CD Review: Shaky DeVille's 'Hot Asphalt' Polished, Grounded

Apr 20, 2011
Melissa Kucirek

Shaky DeVille's debut release 'Hot Asphalt.' - Photo Courtesy of Shaky DeVille

Nashville's rockabilly meets punk band, Shaky DeVille bursts onto the national scene with a polished and well-grounded product with 'Hot Asphalt.'

What's not to love about listening to rockabilly music flavored with a little Irish, a lot of blue collar and even more grit? For the Nashville trio, Shaky DeVille, the passion-fueled tracks on its debut CD Hot Asphalt leave a wake of feisty songs easily embedded into the rock music upholstery. Fans of traditional Irish tunes, punk, rock and even bluegrass will find a song or two worth a listen.

Anthem Songs

The first two tracks, "Come Out Ye Black & Tan" and the title track, "Hot Asphalt," get the listener into a strong groove of Gaelic thought and that fun-pub filled Friday night feel. Toe tapping? Yes! Get ready. While it is easy to compare Shaky DeVille to the Dropkick Murphys, the immediate difference is that Shaky DeVille's lead singer Matt (M.S.B) has this extra punk kick to his voice. He is a bit more Lemmy of Motorhead with an added punch of the late Bon Scott. These first two songs feel anthem-worthy.

The heavier rock sounding "M.V.T" ditches the Irish-laced pub feel and travels into a quicker, more guitar heavy arena. The lyrics and storyline to this song seems grittier and yet very stable in terms of production and completion. The next track, "Toronado," has the same guitar heavy sound. The percussion and guitar riffs are in utter perfect tandem. The sound is dark without being metal scary; it just sounds very well-produced and tight. The only negative about this particular track is Matt loses a bit charm in his voice that he seemed to have in the previous tracks.

"You Had It Good" has this strong guitar introduction that is like a screaming wave 70s rock and a Harley Davidson charging at the listener's ears. The CD shows no signs of slowing down as the next track (track six) shoves through; " Charity" is a solid fast-paced rock song. M.S.B. shows his range and grits through the song. There are a few times where he has this David Lee Roth screech to his voice.

Session Drummer Used During Recording

Joining forces with M.S.B are Walter Cockcroft (upright bass) and Matt Heineken at drums. According to the official biography, a session drummer took the skins during the CD recording sessions. No matter, the album is tight and no beat or step is skipped. The album sound seamless.

Overall CD Review is Solid A

Overall, the CD review is a solid A. Shaky DeVille is thoroughly enjoyable and has the chops to make the listener get through its entire collection in Hot Asphalt. Of the 11 tracks, listeners will probably most enjoy the title track, "Prayers" (track seven), "Black Jack" (track 9) and the last track, "Red Sultan." Each are doused with punk, quick lyrics, heavy riffs and in your face rock. Fans of JET, the Dropkick Murphys, Black Motorcycle Club, Reverend Horton Heat, possibly Green Day and some other punk-laced rock bands, should give Shaky DeVille a ride. The road looks wide open for these music troubadours.