Mississippi Mudsharks
Blues / Punk / Roots Music
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"SoCal Grease Punks/ American Roots"
San Diego, California
United States
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6349
Last Login:
9/2/2008
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| Mississippi Mudsharks: General Info
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| Member Since | 2/13/2007 | | Band Website | doublebarrelrecords.com | | Band Members | Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn--guitars/vocals
Tom Essa--drums/vocals
Eric "Jailhouse" Von Herzen--harmonica/vocals
Greg "Whiskey Willy" Willis--bass | | Influences | Blues, Surf, Country, Punk | | Sounds Like | The Mississippi Mudsharks | | Record Label | Double Barrel Records | | Type of Label | Indie |
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| About Mississippi Mudsharks |
UPCOMING 2008 EUROPEAN TOUR: We will be on the road from Sept 16- Nov 3 supporting our new Double Barrel Records release of "Voodoo Doll". Dates up here soon! Many dates already posted at http://www.doublebarrelrecords.com
Playing in bands since the age of sixteen, Scottie “Mad Dog” Blinn cut his teeth with legendary San Diego bluesman Tomcat Courtney in the late ‘80’s. By 1992, at the age of 23, Blinn hooked up with drummer Tom Essa, who was drumming for the rock band Natashia’s Ghost. With bassist Mike “Sandalwood Haze” Jones joining up, they formed the Mississippi Mudsharks, a hard rockin’ blues band that took the San Diego scene and developed a young, loyal following.
By 1994, the Mudsharks were gigging 300 nights a year, and put out their first CD “Workin’ For Nickels And Dimes”, and opening for every major blues headliner coming through town. What really set the band apart in the blues scene was the energy coming off the stage at every show, the “we don’t give a fuck if it’s too loud” attitude, and the effort they put into writing original songs.
With all the hard work paying off, the band was touring the southwest and California regularly, the European market was taking notice, and they were opening shows for the likes of Buddy Guy, George Clinton And P-Funk, Dick Dale, and Willie Nelson. Even Brian Setzer and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown would drop by to sit in! But the highlight was getting to hang with ZZ Top several times, including a night where Blinn and “idol” Billy Gibbons pulled an allnighter in Dallas, Texas, talking cars, guitars, blues, and playing guitar.
By 1996, the Mississippi Mudsharks were on their way to Europe, where their first CD hit 1 on the CrossCut Records Blues Charts. Following up the tour, they returned home to record their second CD, “Traditional Heavy”. This CD also hit 1 on the CrossCut Blues Charts, and by 1997 the band received the honor of receiving their third straight San Diego Music Award for “Best Blues” (‘95, ‘96, ‘97).
1998 brought more of the same for the Mudsharks, with touring and more recognition in Europe, ranking 2 at the Cologne, Germany’s “Talkin’ Blues Show”.
By 1999, everyone was tired, and musical differences broke up the band. They put out one more CD, the live “Whatcha Hear Is Whatcha Get”, and toured Europe one more time. Blinn also formed a new hard rockin’ trio , The Tiki Torchers, with former “Hooters” drummer Dave Uosikkinnen and Tim Butler (Hot Rod Lincoln) on bass. They put out the CD “Hoodoo Charm”. Blinn’s efforts earned him San Diego Music Award nominations for “Best Blues” with the Mudsharks, “Best Blues CD” with the Tiki Torchers, and “Artist Of The Year” the same year. “Hoodoo Charm” went to 4 on the CrossCut Blues Chart, following Stevie Ray Vaughan & Albert King, Rory Gallager, and Luther Allison.
After a 2001 European tour with The Tiki Torchers, Blinn hooked up with old friend and former harmonica player for Social Distortion, Eric “Jailhouse” Von Herzen, and formed “Mississippi Mud”. This proved to be a great turning point in the musical direction of the band. After three European tours and two CD’s, “Mississippi Mud” (2002, nominated “Best Blues Album at the SDMA’s), and the EP, “The Hangin’ Tree” (2004), Blinn and Von Herzen had planted the seed for a “new sound” they coined “Grease Punk”.
After a serious illness sidelined “Jailhouse” in 2005, Blinn regrouped with original Mudshark drummer Tom Essa, and bassist “Big” Mike Lars. The Mississippi Mudsharks were back! 2006 brought a new CD of originals, “Train Rolls On”, which currently sits at 4 on the CrossCut Blues Charts, was nominated for “Best Blues Album” by the San Diego Music Awards, and has received great reviews for it’s hard edged roots/punk sound.
The band immediately went on a festival and club tour in Europe for two months to support the CD, and came home fired up.
Another successful tour of Europe in 2007 kept the boys rollin'. In 2008, "Jailhouse" recovered and rejoined "Mad Dog" and "Sleepy T" Essa for the most impressive version of The Mississippi Mudsharks to date. With Greg "Whiskey Willy" Willis back on bass, the boys wrote and recorded the new CD "Voodoo Doll", and are embarking on a festival and club tour of Europe for the Fall of 2008.
~~The Mississippi Mudshark’s Sound~~
Blinn’s aggresive guitar style, and propensity for putting drunk patrons in their place, earned him the nickname “Mad Dog” by Eric “Jailhouse” Von Herzen. He approaches the blues, and all roots styles, with the same aggressive attitude.
“Grease Punk”, and the Mississippi Mudsharks, are a cross of early tradtional blues, country, and surf, done with a “fuck you” attitude. It has been described as “Screamin’ Jay Hawkins meets the Cramps”, and draws as much from Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Lee Hooker as it does from the Clash and Social Distortion. The roots are firmly planted, making any style they want to mix them with work.
Blinn likes to compare it to his ‘52 Chevy....flat black on the outside, but a souped up 350 under the hood, and loud ass lakespipes off the sides. Greasy, primitive, and raw...The Mississippi Mudsharks. Vist Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn (click the friends link below)
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