Dog Years
Featuring former members of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Ely, and John Mellencamp's backing bands, Storyville, one would figure, would have nothing but blues and roots rock swimming in their gene pool. Guess again. On its third album, the Austin, Texas, quintet is much more funky and hard-rocking than can rightly be expected for a band with its pedigree. With Malford Milligan's soulful vocalizing providing supple counterpoint to the potent guitar tandem of David Grissom and Dave Holt, Storyville blusters through everything from slightly spacey rockers ("Fairplay") to heartfelt ballads ("Talk to Me"). While they don't do anything overtly adventurous here--like, say, cover Peter Gabriel (as they did on their 1994 debut,Bluest Eyes)--they aren't likely to be mistaken for just another run-of-the-mill Texas barbecue-and-boogie outfit.--Michael Evans