A DOG & STONE PONY SHOW

Tony Peyser
Mirror contributing writer

   In the early days at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and Southside Johnny played there nearly every night —- and changed what they called their bands just as often. If Scott McClatchy had been born a decade or so earlier in New Jersey instead of Philly, he would have been sharing bills and nightly devising new group names with those guys.
   He’s hooked up with Scott Kempner from The Del Lords and made Redemption, which isn’t afraid to show his bar band-sounding roots. “Radio” is a song about how people turn to this transmitting device in times of stress. Yeah, other people have written similar songs but few as good. It’s perfect late-night rave-up. The title track shows that all these years later, there are still bands having fun with the strummy sound pioneered by The Byrds. “Redemption” has a musical hook like “My Back Pages” as it grapples with big issues such as fairness and forgiveness. McClatchy pulls this off by being sincere and winds up with a thoughtful and rocking track that’s peachy, not preachy.
   “Heaven” was a song The Del Lords recorded and often performed. It’s easy to see why, with its passionate and upbeat take on how the good stuff in the hereafter might, after all, be happening right here and now. McClatchy, Kempner, East Coast rocker Willie Nile and rock legend Dion team up on The Band’s “The Weight.” I don’t think this song was anything close to being a Top 40 hit but it’s become a staple of classic rock stations for decades. (And speaking of staples, The Staples Singers sang it in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 documentary, “The Last Waltz.”) This is a spirited version which I believe the surviving band members in The Band would look on very kindly.
   Sometimes, I think people get scared away a little by critics (including me) who toss around genre terms like roots rock, heartland rock, alt-country or Americana. Truth be told, it’s all just rock and roll but with a little more brain, heart and soul. It’s not easy to do but guys like McClatchy will made you think it is.
   Another good-time rocking band is Black Eyed Dog, whose debut album is Distance Inbetween.    Think Counting Crows without Adam Duritz as songwriter and lead vocalist. In other words, no insufferable white boy dreadlocks, no preening, no pretentious videos, no “Someone’s dropped a spider down my pants!” bad dancing and no serial dating of “Friends” co-stars. Works for me.
   “Light The Fuse” is a strong track that has one big problem; at a little over two minutes, the fuse on “Light The Fuse” is too short. It’s such an ingratiating song that it could easily have gone on twice as long. It’s like a charming party guest who abruptly takes off after a half-hour of great jokes and stories. “So Hard” opens the album with a quiet confidence and “Jolee” is rambunctiously and infectiously romantic. (Perhaps Billy Bob Thornton will cover “Jolee” for wife Angelina on his next CD.) Black Eyed Dog got Mitch Easter to mix their album which was a real coup since he’s worked with some mighty talented folks like Marshall Crenshaw, R.E.M. and Suzanne Vega.
Miles Of Music has Redemption and Distance Inbetween for $12.
   The Goofy Band Name Of The Week is … Frank Sinatra Jr. Jr.