Album Notes

The Mad Dukes

www.themaddukes.com
www.rippyfest.com/themaddukes
www.myspace.com/themaddukes

The Mad Dukes are an Austin, Texas-based trio specializing in an irresistible brand of roots-oriented guitar pop which they supplement with sharp, lyrical songwriting and energetic live performances. Ever since they released their debut CD, The Mad Dukes Sing and Play for You, at the SXSW music festival in March of 2006, things have been looking up for the group. This is especially so in the realm of commercial radio, where their infectious sound has been catching fire on stations across the U.S. In November, radio trade publication New Music Weekly declared the Mad Dukes to be the year’s “Best New Adult Contemporary Group,” and in December, the band’s single “Looking for That Girl” hit #1 on the NMW Hot AC chart.

The Mad Dukes’ CD showcases the songwriting of vocalist/guitarist Kim Simpson, and is summed up well by one reviewer as “folksy, indie pop tunes featuring strong songwriting with a sense of humor.” Joining Kim in the Mad Dukes’ lineup are Kyle Etie (bass) and Bill Doughty (drums). The three met after crossing paths as supporting musicians in Austin’s bustling live music scene. Not only did they click musically, but they all realized they were the same age and had similar, formative musical backgrounds. “All three of us are children of the seventies,” as Kim put it after bringing the band together. “We all grew up on a steady diet of Cheap Trick, Wings, Kiss and the Bay City Rollers as well as our parents’ Beatles albums.”

But the musical touchstones go well beyond those few artists Kim mentions, and anyone who listens to the album will hear that. Notwithstanding Kim’s fondness for rock ’n’ roll legendry (case in point—his longtime preoccupation with the Bobby Fuller Four), the music on the new CD nestles comfortably alongside the smart-pop output of current artists like Spoon or the New Pornographers. And Kim’s own background as an erstwhile performing singer-songwriter is also evident in the album’s various acoustic forays as well as in the lyrically-driven nature of the material.

This, according to RiPPYFiSH Records founder Jerry Allen makes the album particularly special. “Kim has that rare ability for writing music and lyrics that attract immediate listener involvement,” says Allen. “You can hear the effect on his four solo albums, and you can hear it now, circa 2006, on The Mad Dukes Sing and Play for You.” Simpson’s lyrics are frequently (and at times amusingly) self-referential on this new LP, and they contain more than a few direct appeals to the album’s listeners themselves. “I am your singer,” Kim declares in “The Pleasure is Mine.” “You’re queens and kings.” On “The Mad Dukes Sign Off,” the album’s finale, he asks listeners to consider whether or not his new group has “what it takes.” Of course, anyone who listens will know that the answer is yes. An equally relevant question might be whether those who have yet to give Kim and his new group a chance are ready to get in on the big discovery.