Listen Up!
The Neighborhood Bullys stormed the Los Angeles club scene in 2006. Unleashing infectious melodies played with fevered skill and smartly irreverent lyrics sung with epidemic energy, the quartet quickly conquered unsuspecting audiences and critics. It's obvious that the Bullys are the embodiment of authentic rock and roll, right in line with predecessors including the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, and the New York Dolls. But they sweeten the pot with the new-wave bounce of The Knack, the glam-rock crunch of Slade, the proto-power-pop of Raspberries, the party-metal of Kiss, and the lean, mean R&B/pub-rock blast of Dr. Feelgood.
Encountering the Bullys' talent and enthusiasm, Mike Chapman -- legendary producer of Sweet, Suzie Quatro and Blondie -- was inspired to capture it in the studio. The result is the band’s potent, rollicking debut album: the provocatively-titled "What?" – to be released in early 2010 on Rankoutsider Records.
The lynchpin of the Bullys is Davey Meshell -- a Brooklyn-spawned, L.A.-raised singer, bass player and songwriter who has played with such esteemed musicians as Shelby Lynne, Peter Case, Etta James, Bobby Womack, John Lee Hooker, the Chambers Brothers, Buddy Guy, and Buddy Miles. Meshell belies his goateed regular-guy look with the passion and moan of a vintage soul shouter. Although he was the central focus of the band from the start, other members came and went until the line-up solidified with guitarists Tex Mosley and Tom Gladders, and drummer Mike Sessa.
Mosley, originally from Philadelphia, got his start in New York City as a member of the punk-rock outfit Pure Hell, sharing bills and rehearsal space with The New York Dolls. Gladders, born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri., plays guitar like he's been shot in the head and has played in Pop bands like Spain. Drummer Mike Sessa joined the Bullys after being a member of such notable bands as Fear, Sylvain Sylvain, Rosie Flores and the Bellrays.
Getting star producer Mike Chapman to oversee your first album is quite a feat, but it happened for the Bullys in a very straightforward fashion. According to Meshell, the notorious Los Angeles music-business maven Kim Fowley wanted to manage the Bullys. Although that relationship was never consummated, Fowley gave Meshell some good advice.
“Kim said that the best way to get to work with your favorite producer was to send a letter and a demo of your best stuff,” recalled Meshell. “Nobody can top Mike Chapman in my book, so we sent him a demo of our song ‘I’m Bored, Let's Fight,’ and he actually responded. He told me that he listened to it twelve times in a row. Then, he said he’d produce our whole record.”
It turned out to be an ideal marriage of artists and producer. “We had already club-tested the material in L.A. for months,” Meshell said. “Mike showed up, flying in from his home in Connecticut, and we recorded all of the basic tracks in three days. He mixed it and mastered it in his home studio, and now the album’s gonna get out there on Rankoutsider.”
“What?” ranges from the insanely catchy "Spin It," to the sexy pulse of "Lead With Your Lips," the hammerhead slam-bam of "Let Me Be Me," and the rafter-rattling near-gospel fervor of "Alive.” And you can dance to it!
On top of their explosive sound, the Bullys’ songs are blessed with lyrics that are cynical, brutally honest, pointed and peppered with witty rhymes. As Meshell put it, “We don't preach, or tell anyone what to do. We're just writing about how people live, day to day.”
With an upcoming tour of the West Coast and Southwestern United States and a second album tentatively titled "Lost and Jealous" in progress The Neighborhood Bullys are poised to break out beyond regional renown. “We spend a lot of time around each other,” Meshell said. “ We're all there because we believe in what we’re doing. What can I say? We all love loud rock ‘n’ roll.”
Needless to say, watch out for The Neighborhood Bullys!
