Strange Generation www.dirtyamericans.com

Review by Rob Kern. 

Where has the rock gone?  Not metal or any of its infinite sub-genres, I’m talking good old rock and roll.  Beer-and-a-shot, it’s Friday night and I’m hopping in the Camaro and heading to the local dive for my weekly dose of soul-cleansing American rawk.  The Black Crowes lost their focus, Lenny Kravitz tried it for an album or two (Are You Gonna’ Go My Way?) then decided to write music geared towards getting on the latest Target or Gap commercial.  I’m in need of some gender-defying, era-crossing tunes that sound at home in either an 8-track deck or cd player.  Forget looking in L.A. or New York, the Motor City has come to the rescue with the Dirty Americans. 

Dirty Americans Strange Generation first saw the light of day last year in Europe through Roadrunner Records.  Someone in the U.S. music biz finally cleaned their ears and gave this rocker a much-needed American release.  Hey, Stray Cats had to go overseas first too; it seemed to work out okay for them.  Slap on a pair of jeans and grab a cold six pack, lets test drive this machine. 

“No Rest” launches with a quick dose of guitar feedback followed by a foot-stomping drum and guitar beat that gets your body moving and rarely stops for the next 49 minutes.  “Car Crash” shifts into high gear with a catchy little “wooo-ooohh” that just itches to be a crowd sing-along.  The title track is pure swagger and strut, if Detroit could build cars like Dirty Americans rock, we would be doing burnouts in muscle cars instead of putting around in puny front-wheel drive four-bangers.  It would be a disservice to Strange Generation to try and compare it to an era or band; there are elements on this release from the 70’s through today.  Real Rock and Roll is timeless, slap on “Cold Gin” by KISS or Cheap Trick’s “Come On, Come On”; they could have been recorded last week or 30 years ago.  

Next time you are having a few buddies over for cold beverages, slip on Strange Generation with little or no fanfare, just sneak it in and go about your drinking.  By the time “Give It Up” comes on, your friends will be asking “Who is this?  This rocks!”  If you need a little Jimmy Page fix, check out “Dead Man” for a killer Zep-inspired bridge.  Influences fly fast and quick, “Way To Go” even has a touch of stoner-rock vibe.  All thirteen tracks have a spark that will keep your head shaking and your hand reaching for another shot of whiskey, beer or whatever your vice is.  

Score: 90/100