GranolaBox

Did I just hear Pink Floyd morph with Neil Young’s “Down by the River?” Oh my God… you mean someone else in this world besides me and a dozen other people have heard of BR-549? Am I tripping, or is this “Breaking the Law” by Judas Priest? Who ARE these guys?

These are common reactions to those hearing 40 Rod Lightning for the first time. Or even the second or third time. But there’s one more catch… all these songs are lovingly rendered into an alt-country genre the band refers to as North Country insurgent. Classic Metal + Classic Rock + Americana = North Country Insurgent.

This Rochester, New York group is a quirky, delightfully twisted group of musical wiseasses. It features Tom Jones on guitar and vocals, Jon Lundberg on lead guitar, Joe Bonfiglio on drums and vocals, Brian Killigrew on mandolin and lap steel and Chuck Larson in stand up bass.

The strange mix of songs the band plays come from leader Tom Jones’ diverse musical experiences. Jones has played in a number of very loud Rochester bands, and even played the big guy in a local production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” You can hear elements of all of them in 40 Rod Lightning, especially in their originals. Having been a longtime fan of Jones’ music, this is by far my favorite of his ventures.

The band’s live shows are extremely entertaining - the set list can include just about any form of music morphed seamlessly into alt-country at its best. Their song list includes several originals, as well as songs by the Grateful Dead, Beatles, Hank Williams, (I and III!) Primus, Motorhead and Metallica.

You’ve got to hear 40 Rod Lightning to believe them. Visit their website at 40RodLightning.com, or their myspace blog. Their website has some great recordings of their studio demos, radio appearances and whole live shows available for download.

Technorati Tags: 40 Rod Lightning, Classic Rock, Americana, Rochester, New York, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grateful Dead, Beatles, Hank Williams, Primus, Motorhead, Metallica

Filed under: Music on March 24th, 2007