Dirty Impound

Outside of their mommas, nobody loves Powder Mill more than Dirty Impound. We know what’s up with Southern Rock and these boys are the realest deal we’ve come across in recent years. We appreciate them taking time on one of the prettiest mountaintops we’ve ever laid eyes on to let their birds fly free. Attitude this band does not lack, talent and unforced charm neither.

Powder Mill

Their name would seem to make them a natural for this segment, but DI was still happily surprised when we came across this shot of Badfinger setting birds to flight. This is a band we love inordinately, a band whose members’ birthdays we’ve celebrated, a band whose losses we continue to mourn – the world really is a lesser place without Pete Ham, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans. If the legend of their start as a handpicked group for The Beatles’ newly formed Apple Records isn’t enough to spark one’s interest (if you’re not already as smitten as us), then dive into No Dice (1970) and Straight Up (1971) and discover why this band has been such a blueprint for SO many others. But we also like that they weren’t too nice to raise a middle finger if the spirit took them.

Badfinger

Kyle McDonald from Slightly Stoopid has kindly offered up his talents to The Free Bird Project. Our pal lensman Brad Hodge took this shot on the band’s bus before their performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (see more pics from that night here). The band is crossing the country as the headliners for the Seedless Summer Tour along with fellow Southern California bands Rebelution, Shwayze and Cisco. Check out tour dates here.

Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid by Brad Hodge

Tim Bluhm, Chris Robinson and Neal Casal by Josh Miller

This meeting of the minds occurred at the High Sierra Music Festival over the Fourth of July weekend. We like Chris as the creamy, laughing center of this agro sandwich. We also like how Bluhm is rocking a similar expression as in his previous Free Bird entry. Is this Tim’s “fuck you face” or is this just how he flips off the Impound?

Spence Koehler of The Stone Foxes

The Stone Foxes do right by rock ‘n’ roll. Last years Bears & Bulls hits the same sweet spot as Foxes ancestors like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Black Crowes and The Faces. A lot of this energy, this vibe, comes from attitude, something they’ve clearly got based on this shot of the band’s Spence Koehler, who doesn’t even pause from his meal in order to pass the business to someone. Time is of the essence, so we all must multitask, even in our fuck yous. Go see the boys as they tour around this year, hitting some prime festival slots at Outside Lands in SF, Voodoo in New Orleans and the intimate Joshua Tree Roots Music Fest in October. Full itinerary here.

And one more good reason to visit their website: The Stone Foxes are giving away their forthcoming new 7″ single and both cuts are super tasty!

Al Howard by Dennis Cook

This is Al Howard, a rhymer of the first order and currently percussionist in The Heavy Guilt, a promising young band out of San Diego, CA. This Free Bird shot was taken at High Sierra Music Festival last summer. He’s got the attitude down and we simply love the Slayer t-shirt. The band is currently working on their second album, and we liked their first one plenty, so we’re excited to hear what comes next.

This was taken just after Big Light’s first set at this year’s High Sierra Music Festival. Drummer Bradly Bifulco was feeling ginned up by all the rock ‘n’ roll they’d spilled in the Vaudeville Tent and had just the attitude we like to see in a middle finger salute. Archbishop Runde stands at his side to add further glare to the mood.

This is more attitude than we generally expect from a bucolic hot spring in Ketchum, Idaho but San Fran’s Antioquia have nailed some quality loaded expressions for the latest installment in our ongoing series of Birdie snaps.

Their colorfully, quizzically titled 2010 album My piano ate the front page of the San Francisco Chroncile is an Impound fave, a feisty throwdown to tyrannical thinking and greedy self-obsession that wraps its limbs around one in a lusty, exciting grapple. Those fond of Remain In Light-era Talking Heads, quality Afrobeat, electrified Latin soul and sensuous experimental flavors should burrow into Antioquia’s non-preachy, politically agitated music that dances one towards greater, more loving humanity.