PD'G

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This is the CD cover for Pinkeye D'Gekko's "Dry Clothes for the Drowning."





If you're a fan of old-fashioned, hard-driving Southern rock, then you might want to give the band Pinkeye D'Gekko a try.

This is a five-man band whose current release, "Dry Clothes for the Drowning," features the kind of music that brings to mind such groups as the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. From the opening number, "River Boat Queen," to the group's first single from the CD, "Girls of Arkansas," this is straight-ahead, guitar-driven downhome rock.

These are good driving tunes, the kind of music you can slide into the car stereo and let the beat set the pace for you as you hit the road, whether for a trip or just cruisin' around with the top down and the speakers cranked up.

Most of the songs on "Dry Clothes for the Drowning" are credited to vocalist Steve Richards Mooney, who's also the CD's producer. Mooney growls out his numbers in a voice vaguely reminiscent of AC/DC's Brian Johnson. He also plays bass and takes turn on piano and percussion.

Sharing vocal duties with Mooney are Tim Mauldin, Dave Grelle, Dwayne Mitchell and Julian Eubanks. all of whom share writing credits for "Girls of Arkansas," which has received some radio play in different parts of the state.

In their regular duties, Mauldin also handles guitar, Grelle plays piano and clarinet, Mitchell plays electric guitar and Eubanks bangs the drums.

When they're not pounding out party music, Pinkeye D'Gekko does have a softer side. Some of the songs on the second half of the CD evoke memories of '80s music, such as "The Poet," which sounds a little like Culture Club.

But the rockin' party tunes are Pinkeye D'Gekko's forte, and "Dry Clothes for the Drowning" has more than its share of fun, toe-tappin' Southern rockers.

If you want to find out more about Pinkeye D'Gekko, check out the group's Web site at www.pdgrocks.com. - Thomas Garrett/Bulletin City Editor

I first introduced you to Pinkeye D’Gekko with my review of “Rhythm & Westrn”. They continue their Southern-friendly rock ways with “Dry Clothes For the Drowning”. While this may be music that would easily find a welcome home on a riverboat or in a country bar, I’d venture a guess that most people would find themselves tapping their toe along with it. I mean how could you not? It shows you to boogie as if you’ve never boogied before. All this with quite simple little numbers. It might be straight-forward rock-n-roll with Southern attitude but you can’t deny its effectiveness. - Smother.net

Entertainment News and Views
November 12, 2004
pinkeye d'gekko: Dry Clothes for the Drowning
(Force MP)

For a band with such an oddball name, this Midwestern band sound surprisingly orthodox. The first few songs on the inexplicably-titled Dry Clothes for the Drowning sound like vintage ‘70s rockers, particularly “River Boat Queen” and “Girls of Arkansas,” two tracks that suggest an unlikely union of the Stones and Mountain forging an unholy alliance. It’s all great fun, true to the group’s avowed allegiance to the spirit of Southern Rock, a genre strongly identified with the blazing refrains of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers, as well as the incessant right to boogie.

If you were to stop with the first four tracks, you’d have no reason to dispel that notion. However, once into the heart of the album, the Pinkeyes begin to show their diversity. “Call Me Adolf During Wartime” is as offbeat as its title implies, while “See You Again” reflects the band’s more melodic side. Likewise, the album’s sign-off track, the Lennonesque “Missing,” adds a poignancy that seems fairly uncommon for this sextet, given their rowdier inclinations. On the other hand a straight-on cover of the well-worn chestnut “Slow Down” reaffirms their rockier references.

Pinkeye d'gekko represent something that’s pure and unassuming in this age of lip- syncing, sampling, and studio tinkering, namely a pure, infectious desire to simply make music that’s as unaffected as guitars, drums, keyboards and the occasional hint of brass can deliver. Perhaps that’s one reason why, at times, Dry Clothes for the Drowning seems like such an anachronism. Nevertheless, with so much pent-up frustration pervading the world these days, the Pinkeye effect is cause for celebration.

For more information, visit www.pdgrocks.com.
- Entertainment News & Views

File 13 Interview
November 02, 2004
File 13 - Surely when you guys formed pinkeye d'gekko you had a demographic in mind that you were shooting for. What was it?

SRM: We wanted to give something for the body...something for the mind.

We play Rock and Roll dance music so everyone can have a great time at our concerts.

Then, when they’re listening to our albums at home, the lyrics and stories will bring our relationship closer.


F13 - On Dry Clothes for the Drowning you guys used more instruments than most pop artists can pronounce. What made you start adding these elements to your music, and did you guys always play saxophones, clarinets, etc?

SRM: PD’G is really a simple little five-piece rock band with vocals. Once in a while, it seems like a song could use some horns or strings, so we’ll call some of our talented friends to join us.

Other times, we’ll add an extra keyboard, like a Mellotron or Clavinet, or maybe some cool percussion...whatever works for the overall sound.


F13 - What would you say is pinkeye's greatest strength and weakness?

SRM: ...greatest strengths are good songs by soulful players. And if you’ve seen any of our shows, (especially down South), you’ll know that our audience is the fundamental strength we have. They drive our shows and help create “The Sound”.

As far as weaknesses...trying to find enough time to do everything as a group or personally that we’d like.

We have an active performing and recording (and now television) schedule, which we love. We hope that those closest to us personally can be understanding and patient as we try to carve out our own little niche on the Rock and Roll landscape.


F13 - Why should people buy a pinkeye d'gekko album?

SRM: Just one? You should buy more than one! CDs are a great musical experience you can have over and over again.

Dry Clothes for the Drowning and our first album, Rhythm & Westrn (sic) contain twenty-six songs in the “body and mind” style, and I’m sure some of those songs will become your favorites!

Also, our CDs (esp. Dry Clothes...) have great packaging and photos, and all the lyrics, so you can sing along at our shows!


F13 - I love a lot of your lyrics, what types of things seem to really influence them? (Relationships, etc)

SRM: Well, you mentioned relationships. That’s really all we have, isn’t it?

We’re each in relationship to friends...lovers...family. We have a relationship (or lack thereof) with our Creator, and we’re often trying to grow to be a little less selfish and self-centered so we can contribute to the life of another.

There are so many songs by other artists, well-known or not, where a line or a feeling comes through and lifts me whenever I need it. I can’t imagine what life would be like without them!


F13 - What separates you guys from other bands trying to establish themselves or bands trying to remain relevant?

SRM: Our live shows are very high-energy Rock and Roll which seems to particularly appeal to audiences aged 25-40. I think this age group has been “underserved” by new bands, and this is helping to drive our CD and merchandise sales, as well as giving these music fans a couple of hours of live music they really feel a part of.

As far as “remaining relevant”......PD’G is always relevant to somebody. This just might be the time we’re becoming relevant to a larger audience who is just becoming aware of who we are.

The relevance might be the rock show, the players, or the lyrics. Or maybe some just like to dance, or think the guys are cute!


F13 - To me, Limp Bizkit's upcoming cover... uhh, I mean Greatest Hits album is about as phony as Ron Jeremy writing a book on celebacy. Who is pissing you off right now?

SRM: Well, everyone’s entitled to his or her own pursuit of “art”, and we all have the right to “join in” or not. Such is the foundation of our great country. Far be it from ANYONE to say what we should or shouldn’t listen to, read, view, etc.

I do think that this vast 21st Century Entertainment Machine is geared to present what it believes will offer its greatest return-on-investment – to “shock and numb”. And it must be working; It’s pretty hard to shock people these days, ‘though “The Machine” will keep trying in its own way.

This may be the greatest time for music in the history of the world. We’ve got Rock and Roll available going back fifty years, and new artists and music sources coming to light every day. We’ve all just got to look a little harder to find the voice that speaks to us.

- File 13

What do the words Pinkeye d’Gekko bring to mind? Perhaps an eye incident with an infected amphibian when you were six? A Chicago car insurance salesman with poor optical hygiene? What if I told you Pinkeye d’Gekko is the name of the most promising band to emerge from St. Louis since The Urge decided to call it a day?


On Rhythm & Westrn, Pinkeye d'Gekko not only displays their interesting take on the English language, (creativity cannot be restricted by grammar) but they display a melodic power pop sound that is ever reminiscent of the British Invasion style introduced by the likes of the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five.


" Possibly", Rhythm’s first track is the culmination of everything Pinkeye d’Gekko. A bass heavy riff accompanied by the strong harmonized vocals of lead member Steve Richards Mahoney drive this eclectic rocker through to its fiddle riddled culmination.


That is where the Westrn comes in. Tracks like "Galore" and the aptly titled "Country Heir" would make Bocefus proud if heard on the jukebox while he sipped his third whiskey straight in the unlit back corner of some nameless bar.
" Country Heir" sends the mind's eye to daydreams experienced at dawn on the rustic back porch of your grandparent's lakeside Kentucky cottage. "Heir" is a voyage to the land of full-service gas stations and deep-fried American pride.
Other Pinkeye d'Gekko highlights are the cover of Bob Dylan’s "Most of the Time" and the impossible to ignore and fantastically titled "Another Quick Store Robbery." Steve Richards Mahoney gives Dylan’s classic the Lou Reed treatment, if you can picture that. "Robbery" belongs on that compilation that asks the eternal question, "Do you remember when songs told a story?"


You couldn’t possibly forget the name Pinkeye d’Gekko, and after you listen to Rhythm & Westrn you’ll be happy to remember it. St. Louis has been the source of some great musicians in the past and perhaps Pinkeye d’Gekko will be considered among their ranks in the future. For now though, Rhythm & Westrn is a slice of Americana lathered in grease and layered with fun.

- MoBands.com

Look up eclectic in the dictionary and you’ll probably find a picture of this band. Imagine The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour crossed with a Moby remix of the Rolling Stone’s Sympathy for the Devil recorded in a Nashville studio after an all-night tequila bender featuring John Cage as the worm.


Hoof beats and lawnmowers sit nonchalantly between the explosive N.S., parts 2B & 2A and the southern-fried pedal steel twang of Country Heir. Even John Lennon’s ghost makes a guest appearance on Inside Job while Most of the Time marries Bob Dylan, Eric Burdon, and Van Morrison in Morphine’s backyard.


So what is the sum of the equation? Maybe this is what a classic rock Beck would sound like. Chirps and whistles are followed closely by a remarkable amount of strong and varied musicianship and a generous portion of pop confection. Really, the only inadequacy of Rhythm and Western is that it might be too much of a musician’s record, filled with too much diversity and talent and not enough of the usual center of gravity demanded by most pop audiences. The band is all over the place, and luckily, it’s good enough to sustain such meanderings. Just don’t expect anything this challenging and original to end up on TRL any time soon.
- Josh Davis

You might say that Pinkeye d’Gekko’s Rhythm & Westrn is overproduced. You might say the band isn’t filled with dazzling musicians or virtuoso performances. You might say this album is a little too derivative of the Beatles’ later work. You might even say this band is struggling to figure out just what kind of a band they are.


But any listener has to admit that this album has a big sound. It has energy. It has some very good songs. And it features a very talented singer/songwriter/producer named Steve Richards Mahoney. Mahoney is the creative force behind d’Gekko’s unique sound. And while some of his songs don’t seem to fit this band’s strengths, there is a strong musical foundation of Rhythm & Westrn that could yield a promising future.


Mahoney’s vocal skills are far from brilliant, but he has listened to enough Bob Dylan Tom Waits to know that a great voice isn’t a requirement to be a good singer. Plus, as a producer, he knows how to use the right mix of backing vocals, filters, and layering to make him sound great at times, particularly on “Possibly,” the opening track. The energy of “Possibly” along with its broad range of instrumentation and studio effects set the tone for the whole album. Most importantly, “Possibly” makes you want to keep listening.


The band’s sound falls somewhere between the alt-country scene and the jam band scene, with a solid pop sensibility. Mahoney’s songwriting skills are clearly inspired by the likes of Dylan and the Beatles, and he serves this tradition proudly. Rarely is rock music in the 21st century blessed with such fine song structure as found in Mahoney’s work.


But for all Mahoney’s strength as a songwriter and producer, he gets a little wayward with some of the slower ballads as well as the more experimental tracks. “Inside Job” and “This Love” sound as if he’s trying to rewrite “Let It Be.” Both the band and Mahoney’s voice seem far better suited to the more upbeat songs (save for the lyrical Hammond B3 organ work of Dave Grelle). There are also several tracks which serve as filler material that seem to serve little purpose other than to showcase Mahoney’s production talents, which are put to far better use in the album’s more structurally familiar material.


Despite Mahoney’s self-indulgence, there is a core of seven songs on Rhythm & Westrn that displays great songwriting, superb production, strong performances, and an unconventional approach. This includes a cover of Dylan’s “Most of the Time,” a song from 1989’s Oh Mercy more remembered for being featured in the John Cusack movie, High Fidelity. Pinkeye’s version is perhaps the highlight of the album, with the band sounding strong, augmented beautifully by a horn arrangement that totally changes the flavor of the song.


Rhythm & Westrn leaves me with on major question about Pinkeye d’Gekko: What on earth do they sound like live? They use the studio so well, I wonder how these songs translate to the stage. They’ve got me curios. That’s a lot further than most bands get.
- David Brown