Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
This is the ninth of 12 installments reviewing nominees in each category of Dale Watson’s 2017 Ameripolitan Music Awards. Voting is now over for this year’s batch of nominees but we will carry on with the review until the event on February 15, 2017 with a look today at this year’s Outlaw Group nominees.
The Dallas Moore Band has that quintessential outlaw country sound like the legends, mainly Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and David Allen Coe. They have a unique ability to blend some rock and roll with real authentic country music. These guys are the real deal, as they play over 300 live shows a year. Their songs have themes including drinking, drugs, women, and honest blue collar work.
Take classic country, southern rock, some dirty blues, and a little bit of Motorhead and you will come up with a good representation of what The Barnyard Stompers are all about. This duo is taking South Texas and the world by storm. Their style is country with a metal/punk rock attitude and songs about religion, love gone wrong, and everything in between. Their unrelenting touring has made them a crowd favorite in the US and Europe.
While the two previous Outlaw Group award nominees are more aligned with a harder edged sound, The Ponderosa Aces have a more traditional, classic country sound. This Long Beach, CA outfit has been making a name for themselves since 2013. These fellas also play a plethora of live shows, mostly in California and Texas, although I am sure their territory will expand as word of mouth about these guy picks up.
The Tony Martinez Band is a legitimate outlaw country outfit from Arizona. Their music is rowdy and make you want to move your feet and have a good time. Tony Martinez is true to his influences such as Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck, and George Jones. Not a lot is written about the boys, but I suspect that will change as they tour and release some albums.
The Outlaw Group category encompasses musical styles from rowdy southern rock to traditional country. One thing all these performers have in common is their honesty and integrity and their love of making real music.