Make way for the smoky smooth Juke Junk Blues style of the talented Willy and the Planks!
This new musical act from the deep south of Lebanon Tennessee has just released their first self-titled album on September 5th, and it is guaranteed to sink its groovy teeth right into your music loving heart. Fronted by the emotion-soaked vocals of Mark Noble, this foot stomping trio has succeeded in making sure that their listeners are focused on the depth of the lyrics, as much as the heart and soul found in each track on this inspired album.
Currently promoting their brand new single See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, Willy and the Planks are making sure that new listeners know exactly what Juke Junk Blues is all about.
The band has been heard saying “Juke Joint Blues; its real, its life, and it is like a bite of BBQ that’s both hot & sweet, it’s both love & pain in every taste!” This is a great way to explain their sound, and See That My Grave Is Kept Clean is the sum of those two polarizing opposites; love and pain. On the first listen, it is hard to choose whether the song is fun or a bit gloomy, or something else entirely, and on the second and third listen, you realize that it is all those things.
Willy Gibbs adds a fresh live sounding slide guitar, while Chris Gibbs on drums makes sure that the song drips with a smoky and brooding atmosphere.
Recently, the band released a brand-new music video for their single, and it doesn’t disappoint. Given an effective black and white wash, this video embraces the raw honesty of the band and their intended image, and it pairs well with your favorite whiskey.
Another star player on the album is the opening track Keep Your Hands Off Her. One thing I must give Willy and the Planks credit for, their song titles are great! If you close your eyes while listening to it, I swear, you can see the smoky club you are in, the wood panel walls and dart boards, the pool tables and questionable patrons, and you can see the band having a killer time playing for them all. That is the heart of this band, their ability to create music that feels like it has a real spatial air to it.
I could go on about how much I dig this album, but I will leave the rest up to you, just do me favor, when you do listen to this awesome album, turn it up; loud!
