From left to right: Andrew Denham (Drums), Thomas Storz (Bass), Justin Toland (Vocals, Guitar)
This week I’ll be covering a band whose sound is essentially the best of the 60’s and 70’s: soul, funk, proto-punk, and of course classic rock. The Dirty Streets are a band from Memphis, Tennessee who formed in 2006 when Justin Toland (vocals/guitar) and Thomas Storz (bass) met through mutual friends. To get noticed, the band toured extensively…50 shows a year actually. Their sound tightened, and with the addition of permanent drummer Andrew Denham, the band became incredibly popular in Tennessee and Mississippi. As a result, several producers approached the band looking to give them a record deal. Looking to not sell out, the band recorded their first album “Portrait of a Man” all by themselves. Deriving heavily from the likes of Otis Redding, Humble Pie, and the Stooges, the music is soulful, straight rock roots with subtle southern influences. Its full of energy, you can visual the musicians on stage rocking out. It isn’t compressed, its as natural a sound as can be obtained. The songs themselves are built upon classic riffs and chord progressions, with extended solos and breakdowns that sound less like the band jamming to fill time and more like an extension of the art and emotion already laid out. Some of the slower songs lack that irresistible drive and attack from others like “Give it Up” or “Troubled Times, Troubled Minds”, but that’s what the second album improves upon. Dirty Streets’ second release “Movements” shows maturity and growth in a band where you thought they already had a great thing going. Some songs have folk influences like “Native Son”, but for the most the album’s songs are radio friendly versions of the first albums untamed expression. Songs like “Felt” and “Fight You” drive hard from memorable riffs and straight forward bass. The vocals of Toland are soulful, yet sort of punk at the same time. Essentially, every song off the album is a trip back in time, just like the first, while being more shaped and refined. Having just come off a tour with fellow throwback band Radio Moscow, the Dirty Streets are keeping their momentum going, and are looking to record again in the near future.