Lauderdale Brings Moody Rock to Blind Pig Saturday, Jan. 28th
from The Local Voice #148
A few years in the making, Moving On is the album that the Muscle Shoals-based band Lauderdale has been wanting to record. Originally formed as a three-piece bar-room rock and roll band, Lauderdale has evolved into a five-piece outfit with the ability to make full, lush-sounding records.
Niles Lee provides the songs for the band, but this is more of a “band record” than the self-titled release from 2007. Along with Lee, bassist Matt Green, and drummer Patrick McDonald, the addition of Ben Tanner on keys and Daniel Stoddard on pedal steel and lead guitar gave the band the ability to build upon the sound that was envisioned for the first album, but that they were not able to achieve.
Lee’s songs about relationships, both romantic and paternal, provide the backbone of the record. The opening track “Moving On” starts the album off with a song that is on the surface about love lost, a lost family member, and learning how to cope, but more deeply it’s about dealing with the demons staring back at you in the mirror. “The Grant” and “Big Fish” explore the relationship of a father and son and the stories that the dad passed down to him. “At Night” is the bands’ first real push into odd soundscapes and chaos, a departure from the norm for them.
Just a glimpse into the communal nature of the Shoals area music will reveal that Lauderdale members also perform with Dylan LeBlanc, Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil, The Bear, Belle Adair, and The Pollies. This explains why Lauderdale has kept low key for the last year. That downtime gave Lauderdale the time to make the best record they could.
Lauderdale is part of the This Is American Music collective. Follow along at thisisamericanusic.com and thisisamericanmusic.tumblr.com.
“…the perfect amalgam of rock, country and Muscle Shoals magic topped off by having a perfect vocal outlet in Niles Lee” – Beat-Surrender.com
“If you’re a Lucero fan, you’re a Lauderdale fan. No, their sound isn’t that similar, but their “feel” and the overall level of “awesome” is.” – Ninebullets.net
“Lauderdale’s Niles Lee has one of those rare voices that adds an extra layer of heartache, loneliness, and pain to whatever he sings.” – Common Folk Music
