Diamond Rugs: Diamond Rugs

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John McCauley has been one of the busiest men in rock and roll lately. His daytime gig as frontman of Deer Tick has taken off, garnering critical acclaim, headlining tour slots, and heady fan buzz.  His initial side project, Middle Brother, which teamed him with Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith and Delta Spirit’s Matthew Vasquez, released one of 2011’s best albums and now he’s back in another “star” studded collaboration called Diamond Rugs.  Their self-titled debut, out on Partisan Records, is a 14-song gem lined with country-rock wailing, Replacements’ punk stomping, and bluesy jazz riffs reminiscent of Exile-era Stones.  The sum of its’ parts, Diamond Rugs’ song-craft will also remind listeners of the various members’ main projects. 

Just who are these guys?  Well, besides McCauley, there’s his Deer Tick bandmate Robbie Crowell, Black Lips’ guitarist Ian St. Pe, Dead Confederate’s Hardy Morris, Six Finger Satellite’s Bryan Dufresne, and most incongruously, should-be Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Los Lobos saxophonist Steve Berlin.  Originally conceived by McCauley as a solo project to occupy his downtime, the idea expanded as he was able to recruit these fellow revelers.  Once the dust had settled, they reconvened in Nashville where the album’s tracks were laid down over the course of ten days and burned straight to analog, giving the proceedings an authentically laid-back, lived-in feel that suits the material well.  Highlights include McCauley shouting “I want the kind of house where I’ll sit down on the couch and say “Damn! It feels good to be a gangster!’” over a wail of electric guitar and sax on “Gimme a Beer”, the Black Sabbath-meets-roots-music vibe of “Country Mile”, and the soulful and timeless ode to ladies of the night in “Call Girl Blues”.  There’s a garage-y, DIY ethos throughout the album that makes it a fun listen.  Listeners can almost taste the flowing PBR and will feel as if they are fortunate enough to have stumbled upon some secret recording sessions, as the tapes reveal the true nature of these musicians’ vision; mistakes, first-take lightning, and ragged vocal inflections are included for all to hear.  It’s a charming and fruitful method to recording that suits Diamond Rugs well.  

This album was preceded by a short, Christmas themed collection and a few quick live appearances.  The quality and focus of this album offers hope that the gentlemen involved will all find time amongst their busy schedules to hit the road for a more extensive jaunt and perhaps lay down some tracks for a follow-up.  They’ve hit the ground running and have already set a good precedent. 

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