FOLIO
by Richard Abrahamson
One of the bands EU checked out this month was Rebels and Rogues, a four-piece rock band consisting of Dustin Shacklock (vocals/guitar), Woody Willis (guitar), Jack Ringca (drums) and Russell Townsend (bass). Many of these names may seem familiar to you. You’ve probably caught them performing in other bands like My Hostage (Willis), The Usuals (Ringca), X Sister Z (Ringca), Electric President (Ringca), Rapture Indeed (Townsend) and Wings of Victory (Townsend).
Rebels and Rogues started as an acoustic project between Woody and Dustin earlier this year and has evolved into a full fledged rock n’ roll band. Thanks to Dustin’s rough vocals, the band sounds like rock veterans reminiscent of a time before autotune and guy liner. “We just play rock n’ roll,” Dustin said to the crowd at Café 331 last month as they got ready to perform. In a world full of over-processed vocals and computer generated music, the band’s raw sound really stands out and offers comfort in its simplicity. They are not trying to be the next new thing, they just love playing music and having a good time. Their live show feels like the scene on a TV show or movie where everyone at the bar sings along to the songs they know. The band’s interaction with the crowd makes you feel like part of the performance.
Rebels and Rogues will be opening up for Frank Turner Thursday, November 11th at Jack Rabbits, a perfect match, if you ask me. Woody explained how they went about securing the opening slot: in order to open, the band would have to be approved by Turner’s people and after providing a link to their Facebook page (which currently has only one song), they received approval in a just a couple of hours, a process which can normally take days.
The band is planning on recoding an acoustic split with Beau Crum and their first EP in December. Both albums are scheduled to be released early 2011. Be sure to come see Rebels and Rogue November 11th with Frank Turner or check them out at Carly Fest (a cancer benefit) on December 10th at Unit Six with Kids Like Us, Set Apart, Stomptown Kids and many more. You can check out the band online at www.facebook.com/rebelsnrogues
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