HUSKY BURNETTE - Ain't Nothin' But A Revival!

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In a perfect world, Husky Burnette's new album Ain't Nothin' But A Revival would be played all over radio. People would be using Husky's name and the word Skynyrd in the same sentence, or say something about Howlin' Wolf playing Petty songs or something nice like that when they're talking about him.

I'm not saying he's yet the equal of the aforementioned, but he's at least, kissin' cousins. Husky Burnette comes from a long line of southern guitar rock and roll hellions, personally, historically, and traditionally, and he's keeping it alive and real with his own five-finger shot of hot-rodded, dirty, dirty, country-ass metalbilly blues.

This is Husky's second album (his third album) for North Carolina's Rusty Knuckles Records . The label is run by an ex-Epitaph Records dealer known as Ralph Miller, who's obviously no stranger to the rock action, and he gets Husky right on this new album. The production is big, hot, and wet, like Husky's been dipped in late '80s metal, but it's so cool to hear this kind of tough, rootsy blues sound like this. Again. I've been waiting for it. You have too, whether you know it or not.

The music and the performances on Ain't Nothin' But A Revival are Burnette's (and band's) best yet, he's stretching out sonically, lyrically, and stylistically while retaining what we love about him in the first place, his savagely agile slide, his smokey raw voice, and his hardcore full-on ready to kick on stage if he has to delivery. That, and Husky Burnette and his band know how to boogie, baby.

Previously a solo and duo artist working with a variety of drummers (full disclosure- I jammed pick-up drums for him for two of the best gigs of my life) but he's expanded his sound over the last couple albums to a band-sized outfit, blowing up what he does naturally to the large economy size.

Burnette is assisted this time out by The Legendary Shack Shakers JD Wilkes on harp for four tracks, Hank III's lap-steel man Andy Gibson recorded the album and also plays steel on one track, lead on another. Gibson brings out Burnette's inner '70's southern superrawk vibe on this album, bringing out his R.L. Burnside covering Robin Trower, his VanHowlin' Wolf. I'm guessing it's recorded to be played loud, because it sure sounds good that way!

It's the sound you want to hear comin' loud from some big home speakers laying sideways across the hood of a rebuilt flat-black in the GTO in your own flashback grown-ass hot tub time machine weekend long kegger in the woods. It's hotter 'n a she-wolf in a ghost pepper patch, and theres an iced down truck bed set with a variety of whiskeys n' such, and your partner's just scored whatever y'all like to smoke.

The moon is a drip on dark hood...

Somebody puts on the new Husky Burnette album, Ain't Nothin' But A Party, presses play, and gets it bumpin' in the big spreakers...

Best I Can clicks in, then a hum and the sound of Burnette's amp crawls in your head, the bass and drums drop in and boom! You're off to the party!

Kicks Rocks is up next, and it's a rockin' freight train boogie. The harp by J.D. Wilkes couples up in Husky's yard and blows your face out, baby.

36 Degrees - This is where the addition of a bass player pays off. Especially a thoughtful one like O'Neal Dover. It opens up the palette. This track is Burnette's power ballad...without any of the ickyness. Just a jazz-tinged slide on a rainy, cold blues.

Track four is Paid By The Hour. Y'all can probably guess what that's about. It's a rolling stroll with an open-throated JD Wilkes again on the harmonica, while Husky gets in trouble with a lady at the bar. Again.

Chicken Grease is lucky number five. It's acapella, but for the church bell-like haunting clang of iron bars. It's Burnette playing a Waitsian southern beatnik conman field holler.

Southbound High Head is Husky's 'Halen playing ZZ Top song, and it rocks proudly. As it should.

Dog Me Down. Hot damn! I've been waiting to hear Husky do a duet with  Bethany Kidd, out of Chattanooga, North Carolina. She's a local gal that Husky knew. She sings with a band called River City Hustlers. Burnette tells me that they wrote this a half-dozen years ago and even recorded it once, but it didn't make the cut. It made the cut this time. And how.

Yes, the dude actually has a belt buckle.

Dog Me Down rolls out with some slanky bass line, then to some harp, set to a controlled howl.

Then Husky and Bethany begin their lovers quarrel.

It's a finger-snappin' blues stomper and yeller that'll make you want to do some kind of dirty, high-steppin' dance to. Again, Wilkes' harp-playing acts as a secret weapon. I'll be the first to admit that when I see harmonica listed on an album I wince a little, because...come on...harp players. Wilkes knows his place so well that the whole song is enhanced by his blowing. Husky plays a tight rhythm throughout, no lead, giving Wilkes the space to wail and stretch, and while he takes advantage, it's done so thoughtfully, and brilliantly.
The band just choogles on this one in a way that's simple, and rock solid. Burnette and Kidd's vocals are sax-like, with Burnette blowing hard and lowdown, and Kidd swinging around his lead. It's a fair fight, and we all win.

Busted Flat features JD Wilkes again though here he's busier. It's an easy-going classic blues study on being broke both ways. Oddly, another song with no Burnette guitar solo.

See, I Moan The Blues is Burnette's progish blues rock showcase. It's weirdly Hendrixian, yet southern, and British. It's also crunchy and precise and it features some of Burnette's best vocals yet. The guitar solo is striking, sounding like it's over-driven then extruded thru an AM radio speaker that's been toasted by the sun of fifty summers. The drums wallop solid, the bass rocks on its heels, and Burnette grooves like the boss he is.

When My Train Comes is bluesy, soulful southern rock with a gospel walk, and a hard blues barbequed slide solo. It swaggers like a trucker dead-heading home.

Dirty Gettin' Down is the soundtrack to that last whiskey and coke, that next-to-last joint, that home-recorded cassette tape you found in the trunk of your Uncle's Camaro, the sound of that steamin' dank Georgia Friday night party lit up by heat lightning, and it's the sound of you... walking out the door of the bar at closing time.

Husky Burnette and his band tell the troubled tales of bad women, and badder men, played with loud guitars, neck-cutting slide, with kickin' bass and drums. If there's such a thing as twenty-four-hour pentecostal metal party blues...this is it. A solid blue-hot revival of hard, dirty old blues done Husky Burnette-style! Say Amen, somebody!

Husky'll be hitting the road soon so pay attention. Meanwhile, pick up Ain't Nothin' But A Revival.

Come On In :: An Interview With Husky Burnette

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!UPDATE!::

Husky Burnette's Tales From East End Blvd has been rereleased with four new songs- two covers and two originals, each played with Husky's signature grinding stomp and holler. I asked Husky for a run down of the tracks::

Best I Can is a fictional tune about the age old subject in Blues about having big women, ugly women, etc. 

Butter My Cornbread is straight up about getting it on. Nothing more, nothing else. Just sweating it out! 

Skinny Woman is an RL Burnside tune I've been playing since I started this solo thing. 

So Doggone Lonesome is a Johnny Cash cover. We worked it up as one of our 3 songs to play at a Johnny Cash Birthday Bash one year and we dug it so much that we wanted it recorded. 

Below is my spiel on and interview with Husky Burnette from 12/04/2013::
Husky holds the blues tight in his calloused fists, his fingers and heart hold the strings of his guitar where they are strangled, stroked, loved, and bent into his blues. Tough and tortured at times, thoughtful and barefooted at others, Husky Burnette's roots run deep through his music, and plays what he means. No posturing. No fedora, no ponytail. Just flat out rough, rollin' and tumblin' blues.

Now, full disclosure, I had the honor of being his drummer for two nights and it was a total thrill and challenge. We didn't rehearse, we just sat down and rocked out some blues, and had a ball. The next day at my house, we jammed out on a fast rockabilly drum beat, and that beat became a song on this album (with the great Dave Dowda on the skins,) called Rick's Late For Work. Because I was.

If you get the chance to see Husky Burnette live, you should go out of your way to do so. He usually works as a two-piece. I've seen him with a great drummer, a lacking drummer, and i've seen him solo. Regardless of the situation Burnett always rises above to reveal a terrific (in the true sense of the word) performer, a prodigiously skilled guitarist, and a powerful showman. 

This interview took place over part of a morning in November via fB chat ::

Rick Saunders::
It seems like you've been busier than ever this year. Touring pretty much constantly, working the new album. Looks like the tough years of slugging it out are paying off.

Husky Burnette::
They seem to be I suppose. It's been a damn good year that's for sure. I try not to treat it like that, though. As long as I slug it out, day after day, maybe the good stuff will keep happening!

RS::
Speaking of touring, a friend of mine used to roadie for the Melvins and once commented that it's twenty-two hours of bullshit for two hours of bliss. How do you keep the road grinding drudgery from killing you?

(HB) :: 

Your roadie friend is right! That's a good question, and I really don't know how to answer that one. I think the best way to describe it is I go on knowing I have a job to do. And if I don't do it then its all shot to hell. So I have to do it, whether its killing me or my band or not. If I don't do the tours then nobody knows right? So when you do start getting brought down a bit you just shut your eyes, shut your mouth and keep going no matter what cause it's all for the cause.

RS::
It's nation-wide heavy lifting, man. I respect any touring band, but don't envy them. How'd you hook up with the guys from your new label Rusty Knuckles?

(HB) :: 
We made contact through mutual friends and Ralph, owner of Rusty Knuckles, made a point to watch my set at Muddy Roots 2012. From then until the end of the year we stayed in contact, talking about what I wanted and needed as an artist and what he wanted and needed as a label. All was well and right on both ends so I signed the contract at the end of February 2013 and here we are. Its been a busy year and it's been more than worth it. The label as a whole is more than family. I'm very content where I'm at right now. It's been a huge learning process too.

RS::
Judging from their roster it looks like a good fit for you. In fact, I gotta ask, when are you and label mate Kara Clark gonna start doin' a bunch of George and Tammy, Loretta and Conway-like duets? I'd buy an album of that. 

(HB) :: 
We've actually talked about doing something. We've played a few shows together now, and when I slow down in December I can start thinking on cool ideas like this one.

RS::
I'm curious about the process of recording this album, and who you did it with. Your drummer on these sessions, Dave Dowda, tells me it took about five hours to record the whole thing. It was recorded by the nearly legendary J.B. Beverly...and you've got a bass player! Didn't you get the memo? No bass players allowed? I know we've talked about the importance to the boogie of that bottom end. I was glad to hear that lowdown sound. Who else helped out on Tales From East End Blvd?

(HB) :: 
Well, it took about a week to record. Drum tracks were done

very quickly for sure, thanks to Dave "Burma Shave" Dowda. J.B. and Buck Thrailkill did the album at Rebel Roots Studio. J.B. is responsible for the bass! Damn him. He actually laid all the bass tracks down except for "Rick's Late For Work", I did that one. I love the tone and runs he put down on bass too. It made me smile hearing killer bottom end on my tunes...especially the older tunes I'd played for so long without bass! J.B. and Buck were so easy and cool to work with. Other than those two, the only other help was on a brand new track I just finished writing before getting there. So at 4am with moonshine running in our veins very strong, me, J.B., Buck, Billy Don Burns, Shooter Jennings and Aaron Rodgers laid down the track "Come On Carolina" on a whim, and we ended up using it for the album. It was gonna be a bonus track/campfire version kind of thing but never got labeled that way. Tracking the album instead of doing it all live was something I wasn't used to and hadn't done in a long while. But hearing the end result I'm more than happy we did it that way. Big thanks to Rebel Roots Studio on that one.


RS::
Rebel Roots is JB's studio? And where is it located?

(HB) :: 
J.B. and Buck own it together. It's located in Fayetteville, NC. Great little spot. Secluded, quiet, rather perfect environment for doing what they do.

RS::
Come On, Carolina is such a stand-out track. It's different

from anything i've heard from you before. I think one of the things I like best about this album is the variety. You've got the hard blues stompers and low-down ass kickers that we expect from you, but there's also Come On' Carolina which is kinda country/bluegrassy, an instrumental track, the gospel country blues of On My Way, and the menacing blues of That Liquor. Come on, Carolina is a new sound for you with the addition of banjo. It's old timey but straight from today. Tell 'em about that song. What's the story behind that one?

(HB) :: 
I never expected to put this on any album (and definitely
never expected these guys 
playing/singing on it). Maybe something like my acoustic EP from 2012 but definitely not my full length cause it's so different. I get bored when writing sometimes and think "this one sounds too much like the last one" etc. or "man, I wanna do a song like THAT one". So after a long two weeks of listening to singer-songwriter folk/blues/country type artists. It kinda just started itself with the guitar riff. It was going to be a Tennessee influenced tune about my home state. I started realizing I had more going on in the Carolinas at the time and how nice North Carolina had been to me as of recent so it was going to be easy to write. The lyrics flowed out pretty quick and easy for that one. Easier than they would have had it been about Tennessee.

RS::
I dig the nod to Hendrix on the song Work It. I hear him as an influence but also a lot of ZZ Top, tone wise. Who else would you call influences?

(HB) :: 
Lyrically, a lot of my influences are folk-country singer-songwriters. Roger Alan Wade is one my biggest influences. It's funny cause I can never seem to write as deep and heavy as those guys like Roger, Kristofferson, Guy Clark and Gram Parsons, (in most situations it wouldn't fit the tunes or style that I play), but, it's still a huge influence to write period. I'm a big lyric guy when it comes to being a listener/fan. As far as soul and blues go, it's Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jr Walker & the Allstars and Leon Russell. I listen to them, and all I hear is dirty, nasty grooves and boogie, in one way or the other. So in a lot of my songs I try to go for that feeling and groove. It's got to have a groove.

RS::
You're known for an intense live show. You play as if your life depended on it, like if you just dropped dead on stage you'd be cool with that. Talk a little about that. 

(HB) :: 
I'm an old school rock n roll guy so maybe that's where the intensity comes from? I'm not real sure but, if I had to guess I'd say that's it. I played in metal and rock bands growing up and always loved the intensity of it so I guess I just haven't lost that feeling for music, listening and playing both. 

RS::Your also known for an interesting array of guitars. What are you using these days?

(HB)::

My current guitar roster for live shows is an Epiphone Dot Studio hollow body for my electric slide tunes, a Diamondback Stringworks custom telecaster-copy build for all my electric standard tuning songs and a Cigar City CBG's 3-string cigar box guitar for a few tunes. For acoustic stuff I'm still using my trusty National metal-body resonator. I have backup electrics I like to bring such as an Epiphone SG and Epiphone Les Paul Standard.

RS::
I'm wondering if you'd mind giving a little rundown or back story on each of the songs from East End Blvd.?

(HB) :: 
Ok. Here's the back stories::

1. East End Blvd. - This was written about a real bad area in Chattanooga, TN. I had my troubles down in this low place and got sucked into it for a period of my life so I figured I'd write about it. Jill Scott put it best in one of her songs, "Your background, it ain't squeaky clean. Shit, sometimes we all got to swim upstream". There's plenty to write about from those days!

2. Highway 41 - Highway 41 runs right down the road from where I grew up and also where I live now. Lyrically, it was just intended to be one of those good ol' hometown/highway/woman cheating tunes we know so well. I wrote the main riff on accident (at 2am in a tattoo shop after a show with the Pine Box Boys) during an instrumental blues jam session with Dodds (drummer) and Lester (vocals/guitar) of the Pine Box Boys. I love that tune

3. Work It - This one I've had for quite a while. There's no frills to the backstory on this one. It's about gettin' it on, sexual relations, doin' the do, bumpin' uglies. Nothing more, nothing less.

4. Beat & Lowdown - I wrote this one in a trailer park. Haha. My old drummer and I were out back at his place trying and trying to come up with a new tune. While fooling around on break I came up with the riff and here we are. It's another favorite of mine on this album. I wrote it around the time I was having what we'll call "woman problems" so it kind of speaks for itself there.

5. That Liquor - When I wrote this one I was dying for a slow, creepy, groove-blues tune. It's written, very loosely, on some crazy shit from my rebellious younger days. I'm very thankful I had J.B. Beverley as a producer on this one.

6. See-Saw - This one is kinda like "Work It"....strictly about getting it on. I've always loved those blues tunes that are a bit comedic yet about real life happenings, such as sex, jail, partying or anything else percieved as bad things. So I figured i needed me one of them songs.

7. On My Way - This one is special to me. I wrote it in the van on the way home from tour. I tried to incorporate everything I like in a folky song like this: good lyrics, meaning, feeling and little concentration on your instrument to bring the folks in with the words. I'm a big lyric guy so I tried to make something I would want to hear. It's coming from the eyes of an old Mississippi farm hand in the days of slaves and cotton fields but it's pretty much universal to the working man of any kind in any area.

8. Dazed Away - I wrote this about those days where being a road dog isn't your concern, playing tonight can't physically happen or "I'm sorry but I just don't wanna do it today". You can't help but have those kinds of attitudes and feelings running through your blood on some days after being on the road for a while. I think everyone gets tired of traveling at some point. It may take a few years for those of us who have to do it every week, every year to keep a roof and food but, we still get tired at some point. This song is about when you just can't "go in today" and the batteries have to be recharged. Musically, I just thought it was time i had some kind of rock n roll in a song again.

9. Coonie Hill - Coonie Hill is just a fictional story about an actual place. While on tour in upstate NY last year my friend Maryrose and I were driving past some very wealthy neighborhoods on an off-day. One of the streets was Coonie Hill Drive. We laughed at how it didn't fit and should be the name of a street in a dark neighborhood street on the bad side of town. So, really, it just started out as a joke but with a title like "Coonie Hill" I felt it was my duty as a citizen to write this tune!

10. So Far From Home - This tune was written out of pure anger and disappointment. Sometimes there are shows that suck, sometimes there are shows where you wish someone would stab you in the face to put you out of your misery. This was written about the latter, after a show in Daytona, FL. I wrote it the next morning around 8am in Titusville, FL at my boy Lone Wolf's house. I tried to describe the discomfort me and the band felt that night. It was definitely song-worthy.

11. Rick's Late For Work - This was written along with the handsome fellow doing this interview, the almighty Mr. Rick Saunders while we were jamming for the fun of it. We stopped by Rick's house the morning after a show in his town, St. Augustine, FL. We sat around geeking out on music, talking jazz, blues and biographies, when all of a sudden jamming in his back room sounded like a better idea than him going to work in a few minutes. This rebel called in to work and told them he's gonna be late just so we could jam together. The rest is history and track #11 on the new album.

12. Come On Carolina - This one is completely different than any other tune I've written or recorded. Six musicians, all acoustic, recorded live sitting around one microphone (only a couple days after I finished writing it). A killer line-up on this one: Me on vocals/rhythm guitar, Billy Don Burns on rhythm guitar/backing vocals, Buck Thrailkill on banjo/backing vocals, J.B. Beverley on snare drum/backing vocals, Shooter Jennings on backing vocals and Aaron Rodgers on slide guitar/backing vocals. It was actually never intended to be on the new album but once it was done we felt it needed to be. We were in Fayetteville, NC at Rebel Roots Studio for a few days hanging out, playing shows and drinking moonshine when miraculously on the last night we got something recorded. I just got lucky that it was my tune honestly. I'd been having a lot of good things happen for me in NC at the time (the studio, the label, great gigs, newfound family, etc). It's almost like a nod to those times and those people believing in me and bringing me in to give me a shot. It was very easy to write.

Thanks for taking the time, Husky! See you down the road.  Y'all can buy Tales From East End Blvd via the links up top.

HUSKY BURNETTE - Amazing Grace

Husky has recorded a nice new cover of Amazing Grace. He says,
"Amazing Grace was the only song I'd sing along with in church when I was young, it was my favorite. I never cared much for hymns, but this one always hit me right. When I worked up this version it was probably 2010 or 2011. I never did anything with it and it fell by the wayside. Then not long ago I got some bad news about a friend, Kathleen Fiedler, who had passed and got asked to play this at her memorial service. One week later, my first drummer and very close friend, Allen Tate, passed as well. This tune is in memory of those two special people who will never be forgotten. I guess you could say it's also my way of giving back something that was given to me years ago. Enjoy. - Husky Burnette"

SCiSSORMEN w/HUSKY BURNETTE f/MOLLY GENE - OL' Black Mattie

OLDS SLEEPER is more than Plainspoken.

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Olds Sleeper, Yr man of unknownness and mysteries known, has a new collection of songs available via Cracker Swamp (home to Husky Burnette who plays slide on Lost Highway). Elements of Nebraska, Sparklehorse, and Jim White coalesce towards the distant light to form songs familiar, intriguing, challenging, lovely and strong.

$8 w/free bonus album and etc

HUSKY BURNETTE in Saint Augustine FL @ Ann O'Malley's 08.28.11

A couple weeks ago I had the honor and pleasure of sitting in on drums for Husky Burnette for two nights. Joining us for a few songs on Saturday night was Philip Westfal on Banjo Cello.  Philip works for Goldtone Banjos down the road a piece in Titusville, FL. Philip and his lovely wife Katie ( who shot the video for me) had seen Husky play in Orlando ( Philip was on the bill too, along with the one-man band, Lone Wolf ) and decided to come to Saint Arrrgustine for the weekend to hang and see the show. It was a fantastic weekend of music that left me happily drained. It was made even better by having some old friends in the crowd that I hadn't seen in ages. I need to play gigs like that more often. Thanks guys!

HUSKY BURNETTE in Saint Augustine @ Ann O'Malley's

Got to see Husky Burnette and his drummer Tony Jones play the tiny Ann O'Malley's tavern this week. 

Terrific show and the staff at Ann O'Malley's treat musicians right. I encourage all my musician pals to give 'em a holler when they head to FL. Husky plays all out/full on hard blues and I pity the fool that missed the show. 

Here's a short video shot by photographer Dan Florez. 

Dan's camera mic seems a little janky but you'll get the idea:

HUSKY BURNETTE

left to right: Burma Shave, Husky Burnette

Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee ( home of the National Tow Truck Museum) Husky Burnette accompanied by drummer Burma Shave brings a rough, shambolic yet fist-tight blues that stomps, honks and grinds it out. My ol' neighbor lady'd say "That's Nasty!" 

She'd be so right. Husky and Burma rock it like a beast and that's how we like it, baby. Hunched, sweatin', swaggerin' and all up on ya. Think of a hair more trad early Black Diamond Heavies (also once a Chattanooga band) when Mark "Porkchop" Holder still played guitar with them, or a grunge R.L. 

Husky is lettin' loose a new live disc sometime this year (we'll hope for sooner than later) as well as a studio release (rumored to include an appearance by a top-secret-super-special-guest. I can't tell you a thing about it cuz Husky'd hafta kill me. Think of the children). I thought you might like to get to know Husky Burnette a bit better being as y'all will be hearing a lot more from each other soon so I asked him a few of the basic Q's:

When did you start playing guitar? Play anything else?

I started seriously playing guitar at age 12. I mess around with piano but can't play anything but chords.

How'd you and Burma meet and start playing together?

We both live in/around Chattanooga and have played in bands based in North Georgia/Chattanooga. He played with a damn good road band called The Tennessee Rounders and then Bathtub Gin, so by us being in bands around here we knew each other from the "scene" basically. after pursuing the "solo artist" thing, I had been through 3 different drummers and I took a much needed break from traveling so much. during that time I parted ways with the last drummer, called Dave up, he wasn't playing and was more than stoked to do it. We quickly found how how well we click and mesh. Now life and drummer status is great. He makes me sound good!

What'd ya do before playing more or less solo?

Before the solo thing I played lead guitar for singer/songwriter Roger Alan Wade for about 2.5 years (fantastic songwriter!! check him out if you haven't). After that I helped start the band Polecat Boogie Revival (guys from the band Hellstomper). Gained some status, toured a lot, recorded an EP and a couple good singles, then it played out. After parting with them I pursued the solo deal, tired of "almost" getting something done. Got the 'if you want something done right, do it yourself' attitude. Now here I am.

Influences? 

Tons. Here's a few: Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Furry Lewis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, R.L. Burnside, Lee Michaels, my family: Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette and Tim Burnette, Tom Waits, Son House, Jr Walker, Jimmy Reed, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Hound Dog Taylor, Hendrix/Band of Gypsys, Legendary Shack Shakers, Jesus Lizard, Cramps, The Gories. 
fyi: Husky is related to Rocky and Billy Burnette, too.

 

Husky Burnette @ MySpace 

Husky Burnette @ Facebook 

Husky Burnette - Shake That Thang - MP3

Husky Burnette - Highway 41 - MP3

Husky Burnette - Walking Blues - MP3