LIR Podcasts

Julian Primeaux & His Royal Rowdy Co. has been usually a one man band for most of its existence. As Laffy’s “monarch of musical multitasking”, he has performed at area venues such as Bisbano’s and Caffe Cottage in addition to regional touring. His five song demo has been heard in small circles, but his first full-length, Flowers From My Bones, is his first effort that he has grabbed the megaphone in order to promote.

Primeaux has had a diverse performing and recording history in the area ranging from heavy rock(Sanity’s Mask) to presently being a sideman of Drew Landry’s Bandryland and member of hillbilly stomp outfit, The Howdies. His influences include The Soul Stirrers(with Sam Cooke and for a time with Johnnie Taylor), Van Morrison, T-Rex and Kings of Leon(in their less commercial period).

The disc is packaged in the eco-wallet form, make from 100% recycled material. It is the first dedicated area release with paper-oriented packaging since Matt Rock and the Powerboxx’s Hang Out Now. Jenny Sweet wonderfully places the brush to the canvas for Primeaux’s album cover concept. Primeaux elaborates on his vision of the disc’s packaging: “I really like the artwork of Alphonso Mucha and the artwork of the first Tyrannosaurus Rex album, I wanted something kinda early 70s glam, but not so psychedelic.”

Primeaux starts the effort loud and direct with “Baby Come On”, a track that would seem easy to categorize on first aural inspection. This track is indicative of too many sub-genres to nail down a specific one. It sonically kicks down the door, exactly as a track one on this album should do.

“Big Girls” may not be an intentional answer to Big Boi of OutKast’s “I Like The Way You Move”, but it is a necessary rockin’ advocate for the greatness of the non-skin and bones female figure.

The defining track on this release may not adhere to most of the album’s style, but “Red Rodeo” feels just as applicable as a soundtrack on the range as it does the occasional tempo respite for the common rock fan. It’s the track most likely to paint “word pictures”.

“Sinners and Sisters” is a slide guitar exercise…that ends with an altar call from the school of Screaming Jay Hawkins AND Dale Hawkins. That is…if it were possible for Screaming Jay Hawkins to deliver an altar call. “Sisters”, in addition to “Rodeo” are the only two tracks on the disc recorded using the “one man band” approach. According to Primeaux, “Those are the two that work better in the one man format. I took it on a song by song basis. I just wanted to make the songs fit the beat”.

Primeaux revisits the emotion of a true instance with “My Birthday”. Not only was there no party, no one bothered to bake a cake.

“I’m Back Again” could be the musical patron saint for anyone who is on their last leg, almost ready to give up completely, but has just enough energy and hope to believe that one more effort, prayer or chance could change things completely for the positive. It was also the song that took the most takes to record and it shows, for all of the right reasons.

Though listed separately, yet consecutively on the disc, “City In the Sky” and the title track are essentially one piece, based on the concept of going to heaven and related spiritual events.

Four of the five tracks from the demo are on this full-length, with no major differences for the most part, but producer Jay Burton does a great job (as usual) acclimating the full package. Most of the recording was accomplished during October 2008(with some finishing touches in November and December 2008) at Burton’s St. Martinville studio.

Julian Primeaux & His Royal Rowdy Co. website

Julian Primeaux & His Royal Rowdy Co. on MySpace


LIR Podcast: Julian Primeaux & His Royal Rowdy Co.(part one)

LIR Podcast: Julian Primeaux & His Royal Rowdy Co.(part two)