Johnny Bluegrass and The Coonhounds

johnnybluegrassandthecoonhounds.com

In early 2005, a lone traveler from Kentucky named “Johnny Bluegrass” made his way west to California. When he got to Los Angeles he met a dude from Seattle Washington named “Dave Sombrero”. Dave played guitar in many bands in Washington. They got a little drunk one day and began jamming, Johnny on vocals and Dave on guitar and backing vocals. Right away the riffs and lyrics began to pour themselves out. Johnny now lived in “Mexitucky” (north of L.A), a song from their debut Album “Mexitucky Blues.” He and Dave would continue to jam and write songs all night at his Blue Trailer. In 2006 Johnny and Dave went looking for a group of musicians who would become the other Coonhounds on their first Album. The first to join were “Marco Pollo”(drums) from New York, and “Michael Pueblo Jr”(bass) from New Mexico. The new rythem section was inplace and one late hott night at a bar in southern California Johnny and Dave got introduced to MRAfia Records. MRAfia quickly saw the song potential and signed “Johnny Bluegrass & The Coonhounds” in October of 2007. Johnny and Dave rounded up a few more musician friends who would be the “Guest Hounds” on their new Album and recorded at MRAfia Records Studios from November 2007 to January 2008. These guest hounds include “Robbie Vulture”(lead guitar), “Romero Sharp”(lead guitar), “Ivory Pete”(keyboards), “Kimmy Wind”(flute) and “Vinyl Waters”(samples). “Mexitucky Blues” was released on MRAfia Records on May 24th 2008 and the band played a fully packed show that night at Howie’s Pub in Castaic California for the album release party!
Every Thursday night for the next 9 months, Johnny Bluegrass & The Coonhounds folked up Howie’s Pub in every which way. They played from 9:00pm to 1:30am(Last Call), often leaving drunken truck drivers and dancing girls upset they where done playing! Unlike the groups album which was produced, a LIVE Johnny Bluegrass & The Coonhounds show consisted only of Johnny on vocals, Dave on acoutic guitar/backing vocals and a fisherman from the south they had just recently met named Sea Bass O’Leary on the box kit. The box kit was made up of a djimbae(implace of a snare drum), a cymbal, and a cardboard box from a case of beer for a kick drum! Because of the unique sound of the bands live set up and especially the drum kit, many crazed drunken fans refered to the group as “The Box Band!” Eventually O’Leary upgraded with a tom for a kick drum and a real 13″ snare drum. The Band made a video for the single “Pancakes & Beer” which can be watched under the videos page. If you haven’t tried Pancakes & Beer, Do! On December 24th, Christmas Eve of 2009, the boys released a Christmas E.P called “Mexitucky X-Mas!” Recored at MRAfia Records studios, this awesome set of 7 original Christmas songs will take you on a fun, scary, drunken, merry and honest journey to folk land and back! This last Christmas of 2014, JBC shot a video for their song “Frosty The Dope Man“! Be sure to jam that a few times on your laptop or i-pad this holiday season while getting trashed in an ugly sweater by the fire.”.
The boys went on playing weekly at Howie’s Pub and other local bars for nearly ten months! During this time Johnny and Dave were inspired by time spent in the pub performing long multiple sets and pounding beers with truckers and locals in town who came to see the rockin folk trio. In the spring of 2009 Johnny and Dave now with a handful of songs realized that they had something really golden here. They continued to write and eventually had what they felt was a solid album. In the spring of 2010 Johnny and Dave went back into MRAfia Studios to record their sophmore album “SOLID GOLD“. This album is almost like a concept album in which it revolves mostly around their lives in Castaic and their weekly giging, not in a blue trailor, but at “Howie’s” aka The Pub and other various dives. Pat “Rock” Owens, an official coonhound opens up the latest album with track #1 saying it like it is, “These people are friends till the end and they will make you feel it”…….
It’s been 5 years since it’s final recording and is finally out on itunes and amazon, crack a beer open and enjoy “Solid Gold”