The Shamus Twins were formed by songwriters/singers Jerry Juden and Tim Morrow. The intent was to write and play in any style they wanted, to heck with the rest of the world. And to blast out some cool harmonies.
Turned out to be a damn good band, Messers Morrow and Juden having some sort of mystical synergy. Oh, and the aforementioned excellent songs and harmonies.
Their first self-titled CD has received great reviews and has sold all over the world. It featured Jerry and Tim with drummer Mark Healy. It featured straight ahead Rockers, Power Pop, Psychedelia, jazzy flavorings and Rockabilly type tunes.
Their second CD, titled Garden Of Weeds, has just been released and it's getting rave reviews. It features Jerry, Tim, guitarist Dino Lambropoulos, drummers Perry Lopez and Mark Healy. It also has an array of styles, including Rootsy-Power Pop, Americana, a blusey Stones-ish number, Trad Rock and Psychedelia.
The Shamus Twins continue to work in many music genres, including Traditional American Rock, Power Pop, Americana, Country (ala Neil Young) and Psychedelia.
Check out this recent review of or CD Garden Of Weeds -
"Garden Of Weeds" - CD reviews
The Shamus Twins “Garden Of Weeds”
Posted on January 3, 2011
The Shamus Twins, consisting primarily of Jerry Juden and Tim Morrow, set out to make music of their own without any pre-conceived notions of what would be acceptable in this day and age. The resulting project has produced some retro rock that has rarely been put into effect in modern music with any sense of passion since this “retro” stuff was actually en vogue. Combining the likes of The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Neil Young, and Stevie Ray Vaughn amongst others, their second album entitled Garden of Weeds is like a Time Life collection of classic rock hits as filtered through the minds of Juden and Morrow, and a refreshing dip into a piece of Americana.
What makes Garden of Weeds so refreshing is the lack of fusion in their music. Instead of adapting to attract the young kids with progressive riffs and beats, The Shamus Twins are shamelessly plugging all of their favorite musicians into a collection of well produced, well played, passionate music that personifies the tunes that made the 60′s (primarily) such an amazing time for rock music. The Shamus Twins don’t pander to the big influential acts. They take to heart the whole generation of rock during this era, from the garage acts, to the bands that brought storms of screaming fans to their shows. This spirit is what makes this album stand out. Virtually every track on Garden of Weeds represents a little sliver of history from our rock and roll culture. With this in mind, it becomes essential that in order to give this record its just desserts, a track by track description of a few of these telling songs is crucial in understanding the colorful history that Garden of Weeds represents.
The title track “Garden of Weeds,” for example, represents an amalgamation of Tom Petty with the surf rock vibes from the institution known as The Beach Boys. This is a combination that any self respecting Tom Petty and/or Beach Boys fan should be dying to hear. “Ain’t Letting Go” brings to life the folk and rock affair courtesy of greats like Crosby Stills & Nash, Creedence Clearwater Revival and McGuinn, Clark, & Hillman for a catchy, upbeat helping of down home, feel good music that forces a smile on the face of even the most downtrodden individual. “I Know I Know” is a fireball of a track, with the spirit of the 80′s blues rock revival specialists Stevie Ray Vaughn and George Thorogood, and the 1950′s progenitor Jerry Lee Lewis. Where The Shamus Twins had the fortitude to come up with such unbridled classic tunes is a question posed by any rock aficionado worth their salt.
And what would a recounting of classic rock through the ages be without a song representing the 1950′s into early 60′s bubblegum pop groups? “A Picture of Her” is a gorgeous tune that harkens back to a bygone era more effectively than any other song on this album (which is saying a lot), with exceptional harmonies and pure, undistorted guitar licks that recall a simpler time in music history. “Beyond You” is an especially interesting song that brings to life the energy of Fleetwood Mac, with the 90′s pop rock vibes of The Wallflowers, and even a touch of Bob Dylan. Unlike most of the record, “Beyond You” represents the most progressive song on Garden of Weeds, with heavier modern riffs, but with the same classic spirit that engulfs this whole collection. Perhaps what makes this song really special though, is the combination of two generations of Dylan music, which is quite enjoyable and original.
The Shamus Twins have crafted a unique blend of some of America’s most talented artists throughout history that few before them have even considered combining. We have had revivals of so many different forms of rock, blues, folk, jazz and virtually any other kind of music art form, but having one album that personifies an entire generation of musical mastership in rock and roll, has probably never really been crafted until now, on Garden of Weeds.
Review by Cody Plucker
(theliveline.com, noisetrend.com)
Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Cody Plucker - ReviewYou (Jan 4, 2011)
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