Legends of Rodeo have come from the same Florida scene that has brought us Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever and New Found Glory. "A Thousand Friday Nights" is the bands first full-length release. The album was released on April 16th 2002 on Bieler Bros./MCA Records.
I have to start out by saying that the Legends of Rodeo is made up the same exact members that made up the band Recess Theory, which some of you may be familiar with from their split EP with Further Seems Forever on Takehold Records. Of course the biography that was sent out with "A Thousand Friday Nights" mentions nothing about the Recess Theory most likely because the sound and image of Legends of Rodeo is totally different. Where the Recess Theory could easily be classified as jangly indie rock/emo, Legends of Rodeo is straight up American roots rock with an edge. I give the band credit at least they changed their name. But to have a press bio that compares your band to the likes of American rock legends Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen might be taking it a bit too far.
With the opening track "Hold On Nothing" I thought the band was heading down the road of the modern glam rock sounds of Squad Five-O but as the album moved onto tracks like "American Love", "Crazy Eight" and "Bartender" I got a better picture of exactly where the band was drawing their influence.
Despite the bad taste that was left in my mouth after realizing Legends of Rodeo was actually the new music the Recess Theory was making I have to admit I really enjoyed this album. Maybe it just coincides with my own discovery of a deeper appreciation for some of the more American rockers like Petty, Springsteen and those modern artists that have been influenced by these greats such as Wilco, Pete Yorn and Ryan Adams. I played this album for a friend of mine who's favorite artists are Springsteen and Petty and after he got over some of the blatant rip-off aspects of this release he too agreed that the album is a solid release. The vocals may break up at times. But overall this is a fun album that's a good representation of the American rock sound to the indie rock kids of today. I mean come on, lyrics like the following drip with nothing but American youth... "Don't pretend to be anything but an American boy who drive Japanese toys, making noise with the boys on Saturday night"; "9th grade I got my first guitar, 10th grade I got my first car and drove round and played the music loud, that's when I bought Pearl Jam "10" and my life never was the same again, I drove round and played the music loud"; "Her daddy said to be home on time we both planned to stay out all night, when he found out later we never stood a chance, I said bring it on her daddy whipped my -...American kids drive American cars making their way to American bars, American boys drive American dreams like American girls in their tight blue jeans."
Hopefully what Legends of Rodeo will do is help to spark the interest in the young indie rock kids out there to the true classics of the American rock music scene. If nothing else they will at least give them a fun album to sing along to.
C+
