Regular Columnists

Artist: Larry
Album: Among Friends
CD Review: Had there not been a shooting in the room, this is the music that would've been played to the ship's crew in Under Siege just before the plot began. Remember that lively, bluesy group, complete with harmonica and full, frolicking players behind the lead singer, just before they ask for the highest ranking officer? Well, give that front man a washboard to scrub on sometimes, and you have the enigma known only by its codename: Larry.

Of course, Larry isn’t satisfied with just the one mode of music. True, the opening ‘Sticky G’ begins in funk territory, but then the hick side comes out when the Dukes of Hazard theme somehow gets in there to dominate. The blues-filled ‘Julius’ provides progressive rock moments along with the half-folk tint of the harmonica player blowing through the sometimes irregular rhythm patterns that crop up in more than just the current 7 minute slide.

This is a live album, clocking in at 73 minutes and 9 hefty-length cuts, containing all the spit and fuzz and froth of

Jeff Bradberry - vocals, washboard
Rick Cannon - harmonica
Bob Perkins - bass
Tom ‘Fee’ Watts - guitar
Andy Vickers - drums
Tom Vickers - right guitar

This is a band that Texas Monthly voted one of Austin’s top groups. As you can tell from the faultless playing, these guys who are Larry live to be live. They spunk up every potential moment of silence into a cake of vegetables, fruits, any and all ingredients that might entice and bend an ear into the furthest oddity, while still setting the oven to its most mainstream heat.

You can’t please everyone, but Larry’s going to die trying.

www.larryland.com