J Roddy Walston, diarist of the dispossessed, patron saint of the rough and tumble. His songs celebrate the more colorful parts of this and, that gritty slice ignored by polite society.

Places where the air hangs thick with cigarette smoke and desperation. Where whiskey is a blood type and beer gets drank straight from the can. Where everyone is working an angle. Where a high school education means you’re no longer welcome. Where trouble finds you. Where they don’t even try to sell whitening toothpaste. Some call it Johnny Cash country. This is J Roddy Walston’s America.

Raised in the gospel tradition in one of the lesser known Clevelands– Cleveland, Tennessee; a town renowned for the most churches per capita in the USA — J Roddy learned piano from his God-fearing grandma. But it soon became clear no church could contain his reckless spirit, threadbare vocal chords, and titanium fingers pounding chords with the force of ten jackhammers.

In another era, J Roddy would have laid waste nightly to the keys of the hottest honky-tonk saloon in any riverboat metropolis. Today J Roddy Walston & The Business rely not on computers but on forcefulness, volume, and tight musical command to shake entire city blocks. “I just enjoy creating situations in which people can have fun and be accepted, and I think that our music has that common thread in it. People hear the first chorus and, by the second chorus, they’re singing along.”

So J Roddy moved east, settling in Baltimore where The Business was called to order in 2006. First came the challenge and compliment of guitarist Billy Gordon, a musical mirror-image of J Roddy. Next was Steve Colmus, a sportly southpaw with a heavy snare hand. And Logan Davis’s bass provided the pugnacity of a prize fighter’s sparring partner. J Roddy describes this harmonious merger as one in which “raw power met story and neither would compromise.” The result is an energetic, blue collar rock ethic the Baltimore City Paper once said “makes James Brown look lazy.”

Due to their breakneck tempos it is physically impossible to observe posted speed limits while listening to J Roddy Walston and TheBusiness. If the Bible Belt had soccer hooligans, J Roddy would compose their hymns. Imagine Animal the Muppet playing piano and you’re getting close.

Legions of “J-Rowdies” scattered throughout the Continental US eagerly await the arrival of Roddy Walston and The Business to the local roadhouse for a one-of-a-kind religious experience, one known for its redemptive atmosphere, melodies that all but dare women to keep their tops on, and adrenaline-fueled grooves which can even get the toes tapping on a tone deaf corpse.

Decades ago a crack team of cardiologists called Huey Lewis and The News confirmed the vitality of Rock & Roll’s ticker. Today J Roddy Walston and The Business not only reaffirm that diagnosis but offer conclusive proof Rock & Roll’s rollicking soul continues to thrive.

J Roddy Walston and The Business, advancing America’s quintessential rock tradition in this digital age…just when we need it the most. Official Site | See Full Lineup

“Nashville’s Luella and the Sun approach the blues and gospel-soul as if these traditions were the food of the gods and they haven’t eaten for a week.  Luella herself has a ferocious, feminine voice, and performs with zero fear.”  - NPR Front Row By Ann Powers

Currently touring in support of their 10″ vinyl release.  More videos coming in 2013 and a full-length in route for 2014. Official Site | See Full Lineup

Bandleader Brian J is a charismatic and soulful visionary, whose well-crafted songs invite the listener to enter a world of infectious dance grooves and indelible melodies. Spending formative years in New York City, New Orleans and Los Angeles, Mista J honed his craft, becoming an accomplished live performer, multi-instrumentalist and producer.

In 2005, Brian began to assemble a group of righteously soulful vocalists and musicians to assist in bringing to life the musical concept that would become The Pimps of Joytime. The band’s diverse sound and spirited attitude is strongly influenced by the Brooklyn DJ culture and live music scene from which they emerge. Recent collaborations with legendary artists Cyril and Art Neville of the Neville Brothers and Roy Ayers have helped vitalize the band’s connection to its roots.

Over the course of the past five years, The Pimps have evolved into a road tested and audience approved groove machine. They have excited crowds at over 100 club dates and festivals in 2012 alone, and are on target to exceed that volume in 2013. The exponential growth of the band’s fan base can be partially attributed to an artful blend of musical styles, including elements of afro-beat, salsa, rock & roll and electronica. Brian J’s classic songwriting and the band’s undeniable swagger on stage consistently energize dance parties wherever they appear.

In 2011, The Pimps of Joytime released their second studio album, “Janxta Funk!” through the boutique label Wonderwheel Recordings. With a steadily increasing repertoire and a passionate following of music lovers nationwide, the time was right to fortify their organization. The wall of their Facebook page is constantly receiving enthusiastic posts from fans from around the globe as word of mouth further carries news of this fresh new arrival.

The Pimps of Joytime are poised to bring their audacious sound to savvy audiences around the planet. Their forthcoming third studio album coming this fall will be a new chapter in the book of the Funk and a testament to the fact that real music is alive and kicking!. Official Site | See Full Lineup

Occasionally, even a celebratory mood prevails like the horn-fueled romp ”Ol’ Slac,” an ode the rebirth of the Mobile, Alabama Mardi Gras; or ”Coconut Moonshine,” a character sketch based on Mr. Jim who inhabits the hallowed roadside barbecue joint in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. As well, two rare, but classic, American roots’ numbers are born again here:Taj Mahal’s country-blues paen ”Annie’s Lover” and Richard “Rabbit” Brown’s jaunty ”Jane’s Alley Blues,” (the original recording preserved on Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music).

Grayson Capps’ real life situation has evolved since his previous release Rott ‘n’ Roll, and those developments are felt in both the album’s sound and spirit. In 2010, he dissolved his band The Stumpknockers, re-assembling a new cast of musicians, fittingly dubbed The Lost Cause Minstrels. The line-up features a who’s who of the finest players on the Gulf Coast music scene, including Corky Hughes on guitars, Chris Spies on keys, Christian Grizzard on bass and John Milham on drums.

In the middle of recording the album, Capps moved back to Alabama where he was born and raised. He’d been residing in Nashville since 2007 after leaving his longtime New Orleans’ home following Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, Capps co-produced the effort with his partner and Grammy Award-winning engineer/producer Trina Shoemaker (Queens of the Stone Age, Dylan Leblanc, Sheryl Crow).

All of these factors coalesce into a collection of songs timeless in their pursuit of truth yet well aware of how hard the truth is to find in these times. The Lost Cause Minstrels is the highly anticipated next chapter from one of the finest Southern troubadours of the day. Official Site | See Full Lineup

Their influences range from Leonard Cohen to Jimmy Martin and touch everything in between while managing to hold together a sound that is instantly recognizable and will start your legs to dancing on their own. They have been playing shows promoting their summer CD release to rave reviews and the dancing has been spontaneous and instantaneous! Official Site | See Full Lineup