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"Some people try to make Rock and Roll complicated, it ain't brain surgery."
The Rock Band "Iatan" takes a stripped down, no bullshit approach to its deliverance of West Texas Rock and Roll.
The band's conception began with a casual jam session in late 1999, between
guitarist Coley Ramage, a drummer named Josh Bell, and a few local musicians. After the get together, Ramage and Bell
deciced to locate a bass player and create a band. After auditioning several bass players, a mutual friend suggested a college
buddy of his named Toby Young. After auditioning Young, it was obvious he was the choice. Naming themselves after a Texas
ghost town, the trio began rehearsing and discovers that each member had brought something different to the table. Ramage
has spent many years cutting his teeth in the down and out dives of West Texas in numerous bands. Bell had been a "Johnny
on the spot" drummer "filling in" in Rock, Blues, and Country bands. Young had spent several years as a hired gun in Rock,
Alternative, and Heavy Metal bands. With Ramage's whiskey soaked vocals and stinging guitar, Bell's hard hitiing Keith Moonisms,
and Young's Geezer Butler grooving bass lines, they began playing the local clubs with a mixture of originals and covers with
the intent of road testing the originals before heading into the recording studio. After six months of road testing, the bands'
songs had taken on a life of their own. Drawing influences from AC/DC, The Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, Jimi
Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, and ZZ Top, they were ready to venture in to the studio. The trio chose to use The Fire Station
in San Marcos, Texas, with Ramage's close friend Cody Christopher handling the producer's role.
The Fire Stations'
studio had a virtual who's who list of studio credits including: Joe Ely, The Texas Tornadoes, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson,
and Ian Moore. While soaking up the vibes in the studio, the band also experienced a few poltergeists: the Fire Station has
a well-documented history of being haunted. The Band was able to record nine originals and one cover song in thirty-six hours.
The later is an old Roosevelt Jamison song that Otis Redding had recorded. Ramage had learned the song from one of his friends,
the late Junior Medlow from Lubbock, Texas. The band throughly enjoyed the recording experience.
After naming the
finished product "Sonic VooDoo" the trio began selling the cds at their shows and receiving positive feedback from the fans.
With the wide variety of songs on "Sonic VooDoo" each fan revealed a different favorite song.
Iatan is the future of
back to basics Rock and Roll. The kind of band from long ago that proves good songs alone will last much longer than any gimmicks
or fashion statements.
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