Switchblade Syndicate
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Switchblade Syndicate

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Band Rock Punk

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"Shows To Know"

Sharing the stage with GCI is Cincinnati’s Switchblade Syndicate. After visiting its MySpace page, I noticed that the “sounds like” section says “awesome badassery!” Well alrighty then, let’s have a listen. You, my friends, are correct. Female fronted rock with heavy guitars and quick beatin’ drums. Awesome badassery indeed. - Cincinnati Metromix


"De Los Muertos"

All through high school, I was surrounded by excellent musicians with big plans. We'd spend late nights fueled by cup after cup of coffee at the Buzz, talking about our future plans in music. I've known plenty of folks who simply can't find the time between work, family and school to keep music as a serious part of their lives.
Perhaps due to this, I am thrilled when I have the previlege of running across someone from that era who is keeping on despite life's myriad obstacles. By random chance, I came across an old friend who is still playing and has grown by leaps and bounds. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Veronica Grim before all your friends do. This girl is going places.
Grim's music could easily be categorized as country-western punk, but this would be pigeonholing her sound far too much for my taste. Grim's voice is the real thing; powerful as all hell while showing no signs of breaking. Dark and brooding in her verses, she can soar through a chorus with all the sweet twang of Dolly Parton, scream with the rawness of Brody Dalle, and still deliver all the old-timey sensibility of Patsy Cline. I had the pleasure of experiencing Grim in the intimate setting of Fat Shannon's, and she put out more heart and pure volume in that little pub than most solo acts give all week. The crowd in the bar was instantly and hopelessly entranced by this siren of the Ohio river and the beer was flowing with all the power of the mighty Mississippi. Your humble Examiner had a few more than intended, but we will leave the rest of that less-than-newsworthy tidbit to your imagination.
Grim also has a backing band that's been quickly making a name for themselves around town. De Los Muertos is a four-piece band with a vast array of influences. Driven by the thrum of stand-up bass, stylistically accurate drumming and hard-edged guitar lines, the band seems equally comfortable delving into country, punk, surf, rockabilly, and even a tasteful touch of Latin music. Local listeners stand warned: this is a tight band playing real music, with no frills or agendas behind the rawness of their sound. No matter your tastes, this music is worth a listen. De Los Muertos pumps a thousand volts of electricity through the rotting corpse of honky-tonk country, resurrecting it to serve in the undead armies of genuine punk rock. Come see it and say you were there before everyone else does. - The Examiner


"De Los Muertos shoots for big time"

Imagine you are in a local band and you’ve just been put on the bill for the biggest show of your (very short) career. How would you spend the week prior? Would you hurry and write new songs? Would you practice day and night?

If you were local act De Los Muertos, you would schedule two headlining shows out of town, to play the weekend before. There truly is no rest for the wicked.

De Los Muertos, opening for Nekromantix at Southgate House on Wednesday, Nov. 18, is made up of vocalist Veronica Grim, guitarist Joshua Murphy, drummer Benjamin Sims and upright bassist Jimmy Nielsen.

So, opening for one of the biggest psychobilly bands around and headlining shows in Nashville and Louisville, all in one week? Not too shabby for a band that hasn’t even been around for six months.

“We came out of the gate like a shotgun blast,” Grim said.

And it’s true. By any measure, De Los Muertos have been on quite an upward climb. Progressing quickly from bar shows, to local clubs and perhaps capping themselves with this show at Southgate House. At this point, De Los Muertos doesn’t know their peak, because they haven’t yet hit it.

Of course they wouldn’t be where they are without a strong sound. A mix of punk, rockabilly, surf, western grit and rock and roll, with a dash of sin and onstage sexuality, De Los Muertos mixes all these elements into one delicious auditory gumbo. It just might be hard to describe. When asking the band to describe their sound, a silence came across the band for the first time that night.

But one thing the members of De Los Muertos will speak about is the concept of performance. Nielsen explains, “Cincinnati has a lot of good music, but not a lot of performance,” as he taps the back of the seat he is standing behind.

Sims agrees.

“We bring the total package. It’s important for us that, when people come to see us, they’re rocked.”

And rocked they are. With songs about vampires, the wild west, love, loss, revenge (and often a mix of several of these concepts), the De Los Muertos live show is explosive. Especially considering the age of the band.

The band is always performing, even if the crowd is just a reporter and friend of the band. Grim is undoubtedly the front woman. She is engrossing, with a mix of playful fun and just enough sensuality to keep your eyes locked at all times. A voice that can rival many national vocalists and the ability to occasionally surf on an upright bass can certainly help.

That said, every band member is able to draw your attention during the band’s set with strong fills and musical flourishes. Whether it is Murphy’s surf rock fret work in “Hell in a Fast Car,” Nielsen’s thunderous bass line in “Man’s Ruin” or Sims’ addictive drum play in “Heaven’s Nothing at All,” no band member is a slouch. Each song is tight, diverse and catchy. I dare anyone to not tap their foot or bob their head while listening to a De Los Muertos song.

By all accounts, De Los Muertos probably shouldn’t be playing as many shows as they are and gaining many fans as they are this early in their career. A fact not lost on the band. But each member is passionate about the project and driven to see it succeed.

“The only thing that’s ever mattered to me is music,” Murphy said. This devotion to music is shared by all the members of De Los Muertos.

“We want to make a mark, we want to carve out our piece,” Sims said. And on Nov. 18 at the Southgate House, they have the opportunity to do just that.
- newsrecord.org


Discography

"De Los Muertos" EP released July 2010

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Bio

Combining the fables of a gypsy rogue with the galloping melodies of a gang of outlaw punks creates quite the musical combination. The influence of Outlaw Country and good old Rock and Roll can be heard throughout Switchblade Syndicate's catalog of musical samplings. Switchblade Syndicate has broken away from the standard pyschobilly and cowpunk formula and created a whole new sound that crosses over the borders of several genres.

In addition to headlining local shows in the Cincinnati area, Switchblade Syndicate has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with such national acts as Neckromantix, The Koffin Kats, Memphis Morticians, Sasquatch and the Sickabillies, The Arkhams, Whiskey Daredevils, and many more. The band is based out of Cincinnati, but will take bookings for shows in the region and national festivals/weekenders with advance notice.