Pound Down!

So few bands claiming to play retro-rock actually capture the energy and verve of the early rock scene. Clear production and smarmy songwriting robs the music of its true roots: the angst-ridden problems of youth. That is where the Del-Gators come in. Armed with an arsenal of country-fried licks and a handful of great hooks, Pound Down is a solid blast of pure rock & roll. Heavily influenced by the New Orleans R&B scene, the bandmembers have a firm grasp on the issues and approach that made that music so great. They play sloppy, they fall out of tune, but their energy level is sky high and they match it with brain-invading songs about old cars and bad relationships and things that people can actually relate to. The sound quality is comparable to listening to a band play in a cave, but hearing Jenna Roker's sweet voice croon "Cruel Game" can easily make you forget about the echoing guitars and muffled drums. Where so many other retro acts fail, these men and women found the exact right way to approach this. Fans of everything from garage punk to rockabilly to New Orleans R&B should give this a listen; there are plenty of good songs to go around.