The Deluxtone Rockets is an American band from
Muskegon
Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
.
It began as a
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
band, but by the time of signing to
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a Christian rock record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington where it is situated today. It is home to many well-known musical acts, including Undero ...
it had evolved into a
swing revival outfit.
Their first album, which was self-titled, was produced by
Gene Eugene
Gene Andrusco (April 6, 1961 – March 20, 2000), better known as Gene Eugene, was a Canadian-born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician. Andrusco was best known as the leader of the alternative rock band Adam Again, a member ...
and
Dennis Danell. They wrote their own songs, and their musical style and lyrics were often compared to
The W's
The W's were a Christian ska and swing revival band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, '' Fourth from the Last'', was a sleeper hit, unexpectedly having had the strongest debut of any ...
,
but John Brown's lead vocals were likened to
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones'
Dicky Barrett or
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A ''Prick'' magazine reviewer called Heath ...
.
In their second album, ''Green Room Blues'', the group dropped the horn section entirely and shifted to a
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...
sound. The album's title reflects the fact that both Eugene and Danell died in early 2000, during production of the album.
Though Danell had not been involved in the production, Eugene had been, and was replaced by Chris Colbert. The album has a darker mood than their debut effort, though its lyrics still reflect the faith of John Brown.
The album also contained a cover of
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
's "
Lovesong".
2000 was generally reported as a bad year for the band; they were unable to play shows regularly because in addition to recording difficulties, their drummer left, after wanting to move to a different style musically. They were able to get Rodney from the Calicoes to fill in occasionally, and thus played at Cornerstone and other festivals.
Also, one night their van caught fire and was totaled, though they still managed to play that night.
Discography
* 1999 ''
The Deluxtone Rockets
The Deluxtone Rockets is an American band from Muskegon, Michigan. It began as a punk band, but by the time of signing to Tooth & Nail Records it had evolved into a swing revival outfit.
Their first album, which was self-titled, was produced ...
''
* 1999 ''
Happy Christmas Volume 2'' (Compilation,
BEC)
* 2001 ''
Green Room Blues''
* 2009 ''
New Material Demo''
Band members
1999
* John Brown - Lead Vocals, Guitar
* Jimmy Van Boxel - Upright Bass, BGV's
* Jacob Dykema - Tenor Sax, Vocals
* Richard Mittwede - Trombone, BGV's
* Jason Sorn - Drums
* Tim Harvell - Trumpet, BGV's
2001
* John Brown
* Jimmy Van Boxel
* Lonnie Pease - guitar
* Jason Feltman
2008
* John Brown - Lead Vocals, Guitar
* Jason Sorn - Drums
* Harley Obzut - Bass
* Dusty Bottoms - Guitar
References
External links
*
The Deluxtone Rockets
The Deluxtone Rockets is an American band from Muskegon, Michigan. It began as a punk band, but by the time of signing to Tooth & Nail Records it had evolved into a swing revival outfit.
Their first album, which was self-titled, was produced ...
at
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Deluxtone Rockets, The
American Christian musical groups
Swing revival ensembles
American swing musical groups
Tooth & Nail Records artists
Musical groups from Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan
Rockabilly music groups
Musical groups established in 1996
1996 establishments in Michigan