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New York City band PRANKSTAR combines pop, funk & electric blues to
create an ever-evolving brand of modern rock. The new release, RUE DE
BLACKWELL, takes you on a tour of the band's influences. From the twang
of steel guitar on the country pop "Drinking Song" to the digitally
scrambled vocals in the middle of the rocker "Buckhunter", the album
sees the band finding new sounds in the mashup between Oklahoma blues
and urban rock and roll.
The sound of the band has at its base a sometimes contentious mix of
vocalist/bassist Michael Tuminello's funk and pop influences
and the BBQ blues guitar sounds of Adam Headrick and Jason Presley. The
resulting music channels the pulse and grit of New York City alongside
the greasy spoon good times of a southern-fried honky-tonk.
After releasing their 2004 debut album, "One", the group underwent a
series of changes. Guitarist Adam Headrick left for a tour of
duty in Iraq in 2005, and the remaining members, expecting Adam's
return, chose to fill the gap in the band's sound with
the addition of John McCann on keyboards. McCann's jazz-inspired sense
of harmony and synth programming wizardry added a new layer to the
band's sound.
As new lineup began to gel, original drummer David French left for Los
Angeles, and was replaced by Spiro Edgos in 2005. Edgos proved a
versatile and energetic addition to the band, and in late 2005, Headrick
returned from Iraq.
With all the right pieces in place, the band returned to the studio for
their sophomore effort, Rue de Blackwell. The album was
recorded at Axis Sound in New York City with Steve Rossiter as engineer.
"RdB" comes much closer to the group's live performance, and
the rocking riffs and solos, synth and electric guitar tweakery, and
soul-inflected vocals add up to an agitated balance between vintage and
modern sounds.
The album's guitar and piano rhythms are counterbalanced by a thread of
mysterious and indecipherable sounds that add depth and
curiosity to the tracks. The leaner, harder sound Prankstar has found on
Rue de Blackwell has invited comparisons to the Black Keys,
White Stripes, and Kings of Leon.
Having demonstrated a sizable leap in both content and cohesion between
their first two albums, Prankstar seems primed to hit its
stride in 2008 with hard-hitting, no b.s. live shows and an
ever-increasing prowess in the studio.