JJ Grey and Mofro

Forget "back porch music." Mofro is more like whiskey-drenched "pontoon deck music," boogieing down murky swamp waters. Main Mofro-man JJ Grey grew up in Florida, which helps explain the backwoods beats and woozy harmonica that swagger through many of the songs like a drunken uncle at a dysfunctional family reunion...

By Niki D'Andrea

September 16, 2010

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Forget "back porch music." Mofro is more like whiskey-drenched "pontoon deck music," boogieing down murky swamp waters. Main Mofro-man JJ Grey grew up in Florida, which helps explain the backwoods beats and woozy harmonica that swagger through many of the songs like a drunken uncle at a dysfunctional family reunion. The band's 2006 album, Lochloosa, is a low-down get-down, rich with eclectic rhythms that move from lurching downbeats to danceable old-school funk flows. The guitar sounds as if it hitchhiked on back roads from Memphis to the bayou, alternating between raw blues and twangy classic-rock chord progressions. Lyrically, Grey's got the bittersweet grit, singing "Oh the sweet memories on the road to regret" ("The Long Way Home") and "Never saw a bullet that didn't know a name" ("How Junior Got His Head Put Out"). And song titles like "Dirtfloorcracker" provide a good descriptor for the crunchy, dirty feel of the bands entire discography.
Wed., Sept. 22, 8:30 p.m., 2010

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Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and is now a freelancer.

Contact: Niki D'Andrea