Cowboy Angels • Rock From the River City

The first purpose of this article is to deal with a little bit of misinformation.  Rock and roll is neither dead, nor is it making a comeback nor is it in the process of some sort of renaissance.

Despite what you might glean from media driven awards or lists that are supposed to reflect our current commercial tastes, not all music is a bland mix of samples, soundscapes and beats.  Rock and roll hasn’t gone anywhere if you are paying attention to anything other than Tik Tok.

The fact is that rock and roll’s basic formula has not changed since the first time someone turned their amp up a little too loud for the neighbors.  Three chords, four on the floor and a cloud of dust.  Between concert halls, bar rooms, backyards and basements, it is easily the most practiced form of the art for musicians of every age and skill level.

Part of the beauty of rock and roll is its primal simplicity.  There is something timeless about the swagger it takes to grab a handful of basic chords, say “these are songs” and “man, I am sorry for the way your sister dances when I play them.”

Rock and roll isn’t meant for your brain.  It hits you straight in the loins.

Even Pete Townsend of The WHO, possibly the greatest poet to ever plug a Les Paul into a HiWatt, was almost always singing about sex.

This is where mid-Michigan phenoms Cowboy Angels come in.

Coming off a handful of impressive big stage slots in support of their self-titled debut EP, it is fair to say they are the band with all the buzz in our own River City.  If you have managed to catch their act, you may know I use that reference because they look and sound like the proverbial “trouble.”

The group, with a touring line-up of vocalist Austin Willette, guitarist Darrian Loehne, bassist Rick Maida and drummer Justin Clifford, have acquitted themselves well when sharing the stage with national acts  this summer, attracting accolades from everyone there for the bigger names.

I first got wind of this “super group” project when Andy Reed sent a message that Loehne had blown up a guitar cabinet during one of the first sessions for the album. 

The album was recorded in an “old school” fashion at Reed Recording, with minimal instrumental layers over punchy live rhythm tracks recorded by Clifford and bassist, Jason King, who handled studio duties for the project.

The songs themselves are straightforward rockers, most with the basic premise of “boy meets girl, everyone makes mistakes, everyone gets the joke, guitar solo.”

One listen will make the influences obvious, which was intentional , according to principal lyricist Willette. 

“We were absolutely going for something that sounded like Kiss, AC/DC, old school.  That’s always been my writing style.”

That style is apparent right out of the box on EP opener “Girl Of The World,” which starts with Loehne playing big open chords over an incredibly heavy kick drum bottom.  Willette risks life and limb recounting the story of a “friend of the band” who has a plan to get ahead, so to speak.

As you dive into the second song, “On The Tracks”, you sense there might be a theme evolving.  While Tipper Gore would not have been pleased, there is something that makes me crack a wry smile.  It’s nostalgia for me now, but there is something about a room where power chords and procreation hormones are in charge.  Boom, boom.  Let’s get a room.  In the key of G, thank you.

Prince Charming, with lyrics written by Wilder Road guitarist Kevin McCann, starts with a doom-inducing bass intro and a guttural Willette scream.  The tune builds on a descending Loehne riff that may give visions of “Toys In The Attic” era Joe Perry. Clifford’s “loose pocket” drumming provides a power and swagger that would give off Bonham vibes. The whole thing sounds dangerous.

Fourth track Outlaw is going to get a grin out of anyone who dug early Motley Crue.  Loehne is on fire on this one.  Straight up guitar hero stuff, including a quick killer “Jimmy Page with a metronome” guitar break,  Possibly the most energetic song on the album.  “Girl Of The World” is the lead single, but I think this may be the one the six string fanatics will put on repeat.

The final track “Tried And True” is a fitting closer for this set.  Another riff heavy stomp rocker about the realization that some things can be both familiar and unworkable.  I am going to guess that almost everyone can relate to the occasional gap between what is “right” and what is “right now.”  Rumor is Taylor Swift endorses this track.

I love the EP format, especially for hard rock music.  Part of the unspoken fatigue we had with the compact disc era was the need to fill all that space.  Songs got longer.  Filler that should have never seen the light of day ended up as the twelfth song on an album that had six good ones.  Five three minute songs sounds perfect to me.  Perfect length to play it again.

As an introduction this format works exquisitely for Cowboy Angels.  I was really reminded of how many of the great bands came out of the box “hot,” with their first couple of releases containing a precious energy that carried the show, even if their output became more polished as their careers evolved.  Van Halen, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Kiss, Guns & Roses, both incarnations of AC/DC. All of them had raw energy.  That’s the main thing I feel here. 

The great thing is the band is able to carry this same energy over to the stage. Their own live shows are becoming somewhat of an event.  All four members are experienced gigging musicians and have the experience and the presence to fill out a larger stage.  And, most importantly, they have the skill and the songs.

The straightforward nature of the songs and their arrangements mean they can produce faithful renditions live with zero reliance on backing tracks or triggers.  The songs scale up well, in part because guitar amps sound so darn good when you turn them up loud.

Speaking of energy, Loehne had a first-hand experience recently when he was invited to attend the Greta Van Fleet show at Royal Albert Hall.  He was able to take in part of the show from stage right, capturing the snapshot of hallowed ground in his memory and adding the idea of moving fifty feet forward into the stage lights next time on his bucket list.

The band is back in the studio tracking more originals, with the hope of another release in the near future.  Their show schedule is starting to fill, with their next appearance at the Snake By The Lake Festival in Fenton, MI on August 31.

In the meantime you can listen to their music on all the major streaming platforms.  If you are a classic rock fan looking for new music you can get behind, this just might be it.