Having spent years working their way across Europe on the ‘any-gig-you-can-get’ circuit, Rodeo FM show off their impassioned and polished alt.country skills on ‘Shame Shame Shame‘, the barnstorming second single from their upcoming EP, ‘All The Things You Asked For‘.
Based in Berlin and with a formidable track record going back fifteen years, Rodeo FM have proved, both live and on record, that they are the real deal in terms of delivering high quality Americana. ‘Shame Shame Shame‘ is powered along by a potent mix of a banjo working in harness with the guitars, and some especially lovely, understated slide guitar. Underpinning the track, some tight, unfussy drumming and a reassuringly solid upright bass do the heavy lifting in the rhythm section. There’s even a sprinkling of some nice horns in there too, filling out the song’s middle section. But on this song it’s Pat Carter’s vocal that’s the real standout. Recounting a tale of an unreliable lover, there’s a weary, wistfulness to his delivery that gets the very best out of a particularly memorable tune. It’s all beautifully produced and just outstanding work all round.
Self-funding all their work, the band have pulled together a lo-fi video that combines some moody black and white studio footage that’s been cleverly edited to work alongside some old-school animation. It’s a well executed package, with the animation doing the important job of injecting humour and bounce into this less-than-tragic-tale of a brief romance gone wrong, with the jaunty footage from a long-bygone age still managing to perfectly match the amiable resignation of the jilted party.
This is a great band with solidly progressive politics and a quiet determination to keep doing what they love doing – and do so very well. So buy their music, go to their gigs, wear their t-shirts… you’ll be glad you did.
