LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts) A galvanizing force on the Bay Area indie rock scene since launching serendipitously in 2013, Junk Parlor's energizing musical collage includes 50's rock and roll rumbling atop gypsy rhythms, a bit of Gipsy Rhumba, tango, Eastern Euro/Hungarian music, bellydance and punk.
At the heart of the band's aim to get their audiences dancing and singing along is frontman Jason Vanderford's passion for storytelling, and he taps into an offbeat influence for their latest single, the haunting rockabilly heartbreak tune"Mick Jagger's Heart," set for release on May 27.
Drawing thematic inspiration from The Rolling Stones' countrified ballad "Dear Doctor" (which appeared on Beggar's Banquet), the band creates a fresh twist on the pain of lost love via the juxtaposition of dark lyrics and bouncy rhythms.
Vanderford, a longtime popular presence on the Bay Area gypsy jazz scene, artfully describes the piece as what happens "when the heartache of
Leonard Cohen decides to lament under the sun amidst the California surf�The moment of goodbye�the lingering sigh that begs to turn back time�Doctor won't you please�tear it out." The compelling, gutpunchingly beautiful video for the track by Jeannie Jo uses scenes of San Francisco cityscapes as a metaphor for heartbreak.
The songs on their previous recordings, the mostly vocal 2013 debut Wild Tones and predominantly instrumental follow-up Melusina (2015), have earned them comparisons to Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Gogol Bordello, Dead Kennedys and Tom Waits. One fan called it "Crooner Punk" because of Vanderford's beckoning, low range vocals - but those are just the centerpiece of a vibe that includes the singer's acoustic banjo and rhythm guitar, the polyrhythmic grooves of drummer, cajon player and group cofounder Rt Goodrich, Laela Peterson-Stolen's soaring violin and viola and the growling electric fretless bass of Tim Bush.
Building a solid, ever expanding West Coast fan base, Junk Parlor has played several hundred gigs these past few years. Beyond a batch of hotspots in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area, the band has headlined numerous times in Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Los Angeles and Reno. Aiming each time out to capture a room for a few hours, and aware of today's short musical attention spans, Vanderford always creates fresh set lists using previous tunes to frame or set the mood for the next, building waves of energy in an arc like fashion.
"Our first two records are simply two sides of the same coin," Vanderford says. "I am looking forward to our next project as we already have all the songs and have been playing them out and getting a wonderful response. This one will include a few instrumentals, but have more of an emphasis on vocals. What I'm learning through all of these recording and performing experiences is that it doesn't matter if you're a jazz musician, singer or dancer, the goal is always telling a great story. I love getting out there and hearing people's stories and then transforming those into songs that can be interpreted in unique ways by the band, dancers and everyone in the audience that it touches."
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