Legendary Shack Shakers

The Legendary Shack Shakers (originally Those or Th' ) are an American rockabilly/blues band that formed in Paducah, Kentucky in the mid-1990s. They are inspired by rock 'n roll, country blues, old time music, carnival music, swamp rock, and other obscure Southern music genres. The band originally had a traditional rockabilly sound, but later began to rely more on its rock 'n roll and "southern gothic" influences.

Founding member J.D. Wilkes is the band's vocalist and also plays the harmonica. Musical maverick Joe Buck joined the band in the early 21st Century and played all the upright bass, guitars, and drums on the group's first wide release release, Cockadoodledon't (2003). Wilkes is noted for his theatric stage performances, which have been compared to those of Iggy Pop, David Byrne, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Joe Buck left the band in late 2003 and began touring and recording with Hank Williams III. Brett Whitacre joined the band in 2005 and is currently the second longest tenured band member. Duane Denison of The Jesus Lizard and Tomahawk joined the band in 2008, exiting in early 2012. Atlanta garage blues guitarist Rod Hamdallah replaced Denison. Longtime bassist Mark Robertson left the band in late 2015 and was replaced by The Two Man Gentlemen Band's Fuller Condon.^[1]

Career

The band initially gained notoriety when GEICO used their track "CB Song" on their year-long "Sunglasses" television ad. Horror novelist Stephen King would later list the same track as among his iPod's Top Five in a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article. That same year, the Legendary Shack Shakers' tune "Swampblood" was featured on the soundtrack for HBO's True Blood, the CD release of which went on to receive a Grammy nomination the following year.

Throughout the mid 2000s, the band regularly toured with The Reverend Horton Heat, who also appears as a guest guitarist on three tracks from their 2006 album, Pandelirium. Former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra also guested on the album's opening track, "Ichabod."

In 2006, the band opened up for Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.^[2]

Robert Plant is a noted Legendary Shack Shakers fan, and hand-picked the band to open for him on his 2005 tour of Europe. Plant also named "Believe" his favorite record of 2005.

The band released their 6th studio album; AgriDustrial, on April 13, 2010 on their own Colonel Knowledge record label.^[3]

Occasionally, Wilkes and the Shack Shakers appear in the Danish theatrical production FUBAR., a production of Copenhagen’s Mute Comp Theatre. The play, which tackles the subject of illegal gun trade around the globe, features a speaking part by Wilkes. After performing at the 2013 production of FUBAR, the band resumed their two-year hiatus. The band began touring again regularly in early 2015 and released their new LP "The Southern Surreal" on Alternative Tentacles Records in late summer of the same year.

Tours

J.D. Wilkes of Legendary Shack Shakers crowd surfs while performing in Atlanta, Georgia in 2016.

The band has toured with The Black Keys, The Damned, Robert Plant, Rancid, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and Hank Williams III, among others. In 2003, Time Out New York Magazine said The Legendary Shack Shakers were "Among Top Ten Live NYC acts of the year". Jello Biafra of Alternative Tentacles and The Dead Kennedys called J.D. Wilkes "the last great Rock and Roll frontman." News Of The World called them "The maddest, baddest, most outrageous band in America.. a rockabilly version of the Sex Pistols." The Nashville Scene called Wilkes the Best Frontman in Nashville in a 2002 vote.

Discography

• Hunkerdown (Spinout, 1998)
• Cockadoodledon't (Bloodshot, 2003)
• Believe (YepRoc, 2004)
• Pandelirium (YepRoc, 2006)
• Lower Broad Lo-Fi (Arkam Records, 2007)
• Swampblood (YepRoc, 2007)
• AgriDustrial (Colonel Knowledge, 2010)^[4]
• The Southern Surreal (Alternative Tentacles Records, 2015)^[5]

Filmography

• Seven Signs, shown at the Raindance Film Festival 2008^[6]

References

External links

• Official website
• Artist Page on YepRoc Records
• Artist Page on Bloodshot Records

Interviews and reviews

• Interview and Performance on Corporate Country Sucks TV show.
• Harp Magazine Interview, 2003
• Review of "Pandelirium" on Sepiachord