DeSoto Rust Expands American Roots Music

2014 marks the start of DeSoto Rust’s second decade bringing original Americana and roots rock music to the Delaware Valley and beyond. With four albums and countless shows in the rear view mirror, the band has crafted a unique high energy sound and has amassed a large catalogue of dynamic original material.

The band formed in late 2003, recorded its debut album over the following summer, and, without the benefit of a label or promotion engine, made its first showing on the Freeform American Roots (FAR) chart the following year.

Beyond its original material, DeSoto Rust also performs an extensive catalog of classic and contemporary country & western covers.

Some of the band’s accomplishments:

• Well-received appearances during both the 2013 and 2010 SXSW Music Festivals in Austin, TX, including a shared billing with guitar legend Bill Kirchen.
• Continuous airplay on broadcast and internet radio across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand
• Inclusion on several DJ’s “best of” lists for 2005, 2006 and 2009
• Ten months on the Freeform American Roots (FAR) chart (as high as #11) in 2005 and 2006
• Five months on the Euro-Americana chart (as high as #12) in 2005 and 2006
• Nominations for song and CD of the year in 2005 by contributors to the FAR chart
• Songs featured on RaceHour, a syndicated radio program dedicated to NASCAR
• Shared stages with Bill Kirchen, David Allan Coe, Commander Cody, and Dickie Betts

Here’s what the critics have said about DeSoto Rust:

“[Highway Gothic is] a quantum leap ahead of where the roots rockers were at after two previous albums, and by all rights should signal their emergence into the top ranks of America’s rock ‘n’ roll bands.” – David McGee, The Bluegrass Special, January 2010

“With the unusually high quality of the material, confident identity and assured musicianship, DeSoto Rust now remind me more of Austin’s late, lamented The Highwaymen/Loose Diamonds than, as they did on their earlier albums, of The Band or CCR. – John Conquest, 3^rd Coast Music, December 2009.

“It’s a rock solid collection of eleven originals and one well-placed cover that’s well produced, well played and well written.” – Reb Landers, The Alternate Root, November 2009.

“The band also have that seemingly effortless simpatico that comes from playing together­ forever.” – Jeremy Searle, Americana UK, November 28, 2009

“Everything your parents don’t want you to get into as a teenager – that’s what DeSoto Rust makes you feel. Everything you love about the night, about love and desire, sex and retribution. All those sides of us that the highway calls up.” – John Shelton Ivany, National News Bureau, JSI’s Top 21, November 2009

“The lost art ­of blue collar rock is alive and well here.” – Chris Spector, Midwest Record, October 28, 2009

“Great road trip music!” – Shayne Hollinger, Program Director, Mandatory FM, Stephenville, Texas, April 2009.

Discography:

Twelve Step Program (March 2013) – A tip of the hat to the band’s ten years of roots rock, Twelve Step Program offers up twelve originals, both new and old. From Highway Gothic’s Northern Road to the debut release’s Morgan Rhule, the album is a survey of the band’s stylistic range and growth. Features the previously unreleased track Coulda Been Right.

Highway Gothic (October 2009) – The newest release marks a return to the group’s bar band roots with a hard-driving rhythm section and thick guitar sound, sweetened with harmonies.  Eleven original tunes continue to explore the theme of the American road using the FHA’s signage font as a metaphorical springboard.  Produced by Joe Carroll, the album also features a cover of Bob Dylan’sNew Morning.

Greene Country Towne (April 2006) – With a title referring to William Penn’s lofty vision for Philadelphia, Greene Country Towne is a varied yet cohesive collection of original songs, with themes of heartbreak, isolation, disappointment, and the promise of redemption on the American road. The instrumentation, still centered around the twang of the guitar, is more layered and sophisticated than the group’s debut, while remaining true to its Americana roots.

DeSoto Rust (October 2004) – The debut release features twelve original tunes, along with a cover of Red Simpson’s classic Close Up the Honky Tonks. Recorded mostly “live” in the studio with few overdubs or gimmicks, the CD captures the sound and energy of a live performance – hard-rocking with an unmistakable twang.

DeSoto Rust: