Shakyfoot, Down on the Rain

Shakyfoot is one hell of a jam band–no joke!   From the moment I pushed play, the energy was high and the sound was electric.   Heavy-hittin’ rock grooves mixed with progressive blues makes up the core of Shakyfoot’s Down on the Rain.  

This band is made up of three members: Jason Scolnick on guitar & lead vocals, Bob Gobron on bass & backing vocals and Charlie Silva on drums.   Ironically enough Gobron and Scolnick launched their first band back in the 90s to which an abrupt split-up pursued.   2006 rolls around and the two meet up again, by twist of fate, to become a crowd favorite in Beantown.   Since that day, Shakyfoot is now prevalent and seems to be a perfect title for this group.   If the shoe fits then wear it and they are wearing it well.

I truly enjoyed listening to this record because it just simply rocked!   High-powered & energy-driven music with so much feeling and excitement comes pouring through.   I loved the fact that these three musicians could make such a powerful sound as a trio.   The chemistry between all three members is perfectly matched up.   The drums are heavy hittin’ and emphatically moving, the bass is utterly smooth and the guitar is tearin’ through riffs & solos like there’s no tomorrow.   Scolnick sings with immense feeling and his brash/gruff vocal delivery even resembles George Thorogood, at times.   Song four, “In the Middle”, features a very fun-type of jam with an easy-kind-of-going type flow.   This song even had a musical pattern that resembled a Beatles-type-vibe.   The next installment, “Live w/o a Clue”, is one of my favorite tracks on the album due to its crazy energy, rock-your-socks-off mentality and smooth-as-butter bass line.   One tag line from “Beat you to the Punch” that really stood out to me overall was this:   “The truth bites like a great white’s crunch”.   The guys decide to throw in a gospelesque type sound mixed with the hard-hitting rock mode on “Preacher Man”.   Shakyfoot ends the record on a high note with nothing short of a jam fest on “Zoom Baba Loom”.   I don’t know what the song title means, but it sounds good as hell!

For more this head-bobbin’, jam-rock trio from Boston and their latest release, SKOPE out www.shakyfoot.com.   I’d also like to add a compliment to the picturesque portrait taken of the ocean & palm tree setting, which is displayed inside the CD cover.   I’m all about the tropical scene, so I was 100% lovin’ this shot.   The photography was so incredibly serene to the point where I wanted to just jump into the picture for a little bit!   Now, we all need to jump to the beat of Shakyfoot–1….2….3….GO!

By Jimmy Rae

[Rating: 4.5/5]