The Shakers (The Shakers - France) – Shake The Rocks
Release Date: Very soon by El Toro Records
Reviewed 18th January 2023 by Dave Diamond
BAND MEMBERS:
Vocals: Stephane Canestrelli (Stef)
Drums: Jean Philippe Meresse (Jeanphi)
Guitar: Arthur Gibas.
Upright Bass: Manu
Backing Vocals: Arthur and Manu
Produced by: The Shakers.
Mixed and Mastered by: Lightning Recorder (Axel)
Front cover artwork by: El Toro records
Tracks written by: Stephane and Arthur.
Let’s have a listen to the tracks –
Shake The Rocks – The band tell me they wrote Shake The Rocks for the hard times when you are completely out of your depth. This is the title track of the bands first ever release and wow what a tune this is! It starts off with everyone in together…fantastic catchy twanging geetar from Arthur, swinging snare patterns via Jeanphi, dulcet raw vocals from Stef that’s really showcasing the great variation he has to his voice, added in with a fantastic slapping bass from Manu makes this a fantastic stomping bopper, screaming guitar solo that really lifts it…Shake it daddio’s!
General Procession – Guitar intro, then we are in… single shot snare on the verse, loving the guitar key changes, fab bass line once again, and vocals are really spot on…this is a real head shaker and one you’ll be smacking your bottle of beer on the table too…this is a tremendous awesome catchy tune with another great instrumental break!...The song really does move me and the guitar work is exceptional… for sure I’ll be on the dancefloor to this number…I predict a big HIT… "Look out, I feel a bop off coming on folks!”
New Tune In Town – Another original song written about when you spend your time listening to music by the record player drunk and then it sticks in your head all day!... this track is a medium paced tune and very reminiscent of Charlie Feathers, but with a western rockin’ pickin’ bop vibe to it…fantastic change of tempo on the middle eight section and nice stop too…
Trains Don’t Wait – written about an uncle reminiscing about a Train that he didn’t want to wait for, he told the family member how he missed the train and we had to laugh! Train-Boppin-Tastic! Starts with a vocal “ you better start running or you’re gonna miss that train”!....swiftly followed with a guitar lick, stabbing snare 4 times round and then in comes the slapping bass and a deeper vocal… It then explodes into a key change and a more rhythmic verse with a high end vocal… “gotta run run run run…go!” Ooohh wee what a fantastic Gallup inspired guitar solo… loving the vocal as it has a real growl in places as the track gathers momentom… the stop sections are really fantastic, and the staggered slow train stopping beat at the end is pure class and this track is yet another powerhouse catchy number from these four guys from France.
Musical Influences: A mix of Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette, Elvis, Joe Clay etc.
In their own words: We come from the region of Marseille. A meeting in a bar in Marseille with the smell of country music. The fifties are the subject. I go to see this Stef who sings Dylan alone in the dry...( roots like hank Williams, Cash, ...) "we have to do something"...Jeanphi ( drummer with rock n roll blues roots ) and manu (double bass with real rock n roll origins) quickly come to our mind, they embark! Formed just before the covid we die in the egg! Compositions are born. Exchanges of sounds in a kitchen, in vision, or bits of pieces hummed by telephone. Invited to the biggest festival of rockabilly France, in Bethune retro by eddy. That motivated us! We went to BERLIN for a volcanic concert and recorded our music in a vintage studio, Lightning Recorders. All in analogue, with tape recordings, from the 50's...a mistake and it's back to the beginning... We loved it !!! Finally, a big Spanish label, from the rockabilly scene, sign us. El Toro records, Barcelona. We follow this year with an album, and we are recording once again in Berlin, because we have a lot of tracks still under the arm! We have an explosive, full-bodied mix of Rockabilly, Country, Blues and Rock'n'Roll, to make your eardrums vibrate, and shake you from head to toe. Our recipe: original compositions inspired by the great vintages, 50s. Four guys well struck without limits ... neither in degrees, nor in volume. Only one goal: to. After that, you'll have to fill your bathtub with crushed ice. The Shakers : to consume without moderation It sounds...it's in the spirit...we're having fun! Shake me all that!
Distribution:
CLOSING COMMENTS ABOUT THE ALBUM:
These songs really come from deep inside us, they are part of our history that we have had together. Our personal stories. This is a fabulous recording with a real fifties’ studio atmosphere and with crazy equipment.
This debut 4 track E.P. from this rockin’ quartet from France, will make your temperature rise, with its big shots of spicy riffs, well packed rhythms, and intoxicating melodies, it will make you lose control of yourself on the dancefloor and totally mesmerized by these top sounds! I’ve said it numerous times in my review of each song, but if you’re looking for some hot catchy rockin’ boppin tunes then this is the baby for you!
ANY YOU TUBE CLIPS?
