Buckle Rash

" I was shocked to see how many die hard Buckle Rash fans were already waiting at Alex’s, as the band set up. I was even more surprised at the steady influx of more fans, although the snow was steadily coming down."

"All of the members of Buckle Rash are down to earth, living for the sake of life, and their music reflects this attitude." - Rogue Valley Messenger

Buckle Rash is a five-piece gang of musical misfits that puts the beautiful harmonies of Ronnie and Philthy Phil (Aaron and Phil Reed), with the crafty guitarmanship of Lund Baker (Clay Baker) and Tooj McGruder (T.J. Eilers), with the drumming of Derel Lictenstein (Oscar Matallana).

Hailing from the hills of Ashland in Southern Oregon, they spent last summer traveling through California, Oregon, and Idaho with slots at some of the best named festivals on the west coast, including the Jefferson State Hemp Expo., Burnt Woodstock, the Summer Circus, the Oregon Brewers Festival, and others with less creative sounding names.

While I am not sure it’s something to brag about – their fans are called Rashers. I think it’s because their venues are so tightly packed with high energy fans that you cannot help but get a rash. Either that, or it’s the backup singer/dancer/hype man Philthy Phil that does so much on stage gyration boogie that he generally loses five pounds of sweat per show.

That being said, I think they say it best on their Facebook page:

“If you are looking for a chill, relaxing evening, where you can go out, have some drinks, and just check out a decent band, DO NOT COME TO A RASH SHOW!!! However, if you are looking to make your night memorable and want to party with some of the grittiest good ol’ boys this side of the Rockies, then be sure to check out Buckle Rash.”

Your listeners don’t have to get a rash to benefit from your being aware of Buckle Rash for your next playlist add consideration.

country charts - http://www.radioinfo.com/category/charts/country-charts/ - RadioInfo Magazine

It started in the wake of two reggae bands gone bye-bye. But Buckle Rash incorporates a country, bluesy Southern rock with a rowdy punk twist.

Seems like you get a little bit of everything when each member of the band comes from a different musical background.

The Ashland, OR group will perform at 9 p.m. Friday at Whiskey Jacques' in Ketchum. Cover is $5.

Normally Buckle Rash denotes the scratches you get on the back of your guitar as it knocks against the belt buckle. Not a good thing when you're trying to sell a Gibson Les Paul.

But the band Buckle Rash presents the beautiful harmonies of Aaron and Phil Reed, as well as the crafty guitarmanship of Clay Baker and T.J. Eilers and the drumming of Oscar Matallana.

They do everything from an original tune called "Love Like A Fire" to "Monkey On My Back" to an acoustic version of the Happy Camp Song.

"The most unique thing about the band is the end product of the music, as every member has different influences," said Baker. - The Weekly Sun

"Punk-Country rebels from Ashland..." - The Source Weekly

Former members of reggae group Synrgy have rearranged, regrouped and re-tooled as rock 'n' roll band Buckle Rash, one of the musical acts for the Four Twenty Southern Oregon Mash-Up show Saturday at the Historic Ashland Armory.

So is Buckle Rash what happens when you switch from reggae to rock 'n' roll?

"Some people think it's an STD or something," says Aaron Reed, who plays rhythm guitar and sings lead vocals. "I was kind of anti, and everyone else wanted it really bad. We started looking up online the other names we liked and that was the only one that wasn't taken."

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Country rock with a punk twistTidings Cafe Video - Buckle Rash

Buckle rash is the damage done over time to the back of a guitar from a belt buckle rubbing on it, he says.

"It's a really common term to use when you're describing an old guitar," says Reed, who buys and sells musical gear. "I have a couple of guitars with buckle rash."

Clay Baker plays lead guitar, T.J. Eilers plays bass and provides backup vocals, and Oscar Matallana is on drums.

As Buckle Rash has been playing together for just two months, most of its songs come from Reed and his solo work.

"Aaron's songs are already on the table and ready to go," Eilers says. "It's been a nice little transition from reggae to rock 'n' roll."

The group describes its sound as "electro-grass" — rock 'n' roll with a little country thrown in.


"We're definitely plugged-in," Eilers says. "Some of the grooves are very grungy and rock 'n' roll, like what we grew up on. Clay has been adding the funk factor to a few tunes."

For the Tidings Cafe, the newspaper's online video gallery of local bands, Buckle Rash performed an original song written by Reed called "Love Like a Fire" in its rehearsal space at Reed's home in Ashland. Go to www.dailytidings.com/tidingscafe to watch the video.

A multi-instrumentalist, Reed played drums in Synrgy but says it's too difficult to play drums and sing. So he recruited Matallana, who was performing with a reggae group in Portland to come down and join Buckle Rash.

"I was playing with a band called Outpost," Matallana says. "I wasn't planning to come here — I was going to go to San Diego and check out their reggae scene — but Aaron told me to come check out his project so I ended up staying."

Since Matallana came from a reggae group as well, all the members have made the same genre transition.

"It's been interesting looking out and seeing a whole different group of people," Matallana says. A reggae crowd moves in a large wave motion; Eilers describes the audience for Buckle Rash as an "earthquake."

"Southern Oregon likes to get rowdy," Matallana says.

Buckle Rash has played gigs on the Oregon Coast, and at Alex's and Caldera in Ashland.

"The two local shows we had were really awesome," Reed says. "Everybody was listening and having a good time, then as soon as we played Johnny Cash, it was like an earthquake, like he said — it was like 50 people got on the dance floor, like bam."


Four Twenty Southern Oregon Mash-Up begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the old Armory, 208 Oak St. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door and are available at the Music Coop.

At 9:30 p.m., Buckle Rash will play at Alex's Plaza Restaurant and Bar, 35 N. Main St., before Eugene reggae group Sol Seed performs. The cover is $5.

Buckle Rash has gigs booked all the way into September, with shows at the main campground at the Oregon Country Fair, the Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland, The Hemp Expo, The Barter Fair and Applejam.

"I'm a little nervous because we're not really learning the material at the speed we need to be to be covering these gigs," Reed says.

But Matallana is hopeful. "Even though we aren't super, super tight and super, super hot yet, because we're so new, we are still getting a positive reaction consistently." - Tidings Cafe - Daily Tidings

The transition from reggae to country rock was an easy one for singer and songwriter Aaron Reed. Raised in St. Louis, he moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he played with rock band Silas and performed in Hollywood venues The Roxy Theatre, Whiskey A Go Go, Knitting Factory and others.

"Rock is the music I have a natural tendency for," says Reed, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter for Ashland band Buckle Rash.

Buckle Rash formed about four months ago when several of its members — Reed, lead guitarist Clay Baker and bassist T.J. Ellers — disbanded from reggae group Synrgy. Drummer Oscar Matallana came on board from Portland — where he played with reggae band Outpost — and the group put together a unit that plays a "blend of old-style country and Southern rock with an unexpected punk twist," Reed says.

The band will perform at 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 21, at Alex's Plaza Restaurant and Bar, 35 N. Main St. The cover costs $5. Call 541-482-8818 or see www.alexsrestaurantandbar.com. Buckle Rash will be joined by Reed's younger brother, Philip Reed, on guitar and vocals. The younger Reed also is a songwriter.

"T.J. and Oscar have about 10 years of playing reggae to their credit," Reed says. "But they handled the adjustment pretty well. When you play reggae, you play it the reggae way.

"If you're not hitting the guitar on the two and the four, or if you're not playing one of the three drum beats — the one drop, the rockers, or the four-to-the-floor — then you're not playing reggae. There's a specific way to play the rhythm.

"Clay's guitar style is rooted in '60s and '70s rockin' blues, like the Allman Brothers' sound. He didn't play reggae in any traditional style, for sure," Reed says. "His guitar work is the perfect fit for our new approach to music."

It's difficult to find good players who will focus on one band and commit to a songwriter's music, and most rhythm players in the area work with a revolving lineup of other musicians.

"Clay and T.J. had already heard my music," Reed says. "Sometimes I'd open Synrgy's shows with a solo performance. They're totally on board with Buckle Rash. Clay grew up listening to rock and blues, and T.J. just loves to play music."

Reed fell in love with Ashland when he first visited in 2003, and he relocated to Southern Oregon a year later. In 2004, he started playing acoustic gigs Thursday nights at the now defunct Osprey Pub.

"My songwriting was more complicated at that time," Reed says. "Most of my songs would have three to seven different parts, and they didn't follow any verse, then chorus structure. I wanted to sound unique and different, so I wrote intricate, metaphorical songs."

Today his songwriting is something much simpler and more listener-friendly.

"Now I think about whether or not audiences will want to hear it," he says. "I've taken a big turn in the last couple of years, and with Buckle Rash, I've come to understand that you can be unique while playing simpler tunes."

While some of Buckle Rash's material is based on Reed's older songs, his newest songwriting is specifically for the band. The group covers a few Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak and Allman Brothers songs, including "Ring of Fire," "Wicked Game" and "One Way Out."

"I find inspiration for songs in other people," Reed says. "And sometimes frustration. I don't write a lot of super-duper happy songs. I also find inspiration in sarcasm from comedians, like Bill Burr, Ron White, Bill Hicks and Louis C.K.

"I find a ton of inspiration in all of my pot-growing hippie friends. This area inspires me in all sorts of funny ways."

One of his new tunes, "Missouri Cashed," is about how marijuana isn't taken so seriously in other parts of the country, especially where he grew up.

"The song started out as a joke, but then everyone loved it," he says. " '... If you came from Arkansas, this might feel like Jamaica ...' Everyone thinks it's too catchy for us to have written it."

Buckle Rash will select six of what the band considers its best songs and release an EP in July. - Mail Tribune Tempo

Three former members of the reggae band, Synrgy, united with Oscar Mattalana to form a new—and completely different— band: Buckle Rash.
The new group is a unique blend of old-style country and southern rock with an unexpected punk twist just for kicks. One fan describes Buckle Rash’s sound as “boot-stompin’, elbow- swingin’ kind of music.”
Aaron Reed steps up to the mic as the front man for Buckle Rash, making room for Mattalana on drums. T.J. Eilers rounds out the rhythm section on bass and Clay Baker wails on lead guitar.
Reed took some time from his busy schedule to answer some questions for our Sneak Preview readers:
AA: Is Buckle Rash working on a new EP?
AR: Yes, we have had two solid sessions so far and it’s sounding great. We’re producing the record ourselves. T.J. Eilers is functioning as primary engineer, and we also want to get a few producers to take a whack at mixing certain songs. When we get the mixes we want, we’ll have it mastered. Our goal is to have the album out by mid-July, but it could be as late as September. We just want a quality piece of work without focusing too much on a deadline.
AA: Who writes your original songs?
AR: We all do! Initially I brought most of the songs to the table and then we all ran them through the Buckle Rash machine to make them what they
are today. Even the songs I played for a few years that Buckle Rash has since picked up have taken on new forms of expression.
AA: Tell me about how you met the other members of Buckle Rash.
AR: I met Clay and T.J. when they played with Synrgy, at different times. Clay was an original member and T.J. joined after their other bass player was asked to leave the band. I didn’t start getting to know either of them until I started playing with Synrgy in 2011. I met Oscar at the first Southern Oregon mash-up at the Talent Club in 2008, when he was playing drums with Outpost.
AA: What are your band mates’ strengths?
AR: They’re all pretty strong, but the only one I’ve ever wrestled is T.J. and I would rate him as strong as an ox. If you mean musically, their biggest strength is being able to adapt to whatever gets thrown at them. I mean, these guys have spent the better part of the last decade playing reggae. When we all started doing what we are doing now, it was definitely a challenge for the rhythm section. Oscar and T.J. had the most reconfiguring to do, in regards to playing styles, but they trudged through and now T.J. can walk that bass for days and Oscar is a shuffling machine. Clay’s style, even in Synrgy, was heavily rock and blues influenced, so he slid into his role very smoothly. The nice thing about Buckle Rash is the music comes first. It’s music for the sake of music, nothing more, nothing less.
AA: Where did you grow up and how long have you been in the Rogue Valley?
AR: I grew up in Missouri, moved to Southern California in 2002, Oregon in 2004, and I have been here ever since.
AA: Do you live in Ashland, Talent or...?
AR: ASHLAND! Best place to live in the entire world.
AA: How long have you been playing music?
AR: My mom’s a musician, so she started giving me piano lessons in fourth grade. I couldn’t learn the Home Alone theme song no matter how hard I practiced, so one day, out of frustration, I slammed the piano keys and broke a couple. She stopped giving me lessons and bought me a guitar at a swap meet. That was sixth grade and it’s been on ever since. I also wanted to be Michael Jackson since I was 5, but for all the right reasons.
AA: What inspired you to be a musician?
AR: Michael Jackson! And The
Party. I’m sure no one remembers them. AA: What do you consider your
main instrument?
AR: My voice, but drums are my
favorite.
AA: Tell me about some of your
favorite musicians.
AR: Oh man... Michael Jackson,
Eddie Vedder, Chris Isaak, Jeff Buckley, Righteous Brothers, Silver Chair, Hank III, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Loretta Lynn, TOOL, Deftones, Soundgarden, Mason Jennings, Matt Hopper, Worlds Finest, 100 Watt Mind... You really want me to tell you about them, too? And I barely listed anything right there.
AA: Was Buckle Rash your idea? Tell me how that came about.
AR: It was really Clay’s, T.J.’s and my idea. We didn’t want to stop playing music and we wanted to keep playing together, so we just decided to do it because we were still jammin’ and hanging almost every day.
AA: Have you experienced any obstacles in your music, either personally or as a band?
AR: Being a musician and really making it your priority in life is all about dealing with obstacles. It’s literally trudging through fields of slop, searching out random nuggets of progress.
AA: What have been some of your favorite gigs so far?
AR: With Buckle Rash? Apple Jam is definitely the best so far. Alex’s is always awesome. We’ve only been playing shows a few months, so not too many to choose from. There were a lot of
cool shows with past bands but only looking towards the future right now.
AA: What’s your favo - Sneak Preview - Ashland's news & review