The argument has
been made that
rock 'n' roll is
dead. Well, if
it is, the Mojo
Gurus are
refusing to
attend the
funeral. These
four guys from
the Tampa Bay
area of Florida
play as if the
burden of saving
the genre lay
squarely upon
their
shoulders. It's
bourbon soaked,
gut bucket, glam
meets twang, The
Stones pick up
Hank Williams
hitchhikin' down
the Lost
Highway. What's
that? Do I feel
a pulse?
Led by
singer/songwriter
Kevin Steele,
the Gurus come
off as
determined to
remind us of
something too
many people have
forgotten...
the spirit in
which rock 'n'
roll was
originally
intended.
Shake 'em on
down! Backed by
Doc Lovett's
rhythm and booze
guitar riffs,
Vinnie Granese's
thick-and-black-as-Mississippi-Delta-mud
bass runs and
Mark Busto's
cannon shot
voodoo drum
beats, the Mojo
Gurus perform
real deal rock
'n' roll with
enough strut and
swagger to make
most of today's
flavor of the
month bands pale
in comparison.
The Mojo Gurus
released their
debut disc in
1999 to great
critical
acclaim. The
band’s video of
"Tiger Lily"
received heavy
rotation on
Canadian music
video channel
Much Music. That
release was
quickly followed
by
DRINKIN’ TNT AND
SMOKIN’ DYNAMITE,
which,
along with their
powerhouse live
performances,
helped the band
build an
impressive
following around
the world. The
Gurus third
release
HOT
DAMN!
enjoyed
a four-month
success story
on FM radio that
included
over 119 FM
stations playing
HOT DAMN!
including 65
CMJ reporting
"core" stations.
Roots Music
Report gave the
band a five star
review saying, “HOT
DAMN! is
right! The Mojo
Gurus HOT
DAMN!
is a fantastic
roots rock
release.”
The success of
HOT DAMN!
led to the band
signing with
Empire
Musicwerks and
recording a new
CD entitled
SHAKIN’ IN
THE BARN.
The band’s hard
work ethic
continued to pay
dividends when
after a NYC
showcase they
were handpicked
by Grammy
Award-winning
producer Jack
Douglas (John
Lennon,
Aerosmith, NY
Dolls) to be his
next recording
project. On
SHAKIN’ IN THE
BARN,
Douglas captured
all the energy
from the band’s
amazing live
performances and
prompted this
comment from the
acclaimed
producer: “This
CD makes me want
to drive out on
the highway
‘pedal to the
metal.’ Pull
over at a truck
stop, hang for a
while and play a
game of Texas
hold ‘em with a
gang of bad
bikers while
Jerry Lee Lewis
screams on the
juke. The Mojo
Gurus write and
play real-deal
American roots
rock, all the
fun and
adventure
included. Don't
be surprised if
you suddenly
start off-roading
in your Caddy
SUV as the CD
spins in your
player. It was a
blast to
produce.”
SHAKIN’ IN THE
BARN was
distributed by
Universal
Records
and spent six
months on the
national roots
rock/alt-country
charts.
Linus
Entertainment
then signed the
band to a
multi-album deal
and are
releasing their
latest album,
entitled
LET’S GET LIT
WITH...THE MOJO
GURUS.
In announcing
the signing,
Linus
Entertainment
President Geoff
Kulawick said,
"We are very
excited to have
The Mojo Gurus
join the Linus
roster. The band
is fantastic and
will certainly
fit in well with
the Linus
brand."
Defying all
labels,
LET’S GET LIT
WITH…THE MOJO
GURUS
combines
southern rock,
old school
country, rhythm
and blues, surf
rock and even a
little bit of
soul. Produced
by the band and
Jody Gray the
album was
mastered in LA
by Stephen Marsh
(Jeff Beck,
Muddy Waters).
The band’s
singer/songwriter
Kevin Steele
said, “Making
LET’S GET
LIT...
was the most
fun we've ever
had in a studio
and I believe it
shows on every
track. It
was produced
by our live
sound engineer,
Jody Gray and
the Gurus, which
made for a very
comfortable,
homey, family
type affair as
opposed to the
cold sterile
environment that
usually prevails
in the studio.
I've always felt
that if
you aren't
having fun
playing rock 'n'
roll,
something
is wrong.
Judged by
that... this
time we must of
done it
right!”
If after one
listen you don't
find yourself
doin' the Twine
and Ballin' the
Jack, maybe you
better have your
pulse checked.
Whether you have
been around long
enough to
remember the
real thing or
you are young
enough to wish
you could, the
Mojo Gurus are
the long lost
friend you've
been looking
for. LET’S
GET LIT…
indeed!
The Mojo Gurus –
LETS GET LIT
WITH… THE MOJO
GURUS
Release Date:
March 24, 2009 –
Linus
Entertainment
Distributed in
the U.S. by Koch
Entertainment
Distribution
www.mojogurus.com
/
www.myspace.com/mojogurus
