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The Muggs
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The Muggs
Times Beach Records
Release: 7/19/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Jason Warner
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Detroit, Michigan is a city famous for the production of American automobiles. The city also has quite a pedigree in the rock and roll world. From the MC5 and The Stooges, to the modern groups, The Mooney Suzuki, and The White Stripes, bands that some out of Detroit tend to be similar to the muscle cars that Detroit churned out in the 1970s; loud, fast, and sexy.
Sexy is not really a word Detroit's The Muggs would likely use to describe themselves. They call themselves "The Ugliest Band in the World." This is definitely not true as anyone who has ever seen Bowling for Soup can verify. True, they are not models, but they just look like normal red-blooded American boys who work their day jobs (Matt Rost, the drummer, is a funeral director by day), and then rock out at nights and on weekends. And rocking out is something they have down to a science. The band originally formed in 2000, but was derailed in 2001 when bassist Tony DeNardo suffered a paralyzing stroke. Guitarist/vocalist Danny Methric and Rost took on side projects while DeNardo focused on recovery, and after a two year hiatus, The Muggs once again took the stage. This time around DeNardo plays his bass parts on a Fender Rhoads, but it is no less rocking.
The Muggs are releasing their self-titled full-length debut on Times Beach Records. I am among the chosen few who received an advance copy, and I'm glad I did because the stores just may sell out of this release. The Muggs know how to turn on the rock and this debut shows it in spades. The Ann Arbor paper called The Muggs' Danny Methric Detroit's answer to Angus Young. This is not far off base, as Methric plays blistering leads and tight rhythms on his guitar, while singing lead vocals at the same time. You would never guess the bass parts are being played on a piano. And the drums are huge sounding, while maintaining a dynamic feel.
The songs on The Muggs are straight up blistering rockers. All 11 tracks and 48 minutes are filled with relentless AC/DC style rock and roll. There's never a dull moment. Standout tracks include the opener, "Need Ya Baby," an up-tempo number featuring a great guitar solo and a Rhoads breakdown. Pretty much every song on The Muggs features the standard, verse/chorus/verse/solo/chorus format, but as they say, if it's not broke, etc.
The Muggs have shown you don't have to be beautiful to play rock and roll with the best of them, and perhaps uglier is better if their debut is any indication of things to come. Watch for TV commercials for the new Dodge Charger on your tube, or click over to Dodge's Web site. The Muggs have two songs featured… and I'd have to say this is appropriate music for a fire breathing muscle car. Detroit never lets me down. |
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