Teddy and The Rough Riders Teddy and The Rough Riders
Long missing in today’s overly produced country music scene is artists and records that call back to the golden era of the 1960s/1970s country-rock scene. Where is the new group of acts that take inspiration from Neil Young, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Pure Prairie League? Turns out, the band looking to lead the charge has been under my nose the whole time here in Nashville.
Over the past few years, Teddy & The Rough Riders have managed to home-record a full-length record and a few EPs on their own under the Third Man Records label while playing their fair share of bars and honky-tonks while also opening on tour for Margo Price, Jeff the Brotherhood, and Soccer Mommy. After narrowing down their best demos, they enlisted the help of the aforementioned Price to produce their eponymously named new album.
The production from Price shows that she has an extremely bright future as a producer if she so wishes to veer more in that direction as she and engineer Jake Davis made an album recorded in three days for $900 dollars sound like it was recorded over months instead of days and with a hell of a lot more money too.
The album flows perfectly from its downhome southern country vibes to west coast psychedelic sounds to its resonating mellow British rock. It is impossible to not catch the influence George Harrison played in the development of the bands sound. “Broken Bridges” and “Sunset” just scream something the former Beatle would have recorded on one of his solo albums.
The first four songs on the album have a laid back country vibe perfect for a day floating down a lazy river stream. “Rhinestone Salute” kicks things into gear with superb pedal steel guitar playing in a quick sprint to the finish line in this short song that is destined to fill the dance floor with eager listeners ready to line dance.
Fans of The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, and Poco will find a band that they can truly get behind in Teddy & The Rough Riders. Their most recent single “Dance Floor Blues” tackles how easy it is to become entangled in a toxic relationship. “‘Dance Floor Blues’ is exactly what it sounds like…becoming dangerously intoxicated with another person,” say Nashville-bred country-rockers Teddy and the Rough Riders of their pedal steel and phase-shifter-laden new single. “…as well as the various little sins on offer at honky-tonks around town.”
There’s one sound that I find more compelling than the many sounds found scattered throughout the record. Nearly every other song just yells ‘Mike Nesmith’ to me. I am a longtime fan of The Monkees and the country roots that inspired Mike’s playing and songwriting are just so apparent to me on Teddy & The Rough Riders album. The possibly subconsciously planted inspiration from Nesmith penned songs like “Writing Wrongs,” “Different Drum,” and “You Just May Be the One” can be heard throughout the 12 songs making up the self-titled album.
Teddy & The Rough Riders new album is the perfect record that will appeal to both die-hard old school country fans and rock fans. This is the record I demand people who say they do not like country music to stop and listen to and dare to tell me they still don’t after listening. @teddy_n_the_rrs
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
