Cascade Blues Music Reviews Swampabilly Snake Oil Freakshow Junkyard Jane Music Review Index

Music Review Reprint from the
June, 2001 BluesNotes
By Kurt Dahlke

• Freakshow

• Hot Buttered Rum

• Wicked Highway

• Lujean

• Sittin' In The Cellar

• Feather Pillow

• 4 Dukes

• Cool Bus

• Danglin' Carrot

• Come

• Something Else

• Heart Is A Liar

• Waffle House

• Moanin'

• Corn

    Tacoma, Washington's Junkyard Jane, serve up a steaming plate of corn fed, swingin' Jug Band Blues with their latest release, "Swampabilly Snake Oil Freakshow", on Frogimo Records. Swampabilly is a pretty good way to describe their blend of music, a little bit bluesy; a little bit funky, this record swings, rocks and gets introspective at times, all with sexy good humor.

    The first tune, "Freakshow", starts with a boozey oompah Trombone figure, some sweet guitar strumming and Leanne Trevyalan's seductive, growling vocals. Then she starts yodeling, signaling the change to freaky Swing. You can't get more eclectic than that for an opener, and Junkyard Jane makes it work like a top. The greasy vibe, thanks mostly to Randy Oxford's delirious Trombone, keeps right on through to the end.  I soon found myself looking for a jug of Corn Squeezin's to swill, as the loose, countrified Jug Band vibe started to get to me.  By the closer, "Corn", my suspicions were confirmed, as the subject of the tune seeks the same sour mash to wash a corn kernel out of a hole in his tooth.

    In between the first song and the last, Junkyard Jane treats us to a woozy, sleepy lament about life on the road called, "Feather Pillow". Billy Stoops' eloquent, understated solo matches the languishing, longing vocals. Then some slow jam funkiness, courtesy of Barbara Blue on bass, starts out the goofy "4 Dukes". "I'm temporarily out of my mind, leave a message," indeed. The eclectic pace continues with the brisk, jazzy Jump Blues of "Cool Bus", on which Randy Oxford trades scat vocals with Leanne. The variety just keeps on coming, as all of the members prove themselves multitalented players, singers and songwriters. If you think there's nothing anyone in Junkyard Jane can't do, you'd probably be right.

    "Swampabilly Snake Oil Freakshow" is tight, smart, funky, funny, and all over the map musically.  That is, there's something for everyone, and it's all good.  What are they missing?  Tons of marketing and promotion I guess, so they can rise from regional favorites to the national favorites. The package is complete, now go on out and buy it!

© 2001 Cascade Blues Association