate with any image.
“A bunch of people around town have heard about our reputation, but don’t know what we sound like, and have never seen us play,” says drummer Brian Jones. “So we this unseen-band type of thing. And we keep that going. We don’t put pictures on the CD. And the pictures on the website are blurred.”
But Jones will gladly talk about the music. Corduroy 9 formed in 1997, as a three-man blues-rock trio. After that lineup’s 1998 Stout CD, Johnny Burke signed on, joining his brother Danny for guitar, writing and singing duties. Kevin Riordan would soon replace their original bassist. The right players in place, the band quickly evolved.
“We have this classic-rock feel to us,” says Jones. “Then you blend in these pretty melodies that Johnny writes and pretty wild bass lines than Kevin writes, and then my heavy drumming, and it all blends together. And then we have that big guitar sound of Zeppelin, mixed with the intricacies of Jane’s Addiction.”
Jones’ description of Corduroy 9 is a precise one, that sound captured on the just-released Tobacco Road CD. Live Alien Broadcast’s Frank Marchand (LAB, Rezin, Lowell) produced, shaping a wide-open collection of songs both accessible and challenging, ranging from star-spangled two-chord kicks like “Scorpio” to Zeppelinesque guitar-picking alt.country moments like “Friends.”
“We couldn’t be any more happy with the way the CD came out,” says Jones.
But the fact remains: for a complete look at — and listen to — the band, only the live show will suffice. And one show won’t be enough.
“We’ve got a lot of energy on stage. And a lot of people that see us play can feed off of that energy, too,” says Jones. “If you listen to the CD and come see us play, Danny is not going to do the same solos that he does on the CD. We can play the same song different four different times. We mix things up a lot.”
>> Relevant Info:
booking: Kevin, bassman1@prodigy.net
web: www.corduroy9music.com
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Wel Bilt:
regatta de rock
• Mitch Kramer
DC-area trio Wel Bilt hit the ground running, making friends with some big dogs and staking their turf at one of the area’s premier clubs
“Take the Police for the Year 2000 — throw it in there with a harder edge to it. A lot of rock, a lot of reggae,” says Wel Bilt signer-guitarist Nate Ihara, explaining his band’s sound. “The songs are all three-and-a-half minutes, maybe four at the most. And they’ve all got a life lesson, a personal outlook on things. It’s all pretty much from experience.”
On Wel Bilt’s current two-song demo, Nick’s life lessons aren’t the toughest ones a 21-year-old could learn, nor are the stuff of After School Specials. The experiences take their toll, but the results aren’t so bad that he’s not smiling at the end of the day.
Pop-rock with a touch of Latin influence, “Moonshine” has an insidious melody. The song tells the story of a little too much booze and a one-night stand that follows, with a twist: The narrator didn’t have beer goggles — the girl did. “Digging Holes” is about getting, well, more than your allotted share of nookie.
Following a humble plea that his art not reflect on him as a person, Ihara sings the song’s chorus, lyrics rapidly rolling out: “Got one up in the air, while the other falls down / Holding one above the water while the other one drowns / And if my lover found out / the hole I’m digging I can keep / it’s only been half of a week / and I’m already five feet deep.”
To Ihara, Wel Bilt is more than a band — it’s a brotherhood, the result of chemistry onstage and off. Ihara had played with drummer Bill Ledbetter before. They went on to different bands. The bands broke up. And when Ihara’s music jones started acting up, he called Ledbetter. And things clicked.
“We got together one day. It just worked,” says Ihara. “Everything he threw out as far as drum beats was, like, wow. It was like going for a year without taking a shower. Then you take than shower and a hot bath, and you’re just like, Aaaaahhhh — It feels so refreshing.”
Bassist-backup vocalist Nick Briscoe, the group’s resident arrangement specialist, played with Ihara’s previous band, and he accepted Nate’s invitation to join what the members now jokingly call a “self-described power trio.” Before Briscoe came on board, Nate and Bill had built up a following from regular Wednesday-night sets at Northen VA’s PJ Skidoo’s, and Wel Bilt played their first full-band show in June, debuting to a packed house Fairfax’s TT Reynold’s.
If the band are built exceptionally well, they’ve had help from some of the area’s master craftsmen. Fidel singer-guitarist Dave Hill has coached Ihara on song structure, and has signed on to produce Wel Bilt’s next demo, a six-song disc scheduled for December release. Hill’s emmy-nominated Fidel cohort Jerome Maffeo will mix the project.
“Nate’s got some really strong material,” says Hill. “He’s got a great voice, a great sense of pitch, a great sense of timing. He really has it.”
The band also share something in common with Hill — a weekly night at TT’s. Sometimes unplugged, more often plugged in, sometimes both, the Tuesday gigs have showed Wel Bilt one key to success: working the room.
“It’s a good time,” says Ihara. “Everybody that comes out, it’s a really good vibe. We see the same people, the same faces, and get to know everybody, make it personal. The same faces come back, and every week we have five new faces. It’s really cool.”
[ UH ]
>> Relevant Info:
web: www.welbiltmusic.com
booking: Nate, 703.409.4474
e-mail: mail@wellbuiltmusic.com
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