Vintage Trouble - The Bomb Shelter Sessions

Vintage is definitely a key word in this band.  Like most other artists I stumble upon, word of mouth got around the workplace about these guys performing on Letterman and simply blowing the roof off the place.  Reserving my excitement until I actually checked them out, but the high recommendation from my buddies made it rather intriguing.  This is what I saw:



What a spectacular performance!  As a frequent concert goer, I found they had the perfect mixture that concludes to a good show.  Anyone can pay $20 and see a band jump up and down on stage with their instrument.  What really captures the attention of the onlooker is a mix of good sound, originality, energy, and presence.  And I am not sure if this is what Ty Taylor was going for, but James Brown would be proud.

So here we are with The Bomb Shelter Sessions.  The debut release from Vintage Trouble.  It was released on July 25th, 2011 via Vintage Trouble Records (aka their own label).

1. Blues Hand Me Down
2. Still and Always Will
3. Nancy Lee
4. Gracefully
5. You Better Believe It
6. Not Alright By Me
7. Nobody Told Me
8. Jezzebella
9. Total Strangers
10. Run Outta You

Deluxe edition bonus tracks:

11. Love With Me (Live)
12. Nancy Lee (Live)
13. Come on By
14. Total Strangers (Round 2)
15. World's Gonna Have to Take a Turn Around

Digital edition bonus tracks:

11. Pelvis Pusher
12. Run Like the River
13. Total Strangers (Live)
14. Untitled

The album was produced by multitalented Peter McCabe.  His repertoire is comprised of many blockbuster films (City of Ember, Failure To Launch, The Hills Have Eyes, etc.) as well as notable musicians such as KISS, Julio Iglesias, Krayzie Bone, Ricky Martin, and more.

"If I can just hold on

Until the morning dawns

And nothing remains but a better day

And my song…

Will sing of the weighed down times now behind me.

And I’ll be moving.

And I’ll be grooving."

After listening to a few of the tracks off The Bomb Shelter Sessions, it was clear that the guys not only had a groove and good following going, but a diverse catalogue of tunes that would fit perfect in the middle of a swing dance or the mellowness of a lounge.  Songs such as "Blues Hand Me Down" and "Total Stranger" bring the vibe of Chuck Berry and the vinyl days to life, while tracks such as "Nancy Lee" and "Nobody Told Me" put the focus on Taylor's vocals and the smooth ride of the album.  Any of the aforementioned tracks such as this definitely make the album worthwhile from start to finish.

"It was one of those experiences where everything was lined up. We had all been friends, and had known each other before the band started up. We had known each other in different arenas. I had known Nalle Colt for about fourteen years, and we had tried to play with each other for so long. We were in one right before Vintage Trouble, and things just weren't working out. So, we left, and decided we wanted to do something a little more raw and down to earth." -Taylor



Vintage Trouble is:

Ty Taylor – Vocals | Nalle Colt – Guitars | Rick Barrio Dill – Bass | Richard Danielson – Drums

So the album has been out for some time now but the popularity of the group is on the rise in North America years later.  Why such a late following in North America when these guys are originally from Los Angeles?  Obviously the group has a very strong core following of dedicated fans that are there to help gain exposure in new areas of the world, but it wasn't until band manager Doc McGhee devised a concept to pit one continent against the other.

"If you look at the history of people like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, or James Blunt, they came over here first and didn't make it. Then, they went back over to England, and blew up. We just decided to go to Europe first, and when they were accepted here, we would have a story to share here. That's basically what happened." -Doc McGhee (manager)

A smart move that pay off quite well for the band.  They have now been featured on numerous late night shows in North America and some new material on the way.  This video featured below is a 2013 bonus track for The Bomb Shelter Sessions.  Check out "Pelvis Pusher" below and note the awesome concept for a video.

"One, two, three, push your pelvis with me. I said, one, two, three, push your pelvis with me. I said, one, two, three, push your pelvis with me. Be a pelvis pusher, pelvis pusher."

So while you're grooving through the rest of the album, be sure to check out the AFGM recommendations:

"Blues Hand Me Down" | "Run Like The River" | "Pelvis Pusher"

"Total Strangers"/"Total Strangers Round 2"