Dick Rodan
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Dick Rodan

Toronto, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | SELF

Toronto, Canada | SELF
Established on Jan, 2011
Band Country Blues Rock

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"Dick Rodan - The Legendary Dick Rodan"

Dick Rodan – The Legendary Dick Rodan

200

7.5/10

Dick Rodan is a four-piece country outfit that come from the least ‘country’ place one could think of : Toronto, Canada. Though they may be big-city boys, they sure know how to trick you into thinking they practice in a field somewhere in the American Midwest. If you like your country to be more like Hank Williams than Florida Georgia Line, then you will have some fun with this short, six-song EP entitled The Legendary Dick Rodan.

Much like hip hop, success in the country music genre has a lot to do with the artist’s credibility and whether or not they are ‘real country.’ The Dick Rodan crew sit firmly in the classic, whiskey-soaked and heartbroken kind of tunes that feel right at home in a dive bar or honkey-tonk jukebox. Lead singer Rod Beattie has a gruff, honest voice and an earnest delivery that really pulls the listener in without sounding cliché or overacted.

The record begins in the most predictable and safe way you could expect from a country record: a classic pick-up guitar riff that goes into a Johnny Cash like, two-beat rhythm. With lyrics about an outlaw running from the law, ‘’Run’’ isn’t the most original song, but it still works. There’s a nice build-up of intensity after the first chorus that works well and really sets the mood right. The track is complemented nicely by banjo, mandolin and, surprisingly, a little bit of fuzz-filled electric guitar. There’s one thing about country music that most bands just completely miss: the humour that is inherently present in the genre, yet often forgotten. “Farewell to Sober,” the second song on the album, had some absolutely hilarious lines that are both fun and memorable. Some highlights include “I’ve seen my share/of barrooms and chairs/to make another man quit/I’ve held my own/with the seeds that I’ve sown/and Women that would make a man sick,” It’s not often that I laugh out loud when listening to music, but this was a definite highlight in that regard. The song sounds like a great track to sing along to right before last call at the local watering hole. Lyrically, the songs follow the same kind of alcohol-infused trouble making that one would expect with “Trouble” and “Stagger Back,” both being suitable but slightly forgettable numbers.

The band ends the EP on a high note with a blues number subtly entitled ‘’ Drink, Drink, Drink, ‘’ a song that could have been written and performed by someone like George Thorogood.

My biggest complaint has to do with the production on this EP. It isn’t terrible, but there are moments where it sounds like a totally different mix from song to song. This makes it all sound a little uneven, especially where the percussions are concerned; the drums are way back in the mix, and they sound flat and thin. The same can be said about most of the lead guitar parts; the sound is lifeless and too far back in the mix to add any weight to the solos or guitar fills. Perhaps the band purposefully wanted a sound as raw as their music, but I still think it drags the whole thing into the ‘good demo’ category instead of a professional recording.

Dick Rodan are not exceptional, but if originality is ignored then there is still much fun to be had if you need a good soundtrack while drowning your workweek in some Jim Beam. - Bucket List Music Reviews


Discography


Miles and Miles (Independent) - 2018
H.M.C.S. Thirsty (Independent) - 2017
Live at the Cameron House (Independent) – 2013

The Legendary Dick Rodan 2015


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Bio


Dick Rodan is a six-piece Outlaw Country outfit hailing from southern Ontario, Canada. Though they may be big-city boys, they sure know how to trick you into thinking they practice in a field somewhere in the American Midwest. If you like your country to be more like Hank Williams than Florida Georgia Line, then you will enjoy Dick Rodan.

Dick Rodan has been a showcased performer at NXNE and Canadian Music Week.
They are also a four-time contender and two time finalist of Indie Week Canada.

In 2015 the boys were asked to open for Shooter Jennings and the legendary Waylon Jennings band The Waymores Outlaws at the Phoenix Concert Theater. That night they brought down the house and solidified their place with Toronto’s best indie country bands. 

Performance Highlights
  • Opener for Shooter Jennings and The Waymores Outlaws
  • Canadian Music Week 2016 Selected Artist
  • Indie Week 2016 Finalists
  • Indie Week 2015 Semi - Finalists
  • Indie Week 2014 Finalists
  • Indie Week Canada Selected Entrant 2013
  • NXNE Showcase 2014
  • Canadian Music Week Selected Entrant 2015
  • The Phoenix Concert Hall
  • The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
  • The Hard Rock Café Toronto
  • The Cameron House
  • Cherry Cola’s Rock and Rolla Cabaret
  • Czehoskis
  • Silver Dollar Room
  • The Ballroom
  • Crocodile Rock
  • Graffiti’s
  • The Supermarket
  • The Hideout
  • Music City North’s Queen Street Festival
  • Music City North’s Kensington Festival
  • The Painted Lady
  • The Cadillac Lounge
  • Boots n Bourbon
  • The Rivoli
  • The Piston
  • The Gladstone Hotel
Lineup
Rod Beattie Lead Vocals, Guitar
Logan Johnston Drums, Vocals
Aaron Hayes Bass
Devin Staple Lead Guitar
Claudio Romalo Banjo
Jordan Wilding Mandolin, Octave Mandolin, Vocals

Influences
Old Crow Medicine Show, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earle, Bob Dylan Justin Townes Earle, Waylon Jennings, Shooter Jennings, Rolling Stones, Elvis and all good music.

Releases
Thirsty (Independent) - 2018
Miles and Miles Single (Independent) - 2018
H.M.C.S. Thirsty Single (Independent) - 2017
The Legendary Dick Rodan (Independent) -2015
Live at the Cameron House (Independent) – 2013


Misc. Recordings
Psalm 96 (Xmas Song) – Direct Release 2015
Drink (Drink, Drink) CBC Searchlight 2015
Folsum Prison Blues - Canadas Got Talent Entrant 2012
Fade Away - LCBO Whisky Rocks Top 10 2012