SHINDIG MAGAZINE
(UK music magazine) – Positive album review with art
Dirty Streets “Blades of Grass” (Alive)
Recorded at Ardent in Memphis. this one goes a couple of different places but is squarely centered in a space of swampy, ’70s-ish hard rock. Singer Justin Toland has an engaging and spirited style, and a voice that is not wildly dissimilar to Jack White’s. A couple of the songs are driven by riffs that could have come off Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion’s Orange, and throughout the listen you keep expecting Free’s “All Right Now” of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” to break out. There’s a sitar-happy instrumental that really doesn’t jibe with the rest of the album yet is pleasant to let your head drift off to.
There’s no shortage of contemporary bands who want to sound like Humble Pie and Grand Funk Railroad, so there’s not much on the album that surprises. But Dirty Streets separate themselves from the like-minded pack with contagious enthusiasm, sharp songwriting, and some ass-whoopin’ riffs. – Brian Green
THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL / GO MEMPHIS
(Memphis, TN daily) – Feature show preview with band photo.
Mid-South boogie-rockers Dirty Streets continue their evolution on third album
Roots-rockers take chances, focus on songs on latest album
By Bob Mehr
Back in 2009, on the eve of the release of Dirty Streets’ debut LP, singer-guitarist Justin Toland spoke determinedly about the young band’s future. “We’ve always had very definite goals. The main goal is to be as good as we can as musicians and keep writing songs.”
Four years later, Toland and company — bassist Thomas Storz and drummer Andrew Denham — have followed through on expectations, with a triumphant third LP, Blades of Grass, that came out this week. The group will mark the occasion with a concert performance Friday night at the new Hi-Tone Café location in Crosstown.
Dirty Streets launched in late 2006 when DeSoto County natives Toland and Storz met through mutual friends. The pair quickly bonded over a shared love of Hill Country blues, proto-punk and ’70s boogie-rock. The band jelled fully a year later with the addition of Denham, a naturally powerful drummer fresh out of high school. For a couple of years, the band woodshedded heavily, playing regular gigs at Midtown watering holes like Murphy’s and toughening its sound.
Unlike most of their post-teen peers, the Streets lost themselves in a bubble of late-’60/early-’70s blues-rock made in, or informed by, the Bluff City. “The three of us really related to that kind of music; it was surprising to us that more of our friends didn’t listen to roots-based rock from around here,” Toland says. “We were also into these British bands and Detroit bands, too. The longer I’ve lived here in Memphis, the more I realize how much those groups respected the music from this area and were influenced by it, or actually came here to record.”
After releasing two records independently — their self-titled debut and 2011’s Movements — the band signed last year with Burbank-based label Alive Naturalsound Records. Armed with a better budget, the Streets decided to track their third LP at Midtown’s famed Ardent Studios, working with engineer Adam Hill.
“I had a strong feeling that I wanted to do this one a certain way,” says Toland. “I told Adam I wanted to make an analog record, not too polished. We talked specifically about the dynamics, and how the drums would sound.”
“We both had an idea that we wanted it sound like a Glyn Johns record, some Humble Pie, or like an Eddie Kramer record, to get that ’60s vibe on it. And even going back to Ardent itself, I really like the bands that came out of the studio like (’70s outfit) Moloch. So we thought, ‘Yeah, let’s get a Moloch sound on this record.’”
Although they reached back sonically, Blades of Grass sees the Dirty Streets moving forward musically, evolving with an album that places an emphasis on the songs and arrangements, without sacrificing the loose, bluesy bluster of the band’s earlier work.
“With the first album, we were thinking much more as a live band,” Toland says. “When I listen back to the record, the songs are super drawn out, with really long solos. On record, it didn’t translate as well. We took a few more chances on this one, by focusing on the tunes and not worrying about how it would sound live and loud.” That shift is abetted by several guests, including Lucero pianist/organist Rick Steff, harmonica player Adam Maxwell and engineer Hill, who chips in with percussion and harmonies.
The biggest element in the band’s growth, however, is Toland’s developing skills as a guitarist, and the added nuance in his playing. “More than anything, I’ve learned to slow down and be more expressive,” he says. “In the beginning, I tended to get excited and go full force all the time. It’s one of those things where the more music I discover and guitarists I learn to appreciate, it’s less about speed and force and more about expression. I’ve tried to translate more feeling into my playing. That’s what’s changed the most stylistically.”
Since hitting the road for their full first national tour last year, the group has been winning over new fans and raising its profile. The group will be launching another cross-country trek in September, and wearing their musical and geographic influences on their sleeve.
“It’s funny ’cause when we record or play, we’re just trying to get the groove right; we’re not really thinking about where we fit in musically. But every time we go out of town, people say, ‘You sound like you’re from Memphis!’ We’ve never really focused on a Memphis sound, or having soul and blues influence, but it’s there, and it’s apparent to other people. And that’s fine with us.”
—————————–
Dirty Streets, Heavy Eyes and Kill Baby Kill
10 p.m. Friday at the Hi-Tone Café, 412-414 N. Cleveland. Cover is $8 at the door. For more information, go to hitonememphis.com or call 901-278-8663.
http://www.gomemphis.com/news/2013/jul/11/mid-south-boogie-rockers-dirty-streets-continue/
MEMPHIS FLYER
(Memphis, TN weekly) – Feature interview to preview Memphis record release show.
Third-Time Charm
The Dirty Streets branch out on album number three.
by Chris Herrington
This week, Memphis power trio the Dirty Streets — singer/guitarist Justin Toland, bassist Thomas Storz, and drummer Andrew Denham — will release their third and so far best album, Blades of Grass, a polished collection recorded at Ardent Studios and released via Los Angeles indie label Alive Records (whose past releases include now-huge blues-rockers the Black Keys and north Mississippi blues stalwart T-Model Ford). Ahead of the band’s local record-release show at the Hi-Tone, the Flyer spoke to Toland:
Flyer: A couple of big changes with this record are the new studio (Ardent) and label (Alive Records). Let’s start with Ardent. How did you end up recording Blades of Grass there?
Justin Toland: The whole thing about doing it at Ardent was that we had worked with [engineer] Adam Hill on a thing that they did called “The Warm-Up.” We had done that with him after the last record. It’s a live thing they do in-studio, where they record it. He had engineered that and we were so happy with the way he recorded and mixed it that we definitely wanted to work with him in the future. But we didn’t know if we would ever have the budget to do that. Then two years went by, and we were thinking about where we were going to record this record. The main thing was we wanted to record it live to tape, and we were having a hard time finding somewhere to do it for our budget.
And that’s not how you recorded the first two albums?
No. They were done digitally. We tried to make it sound as analog as possible. But this time we actually wanted to record analog. I talked to Adam about mixing this record, and he said, “Just let me see if I can get you in here, and we can do the whole thing to tape.” I didn’t think it would be possible, but he worked out everything. A lot of people felt like they couldn’t do it in the time we had allotted, which was seven or eight days. The whole record. Recording, mixing, tracking, overdubs. People didn’t feel like they could do all that on tape in eight days, but he was completely confident that he could. And it ended up working perfectly.
You can definitely hear an evolution in the band, especially if you go back to the first album [Portraits of a Man]. How much is that the result of the band changing, and how much is it just getting more comfortable working in a studio setting after establishing yourself as a live band?
I think it’s definitely both of those things. When we wrote all of the songs for that first record, they were written from a live standpoint. We were thinking, let’s see how good these songs can sound live. They were all really long, because there were lots of parts where, live, you can really draw people’s attention. But on this record and also on the last one [Movements], we moved in the direction of writing songs that we could play live in a certain way, but at the same time we were making songs for the sake of being songs. The other thing is, production-wise, we got better at recording and having ideas for overdubs.
You can hear more folk and soul elements filtering in on top of the straight blues-rock sound you had early on. It seems like that dynamic makes for a more listenable album.
Absolutely. That has to do with consciously making the decision to let some different influences get into the music more. I think when we first started out we were maybe afraid to let certain things come out. And live we were always trying to be exciting and loud. I think focusing more on the songs allowed us to move toward some of the other influences we had. But also, I think all of our tastes have expanded, as a band, since we started.
You’ve got Rick Steff playing on a couple of songs here. I assume that came out of touring with Lucero a couple of years ago?
It totally did. He had said something way back then about wanting to do something in the studio, but we didn’t have time on the last record. On this one, I called him last minute, and he showed up and laid everything down faster than I’ve ever seen anybody. It was the most professional thing. In a few minutes, he made up all his parts. He’s that good.
The first two records were local indie releases. This one is for Alive Records, out of Los Angeles, which is a pretty established label. How did that relationship come about?
We’ve gone on a few tours, and we’ve been touring the Southeast a lot since the last album came out. Last year, we ended up touring with Radio Moscow, a band that’s on Alive Records. Through that and meeting Lee Bains, who’s also on the label, around the same time, we were able to meet the owner of the label and he expressed interest in putting out the record.
After their local release this week, the Dirty Streets will head out on a 10-day Southeastern tour. They’ve got a six-week national tour, through the West and Midwest, scheduled for the fall.
The Dirty Streets with Heavy Eyes and Kill Baby Kill
The Hi-Tone, Friday, July 12th
10 p.m., $8
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/third-time-charm/Content?oid=3454691
WXCI RADIO (Danbury, CT Radio) Brian Mulvihill played Tracks 1, 7 & 10 from Blades of Grass on his Shout, Brother, Shout show the week of 7/23
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
(online music site) – [Second!] positive album review
Dirty Streets – Blades Of Grass
(another Ripple scribe falls under th heavy 70’s spell of Dirty Streets. Read Grime’s view of the album today, and don’t forget MetalRising’s review here)
Maaan, I’ve been on this big fuzzy 70’s rock kick all of my life, but these last few weeks in particular. I’ve been hitting up Leslie West’s first two records and the early ZZ Top stuff pretty hard core. I don’t know what prompted it. Maybe I just needed to get my boogie on. That’s probably it. I mean, have you heard “Never In My Life” off of Climbing!? That shit jams. After coming around on Cactus, finally, I’m left to wonder when the big doom rut of 2013 will be toppled in favor of some good ol’ fun in the sun rock and roll.
Granted, there has been plenty of bands to take up the retro distorted blues boogie style and effectively at that. It’s gonna take someone with some chops and serious soul to fly one over the fence with the jaded retro-stoner crowd. Enter Memphis, TN’s own The Dirty Streets. Released July 6 on Alive Naturalsound Records, Blades of Grass has the mojo to do just that. Move over boring druggy riffs, It’s time for some serious, greasy-as-fuck, southern rock and soul.
FIrst off, Blades of Grass was recorded at the legendary Ardent Studios, conveniently located in their home town. Ardent has recorded everyone from Led Zeppelin to The White Stripes to Marty Stuart, It was Stax Record’s go-to studio when they were overbooked and another Memphis native, film director Craig Brewer, utilized the facilities to record the score for Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan most in part due to the fact. Not just anybody gets to record in their studios. I find it pretty impressive that The Dirty Streets got to get their hometown rock onto tape there. The audio on this record is spectacular. In fact, it kind of sparkles a little bit.
Blades of Grass is an all round solid rock and roll record. Period. No confusing it. Rock music at its best. It’s in the same league but slightly more ambitious than Mount Carmel, but with a cleaner sound (thanks, no doubt, to Ardent). Somethings say modern, some things say vintage. Definitely retro, but more appropriately…timeless. You’ve heard it before but can’t put your finger on it…that’s how you know when someone is doing it right. For instance, the opening track, “Stay Thirsty”, could easily have been a lost track from The Black Crowe’s Amorica sessions. However, once you’ve heard The Dirty Streets, you won’t make that mistake. It’s easy for the band, especially under the heavy rock footed thunderfunk drumming of Andrew Denham, to lay down a thick cut groove that, in a very general manner of speaking, is reminiscent of Carmen Appice jamming with John Fogerty and Sly Stone. I think it is fair to say that these boys got their fair share of deep south groove straight from the source.
I don’t like making predictions. The second I get cocky about ANYTHING is when it falls apart. So their sake, I won’t heap more praise than they deserve, but The Dirty Streets have a few things really going for them. They are on a great label (Alive helped spawn the now behemoth Black Keys), they have a superb sounding record, and they have more rock and roll vibe oozing from their pores than someone their age should. Blades of Grass is %100 bullshit free. I only had slightly more fun listening to Side 2 than side 1 and that isn’t saying anything. Blades of Grass is one of the strongest rock releases of the year, no doubt, and has the potential to go mainstream amongst the figuratively hip v-neck wearing listener. But really…who cares. This record stands up front to back. If The Dirty Streets can raise their game in anyway, which would be a tough feat, before their next record, they undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with beyond the underground.
Highly recommended.–The Grime
http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2013/07/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass_21.html
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
(online music site) – Feature interview to preview show
’70s rock ’n’ roll is right up The Dirty Streets’ alley
By JACK W. HILL
The streets of Memphis are good enough for The Dirty Streets, a young band who chose to move to the Bluff City from north Mississippi, no matter if the streets in the city are a little bit on the soiled side.
“We’ve been together for six years,” says Justin Toland, singer and guitarist in the trio, which also contains bassist Thomas Storz and drummer Andrew Denham. “We all met and discovered we shared the same preference for older music, ‘old school’ rock ’n’ roll, including Humble Pie, Cactus, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, The Faces, MC5 and Jeff Beck.
“It just seemed like older music from the 1970s changed the way we looked at music more than the new music that we were surrounded by.”
The Dirty Streets released the band’s third album, Blades of Grass, July 9. The band’s debut, Portrait of a Man, came out in 2009, and a second album, Movements, was released in 2011. The first two CDs were recorded by the band itself, on a much smaller budget, Toland notes, while the new one was recorded at Memphis’ famed Ardent Studios, with help from Rick Steff of Lucero on keyboards.
“We did a tour of the Southeast with Lucero, and they’ve helped us out a lot, and showed us the ropes,” Toland says. “And Rick, especially, who’s been around a while. He played with Hank Williams Jr. for seven or eight years. We also toured the East Coast with a Little Rock metal band, Iron Tongue, and last summer we did a six-week tour with Radio Moscow, a Los Angeles band, which is how we made the connections to get our label deal for our latest album.”
The Dirty Streets’ favorite Memphis club to perform in, Toland says, is The Hi-Tone (where Elvis Costello once did a show he released on DVD), which recently moved to a new location just off Union Avenue. The group has played central Arkansas on three previous occasions, at the Rev Room, Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack and the White Water Tavern.
Original music has been the focus of the recordings made by The Dirty Streets, except for a “bonus track” on their latest album.
“We included a song by an obscure Ohio soul artist, Sir Stanley,” Toland says. “In our shows, we throw in the occasional cover songs, something by one of our influences, especially Cactus and Humble Pie.”
The Dirty Streets
Opening act: Opportunists, Peckerwolf
9:30 p.m. Friday, White Water Tavern, West Seventh and Thayer streets, Little Rock
Admission: $5
(501) 375-8400
whitewatertavern.com
Weekend, Pages 33 on 07/18/2013
Print Headline: ’70s rock ’n’ roll is right up The Dirty Streets’ alley
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2013/jul/18/70s-rock-n-roll-right-dirty-streets-alley-20130718/
SUPAJAM
(UK online music site) – Brief positive show preview.
Dirty Streets channel the 70s
Dirty Streets are making a name from necromancy, digging up the well-loved sounds of late 60s, early 70s blues rock and performing it perfectly in 2013. They’ve just released a ‘new’ album called Blades of Grass, with ‘Stay Thirsty’ the sample we’ve got for you today. Perfect for summer days, even if you’re not from the era.
http://www.supajam.com/news/story/Dirty-Streets-channel-the-70s
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
(online music site) – Brief positive show preview.
Rock Candy – Saturday To-Do: The Dirty Streets bring some of The Bluff City’s finest power-trio blues rock to White Water Tavern, with Hot Springs bruisers Opportunist and Little Rock’s burliest rock machine, a.k.a. Peckerwolf, 9:30 p.m.
http://www.arktimes.com/RockCandy/archives/2013/07/18/friday-trey-hawkins-band-dirty-streets-and-more
ADOBE & TEARDROPS
(online music blog) – Brief positive album review
Dirty Streets — Blades of Grass
I have not yet finished listening to the Dirty Streets’ Blades of Grass, but I can honestly say this is a fucking great album.
The cover art pretty much tells you what you need to know. (By the way, it is definitely the raddest album art we’re likely to see this year.) This album is down and dirty and, at times, psychedelic. But don’t assume that means Blades of Grass is all over the place. The Dirty Streets’ groove is practically precision-guided.
My commentary here is pretty useless. You just need to listen to it and be blown away. This album will almost certainly be on my “best of” list come December. Nice work, gents.
http://adobeandteardrops.blogspot.com/2013/07/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass.html
THE MASHALLTOWN
(Australian online music site) – Fairly positive 7.0 album review
Review: Dirty Streets – Blades of Grass
http://www.themarshalltown.com/zine/2013/07/15/review-dirty-streets-blades-of-grass/
LOS ANGELES EXAMINER
(online L.A. music site)
Schwindy’s indie music spotlight: Dirty Streets (Video)
By: Gary Schwind
You can’t always tell a lot from the description of a band. However, sometimes a description is enough to pique your interest so you want to hear the album for yourself. That was the case when I received a message about the new Dirty Streets album that was described this way: “heavy music bathed in blues, folk and psychedelia.”
I’m telling you, loyal reader. That description isn’t just some marketing ploy. This is some heavy music indeed. The album opens with “Stay Thirsty,” a song that immediately brings to mind bands like Hill Country Revue. It is a good mixture of blues and groovy southern rock that you will want to blast out the windows of your car.
The psychedelic aspect of the band is evident at the end of “Talk.” Overall, this song reminds me of The Black Crowes and it ends with a psychedelic guitar part that kind of transports you to someplace else. “Movements #2” is another good example of the psychedelic sound of this band. In addition to the psychedelic guitar, there are some bongos in this tune. I’m not sure exactly what the studio process was for this song, but it feels like the guys got together around one microphone and just knocked this out.
The new album Blades of Grass is available now
If southern rock is your thing, just check out “No Need to Rest.” This sounds like some of the southern rock of the 70s with meaty guitar riffs and a rhythm that will get your head moving.
If you like throwback bands, Dirty Streets is definitely a band you should check out. These guys make substantive music that sounds like it comes from another time. Blades of Grass is available now from Alive Records.
http://www.examiner.com/review/schwindy-s-indie-music-spotlight-dirty-streets
BMAN’S BLUES REPORT
(online music blog) – Post (from press announcement)
DIRTY STREETS’ “BLADES OF GRASS” OUT TODAY! TOUR DATES KICK-OFF THIS FRIDAY IN MEMPHIS!
http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2013/07/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-out-today.html
MIDNIGHT TO SIX
(online music blog) – Positive review with album art,
Dirty Streets – Blades Of Grass (Alive Records)
http://midnighttosix.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-alive-records/
CONVOZINE
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art.
New Music Monday – The Dirty Streets “Blades of Grass”
The Dirty Streets
Blades of Grass
Label: Alive Records
The Dirty Streets are a young band from Memphis who have no fear of bathing in their proto-punk and soul roots. Compared to the likes of MC5, Rolling Stones, James Brown, Cactus, Humble Pie & the Faces this trio brings the funk, blues and the hard core soul.
The Dirty Streets mark their debut on Alive Naturalsound with the full-length release of Blades of Grass.
http://convozine.com/asoulfulsound/35998
ALLMUSIC
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art.
Dirty Streets, “Blades of Grass” (Alive Naturalsound).
Originally from Mississippi but now calling Memphis, Tennessee home, Dirty Streets (guitarist and vocalist Justin Toland, bassist Thomas Storz, and drummer Andrew Denham) are a power trio specializing in the kind of hard boogie blues-rock that characterized bands like Humble Pie and Cream, and with Toland’s Southern soul half-shouted blues vocal style out front, they sound, too, a little like the Black Crowes gone leaner and hungrier. This set, the group’s third following two earlier independent releases, was recorded at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, which no doubt adds to the full, throwback retro hard rock sound the band excels at. Dirty Streets aren’t about innovation, and they certainly haven’t reinvented the hard rock wheel on Blades of Grass, but they’ve captured exactly the classic ’60s and early-’70s feel of that era’s blues-rock trios, and they’ve done it with sharp, sturdy songs that have a distinct blue-collar, working-man feel to them. Clear highlights on this rocking, straight-up, and honest album are the opening “Stay Thirsty” and the street-smart and wise “Talk,” although the band hits a thumping groove everywhere here, not ever trying to be clever, current, or fancy, but just plowing through like a real rock band whose members aren’t worried one bit about beats, tape loops, or synthesized effects. Yeah, what this band does is going to be called retro, and it is by design. Built in the image of the classic power rock trios, with just a pinch of deep Southern gothic thrown in, Dirty Streets are all the more refreshing for not trying to be the next big thing. They rock, and they know it doesn’t really matter what era you’re in — if you can rock, you’ll work. http://www.allmusic.com/album/blades-of-grass-mw0002548963
I-94 BAR
(online music site) – Positive album review
Been on a Humble Pie trip for a bit around the I-94 Bar and it struck me that the less pastoral and more excessive they became, the better those guys got. This Mississippi-via-Memphis trio Dirty Streets is coming from the same place and despite their album’s misnomer of a title (there’s no sign of rolling fields and English countryside here) they purvey a fine line in swaggering rock.
The Pie married the heaviest of boogie riffs to Steve Marriott’s incredible bluesy voice. Volume was a by-word. Soulfulness was at the heart of their best work. Dirty Streets aren’t playing with a matching hand of cards but are in the vicinity of the Pie on tracks like “Try Harder”, a wholesome bag of raunchy goodness coloured ever so slightly by organ. The Streets have a more than capable rock vocalist in Justin Toland, who’s also no slouch on guitar. Toland hits the mark, vocally speaking, on “Talk”, but it’snot just a stab iun one direction.
The songwriting is in the classic early ’70s mould. Jeff Beck Group gets a mention in the bio – and that’s a fair call. Black Crowes and Allman Brothers fans would also take to Dirty Streets. The LP (their second) was recorded at Ardent Studios. There’s a clue for what they were shooting for, just there.
One song, “Keep An Eye Out”, says more about Dirty Streets than a ream of record reviews. Cocksure guitar and an avalanche of drum fills from Andrew Denham yield to burbling bass-work before a six-string led coda, it’s right out of the Fillmore East playbook circa 1974.
It’s not all stomping and rocking out. “Movements #2” pares it back to bare percussion, acoustic guitar and a stellar Toland vocal for one of those obligatory pauses-for-breath and it’s damn effective. Back in heavy territory, “Heart of the Sky” throws harmonica into the mix. All that’s missing are chick vocals or we’d be listening to “Shine On”.
If Alive hasn’t cornered the market on this sort of band it’s attracted enough of them like moths to a bright light. It’s no shock to see Dirty Streets working the US touring circuit with Radio Moscow. If blues-heavy wailing rocks your boat, you could do worse than cock an ear in this direction. – The Barman
http://www.i94bar.com/reviews/dirty-streets.php
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL
(Milwaukee daily) – Brief positive review
Dirty Streets, “Blades of Grass” (Alive Naturalsound). From Mississippi but now based in Memphis, this trio revives old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll on an album recorded at the famous Ardent Studios and given a couple extra hands courtesy of Lucero keyboardist Rick Steff. http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/new-cds-coming-out-july-9-b9948046z1-214638781.html
WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art, Stay Thirsty and Blades of Grass audio streams and related links
REVIEW: Dirty Streets – Blades of Grass
Formed by Thomas Storz (bass, percussion), Justin Toland (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Andrew Denham (drums, percussion) the heavy blues-rock power trio Dirty Streets now calls Memphis home (they’re originally from Mississippi). Ardent Studio in Memphis is where they recorded their new album Blades Of Grass. They share a label with WYMA favorites Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, and have opened for them. That was certainly enough to earn a listen, and from there, the deep groove, guitars and pianos are plenty of incentive to stick around for the whole album.
Here’s the album opener, “Stay Thirsty”, from which you’ll absolutely get a Jeff Beck Group vibe – check out the guitar/piano interplay about :45 into the track… it reminds me of an old favorite, “Goin’ Down”:
Here’s the title track – in addition to the way the rhythm section boogies, check out those deep, heavy guitar tones and the interplay with the vocals, which call to mind both psychedelic rock and blues at the same time:
The band already has two independent releases under their belt, including an album with renowned Memphis producer Doug Easley (Grifters, GbV, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Reigning Sound – just to name a few). They also recently toured with labelmates Radio Moscow. If you like heavy blues rock, and some of the other Alive/Naturalsound bands we’ve featured in the past (Radio Moscow, Lee Bains, John the Conqueror), this will please you. You can learn more and buy at Alive/Naturalsound, or get the limited edition color vinyl at Bomp! Records.
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-dirty-streets-blades-of-grass.html
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
(online music site) – Positive album review
Dirty Streets – Blades Of Grass
Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Humble Pie, Rolling Stones….it’s all here rolled into one complete tight sound and lit up for your approval. Taking in all of the classic rock sound waves flooding from my headphones. Clean production. Lyrics are perfect foil to the lock solid rhythm section. Good guitar sound for the solo. Gibson and marshalls at ten maybe. I’m hearing a lot of bluesy influences.
“Talk”, which is the second track hits off like a normal well oiled classic rock machine and then slides into this dementia of soundscaping echoes and trippy 60’s era sound effects. Ethereal visions of 60’s idealism.
“No Need To Rest”…reminds me of Free and Hendrix in terms of delivery and phrasings. Guitar is out of this world. Exceptional but not over driven or flashy. I’m digging this.
“Try Harder” and “I Believe I found Myself” are two real standout tracks on this album.Production is clear and controlled, creative and crushing.
“Blades Of Grass” builds slowly and kicks you right in the face. Heavy in its own right but tempered to deliver all of the majesty and power of this tune. These guys know how to control this beast of a blues rock caravan they are driving. Simple and powerful, elegant and raw.
Throughout the listening I found myself raising the volume higher and higher. Finally I just took my headphones off and opened all the windows. This is a band that needs to be heard and played loud. My only request would be more distorted lead work but all in all a damn good album. “I believe I found Myself” is one awesome track….gov’t mule, Cream….it’s all here. This band is rock solid. The atmosphere surrounding these tunes is inviting. The sound they are producing is not new but it has a new spin, a new taste to the classic rock recipe. 7 horns up –MetalRising
http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2013/07/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass.html
BROADWAY WORLD
(online music site) – Second news postwith band photo.
Dirty Streets to Release ‘Blades Of Grass’ 7/9
http://music.broadwayworld.com/article/Dirty-Streets-to-Release-Blades-Of-Grass-79-20130702
HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music site) – Second news posting with album art, and related links.
ALIVE NATURALSOUND RECORDS TO RELEASE DIRTY STREETS’ DEBUT BLADES OF GRASS ALBUM JULY 9TH
http://www.hellhoundmusic.com/alive-naturalsound-records-to-release-dirty-streets-debut-blades-of-grass-album-july-9th-2/
BLUES ROCK REVIEW
(online music site) – Positive album review, album art
Dirty Streets: Blades of Grass Review
The Dirty Streets, hailing from the incomparable Memphis blues scene, offer us a vivacious new album, Blades of Grass. It encompasses all the ingredients of a ‘60s classic rock band, as if straight out of a freshly uncovered time capsule. Noticeable influence by greats such as the Rolling Stones, the album is sure to please blues and classic rock enthusiasts alike.
The album’s first single and opening track, “Stay Thirsty,” provides an upbeat rhythm driven by lead guitar and organ. A catchy chorus accompanies these elements, as Justin Toland belts out his raspy howl. “Try Harder,” another hit track, talks about an honest hard day’s work, a recurring theme on the album. The songs maintain a down to earth tone, reflecting on life’s daily trials and tribulations. “Keep an Eye Out” begins with a rollicking drum beat, carefully crafted by percussionist Andrew Denham. Rolling right along into the next upbeat progression, “Heart of the Sky” comes complete with the introduction of the harmonica at start and finish, capping off the stellar guitar and bass work within. The Dirty Streets slow it down for a couple of heartfelt tracks. The first, “Truth,” is a powerful testament to the honest man. With harmonies spot on, culminating into guitar solo outro, the band does the number proud. “Twice” follows, and is an intriguing instrumental tribute to the Middle Eastern sounds ever so prominent in that ‘60s scene.
On Blades of Grass, The Dirty Streets pay great homage to the blues-inspired classic rock sound that came before. With of course a fresh take and impressive talent, these Memphis rockers leave it all on the album. Toland’s vocals recall that of an early Paul Rogers, accompanied by Thomas Storz’s intricate bass lines and Denham’s complex beats. The Dirty Streets put out one hell of an album from start to finish.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Stay Thirsty
– Try Harder
– Keep an Eye Out
– Heart of the Sky
– Truth
The Big Hit – Stay Thirsty
http://bluesrockreview.com/2013/07/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-review.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-review
THE OBELISK
(online music site) – News posting with “Stay Thirsty” mp3 link, album art, band photo, and related links.
audiObelisk: The Dirty Streets Premiere Title-Track from New Album Blades of Grass
Come July 9, Memphis heavy rockers The Dirty Streets will make their debut on Alive Naturalsound with the full-length Blades of Grass. Their follow-up to the impressive 2011 outing, Movements (review here), it’s an album with a lot to live up to in terms of the smooth, blues and classic rock vibes the trio was able to capture their last time out, writing memorable songs rife with laid-back atmospheres that remained consistent even when tracks like “What Do You Know” were at their most driving. The band announced the record by unveiling the song “Stay Thirsty” — which added keys courtesy of Lucero‘s Rick Steff to their already potent brew of wide-pastured sunny summer blues — and today I have the pleasure of hosting the premiere of the Blades of Grass title-track.
Recorded by Adam Hill at Ardent Studio in Memphis, Blades of Grass doesn’t so much clean up the sound the band presented on Movements as it does clarify it. The Dirty Streets – guitarist/vocalist Justin Toland, bassist Thomas Storz and drummer Andrew Denham – still come off as organic and prone to a touch of grit on “Blades of Grass,” which begins with a tension building guitar line of starts and stops that unfolds into an easy groove once Storz and Denham join Toland‘s progression. Ideas are clear, structures are unabashedly traditional, and they waste no time getting to the hook, which answers quickly any doubt about The Dirty Streets being able to follow what they delivered their last time out.
Toland‘s voice, still owing some of its cadence to Blue Cheer‘s Dickie Peterson, is more his own as, after the second chorus, Denham leads the way to a stop from which they emerge with the building lines, “I can’t move/I can’t walk/Blades of grass,” giving way to a solo that never goes over-the-top but feeds into the momentum built anyway and rounding out with heavy funk start-stops that finish the song with an undeniable groove. In setting anticipation high for the album to come, “Blades of Grass” does an excellent job of giving a sense of just where The Dirty Streets are coming from this time around — unless the rest of the record is polka or something. You never know.
The Dirty Streets will release Blades of Grass on July 9 through Alive Naturalsound. Limited colored vinyl is available for pre-order at the Bomp-mailorder store.
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2013/06/14/the-dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-track-premiere/
SKOPE MAGAZINE
(online music site) – News posting (from press announcement) with “Stay Thirsty” mp3 link, album art, band photo, and related links.
DIRTY STREETS FREE “STAY THIRSTY” MP3
http://www.skopemag.com/2013/06/04/dirty-streets-free-stay-thirsty-mp3
THE SLEEPING SHAMAN
DIRTY STREETS: Memphis Based Vintage Rockers To Release ‘Blades Of Grass’; New Track ‘Stay Thirsty’ Now Streaming
Formed by Thomas Storz (bass, percussion), Justin Toland (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Andrew Denham (drums, percussion), and originally from Mississippi, the power trio Dirty Streets now calls Memphis home. That’s where they recorded their new album ‘Blades Of Grass‘, at the legendary Ardent Studio, under the guidance of sound engineer Adam Hill. The core trio also enlisted the talents of Lucero’s Rick Steff on keys for this effort.
‘Blades Of Grass‘ is “heavy music” bathed in blues, folk and psychedelia, with chops to spare and a working class point of view. The band already has two independent releases under their belt, including an album with renown Memphis producer Doug Easley, and has toured extensively in the Southeast, with a couple of East Coast runs, and an eight week U.S. tour with Radio Moscow.
Now stream the track ‘Stay Thirsty‘ below:
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/news/dirty-streets-memphis-based-vintage-rockers-to-release-blades-of-grass-new-track-stay-thirsty-now-streaming/
SUBCULTURE
(online music site) – News posting with “Stay Thirsty” mp3 link, album art, band photo, and related links.
The Dirty Streets
Memphis, Tennessee-based power trio The Dirty Streets (Thomas Storz on bass, Justin Toland on vocals and guitar and Andrew Denham on drums) recorded their new LP, ‘Blades Of Grass’, at Ardent studios with engineer Adam Hill, whose credits include records by The White Stripes and Big Star.
The album, which also features Lucero’s Rick Steff on keys, will be available in all formats, including limited edition colored vinyl, on 9 July via Alive NaturalSound Records, home to traditional blues acts, kindred blues rockers and power pop heavyweights Paul Collins and The Plimsouls.
‘Blades of Grass’ kicks off with ‘Stay Thirsty’, a track steeped in 60’s blues-rock (Humble Pie, The Rolling Stones) and contemporary heirs The Black Crowes and Alabama Shakes, while subsequent tracks find the band drawing inspiration from folk, heavy psych and soul music (all three core members are originally from Mississippi, which had an often overlooked 60’s soul scene). At of press time, The Dirty Streets have a record release show booked at Hi-Tone Cafe in Memphis on 12 July; additional tour dates are promised shortly.
http://www.fredperrysubculture.com/music-news/8369/the-dirty-streets
HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music site) – News posting (from press announcement) with “Stay Thirsty” mp3 link, album art, band photo, and related links.
http://www.hellhoundmusic.com/alive-naturalsound-records-to-release-dirty-streets-debut-blades-of-grass-album-july-9th/
BROADWAY WORLD
(online music site) – News post (from press announcement) with band photo. http://music.broadwayworld.com/article/AUDIO-First-Listen–Dirty-Streets-Stay-Thirsty-from-BLADES-OF-GRASS-20130601
HEAR HEAR
(online music site) – Positive news post with “Stay Thirsty” mp3, band photo and related links.
“Stay Thirsty” by Dirty Streets has enough classic rock juice to make any listener satisfied
For the old-school fan of classic rock who isn’t afraid to mix plenty of Humble Pie and Jeff Beck into their listening schedule, Blades of Grass by Dirty Streets should be an album on your immediate listening list when it hits shelves on July 9th. Until then, get your fix with a few repeats of “Stay Thirsty” to keep your pump primed, a track which the Memphis-by-way-of-Mississippi power trio recorded at the legendary Ardent Studio with production help from sound engineer Adam Hill, with added power provided by Lucero’s Rick Steff on keyboards. With two full-lengths already to their name along with an extensive touring history, expect big things from these guys in the coming months. To learn more, check them out on Facebook!
http://hearhearmusic.com/2013/06/01/stay-thirsty-by-dirty-streets-has-enough-classic-rock-juice-to-make-any-listener-satisfied/
THE OBELISK (online music site) – Positive news post with “Stay Thirsty” mp3, , album art and related links.
The Dirty Streets to Release New Album Blades of Grass on July 9
It’s not quite the debut album, as the PR wire headline below indicates. Memphis-based The Dirty Streets issued Movements (review here) in 2011 and had one before that as well, but the news is good anyway, and the forthcoming Blades of Grass will certainly mark a new era for the band, who make their label debut on Alive Naturalsound on July 9.
The trio have made the new song “Stay Thirsty” available to stream and download for free, and you’ll find that under the news below:
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2013/05/31/the-dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-july-9/
ECLETIBLOGS
(online music site) – News post with (from press announcement) “Stay Thirsty” mp3, band photo and related links.
New one from Dirty Streets
Thomas Storz (bass, percussion), Justin Toland (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Andrew Denham (drums, percussion), recorded their new album “Blades Of Grass”.
Blades Of Grass is an old school rock’n’roll record with nods to the sounds of Humble Pie, Jeff Beck Group and others. It’s heavy music bathed in blues, folk and psychedelia, with chops to spare and a working class point of view.
Check out the song “Cloud of Strange” to hear how these guys sound. Good stuff.
http://eclectiblogs.webs.com/apps/blog/show/27099562-new-one-from-dirty-streets
BLUES ROCK REVUE
(online blues music site) – Positive news post with “Stay Thirsty” mp3, , album art and related links.
Dirty Streets’ “Blades of Grass” Set for July 9 Release
http://bluesrockreview.com/2013/05/dirty-streets-blades-of-grass-set-for-july-9-release.html