Dead Rock West
Dead Rock West
Date: Mon May 29, 2023
Stage: Farm
DEAD ROCK WEST–the proudly Californian alt-country rock group fronted by Cindy Wasserman and Frank Lee Drennen—have been releasing critically acclaimed records for 20 years, working with Americana legends like Peter Case and John Doe and with guests such as Dave Alvin, Exene Cervenka, Rob Wasserman and Mark Olson. From their debut Richard Dodd mixed HONEY & SALT, to their Omnivore release MORE LOVE produced by John Doe, and to the Mark Linett produced ITS EVERLY TIME!, Dead Rock West have defied categorization. Within their winding harmonies and complex arrangements you hear the deep influence of folk-gospel group The Louvin Brothers, the rock and roll power of The Plimsouls and a deep understanding of the immense influence that California’s own The Sons of The Pioneers hold over all that is Country Music. Dead Rock West have made it all their own.
Last year’s politically charged single ‘Revolution In The Garden’ came like a swinging fist from The Who, recorded in separated isolation by the band members and produced by DRW bass player David J Carpenter and released on Blackbird Record Label. Paul Zollo of American Songwriter declared “the new passionately incendiary single…is a great song and remarkable record…bringing back the dual spirit of John Doe and Exene in X.”
Wasserman and Drennen’s achingly beautiful signature vocals and harmonies sit within a finely etched rock, alt-country and pop setting. Randy Lewis of Los Angeles Times’ Pop & Hiss noted their song ‘Boundless Fearless Love,’ is “set to a propellant track that’s part R.E.M., part Tom Petty and part Neil Young…”
Now, with the entire band together in the same room again, Dead Rock West have found themselves in the midst of two new albums. The first, an epic collection of powerfully melodic string laden tunes recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood written by Frank Lee Drennen and produced by Dead Rock West’s own David J Carpenter and acclaimed engineer/producer Dave Way. The second is a very different LP of guitar, bass, drum, voice and pure punk rock energy, being produced by Travis Dickerson and DJ Bonebrake of X.
Their sound is both contemporary and timeless. Says John Doe about them: “Somehow Cindy & Frank connect the dots between ’70 country & ’60 soul music. They are a modern day Gram & Emmylou singing songs that Otis & Carla would sing.”