The DML Cartel
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The DML Cartel

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"Review - "Word Of Mouth""

This project has 13 original modern rock songs, mostly written by lead singer Dodd Michael Lede. Total time is just over one hour. Musicianship and vocals are very good.

The CD opens with "Best Of Monday Night", a medium tempo tune about a young drifter trying to find himself.

"Temptation" is a guitar driven tune with a quite catchy melody. The lyrics are about a man tempted by a woman that he really fears staying with.

"Happy Ever After" is a rocker about a man trying to convince an innocent young woman whose daddy doesn't approve of him to spend the night with him. He laments, "I guess that happy ever after is a lie".

"Happy For You", has a strong, good melody. It's about a young couple in love for the rest of their lives.

"You Belong" has a very good intro and nice melody. It's about a young man professing his love for his woman. "You’re the closest thing to heaven... there are miles and miles of distance between you and all the rest".

The CD closes with "Pretend", a song that showcases Lede's high quality tenor voice.

If you like well-done modern rock with thoughtful lyrics about young men and women's view of life, this CD is for you.

Recommended.


- The Scene


"Interview - Dodd Michael Lede"

When we last heard from singer/songwriter Dodd Lede, he released an album called Sophomore Jinx that, given a major-label financial push, could’ve found its way alongside John Mayer and Jack Johnson on commercial AAA radio stations. Since then, Lede has formed the DML Cartel, a rootsy modern-rock outfit that was once Lede’s covers band Bare Necessity. Lede discusses their consistently good debut album Word of Mouth and how the DML Cartel enabled him to finally achieve the bigger sound he had been aiming for.

Carson James: The DML Cartel sounds like a full band effort, but then again so did your last solo album, Sophomore Jinx. Did your approach to songwriting change with having a group backing you up?

Dodd Lede: No. My approach to songwriting is pretty consistent. It was a little easier to record with the same group of musicians, but it didn’t start out that way. The musician process changed on me a few times throughout this recording until all the pieces finally fell together. In the end, the same musicians played together on about 80% of the entire CD. Of course, I expect the next CD to go much easier.

James: The guitars are a little louder and crunchier here than on your solo efforts. Did you feel back then, acting alone, that you were limited in terms of how rocking the tunes could be?

Lede: The original working title for this CD was going to be Twice Removed; since I never got the sound I wanted on the first two CDs, this was going to represent that sound twice removed. I thought it would have been a cool title, but no one else seemed to get it. This was the sound that I originally wanted for the both CDs, but since I didn’t have a permanent band at the time, I chose to scale it down. The decision was made since I was performing more solo acoustic shows. I wanted to be able to successfully pull off the songs live without the band aspect missing too much.

James: Your band used to perform covers with you. Was it an easy transition to go from remakes to original material?

Lede: I had already released Whatever Happened To You and Sophomore Jinx when I joined Bare Necessity. I was hesitant about joining a cover band in the first place and was pretty adamant that I would never do it, but Derek [Prather] is such a phenomenal guitarist and friend that I really wanted to work with him. The idea was that I would help his band out, and he would record in the studio with me. I even put a time limitation on how long I would stay with the band. I think it was supposed to be for one year. It didn’t exactly turn out like that, but it became pretty cool playing to packed houses that were very much into what we were doing. I’ve been with Bare Necessity for almost four years now. It’s still a lot of fun. But as things go, I eventually wanted to release some new original material. The band, at that point, did not want me to quit so they opted to assist me in completing what I had already started with John [Rinkus], Mark [Head], and Richard [Magallanes].

James: What made you decide to turn Bare Necessity into a full-blown recording group?

Lede: I didn’t actually turn Bare Necessity into a full-blown recording group. It was an idea that never really panned out. Bare Necessity’s bass player, Fred [Morecraft], was not interested in pursuing the originals as much as the rest of us. He was happier just doing the cover songs. Instead, Derek and I are in both Bare Necessity and the DML Cartel. The chain of events goes like this. John had been jamming with us over the past year doing the originals, but he did not want to be a part of the cover band. So he started jamming with Mark and Richard, whom had both been in the studio recording Word Of Mouth with me before Bare Necessity. They were working on songs that will probably be part of John’s solo project. They didn’t have a singer, so I went out to jam with them while Bare Necessity was on break. We booked a couple shows and asked Derek to come and play with us. That is how the DML Cartel became a separate entity altogether.

James: The opening track, “Best of Monday Night,” recalls the Gin Blossoms. Were they an influence on you?

Lede: It is a safe assumption that I am influenced by the Gin Blossoms although I get more comparisons to Bon Jovi on that song. I’m glad someone else can see the similarities and influence.
- Twang Town


"Interview - Dodd Michael Lede"

Most fans of the NFL team the Houston Texans are already familiar with the DML Cartel. Dodd Lede, who impressed me a couple of years ago with Sophomore Jinx, and other members of the DML Cartel are the house band for the Houston Texans, Bare Necessity. But who are these guys, really? We are introduced to the DML Cartel via Word of Mouth, a tight-fisted classic-rock album with a Southern flavor and smashmouth grit.

Kyrby Raine: How did you guys get to be the house band for the Houston Texans?

Dodd Lede: We were offered the gig after the VP at Silver Eagle Distributing (Budweiser) saw us playing during a private event. He was impressed with us enough to throw our name in a hat along with a couple others. Budweiser sponsored a battle of the bands during the 2007 pre-season. There was a big push to get people to go online and vote for us. They kept us in suspense for two weeks before they told us that we had won.

Raine: Given that your original incarnation, Bare Necessity, performed only covers, did you fear that the DML Cartel wouldn’t be taken seriously?

Lede: I originally joined Bare Necessity with the understanding that I would only be with them for a year. It was just a break for me since my previous band had ended on a bad note. I just wanted to jam. I had known Derek [Prather] for some time so when he told me that his singer was quitting I told him to throw my name in the hat. He was surprised that I would even consider it. The other guys in the band had seen my band play so they knew what I could do. In the end, there wasn’t even an audition. I just walked in as the new singer. When the year was up, I was preparing to leave; when they offered to do some of my originals. I signed on for another year and we just kept on jamming. I’ve been with Bare Necessity for almost four years now. It was originally intended that Bare Necessity would just roll over into the DML Cartel, but Bare Necessity and the DML Cartel are separate bands. It became too confusing trying to keep everything together, and it was a heavy workload trying to balance cover shows and original showcases. Derek and I are still in both bands, but John Rinkus (guitar), Richard Magallanes (drums), & Mark Head (bass) are all part of the new DML Cartel lineup.

Raine: Were any of the tracks on Word of Mouth road tested by Bare Necessity? Or is the first time we’re getting the opportunity to hear them?

Lede: I wrote three songs while in Bare Necessity that made it onto the CD. ”Temptation,” “Happy Ever After,” and “You Belong” were all written and recorded with the four members of Bare Necessity. All the other songs I had already started before I joined BN. I had originally recruited John to help me in the studio. I had known Mark forever, and Richard had been in the band that broke up before Bare Necessity.

Raine: What is the creative process behind the DML Cartel? Is it just you calling all of the shots or do the other members have any artistic input?

Lede: The DML Cartel is still a relatively new band. This group of musicians has only been together about six months. I had actually started writing some of these songs as far back as four years ago. So, to date, I have been the driving force behind this music, but it is safe to say that we function as a band now.

Raine: “Pocket Full of Reasons” seems to be about a real person. Is it autobiographical?

Lede: “Pocket Full Of Reasons” is about a real person, as are most of my songs, but it is not autobiographical. It was written about a friend of mine from high school who had fallen on some hard times. I tried to broaden my musical focus on this new CD to include a wider variety of topics.
- Hellhound On My Trail


"Interview - Dodd Michael Lede"

Not too long ago, somewhere in the early-to-mid-’90s, the DML Cartel would’ve been hit with the “alternative rock” tag. Fusing country, hard rock, and the edgy corners of grunge, the DML Cartel pack enough guitar crunch and midtempo angst to be played alongside the likes of Live and the Verve Pipe. Well, alternative doesn’t mean what it used to, and these days the DML Cartel would be considered “adult rock,” whatever that means. If anything, the group is a cure for the emo blues. Lead singer Dodd Lede enters Underground HQ to explain how they came to be and he ended up slamming with the Houston Texas football team.

Kit Burns: Word of Mouth strikes a fine balance between adult pop, Southern Rock, and Modern Rock. Was it hard finding fellow musicians who could pull that off? Was it a conscious effort or did the group’s style simply happen?

Dodd Lede: Word Of Mouth was written over the course of about four years consisting of leftover songs from the previous two CD’s in addition to the new ones. It has songs that were written at various stages in my life. So it scans a spectrum of sorts. As for the musician aspect, it has taken a considerable amount of time to find the right chemistry of musicians to make anything happen. In a situation as unique as this, this group of musicians is very open minded to trying new things and ideas.

Burns: The DML Cartel is the house band for the Houston Texans. Were you all fans of the team? How did that come about?

Lede: To answer your question, yes, we are all fans of the Houston Texans, with the exception of John Rinkus (guitars) who is a die-hard [New England] Patriots fan. But John isn’t part of the house band. Technically, Bare Necessity is the house band for the Houston Texans. With that being said, Bare Necessity was the original core musicians that made up the DML Cartel along with John. We tried to morph both projects into one band, but it became too stressful trying to maintain the cover band (which some wanted to do) and pursue the original showcases. So we separated the two line-ups and Derek (Prather) and I play in both bands. The DML Cartel is rounded out with John (guitars), Mark Head (bass), & Richard Magallanes (drums)

Burns: You released two albums under your own name. Is it more fulfilling for you artistically having a group now? What are the things you’re able to do now that you couldn’t before?

Lede: It is definitely more liberating being a part of a band. I loved the writing and recording processes as a solo artist, but being in a band has a lot more freedom to it. I can now focus more on being a better front-man.

Burns: Explain the meaning of the album title, Word of Mouth.

Lede: Nothing spreads faster than word of mouth. You tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends. It’s a vicious cycle. We are hoping the CD title lives up to its name.

Burns: Has the Houston Texas enabled you to expand your fan base? What effect has it had on you in terms of your career?

Lede: The Houston Texans affiliation has opened up several doors that we couldn’t have opened otherwise. We have been able to perform on radio shows and television under the guise of the Houston Texans house band, although we were able to promote the new CD simultaneously as The DML Cartel, not to mention there were thousands of fans exposed to our band during each of the home games. It was an awesome experience.
- Overground Underground


"Bayou Vista Band Releases First CD"

BAYOU VISTA — After years of entertaining Galveston County residents, a Bayou Vista-based band will release its first CD.

The DML Cartel, whose members earned the honor of being named the Houston Texans’ house band earlier this year, will hold a release party for its first album, “Word of Mouth” on Dec. 1 in Texas City.

The release party will begin at 9 p.m. at Jernigan’s Texas Tavern at 3520 FM 1765.

Dodd Michael Lede, Brooks Rogers, Fred Morecraft, and Derek Prather make up the group, which regularly performs at Reliant Stadium.

Once the band won the competition to become the Texans’ band, work on completing the CD sped up, Lede said.

Lede, who did most of the songwriting for the CD, said he was inspired by people he knew and experiences he had.

“There are a lot of songs about people,” he said. “It’s somewhat autobiographical.”

Lede said he hopes this CD, which in pre-release has already sold hundreds of copies, will be the beginning of the band gaining national recognition.

“We’ve managed to come up with a really good following,” Lede said. “We still consider ourselves a Galveston-based band. We’re starting to break off in the Houston area, that’s a very big thing for us.”

The band is negotiating a distribution deal and working to find a publicist to shop the CD to major record labels. It will also try to get radio play, something Lede said will start with college and small radio stations.

When the band plays as the Texans’ band, it goes by another name, Bare Necessity. When performing under that name, the group acts as a cover band that performs previously written material.

When performing under the DML Cartel name, it reflects that they are playing their original music.

For more information, visit www.acousticoutlaw.com.
- The Galveston County Daily News


"Sophomore Jinx Review"

Dodd Michael Lede
Sophomore Jinx

Label: Sonic Smack Records
Genre: Rock - Release Date: 2004
Our Rating: 8 stars

Houston, TX-based singer/songwriter Dodd Michael Lede (http://www.acousticoutlaw.com) really doesn't have much of the South in him. Anybody expecting a straightforward roots-rock or alt country record will not have their expectations met. Instead, Lede's music is commercial pop/rock with the meat and potatoes heartland America flavours of John Cougar Mellencamp and Bob Segar. And don't let anybody tell you that there's anything wrong with that.

Lede's vocals brim with charisma and self-confidence; this is no unfocused young pup at the wheel. You can feel the belief that Lede has in his material. He delivers each line, even the cliched ones, with conviction and energy. On "I Don't Belong," Lede's chunky, Mellencamp-ish guitar riffs produce delightfully nostalgic flashbacks of '80s AOR stations. The easily digestible pop sensibilities of "I Don't Belong" make it the pick to click for newcomers.

But perhaps what's the most intriguing about "Sophomore Jinx" are its surprise moves. For example, on "Man on a Chain" and "Irresistible," synthesizers are tossed more prominently into the mix. Back in the '80s it was almost required to hear keyboards blended so dramatically with the guitars, something that was trashed a decade later. Hearing that again is truly refreshing and adds spice to Lede's tunes.

Lede counts ZZ Top and Willie Nelson as among his inspirations, but the influences I hear are more contemporary: Train. The Gin Blossoms. Dishwalla. Fans of those musicians will get a kick of this record.

Adam Harrington - Whisperin' & Hollerin'
- Whisperin' & Hollerin'


"Sophomore Jinx Review"

Dodd Michael Lede
Sophomore Jinx
Sonic Smack Records

With the recent comeback of Bob Seger, perhaps it's time for the return of the Texas-styled bar-band rocker. Although his voice isn't remotely like Seger's gruff delivery, the country-fueled rock and rhythm of Dodd Michael Lede packs a similar blue-collar punch, at least musically speaking. Lyrically, Lede's romantic angst comes from a self-doubting Generation X perspective that came of age in the '90s.

Able to fit within the Hot AC radio format as well as even some alternative crossover ("Theme [From a Broken Car])", Lede uses country merely as a launching pad before rocketing into other stylistic directions. On "Camouflage," Lede stays within the framework of today's popular acoustic rock; the production is slick and big, giving the song a larger scope with a definite eye for FM radio. "Camouflage" is one for the chicks, a catchy pop track with introspective lyrics that'll have teenage poets swooning.

The Beatlesque melodicism of "Scene from a Bar" is Lede's most impressive effort. Not only does the track have timeless hooks, but the lyrics are Lede's most adult and genuinely moving. "I'm sitting here/With a piece of a puzzle/Trying to think/What to do with myself," Lede sings, gulping down a pint of self-pity as a failing relationship waits for him at home.

Kyrby Raine - INK 19
- Ink 19


"Bayou Vista band awaits word on Texans gig"

Bayou Vista band awaits word on Texans gig

Published May 25, 2007

BAYOU VISTA — Dodd Michael Lede, Brooks Rogers, Fred Morecraft, and Derek Prather make up Bare Necessity, which is competing to become the in-house band for the Houston Texans.

The band got its chance of the football-team job when Camilo Rojas, regional vice president of marketing for Silver Eagle Distributing Co., spotted the group and recommended it as the house band for the Texans.

Bare Necessity competed for the honor against Guppies from Outer Space and The Slags at the Budweiser Battle of the Bands at Reliant Stadium Saturday.

Five years ago, Rogers, who plays drums and sings, Morecraft, who plays bass, and Prather, who is lead guitarist, formed the cover band as a group of friends with a passion for music.

Lede, having been discovered by Prather, joined the group two and half years ago to fill its need for a dynamic front man.

His inclusion led to the creation of a second group — the DML Cartel, which plays original music, as opposed to Bare Necessity’s use of previously written material.

Lede, whose initials are DML, brought a love of songwriting to the group.

“I’d never been in a cover band before this,” he said, “so we’re merging our backgrounds and aspirations to try to become famous.”

Both groups, managed by Morecraft’s wife, Becky, have the same members. However, the DML Cartel also employs guitarist John Rickus.

Bare Necessity is known for its energetic style and plays a variety of music, seemingly unbound by genre.

Last year, the band released its first demo CD, “Demographics,” and it is working on more material to be released later this year.

The band covers the Beatles’ song “Day Tripper,” “Let’s Get it on” by Marvin Gaye and “Harlem Shuffle” by the Rolling Stones.

It also performs original work, such as “Man on a Chain” by Lede.

“We play classic rock, ’80s dance, R&B, country, old-school hip hop, new stuff, originals, you name it,” Fred Morecraft said.

And, if Texans fans cast their Internet votes for the band, you could soon be hearing a lot of it.

+++

On the Web: barenecessityinfo.com. The band has a link for those who want to cast a vote for the band in the competition to become the Houston Texans’ house band.

For Information: Contact Becky Morecraft at 409-935-3173.

On stage: The DML Cartel will appear at Fitzgerald’s bar, 2706 White Oak Drive, Houston, on June 24.

Sean Mitchell - Galveston County
Daily News
- The Galveston County Daily News


"Local band to play for Texans"

Local band to play for Texans

Published June 12, 2007

Bare Necessity has won the competition to be the house band for the Houston Texans during the coming season.

The band competed on May 19 against Guppies from Outer Space and The Slags, last year's house band, and then had to sweat out a two-week wait
as Texans' fans voted online for their favorite.

The Texans' Web site stated that almost 3,000 fans voted and now Bare Necessity will play before each of this season's home games, including preseason matches, at the Budweiser Plaza at Reliant Stadium.

Lead singer Dodd Michael Lede was ecstatic on hearing the news.

"I don't think I could be any more excited than I am," he said. "My excitement level is maxed out."

Becky Morecraft, the band's booking agent and manager, was first to be told the band had won the competition.

She received a call from Camilo Rojas, regional vice president of marketing for Silver Eagle Distributing, who had recommended the band for the contest. Within minutes, Rojas had called Lede and his bandmates, lead guitarist Derek Prather, drummer Brooks Rogers and bass guitarist Fred Morecraft.

And Bare Necessity got straight into the job of formulating performance plans. Morecraft said the group has discussed creating a theme for each Sunday's performance, such as all rock for the first day and all 1980s classics for the second performance.

Prather said the band would blend the types of song to the audience at Reliant, which can range from 10 to 70-plus years old.

"We'll hit as big of a variety as possible," he said.

Lede said the opportunity will take the band to a broader audience and expand its market.

"For the most part, we've been a Galveston-Kemah-Friendswood band, but this allows us to break into the Houston market - and we're breaking in in a big way," he said.

Lindsey Pickard, the Houston Texans client services coordinator, said she heard the band at the contest for the first time.

"I thought they were wonderful," she said. "We are excited to have them be our house band. Voting was really close but they managed to pull it out in the end."

Texans' fans will have 10 chances to see Bare Necessity play this season. The preseason opener is Aug. 11 and the regular season begins Sept. 9.

Princess McDowell - Galveston County Daily News
- The Galveston County Daily News


"Local band picked to play for Texans"

Local band picked to play for Texans

Successful Alvin businessmen will be jamming with the Texans this football season.

The band, Bare Necessity, is a high-energy cover band that has recently been chosen as the new in-house band of the Houston Texans. Bare Necessity will be playing live songs before every in-house game this football season in Budweiser Plaza at the south entrance of Reliant Stadium.

The band first learned of the opportunity to audition for the position through Camilo Rojas, the director of marketing for Silver Eagle Distributing, a part of Bud Light. Rojas saw the band perform live at the Pasadena Rodeo and Fairgrounds and asked if they’d be interested. Bare Necessity auditioned on the 50 yard line of Reliant Stadium and competed against last season’s house band, The Slags, as well as Guppies From Outer Space.

Their first official show as the in-house band will be August 11, during a pre-season game.

Bare Necessity, comprises Dodd Michael Lede on vocals and acoustic guitar, Fred Morecraft on bass, Derek Prather on guitar and vocals, Brooks Rogers on drums and vocals, and Becky Morecraft on background vocals & tambourine.

”This is a big opportunity for us to break into the Houston market,” Lede said. “We’re based in Galveston, so we’ve mostly played there. But with the Texans, there are 19,000 season ticket holders alone. We’re really excited.”

The band practices and plays regularly, both as Bare Necessity, and as a second band, The DML Cartel, which plays original songs written by Lede. In addition to both bands, the members have successful, full-time jobs. Rogers is the owner of Rogers Dodge in Alvin. Lede works for Rogers as the Business Development Coordinator for the automotive dealership.

Prather is a NASA employee. Morecraft works for S & B Engineering.

”We all have professional, full-time jobs and families,” Lede said, “But we work the music as a full time job, as well. We don’t get much sleep. The music is a full-time gig to us and we take it very seriously.”

Bare Necessity showcases a wide rang of music genres and styles, including classic rock, R&B, hip-hop, country, and Kid Rock style rap.

”We’ll play anything so long as it’s high energy and has a lot of crowd appeal,” Rogers said.

Lede joined Bare Necessity in October, 2004, after Leah Morton, the band’s original lead singer, left to start a family with her husband. Lede left his former band, the Dodd Michael Lede Band, to join The DML Cartel. The new band still plays many of the previous band’s songs.

”We joke that we’re schizophrenic, having two bands,” Rogers said. “Not many people have two bands going at the same time, but they’re both very high energy."

”The cover band gives us an opportunity to reach more people. Cover music pays the bills until the original work can take off.”

The DML Cartel consists of members of Bare Necessity, plus John Rinkus, a full-time musician, on guitar and vocals.

Management & booking for both bands is handled by Becky Morecraft.

For more information, visit the band’s website at www.barenecessityinfo.com, or their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/barenecessityband.

Regina Vigil - The Alvin Sun - The Alvin Sun


Discography

"Whatever Happened To You" was released in 2002 on Sonic Smack Records. Streaming audio is available through CD Baby at http://cdbaby.com/cd/dmlede.

"Sophomore Jinx" was released in 2005 on Sonic Smack Records. Streaming audio is available through CD Baby at http://cdbaby.com/cd/dmlede2. There is a list of triple A & college radio stations playing tracks from Sophomore Jinx at www.myspace.com/sonicsmackrecords.

"Word Of Mouth" was released in November 2007 on Sonic Smack Records. Streaming audio is available through CD Baby at http://cdbaby.com/cd/dmlede3.

Photos

Bio

Hard work and perseverance are paying off for Houston hopeful, Dodd Michael Lede, and his band, The DML Cartel. Lede has begun to see the fruits of his labors as his band holds the coveted top spot in the Texas Top Forty music charts with "St. Talisa" and has the number 8 spot with "Happy Ever After".

The DML Cartel debut CD, "Word Of Mouth", was released in the fall of 2007, while the band’s cover-band alter-ego, Bare Necessity, was still riding high on the crest of being the 2007 Houston Texans house band. The new CD has been greeted favorably by the critics and is poised to put Lede well on his way to being a recognized songwriter in his genre.

Along with playing the Texans 2007 season home games as Bare Necessity, the band still continued to perform its regular shows both as The DML Cartel and Bare Necessity. In addition, the band was also featured on local television, performing on the Great Day Houston show, and appeared on 94.5 KTBZ's local show, The Texas Buzz.

The DML Cartel was formed out of Bare Necessity, a working cover band based in the Galveston area consisting of a group of friends with a passion for music. Lede joined original members Derek Prather (guitar), Brooks Rogers (drums), & Fred Morecraft (bass) in September of 2004 replacing their previous singer to fill the bands need for a dynamic front man.

Bare Necessity quickly became one the hardest working bands in Galveston and its surrounding areas. Setting record turnouts for the venues that they performed, they were hailed as an "energetic party band" by the local press.

The inclusion of guitarist, John Rinkus, led to the creation of a second group — The DML Cartel, which plays original music, as opposed to Bare Necessity’s use of previously written material.

“I had been working with John in the studio recording tracks for what would become 'Word Of Mouth' and performing with Bare Necessity live. I was bouncing back & forth between the two projects, so it seemed like a great idea to join both forces and create something new.” says Lede.

The band has performed under both monikers for the past two years, but due to scheduling conflicts, has added bassist, Mark Head, and drummer, Jason Falzon, to perform exclusively with The DML Cartel.

“This is a rock & roll science project.” Dodd muses, “It all has to do with chemistry. The chemistry between the players, and the chemistry of combining various influences together just to see what if would have sounded like if they had thought of it first.”

Lede, who has two prior releases, 2002's "Whatever Happened to You", and 2004's "Sophomore Jinx", is no stranger to the business side of the music industry. Lede is the founder of Sonic Smack Records and has also released music from previous bands as well as Myrna Sanders 2003 release, "Riches to Rags" in which he also wrote the song, "Closure".

Each song on "Word Of Mouth" remains clear and focused. There is a sense of maturity about the songwriting, but there is no mistaking that the underlying influences are very rock & roll.

Melodic chord structures, vocal hooks and harmonies, and layers of guitar driven grace and tone, this catalog of songs should solidify Lede’s place as a songwriter in his own right. The inspirations and personal demons create an autobiography of true stories set to music. The end result is a collection of stirring and evocative songs.

Lede has a knack for stimulating the tired old clichéd sounds that are prevalent in much of today's music. He has stepped outside of the cookie-cutter box trap that most bands fall into, not to invent a new genre, but to redefine an existing one.

Other hats Lede wears quite frequently are guitar instructor, producer, promoter, and music publicist.

Contact:
The DML Cartel
c/o Dodd Lede
P.O. Box 263186
Houston, TX 77207-3186
713-248-4575
d_lede@yahoo.com