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The Legendary Shack Shakers (originally Those or Th' ) are an American rock band from Murray, Kentucky. Formed in 1995 by J.D. Wilkes, the band is best known for their rockabilly sound. The band's style also draws from country, blues, punk rock, Southern rock, gothic rock and klezmer.

Legendary Shack Shakers
Legendary Shack Shakers in Lexington, Kentucky 2010
Background information
Origin	Murray, Kentucky, United States
Genres	Rockabilly blues country punk rock
Years active	1995–present
Labels	YepRoc Alternative Tentacles Bloodshot Spinout Colonel Knowledge Arkam
Members	J.D. Wilkes David Lee
Past members	Mark Robertson Rod Hamdallah Fuller Condon Preston Corn Brett Whitacre Chris Dettloff Paul Simmons JoeBuck Jerry Roe Gary Siperko Duane Denison

Musical style

The Legendary Shack Shakers began as a rockabilly band, but subsequently shifted to a more eclectic style with an emphasis on country music.[1] The Legendary Shack Shakers' music has been classified under a variety of different genres throughout the course of their career, including rockabilly,[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] blues,[2][7][9][14][15][16][17] country,[2][7][15][9][16][12][18] punk rock,[9][19][15][16][18][12][20] Southern Gothic,[3][8][21][18][22][23] alternative country,[7][8][19][17][21] psychobilly,[5][24][18][13][25][26] bluegrass,[9][4][7][21][12] Southern rock,[19][17][13][27][28] hillbilly,[3][29][18][30] country blues,[7][27][31] gothic rock,[32][33][24] klezmer,[5][6][29] punk blues,[30][4][25] swamp rock,[12][27][34] Americana,[9][17] garage rock,[20][35] gypsy music,[33][36] rock and roll,[2][7] roots rock,[27][2] Western swing,[4][21] blues rock,[3] carnival music,[27] cowpunk,[5] folk,[21] gospel,[14] hardcore punk,[29] hard rock,[5] heavy metal,[19] hot jazz,[29] industrial rock,[29] polka,[6] polka-klezmer,[23] surf,[35] swamp blues[20] and Tex-Mex.[21]

Career

This section does not cite any sources. (April 2022)

Founding member J.D. Wilkes is the band's vocalist and also plays the harmonica. Musical maverick Joe Buck joined the band in the early 21st Century and played all the upright bass, guitars, and drums on the group's first wide release, Cockadoodledon't (2003). Wilkes is noted for his theatric stage performances, which have been compared to those of Iggy Pop, David Byrne, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Joe Buck left the band in late 2003 and began touring and recording with Hank Williams III. Brett Whitacre joined the band in 2005 and is currently the second longest tenured band member. Duane Denison of The Jesus Lizard and Tomahawk joined the band in 2008, exiting in early 2012. Atlanta garage blues guitarist Rod Hamdallah replaced Denison. Longtime bassist Mark Robertson left the band in late 2015 and was replaced by The Two Man Gentlemen Band's Fuller Condon.[37] Longtime drummer Brett Whitacre left the band in late February 2016 to concentrate on his art career and family life, and was replaced by The Dirt Daubers drummer Preston Corn. Guitarist Rod Hamdallah left the band in late 2017, shortly after the release of the "After You've Gone" LP was released. He was replaced by Pere Ubu guitarist Gary Siperko.

The band initially gained notoriety when GEICO used their track "CB Song" on their year-long "Sunglasses" television ad. Horror novelist Stephen King would later list the same track as among his iPod's Top Five in a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article.^{[quote citation needed]} That same year, the Legendary Shack Shakers' tune, "Swampblood", was featured on the soundtrack for HBO's True Blood, the CD release of which went on to receive a Grammy nomination the following year.^{[citation needed]}

Throughout the mid 2000s, the band regularly toured with Reverend Horton Heat,^{[citation needed]} who also appears as a guest guitarist on three tracks from their 2006 album, Pandelirium. Former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra also guested on the album's opening track, "Ichabod".

In 2006, the band opened up for Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.[38]

Robert Plant is a noted Legendary Shack Shakers fan, and hand-picked the band to open for him on his 2005 tour of Europe.^{[citation needed]} Plant also named "Believe" his favorite record of 2005.^{[citation needed]}

The band released their sixth studio album; AgriDustrial, on April 13, 2010 on their own Colonel Knowledge record label.[39]

Occasionally, Wilkes and the Shack Shakers appear in the Danish theatrical production FUBAR, a production of Copenhagen's Mute Comp Theatre. The play, which tackles the subject of illegal gun trade around the globe, features a speaking part by Wilkes. After performing at the 2013 production of FUBAR, the band resumed their two-year hiatus. The band began touring again regularly in early 2015 and released The Southern Surreal on the Alternative Tentacles label in middle of the same year.

In late 2021, the band released Cockadoodledeux on Alternative Tentacles, the title being a play on their previous album Cockadoodledon't. The style of the album was country and less rock style. A widespread tour for early 2022 was booked, and following a long absence of front-man J.D. Wilkes from social media, subsequently cancelled. Wilkes soon announced that former guitarist David Lee had rejoined the band and announced a European tour with him and two unknown English players on bass and drums. That tour was also cancelled a few weeks later. An American tour with Lee is still planned for late 2022, though no dates have been announced. The band lineup is currently unknown other than Wilkes and Lee.

Tours

This section does not cite any sources. (April 2022)

The band has toured with The Black Keys, The Damned, Robert Plant, Rancid, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and Hank Williams III, among others. In 2003, Time Out New York Magazine said The Legendary Shack Shakers were "Among Top Ten Live NYC acts of the year". Jello Biafra of Alternative Tentacles and The Dead Kennedys called J.D. Wilkes "the last great Rock and Roll frontman." News of the World called them "The maddest, baddest, most outrageous band in America.. a rockabilly version of the Sex Pistols." The Nashville Scene called Wilkes the Best Frontman in Nashville in a 2002 vote.

Discography

• J.D.'s Tasteless Chill Tonic (Conan Records, 1996)
• Hunkerdown (Spinout, 1998)
• Cockadoodledon't (Bloodshot, 2003)
• Believe (YepRoc, 2004)
• Pandelirium (YepRoc, 2006)
• Lower Broad Lo-Fi (Arkam Records, 2007)
• Swampblood (YepRoc, 2007)
• AgriDustrial (Colonel Knowledge, 2010)[40]
• The Southern Surreal (Alternative Tentacles Records, 2015)[41]
• After You've Gone (Last Chance Records, 2017)
• Live from Sun Studio (Chicken Ranch Records, 2020)
• Cockadoodledeux (Alternative Tentacles, 2021)

Filmography

• Seven Signs, shown at the Raindance Film Festival 2008[42]

References

External links

• Official website
• Artist Page on YepRoc Records
• Artist Page on Bloodshot Records

Interviews and reviews

• Interview and Performance on Corporate Country Sucks TV show.
• Harp Magazine Interview, 2003
• Review of "Pandelirium" on Sepiachord

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