Old Man Kelly - Off My Lawn (2016)

American Roots Music With Guts

The sound of Old Man Kelly comes broadly from the early days of American roots music: when bluesmen sang from front porches on hot afternoons; when swing bands played dances in speakeasies late into the night; when being an American troubadour was a trade. Since the 2013 release of Songs, Stories, Shanties and Shenanigans, Old Man Kelly has gigged relentlessly, bringing his vintage sound to over 300 swing dances, festivals and honky-tonks throughout the central Appalachian mountains.

The 2016 release of Off My Lawn is the recorded product of a band sharpened by the time spent in those trenches - Old Man Kelly and the Streetsweepers. Featuring Matt Labarge on honky-tonk piano, Chris Printz on upright bass, and Nathan Bowles on drums, songs like “Exitville”, “My Next-Exgirlfriend”, “Milk Cow Blues” and “Knock Her Up” are tailor-made for rockabilly swing dancing in late-night establishments. “The Murder of Mir Imad” and “Cool Rag” add Willis Greenstreet on clarinet, seasoning the gumbo with a Dixieland vibe. Old Man Kelly gives respect to his roots in old-time music on the traditional ballad “Wild Bill Jones” and on the original composition “Louisiana Dirt”, featuring the incomparable flatfoot dancing of Jen Barton.

Brazenly original and yet familiar-sounding, Off My Lawn brings the dance hall to your living room. Move the furniture, roll up the rug, and play it loud.