Dead Rock West

Location:
California, US
Type:
Artist / Band / Musician
Genre:
Punk / Country / Americana
Site(s):
Label:
Populuxe Records
Type:
Indie
West coast folk-rockers Dead Rock West are set to release Bright Morning Stars April 12, 2011 on Red River Records. The vocal duo--comprised of Cindy Wasserman and Frank Lee Drennen—recruited a number of guest performers for the new album including John Doe, Exene Cervenka and DJ Bonebrake of X and The Jayhawks’ Mark Olson, along with Grammy-nominated recording artist and producer, Peter Case. Wasserman and Drennen conceived of Bright Morning Stars as a "California spirituals record, made by California musicians," according to Drennen. The pair cover old time spirituals by Blind Willie Johnson, classic gospel tracks by the Staple Singers, and the Jesus & Mary Chain’s contemplative “God Help Me,” plus six more heavenly-inspired tracks by great 20th Century songsmiths, from Mississippi Fred McDowell to June Carter Cash. "This record isn’t just for people with a certain religious bent — it’s a calling out, a reaching out," says Drennen.
Dead Rock West debuted in 2007 with Honey and Salt; the Los Angeles Times called it "a head-clearing helping of roots rock that alternately aches with every bump in the road and looks with resolve to the next curve" and earned them comparisons to the Flying Burrito Brothers and X. Seeking to recharge their sound after a spell of nonstop road work, they found new strength in the faith-based songs of Bright Morning Stars. "It got me excited about music all over again," explains Wasserman whose resume includes vocal stints with the aforementioned Doe, Cervenka and Olsen, as well as with Grant Lee Phillips, Rickie Lee Jones and her brother, Grammy-winning bassist, Rob Wasserman. "I hoped the project would hit a sympathetic frequency with everyone involved," she says. As it turned out, a who's who of Cali musicians lined up to share the studio with Dead Rock West. They are accompanied throughout Bright Morning Stars by producer/guitarist Peter Case (the Nerves, the Plimsouls), drummer DJ Bonebrake (X), bassist Dave Carpenter (Grant Lee Phillips, John Doe), multi-instrumentalist Phil Parliapiano (Lucinda Williams, John Prine) and guitarist Ron Franklin (who crawled from Memphis)--all who came to make the scene with the vocals of Dead Rock West at front and center of the California roots rock Rat Pack.
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