Dashdown Rock & Roll Vacation
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
If you want something simple and old school, you can’t do much better than Dashdown’s latest release, Rock & Roll Vacation. Basically a one man show, Dashdown is Chicago-based indie musician Dave Ashdown’s “band”, and this is his first full length solo attempt. Filled with simple vocals, decent guitar and not much else, Dashdown strips out all the extra nonsense and focuses on blues-based rock.
A long time member of the Chicago music scene, Dave Ashdown decided to set off on his own. Co-producing Rock & Roll Vacation with his brother Rich, Dave enlisted Andrew Garver (SoundGarden, Sheryl Crow) to handle the mastering chores and deliver a solid sound. Starting his music career in 1990 as a drummer with the band Rollover, Ashdown added the guitar to his arsenal in 1992 when he joined Boom Hawk. Moving from one local band to another while generating good press, Ashdown honed his skills and for the first time sang lead vocals with his country/rock band Billhouse. Dave finally left Chicago for New York in 2008 and began to work on what would become Dashdown’s Rock & Roll Vacation.
Dave Ashdown is definitely a talented musician and a veritable one-man band, much along the lines of fellow Renaissance men Phil Vincent and Mark Schuster. As a vocalist, Ashdown’s gritty and raspy voice is well suited to blues-rock. He is clear and understandable throughout, and sings with feeling and conviction. As a rhythm guitarist he lays down some catchy hooks and bouncy rhythm lines, mixing it all up well. While not in the “guitar-god” league as a soloist, he certainly can hold his own and much like his singing, he plays from the heart. His bass and drum work is very solid, and while not mindblowingly spectacular, it is very well suited to his chosen style of music. The production values of the album are again simple and solid. A little roughness around the edges and a bit of “do-it-yourself” harshness serves to add warmth to the album, and do not distract (or detract) from the music. Simple and basic themes are the subjects of the songs, covering everything from America’s obsession with cars to climate change, with a healthy love for music and parties thrown in.
Musical highlights include the hot bluesy guitar solo on “Don’t Know What I Want,” the sheer number of car makes and models worked into the lyrics of “Calling All Cars,” the Southern style twangy guitars of “Alternative Days,” the good-natured lyrics and fine acoustic rhythms of the title track, the enthusiastic social commentary of “We Gotta Fix It,” and the cool groove of “Time Out”
Overall, Dashdown’s Rock & Roll Vacation is a pleasant listen. Fans of any old school genre will find themselves humming and toe tapping along to the simple rhythms. Ashdown’s basic and stripped down approach to the music is a welcome change from the often over-produced and over-engineered rock on the market today. His enthusiasm and spirit easily overcomes any negatives. If you are looking for a seven course meal with fancy napkins, multiple forks and seventeen different choices for dessert you will be disappointed, but if you show up looking for steak, potatoes and beer you’ll be in paradise.
Genre: Classic Rock
Band:
Dave Ashdown (all vocals & instruments)
Track Listing:
1. Don’t Know What I Want
2. Calling All Cars
3. Made In The Shade
4. Blood For Breakfast
5. Alternative Days
6. Rock & Roll Vacation
7. N.S.B.
8. Time Out
9. We Gotta Fix It
10. Love You
11. She Comes As She Goes
12. Chick From Outer Space
13. Roxy Du Jour
Label: Wobblehouse
Website: http://www.wobblehouse.com/ , http://www.dashdown.net/fr_press.cfm
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10