L.A. feel-good rockers Dirty Honey are back with their latest offering Can’t Find The Brakes, their follow-up to 2021’s self-titled which took the world by storm.
Dirty Honey is a band that has been on the lips of many a lover of rock over the past few years since their explosion on the scene and the revival of classic rock, southern rock and outlaw country bands such as Dirty Honey have been grabbing the attention and headlines here in the UK and across Europe, hence why these lovely L.A. lads are so fond of a wee trip overseas.
So it is great to have them back with a new studio recording once again, This past April, Dirty Honey – Marc LaBelle/vocals, John Notto/guitar, Justin Smolian/bass, and new drummer Jaydon Bean – headed to Australia to record the new album with long-time producer Nick DiDia. Unlike the band’s self-titled, full-length 2019 debut, which, due to the pandemic, had to be recorded via ZOOM with the band in Los Angeles and DiDia in Australia, Dirty Honey spent an entire month in the studio with DiDia. Right form the albums opening track ‘Don’t Put Out The Fire’ you know this is going to be one bitchin’ album.
You can just imagine a room full of Plexi’s at full volume moving the air as those glorious guitar tones belt out against Marc LeBelle’s stunning vocals, both majestically capturing the old-school feel that Dirty Honey embrace and recreate so magnificently. It’s like I feel into the Hot Tub Time Machine and landed back in the 70’s front and centre at a live show having my face melted by an audacious rock ‘n’ roll band of the day. These guys capture the very essence of classic rock DNA and toss it out at will across this album jam-packed with eleven stellar, in your face, gritty, future rock classics. The appeal of this band is clear to see, honest to god songwriting laid down for all to see, translated to the live stage with all the presence and showmanship of the greats who paved the way, Free, Skynyrd, Bad Company and beyond. These guys just live and breath that sublime style and deliver it like it is a fresh as a loaf straight out of a bakers over.
So much so you will get chills at the devastating delivery as the band create the most emotive sonic landscapes for LeBelle’s vocals to soar, the band seems to be able to create these glorious multi-layered soundtracks at will, allowing this album to shine over and over again, the likes of ‘Roam’ is just glorious, the vocal harmonies in the background leading up an almighty crescendo is a work of art itself.
You could talk about each and every track on this album, how they have been perfectly crafted by Dirty Honey to drive home their signature sound into the hearts and mind of all those who they have won over the past few years, a shot across the bow to say, “We ain’t going nowhere!” Rightly so, if you can deliver this level of quality time and time again you will always be in demand.
So if you are need of a new favourite rock band, I gotcha, If you need a palate cleanser, I gotcha, sick of the usual bullshit clogging up the airwaves, I gotcha, Dirty Honey for all of the above. You can thank me later.
Can’t Find The Brakes is out now courtesy of Dirt Records.
The album cover art for Can’t Find The Brakes was hand-painted by the world-renowned, Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Kelly “RISK” Gravel, who has been synonymous with the L.A. art scene for over 30 years. He was the first on the west coast to paint freight trains, freeway overpasses and signs, and the first artist in 400 years invited to paint in Michelangelo’s studio. “There really hasn’t been a good band out of L.A. that got me pumped up,” said RISK, “but Dirty Honey did. Their rock vibe, kind of like organized chaos, I wanted the artwork to say that.”
As announced earlier this week, Dirty Honey will hit the road this fall on its “Can’t Find the Brakes North American Headline Tour.” The band will initially play a handful of major U.S. rock festivals and Guns N’ Roses support dates, and then segue into the headline run. All confirmed dates are below, and the public ticket on-sale starts today at 10 AM local. Log onto https://www.dirtyhoney.com/tour-dates for all ticketing information.
Dirty Honey USA ‘23
August
27 Rolling Hills Casino, Corning, CA (support for Bush)
29 Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC (support for Guns N’ Roses)
September
1 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY (support for Guns N’ Roses)
6 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY (support for Guns N’ Roses)
16 MMRBBQ, Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, NJ
20 Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MI (support for Guns N’ Roses)
“Can’t Find The Brakes” USA Headline Tour ‘23
With Austin Meade, one of the most exciting and unique artists coming out of the Texas scene confirmed as support, dates for Dirty Honey’s “Can’t Find The Brakes North American Headline Tour” are as follows:
November
1 The Underground, Charlotte, NC
3 Rams Head Live!, Baltimore, MD
4 HMAC, Harrisburg, PA
5 Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ
7 Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal, QC CANADA
8 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ONT CANADA
10 The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN
12 Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH
13 Concord Music Hall, Chicago, IL
15 Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS
16 Summit, Denver, CO
17 The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT
19 The Sand Dollar Downtown, Las Vegas, NV
20 The Belasco, Los Angeles, CA
24 Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
25 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
26 The Showbox, Seattle, WA
28 Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
December
1 Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln, NE
2 Uptown Theater, Minneapolis, MN
4 The Rave II, Milwaukee, WI
5 The Castle Theatre, Bloomington, IL
7 Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI
8 Elevation, Grand Rapids, MI
9 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
11 The Bluestone, Columbus, OH
13 Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville, TN
14 Mercury Ballroom, Louisville, KY
15 The Hawthorn, St. Louis, MO
Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.dirtyhoney.