Rough Edge: The Villebillies CD Reviews

THE VILLEBILLIES

"From the Belly of the Beast" (Hack Music; 2008)

I would have bet that The Villebillies couldn't have captured my imagination as much as they did with their debut CD back in 2006. It had to be a fluke that a hip hop album could so enthrall me the first time around and it didn't seem possible that the band could do it again.

But now I have "From the Belly of the Beast" in my hot little hands and, while it may not be as completely involving as the band's eponymous album was, it's still amazingly irresistible.

If anything, "From the Belly of the Beast" is more of a hip hop album that the band's previous CD. It took me a couple of listens before I realized I couldn't get enough of it. But, once again, the melodies here have more hooks than an entire army of Cenobites and there is no resisting them. If you play this record once through, you'll be forced to play it again ... and then all bets are off. You'll be addicted to it by spin three!

While there's no one track that stands out as strongly as "Whiskey" did on the first CD, "One Shot" comes damn close and, as a bonus, so does "Flask and a Gun." The rest of the fourteen tracks here are almost equally addictive even when they venture deep into hip hop territory.

So, I was wrong. The Villebillies have captured my imagination again and it's the damndest thing to see the editor of RoughEdge.com driving down the road with the throbbing bass thump associated with rap shaking the windows of his Samurai. The only bad thing about this release is that it'll probably be two more years before we hear more new music from this band.

The Villebillies: Demi Demaree - vocals; Dustin "Tuck" Tucker - vocals; Derek "Child" Monyhan - vocals; Adam Goff - acoustic and banjo; Justin Reid - Electric guitar; Tim Bernauer - drums; Ron Ping - bass.

For more information, check out http://www.mysapce.com/villebillies.

"The Villebillies" (Rhythm & Booze; 2006)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

I wrestled for several months on whether or not to post a review of the Villebillies self-titled CD here on the pages of RoughEdge.com. Why? Well, this music certainly isn't hard rock, heavy metal or punk although, stretching things a bit, it might be considered alternative. But that would a big stretch. The fact is that The Villebillies is, pure and simple, a hip hop CD.

Yes. A hip-hop CD.

I guess you could call "The Villebillies" rap rock but even that would be pressing things. The CD is driven by rap-rhythmed vocals and hip-hop tempos and, although there is most definitely a powerful rock band working hard in the background, this CD is even more hip-hop oriented than, say, the last Limp Bizkit CD (although it's much better than that).

But, as I continued listening to "The Villebillies," (being sucked in each time by the title track, "Whiskey," which is now my current ringtone), I found myself being more and more drawn into their sound. The bouncy rhythms, the lyrical vocals, the well-placed bass and guitars, the dynamic production ... all of this combined to create a hip-hop album that, not only could I get through, but that I actually enjoyed.

If you're a RoughEdge.com reader whose tastes lean more toward Slipknot than Linkin Park, chances are The Villebillies won't interest you in the slightest. And that's cool. Those who dig the rap rock sound, however, will probably be as unexpectedly enchanted by the Villebillies as I was.

For more information, check out http://www.villebillies.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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