Whiskey Fever

(Sedro Woolley, WASH) Whiskey Fever are a hot up and coming band based primary out of all places Sedro Woolley, WASH. So where the hell is Sedro Woolley? About some 70 miles North of Seattle. But wait – this might just be the perfect place for an Alternative-Bluegrass-Rock band like Whiskey Fever to springboard from. Band member include: Jack Mattingly (songwriter, guitar, vocals) Andy Brown (drums, percussion, vocals) Dylan Dalgarn (bass, melodica, vocals) Mike Lamb (lead guitar).

Their music is steeped in Rock, Blues and Alternative Bluegrass Folk. Their latest CD “Gonna’ Wake up This Whole Town” (2015) embraces the rich heritage of all of the above genres, while holding its own within their deep and versatile musical voice and exuberant writing style only a state like Washington can bring. Do I need to list all the groundbreaking bands from Washington? All of this and more tie the album together nicely, even as the music skips around and delves into unsuspected territory. This is more than just Alternative Rock. I can even hear a Folk- Rock- Saloon Jazz woven within the musical fabric. All of the above is a tripped out combination of musical styles no doubt – making for and equal parts musical experience. Whiskey Fever start with a solid core structure of the studied and fluid acoustic guitar stylings, the solid and exploratory bass guitar, and articulate rhythms and songs that are highly engaging. Add in Mattingly’s voice and corny charm and you have the perfect storm of great memorable music. Good music stays with you after the music stops, and Whiskey Fever stays with you long after Track11 is done. From this core structure there is a revolving door of musicians all rotating around the primary – Jack Mattingly. There’s a lot of musical variety, most commonly rhythmic support and a variety of things like Mandolin and percussion. I however wish Mattingly would bring things like Jaw Harp, Blow Jug, Washboard, Accordion, Fiddles, Slide Guitar and Harmonica to the table as well. To sum it up, these guys are a “can’t miss’ for any lover of live music looking to broaden their musical horizons with a fresh energetic take on music.

The album starts off with the track 1 “Send it Back” an intoxicating rocked out intro ballad which is comparable to a welcome mat giving the listener a positive premonition of things to come. All 11 tracks have everything the tile implies heavy with Rockabilly, Americana, Blues. Music is cut from the same cloth as O.A.R., R.E.M, Blues Traveler, Everclear, Marcy Playground, Cake, Reel Big Fish, and They Might Be Giants and Rusted Root. Next up is one of my favorite track on the set: “Pretty Boy” an up tempo bass driven piece with a rock driven flair. The next few tracks add fuel to the fire: “Yeah Yeah”, “Tall Grass” and When the Sun Falls Down.” By track 5 this CD hits solid stride and keeps coming at you one track after the next. Many tracks are mixed with some lighter rock and pop while a few notables are a total riot. Some songs even have a sad but true overtone with a ring of truth to them like “Painless” and “Life’s Too Short”. “Cigarette Kisses” is my favorite song while “Lipstick and Writing” waves you in for a safe landing thus ending the CD on hopeful, impassioned note.

After listening to “Gonna’ Wake up This Whole Town” by Whiskey fever it’s evident to me their talent goes far beyond what I imagined or even expected. They are just a fun band – period! Jack Mattingly is a great songwriter and this band has the voice and the Folkish flair many people across this nation will gravitate towards no doubt. This band is to the same level of his singing and the combination of vocals, rhythm section and music really brings it all together. Whiskey Fever is a force to be reckoned with, and their best days are more than likely coming. - R.J. Frometa - Vents Magazine

Who doesn’t like Backwoods Rock? I’d all hands go up in the air. This style of music tended to be at times earthy, melodic, loud, a bit chaotic and filled with musical ruckus or whacky folk. Recently we’ve seen this style of music Moe, Widespread Panic, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, The String Cheese Incident, and even Dave Mathews. Many feel this style of music has lost its way evolving into overly commercialized, highly corporate songs that do a better job at getting under your skin rather than getting under your heart. So having said bands that play this style of music are dying breeds. It’s true many have felt we have lost out way. Despite this rather depressing introduction most music fans can’t deny getting into a good poppy groove every now and then and really enjoy well written music within this style from time to time.
The latest release by Whiskey Fever headed up by Jack Mattingly entitled interestingly enough “Gonna’ Wake up this Whole Town” does everything the title implies. It’s a musical wake-up call, and if you don’t get it, you are dead. This 11 Track offering from this Washington State band came to my attention a few weeks back. I must admit I yawned expecting the typical music conventions – trying to be folksy and rocking at the same time. Boy did I get what I deserved. I get the impression this band writes and records in a unique style that fuses the rhythms of Blues and gold old fashioned Folk/Americana and yes even Southern Style Rock. Their bio says Hillbilly Rock. This unique style meshes rhythms and sounds with short, humorous stories – still-life if you will for an increasingly busy age. Lead vocalist Mattingly asks us to examine the world in a fresh light. I hate to pigeonhole but if you like all the aforementioned band in addition to Robbie Williams, Rusted Root, Tindersticks and a slight done of The Strokes and The White Stripes. “Gonna’ Wake up this Whole Town” is exceptional music and multi-dimensional to say the least. The music itself is uplifting, thought provoking, and interesting. It also however possesses an undeniable Americana/Blues/Folk core kind of breaking the traditional mold for Southern Rock, or in this case Pacific Northwest Rock. Does all of this sound a bit over the top to you? Just listen to marquee tracks like “Pretty Boy”, “Tall Grass” and my personal favorite “Cigarette Kisses” and you’ll begin to see my perspective. The main focus of this genre of music is generally the personality of the artist, here Mattingly wins you over without even trying. The amazing lyrical content never feels like an afterthought. What’s more the vocal work and impeccable songwriting and playing from this entire band a few other contributors really brings this CD all together. This band is hitting the pavement hard. All in all it’s a powerful combination that puts a relatively underground band like Whiskey Fever on the map for 2015. They should go a long way towards proving that real good alt-rock with a backwoods personality is still alive and well – even here in the US. By the way – I rarely give out 5 star ratings. - Jim Courville - Skope Magazine

“Gonna Wake up The Whole Town” by Washington State based band Whiskey Fever yields a dynamic, diverse collection of eleven tracks that beautifully fuse intellectual college-folk and alt-rock. At the same time, they enlisted the help of some high-profile folks to round out their sound as listed below. Band defiantly sounds like “the White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, The Von Bondies, The Dead Weather, and The Hives.
Some feel solid musicianship is a dying art form in music as Power Pop and Rap dominate the airwaves with music that is for the most part – well not very real. But regardless of how you feel about Pop, or even Rap strong musicianship has remained strong and resultant over the years primarily in Punk, Alt Rock and R&B. However I must admit there is a resurgence of this type of music in bands like Thw Rentals, The Pixies, Ash, OK Go and Fountains of Wayne. As a result its subsequent movements cannot be denied its place in our world. So I’m willing to give ““Gonna Wake up The Whole Town” a fair shake. Clearly one the more inspiring stories stemming from Washington lately. In fact this is the first band I’ve ever reviewed from that state. I get the impression these guys has been making a name for themselves around the area with their chaotic yet soulful sound for some time. I mean to write an album like this – it takes time and I don’t mean the time it takes to record it either. It takes time to develop and capture some of that magic on tape via rehearsal and writing sessions. The end result is lighting in a bottle, and yes they did it perfectly. The cover art renders a psychedelic first impression. This album is oh-so appropriately titled and is a true to form return of good Psychedelic Rocked out writing style wrapped around catchy playing style with a hooky feel that flows. It’s passionate, intricate music but goes well beyond decent chops. You can tell 2 minutes into Track 1 “Send it Back” via the seamless timing, fun simplistic rock vibe you might be in for something truly special. Track 2 “Pretty Boy” should be a song featured on a Future Film or MTV show. Every track, every arrangement, every note on this demo is seamlessly blend of these four via their musical craft. It’s really testament to who these two are as a couple. It’s also obvious that there’s probably already a growing cult fan-base out there totally in love with Jack Mattingly and his crew right now. In fact I will admit I love and respect everything he sings and represents – the good, bad and ugly about life really.
There’s also a heavy dose of “WHAT THE F#$%.” Attitude via the amazing lyrics that really hit home. This is the strongest attribute to this album/band.
CD is a bit dated sounding, reminiscent of music popular 10 years ago but who cares. Some of this plays into marketability. However building familiarity within this style one walks away feeling like they listened to something a little truer than accustomed. If you’re a new or old rocker, then odds are you will love a band like a band like Whiskey Fever. If you not familiar with this style of music will feel yourself become quickly acclimatized to it. In close here’s one artist that has the courage to write, play and release music that goes a bit against the modern pop-rock grain but will remind you just how bad modern day music has really gotten. In fact in this age of Kardashian-esqe entertainment.
My top songs on the album: EVERY FREAKING ONE OF THEM!
The Bottom Line: Whiskey Fever led by one Jack Mattingly are breaking the superficial fake mold heard on the Radio day in and day out by just being themselves – hey imagine that. I strongly suggest you take a sample and ultimately buy this album hyperlinked below: You won’t regret it, and I rarely write words like this ever.
- Levi Campbell - Levi Campbell - All What's Rock

About 15 years ago in a sleepy, backwater town tucked into the foothills of the Pacific Northwest, 11 year-old Jack Mattingly had an epiphany… he would be a musician. Inspired by the members of a rock band brought in as part of “career day” at Jack’s school, he began his journey. While Jack has seen terrific response to his solo music over the years, the addition of Andy Brown on drums, Dylan Dalgarn on bass, and Mike Lamb on electric guitar have taken the project to the next level. Since becoming Whiskey Fever, the band has continued to develop a significant following. Their live performances are something akin to an evening front porch jam session- no pretense, no pressure- just a good time gathering with a great group of friends; telling stories, having fun, and sharing a jug. The band eagerly plays around the northwest part of the country, and even traveled to Anaheim, CA to play the NAMM Show when invited last year.
It’s easy to know how to categorize an artist like Jack Mattingly and his project Whiskey Fever. This Washington based musical mastermind just released his latest CD release entitled “Gonna Wake up This Whole Town” in 2015. Let me first start off by saying this is one of the more upbeat, funny, quirky and brightly flavored Acoustic rock releases I’ve heard this year. It’s not so dark and apocalyptic steeped in the fog of shock rock but it does have a small dose of They Might Be Giants inserted. This 11 track release has got some sold melodies and impressive musicianship to boot – which is a rarity in today music. Not only is this guy a rock solid musician, his contributions to the writing and arrangements of the songs have been of paramount importance-which is to say nothing of the infections and contagious chemistry he shares musically. There’s also nothing really new here per say that hasn’t been done before per say, but don’t let that fool you.
This latest CD “Gonna’ Wake up This Whole Town” will remind you of The Cave Singers, Momo Puff, Blitzen Trapper, The Moondoggies, Cotton Jones and Middle Brother. I can even hear classic rock influences from the likes of They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies and yes even Blind Melon and The Dead Milkmen.
It’s not moody or too serious; it’s quite the opposite evident from the outset within the first few seconds of Track 1: “Send it Back” and Track 2 “Pretty Boy” which are both superlative numbers. I see Mattingly a real rock revivalist that others (like myself) will lobby hard for. Mattingly sings, writes and plays well. Music is a masterful combination of Alternative Rock with a bit of modern Alternative Folk. Music and lyrics are all rich in humor laced satire poking fun at the world and full of casual observations. As a vocalist Mattingly recalls the higher-registries as well and meshes well with himself harmoniously. Mattingly and company have a solid sound that reminds me of both old school Psychedelic rock of the 90’s with a modern day feel. Track 4 “Tall Grass” is another solid movement with lyrics that get the point across in spades. Just when you think you got this guy pegged along comes Track 7 ”Painless” which showcases some polarizing emotions. “Life’s Too Short” as a whole develops well into top flight melodic phrasing and thickly laced harmonies. Some tracks are more pop-inflected however all are alt-rock driven rather than the typical synth-pop posturing we’ve all come to expect. All of this plays into Mattingly’s unique sensibility and earthy spin on the world that can jar even the staunchest of listeners. There is not a weak Track on this album.
It’s safe to say much of today’s Rock is made up entirely of yawning ambient beats, sparse musicianship and superficial vocals. Some of these intangibles reflect the artists themselves and the state of the music industry itself. Much of it is built of a house of cards that has become the quintessential pop persona. Where am I going with all this? None of the above applies to Whiskey Fever headed up by a very talented Jack Mattingly. Why? Because what you see is what you get. No smoke and mirrors just real good music that makes a very real connection with a listener. Need I Say More?
5/5 Stars - Mr. Blackwell - Rock-n-Roll View

The CD kicks things off with melodic “Send It back” a passionate yet invigorating guitar driven intro groove with driving rock rhythm, hooky chorus and emotionally charged vocal delivery from Mattingly. Track 2 “Pretty Boy” serves up another hooky groove, with methodical musical build coupled with amazing message, impressive vocal harmonies against a grand slam chorus. Track 3 “Yeah Yeah” keeps things moving in the right direction with its warm musical feel, eventually lending itself into an infectious melody with thought provoking lyrical content that flows and ebbs its way through to emotional fruition. As the CD unfolds I can hear many musical influences reminiscent of Weezer, Jimmy vs World, President of the United States of America, Hootie and the Blowfish, Barenaked Ladies, John Maher, Blind Melon and Tom Petty. Right from the start you will notice Mattingly feels quite comfortable just letting it all hang out musically, not holding anything back. Because of this he sucks you in quickly. The overall musical vibe has a nice Alternative Hillbilly Rock feel to it. Music is at times zany, melodic, poppy and hooky with pockets of hope and raw truth shining through. Also present are rock solid rhythm guitar playing, impressive solo guitar, Mandolin, and well placed electric guitar ambience built upon a thick as a brick rhythm section. Mattingly’s got solid vocal timber and is full of passion and recklessness abandon. He’s got good vocal instincts within each movement he displays an impressive trailing vibrato and inviting timbre throughout. His vocal style reminds me of a cross between Chris Ballew (Presidents of the United States of America) and River Cuoma (Weezer). Mattingly is a gifted songwriter, storyteller and vocalist. The songwriting is brilliant and provides a lot of musical variety and emotion. His vocal emotions really seal the deal for me as he makes a strong emotional connection with the listener. All the Engineering aspects are in check (Recording, Mixing, and Mastering) as the CD possesses solid low end punch and crystal clear high end clarity. Mattingly has a very colorful musical personality and really handles all the pin drop moments extremely well – this is a critical component of Singer/Songwriter often taken for granted, The musicianship from all the other members in the band has everything you would expect from a standard 4 piece Americana-Hillbilly Rock band. The songs themselves are consistent musical experiences, each one possessing unique personality, flair and signature groove. From heartfelt “Painless” to rock steady “Last Balloon” to thought provoking “Life’s Too Short” this 11 track CD has something for just about everyone. The CD ends with Track 11 “Lipstick and Writing” the perfect finale statement for a CD of this caliber. I really like the cover art as well.
CD is a bit short with 11 track, perhaps 1-2 more songs are needed to make this a fully loaded release. All songs under 3 minutes feel like incomplete statements to me. Some of the lyrical content is a bit over the top and somewhat gaudy and vulgar defiantly overcompensating and probably not for everyone.
In close “Gonna Wake up This Whole Town” by Whiskey Fever delivers an impressive, passionate, impassioned, hooky 11 song release from Whiskey Fever upholds the highest standards in good Soulful Alternative Rock. If he has an impressive live presentation then that would be a deadly combination no doubt. The songs are extremely melodic, passionate and highly entertaining – and clearly prove these cats are on to something very cool and special going down this path. At the end of the day Jack Mattingly is a world-class singer/songwriter possessing an infectious hillbilly rock personality clearly worthy of worldwide recognition. One would be wise to keep a watchful on these guys over the years to come.
Cyrus Rhodes - Cyrus Rhodes - Music Existence

Jack Mattingly had a similar realization that I along with countless of other people had when he was a young kid. He wanted to be a musician. Fast forward to present day and Mattingly is the frontman for Whiskey Fever. The group comprised of Jack Mattingly (vocals, guitar), Andy Brown (drums), Dylan Dalgarn (bass) and Mike Lamb (electric guitar) recently released their first full-length album entitled Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town. The music is a mix between folk, pop and rock songs, which are well written and easy to embrace.

The songs are unpretentious fun and mostly revolve around stories that are easy to follow along to. Take for the very instance the very first track “Send It Back” which is an infectious upbeat song about the end of a relationship. The vocal hook, guitar work and just about everything else is pure ear candy. It’s arguably the best song on the album.

Mattingly often has witty, humorous lyrics. On “Pretty Boy” he sings, “Pretty boy don’t you know you have an ugly heart/you sacrifice being nice for a lonely part/and loser girl don’t know you it doesn’t pay to be smart/you won’t put out but still say you’re a slut at heart.”

Mattingly is just as effective with an acoustic guitar as he is with a full band. The melancholy “Painless” is on par with some of the other highlights on the album. His voice always sounds good in the mix but you can really hear all the nuances, which make him a good singer. As the album progresses “Life’s Too Short” and “Lipstick and Writing” were highlights that you won’t want to miss.

Mattingly as of right now might not have the legions of fans he dreamed about as a young boy but his dream of becoming a talented musician has come to fruition. Overall, Gonna Wake Up This Whole Town is a consistently solid record that contains a number of good and a few great songs. - Jamie Funk - The Even Ground

Jack Mattingly first realized he wanted to be a musician when he was in the fourth grade. Presumably, he spent the time between then and now honing his craft and luring other like-minded music-makers to help him realize that dream. The result is Whiskey Fever, a four-piece band that describes itself as “rocky-tonk acousta-billy,” with definite indie rock leanings. In other words, their catchy songs of love and life fall right in line with the impressive regional musical tradition they’re part of, which probably has a little something to do
with why so many of you voted for them in this hotly contested category. - Cascadia Weekly