Album Notes

LES DIRT CLODS
{ Lyric-driven rock } { Like: the Rolling Stones, Bert Jansch, Bob Dylan, Faces }

THE OLD FRENCH IS A LITTLE RUSTY BUT it seems to have something to do with bits of turf that cling to the shoes and whatnot. There are heaps of guys in this Rock & Roll combo. Six regulars at last count who have done or are doing time in various well thought of bands. People who are interested in that sort of thing have cataloged the list. It goes something like this: Come of Thunderchild, The Gentleman Suitors, The Houston Brothers, the Goldenrods, Jennyanykind, Lou Ford, Muscadine and Poprocket.

Randolph "Rainy Day" Lewis, leads the band with a big sort of super-sound. Think Joe Cocker and Leon Russell on the Mad Dogs and Englishman tour. To that end there's a Rhodes piano (Benji Hughes) and an organ (Justin Faircloth) to fill out and liven up the more traditional set-up of two guitars, bass and drums (Lewis, Shawn Lynch, Mark Lynch and DK, respectively). The reason there are six members is that no one else seems to be able to fit on the stage comfortably, although they've sometimes managed to squeeze a couple of back-up singers up there from time to time. The players compliment each other to create a sound that is at times R&B-tinged Southern gothic and at others, 70's era jangly Brit rock. It's Rock & Roll with je ne sais quoi. That's French, too." ~ Tara E Flanagan

"The Clods, an equal mix of Keith Richards swagger and polite country boy sensitivity, are sort of the Eudora Welty of Charlotte rock-their music is measured and precise but stacked like a three-layer cake."
Tim Davis, Creative Loafing

"Rainy Day Lewis writes a fine tune and has few rivals in the guitar-hook department."
Woody Mitchell, The Charlotte Observer

"The Clods feature some of the best musicians and writers in Charlotte coming together for a hi-fi "Velvets meet the mods" rock and roll extravaganza. With plenty of nods to Exile-era Stones, the boys create a groove that sticks in your head long after the plugs have been pulled."
Samir Shukla, Creative Loafing