Which Came First, the City or the Country? (Director's Cut)

            Time to dust off the mechanical bull and doff your cowboy hat and boots. Country music is once again alive and well right here in the greatest city in the world.

            Shotgun Wedding hails from the New York City metropolitan area, but for those unfamiliar with these here parts, it’s a busy place teeming with action, attitude and a whole lot of noise. The band, billed under the designation, City Country, leaves one poised to ask, what exactly does that mean?

On a cold February morning, Shotgun Wedding released their debut CD, South of Somewhere; thirteen cuts that paint a Big Apple travelogue of sorts for the unfamiliar, uninformed and generally not from around here crowd.

City Boy kicks off the journey. Opening with a sweeping flourish of piano magic supplied by the incomparable Wade Preston, it eloquently evokes the feel of a typical metro morning, from a quick cup of java to the harried commute on the New York City subway system.

            There’s a track fire on the F line, Just one stop before mine, I hit the street and make it just in time, laments vocalist Dennis DelGaudio who co-wrote the tune with Preston, which depicts everyday life in the big city where country music may not seem prevalent, but concrete cowboys do exist.

Footsteps Away, written by DelGaudio and bassist Andy Cichon keeps Manhattan in the crosshairs, proving it lives up to its calling as the city that never sleeps. 

Stacked up one hundred stories high in this city by the sea,
Decisions, decisions,
Flip a coin and see
It’s all just Footsteps Away

While the cut seems more at home on Broadway than let’s say, Main Street U.S.A., this calliope flavored tune brilliantly captures the frenetic, yet playful vibe of the wide array of leisurely delights all within walking distance.

It’s not all fun and games in New York City however. City Hall, penned by DelGaudio and vocalist Catherine Porter bravely tackles the meaty social issue of pre-marital canoodling. 

My honey and I gonna tie the knot 
The day after tomorrow is all we’ve got
Not a minute to waste ‘cause my waist is gettin’ gone 
Gettin’ hitched before the secret’s out and Daddy’s temper’s on.

            Porter’s vocal conveys just the right amount of twangy desperation, leaving no doubt that this concrete cowgirl is in a heap of trouble and determined to make it right, New York City style.

We stood in line to dot our I’s and cross our T’s
With a clerk that looked like Willie and smelled like Jim Beam
We said, “we do” in sixty seconds flat
Signed, sealed, delivered and in a taxi just like that.

            The stripped down acoustic approach on City Hall, reveals a group of musicians having one heck of a good time that you can feel in every note. Seasoned drummer, Chuck Burgi brings the fun home with lighthearted fills giving real voice to smiles undoubtedly evident during the recording of this one.

            The real gem here is the DelGaudio, Porter, Preston collaboration Hurtin’ Songs. Catherine Porter’s vocal prowess on this soulful ballad rings so true with raw emotion ranging from the exhaustion of unending heartache following a tough break-up to the long awaited return of hope and freedom and happiness. The acappella bridge delivers such salvation that audiences will clap and sing along with the fervor of a Sunday morning congregation in a deep south gospel church.
            Then there's the other side of heartbreak as seen from the masculine point of view by way of Wade Preston's, Broken. This piano driven blues tune powered with a strong, determined vocal hints not at tears and tissues, but more the pickup truck and gun rack kinda hurtin'. If there was a Grammy nomination for well crafted lyrics, this one would be high up in contention.

Had I known you were damaged
I would have left you in the package 
So attractive on the shelf...
.

Following all this talk of broken hearts and relationships gone south (of somewhere), maybe it's time to get away for a bit. Andy Cichon provides the not so perfect remedy on Skeeter's; a feverish upbeat tune that pays heed to the annoying pests on a nine day swing thru West Va.

I was swattin' at the bugs and the ball as well
My patience and score all went to hell 
Then I turned to Billy and he said, "Yup." 
Sun goin' down, skeeter's comin' up.

            Now, talk about an all-time low! Dennis DelGaudio hits some deep bass notes here that would make Oak Ridge Boy vocalist, Richard Sterban raise an eyebrow.
            Back on the home front, summer is too long coming and too short lived. Tumbleweed Tuesday has all the earmarks of the perfect summer song. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear Buffett or Chesney belting this one out, but pay close enough attention and you'll realize that this has little to do with fun in the sun. Cichon and the gang are actually drawing attention to the delicate social infrastructure of life for the locals on Long Island's east end who spend fourteen weeks of lying low, making money and watching the show. This may actually be the world's first anti-summer theme song, yet one cannot help but to laugh and sing out loud on the infectious chorus that celebrates the day after Labor Day.

 It's Tumbleweed Tuesday and my summer starts now 
The beaches are empty and there's parking downtown
(Park your big 'ol truck downtown)
Don't need reservations 
I'll drink at the bar with the mayor and the sheriff 
Not some Hollywood Star.

 

            There is such a wide range of music featured on this debut outing that one can imagine radio programmers scratching their heads wondering just where South of Somewhere might fit in. Preston’s, Down in Flames channels the raucous grit of the Man in Black, with a side of the Killer; Jerry Lee Lewis thrown in for good measure while Cichon’s, Just One Minute features a catchy hook strong enough to linger in your head all day and is clearly a mainstream favorite.

            There is no need to call to attention the impressive résumés of these talented musicians, as the music is the only thing that really counts. Whether or not, South of Somewhere hits the airwaves, this is one CD not to be missed. These five stalwart and rather accomplished individuals hath brought forth far more than just an impressive collection of stellar compositions. From their very unlikely city viewpoint, they bring true integrity back to country music. Now if you’re still sitting here scratching your head wondering which really did come first, the city or the country, does it really matter? The album’s title track says it all.

 A little house with a big couch
Willie and Waylon playin’ on the radio
We’re from the south, the south of somewhere
City country, common ground.

Shotgun Wedding’s South of Somewhere is available on iTunes or through the website www.shotgunweddingnyc.com