It’s sometimes an odd trip I take to find a new band…

I recently let my subscription to Rolling Stone magazine lapse. That isn’t news that will get anybody to scream “stop the press” anytime soon but for me personally, it was kind of a big deal. I was always aware of Rolling Stone, even as a kid. As I got older I’d see the iconic covers in record stores (especially used record stores). There was of course the cheesy Dr Hook & the Medicine Show song, “Cover Of the Rolling Stone” that came out when I was a little, little kid. I seem to remember my folks “grooving” to that song but I’m getting off track here and only I should have to re-live that horrifying memory. I actually started reading Rolling Stone when I got to college. I found one in a stack of Playboys where I lived and thought, “Wow, what’s this…” Odd that in my late teens, I’d page past the nude women for the rock and roll but some of us are just wired differently. Well, who am I kidding, I probably read the Playboys too… or more accurately, looked at the pictures. I’m human, folks.

I loved what I read in Rolling Stone that first time I picked it up. By the time I got out of college and had been fully exiled to Arkansas with my first corporate job, I had a subscription. I’ve literally had a subscription to Rolling Stone ever since… from the late 80’s to now. That’s a long time. I’ve even had a letter published in Rolling Stone. I used to think of Rolling Stone as a magazine “about” rock and roll. Sadly, it’s really just a magazine about current “popular” music and sadly, that doesn’t seem to be rock n roll any more. I have nothing against Hip Hop, but I don’t care enough to read about those artists. The bands that pass for rock now all have that gauzy, synthesizer washed, Coldplay thing going on. Give me some guitar, man. I want somebody to play rock music like they feel it in their bones. I think I may have finally found somebody like that…

A few weeks ago, I was going stir crazy in this self-imposed isolation I find myself in. I needed something to read and I didn’t want a book. The Rock Chick and I put our protective masks on and went down to a book store in midtown. I perused the magazines in a socially distanced way and I found one I’d never heard of but sounded perfect for me, Classic Rock magazine. I remember thinking, “Hello Classic Rock, where have you been all my life?” This particular issue had Chris and Rich Robinson on the cover and an in-depth article about the Black Crowes on the inside. I’ve loved those guys since the beginning so I was in. As I read Classic Rock cover-to-cover, I saw a one-page article, very brief about the “new” band Dirty Honey. The lead singer Marc Labelle talked about meeting Steven Tyler at a radio station and wondered in the article, “Why isn’t there a present-day AC/DC or Aerosmith?” Indeed, why not?

I was extremely intrigued. This band looked cool, all long hair and shades. They looked the part… I was going to check them out immediately but once I read the Black Crowes article I fell down a rabbit hole of listening to their entire, amazing catalog. Lions still leaves me a little cold, but that is one amazing catalog. I’m thrilled they’re back together and more importantly Chris and Rich’s relationship is much better now. Anyway, I was in that Black Crowes fog for quite a bit. Then Neil Young released an album from his vaunted vaults (Review: Neil Young’s ‘Homegrown’ – The Lost Masterpiece, In The Vaults 45 Years) and Bob Dylan released his first album of all-originals in 8 years (Review: Bob Dylan, ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ – The Spell-Binding 1st LP of All Originals In Eight Years). Needless to say, I’ve been busy down in the B&V labs.

I was drinking rye whiskey and playing cards with the Rock Chick a few Fridays ago. We were taking turns picking out an album. Suddenly, Dirty Honey popped into my head. When my turn at the music came, I put them on. When Dirty Honey’s old school rock n roll burst out of my speakers I was transported! Fuck yeah, these guys Rawk! I quickly texted my friend, Drummer Blake and said, are you aware of Dirty Honey? Naturally he’d discovered their debut EP, Dirty Honey when it came out in 2019. If I hadn’t let my subscription to Rolling Stone run out, I would have never even heard of these guys…

Dirty Honey, who formed in L.A. back in 2017 are: Marc Labelle (vocals), John Notto (guitar), Justin Smolian (bass) and Corey Coverstone (drums). Their name was inspired by Robert Plant’s side project, The Honeydrippers. Like Greta Van Fleet a few years ago, I’m delighted to hear a young band play rock and roll like this. And like that aforementioned band, you can definitely hear the influences here. I hear shades of Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and yes, Aerosmith in these guys. I even hear some Black Crowes in here, but then again, I’ve been listening to them a lot lately. When I say I hear their influences – I don’t mean that they’re derivative or ripping anybody off – I’m just trying to provide a frame of reference most fans can relate to. These guys definitely have the chops to play loud, nasty rock and roll. It’s great guitar rock with loud vocals. It’s nice to give the speakers a bit of workout!

The EP is only six tracks long but Dirty Honey make the most of them. The opener, “When I’m Gone” is some great AC/DC-style “riffage.” Marc has a real cigarette smoke texture to his vocals on this track. I hear a touch of GnR, Axl Rose scream on this song too. It’s a great song with a soaring chorus. “Rolling 7s” is just a great, dirty boogie. It’s the most 1974-Aerosmith thing you’ll find here. The line from the song, “When I need a little lovin’, all night long…” is just stuck in my head. When I walked this morning I kept mumbling it over and over again… people on the trail tend to avoid me. “Heartbreaker” is another great, melodic rock track. I felt like I was riding in my Camaro, up and down the main drag listening to KY/102, with the t-tops out… OK my Camaro didn’t have t-tops but roll with me here. That track has an infectious riff.

“Down the Road” is a slow burning blues track. I really dig it when a rock band plays something so blues-based. All the great bands have a track like this, a “goodbye to the woman who treated me wrong” song. The EP ends with two rock tracks. “Scars,” a loping hard rocker and “Break You” which brings the tempo back up with a very AC/DC or GnR type tempo.

I’m embarrassed it took me almost a year to stumble upon these guys. Sometimes I just gotta get out of the rut I’m in and look in a few different places to find new rock and roll or a new band. I think Dirty Honey is definitely a band you want to keep your eyes and ears on. When I hear a band like this I begin to think maybe, just maybe, rock and roll ain’t dead yet! Straight up guitar-vocals-bass-drums four-piece rock and roll… yes, please!  I look forward to a new, full LP from this band.

Cheers!