There is a three-piece reggae, punk/ska band affectionately
known as Bumpin Uglies reigning from Annapolis,
Maryland anxiously waiting to
bring their new music to your ears! Dave Wolf funks up the bass, TJ Haslett pounds the 1s and 2s on the drums, as their witty
and energetic singer/songwriter/guitarist Brandon Hardesty belts out the lyrics.
This new music could possibly be their best yet! Brandon says, “I feel like
this album has been floating around the inside of my head for the last 10 years.
The lyrics are some of the best I ever wrote and the energy of the songs is all
over the place.” He continues, “It’s a real rocker!”
The new album, “Keep It Together,” is the first with this
band lineup but also the first release under Right Coast Records, operated by Maryland counterparts
Ballyhoo! “Keep It Together” was mixed and mastered at Annapolis Sound Lab with
engineer Ryan Cullen. Brandon
describes, “It took a long time to find the right players and
to get our sound dialed in, but we finally did, and this album is the result!”
Track after track this compilation of songs hits heavy from
the beginning to end! In the lead off slot appropriately titled “All In,” a
collection of the band’s unique sound and displays a strong range of their new
direction; after listening to it there is no wonder why it is one of the
featured singles on the new album. Love-inspired ballads “Sorry I’m Not Sorry”
and “End” also pack a punch with steady beats, funky bass lines, and great
riffs. They’re separated by the catchy and rockin’ “Stop the Fall,” the first
music video on “Keep It Together,” filmed in front of the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge in their
hometown Annapolis.
The song “Place Your Bets” is them calling their shot, telling the world they
are what they appear to be; an up-and-coming, hard-working group that do not
seek undeserved approval but earn their keep. And any touring act can respect
the affinity of “Load In, Load Out,” their ‘ode to the road,’ which was
released previously as a live recording but is brilliantly captured in the
studio setting. All unmentioned tracks hold their own as well:
Snowflake, Hipster Douchebag, Urination Citation, Rules Be Damned, Keep Moving
- the album has a recurring theme throughout; when they make mistakes or get knocked down in life, they will get up and come back even stronger than ever!
Shaun Logan from Slogan Design captures the theme of “Keep It Together" in the cover art perfectly. It features a surly looking, stubbed cigar-wielding clown in the middle of a carnival. As he juggles chainsaws while riding a unicycle his look does not appear to be terribly concerned. Instead, the smoking jester seems to be quite comfortable amidst the apparent risk because he is no stranger putting himself in danger.
Poised and ready to make a similar impression felt this time
around, Brandon
finishes, “I think with this album we finally achieved a
unique sound that we can call our own." And indeed it is a fresh sound that they bring to the circus that is all too familiar. Bumpin’ Uglies are no strangers to
the ins-and-outs of music and touring, but like the album cover, they are
comfortable in the recklessness of it all.
