Citizens Band Radio

Look to the pedal steel guitar for a sign of how popular country music has
become.

"Ten years ago most people didn't know what a pedal steel guitar was and all of a sudden bands are coming along with the pedal steel," said Jayson Jannuzzi, guitarist and vocalist for Citizens Band Radio, which features — you guessed it — a pedal steel. "Now a lot of bands have come along with the pedal steel because it attracts people."

People like Jersey Shore rocker John Eddie, who took CB Radio's Andy Keenan and his pedal steel out on the road with him. It's all about the tear in the beer that the mournful pedal steel provides. Country music had lost it, but it's now looking to regain it.

CB Radio, which describes itself as a "Honky Tonkin' Rock-A-Rollin' Whiskey Drinkin' Goodtimin' Band," is rollin' down the highway. The group — also Linda King, mandolin and vocals; Todd Lanka, bass; Troy Bleck, guitar and Dale Eddington, drums — presents a juiced-up take on Americana music peppered with Western swing and a hint of the blues, and they're doing awfully well with shows ranging from western Jersey to the Jersey Shore.

The 1-year-old Califon-based band — which released its debut album, "CBR," this year — plays at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Sarah Street Grill in Stroudsburg, Pa.; 9 p.m. Saturday at Buddie's Tavern, as part of the BlowUpRadio.com concert series there, and 9 p.m. Sunday at John & Peter's in New Hope, Pa.

These guys aren't lacking club dates.

"There's a noise factor," Jannuzzi said. "In certain clubs it's heavy duty loud music, but with country and Americana, you can talk because the music isn't jammed right in front of you. People can hang out and talk to each other."

Or cry in their beer.

- The Pulse

Mon, 22 June 2009
Good Bands Alert: CBR and Hub Hollow
From the Desk of Ned P. Rauch:

Let’s say you like Lowell George-era Little Feat and Izzy Stradlin’s first solo record, Dwight Yoakam and, say, the Drive-By Truckers and Drag the River. Well, my money says you’ll really like a band I had the good fortune to see Friday night in the horse country of New Jersey. Citizens Band Radio, in addition to having the coolest tour bus I’ve ever seen, put on a knockout show. Pedal steel, Telecaster, mandolin, acoustic guitar, bass, drums—loud, fast, lots of swing. The second song they played was a Georgia Satellites tune, which they killed. And their originals were plenty strong. The lead singer looks like a Forty-Niner—not a football player but one of the gold-panners after whom the team was named. He’s huge, bearded, and looks like he just rolled down from the hills. That doesn’t hurt in the ol’ stage presence department.
- Ten Dollar Radio Show

CB Radio has great focus and true dedication to their craft. They make it look easy. In today’s world of copycats and knock-offs, the Cber’s are the real deal.

Greg T. Walker

Bassist for the Legendary Blackfoot
- Quote

Imagine the Laurel Canyon of the '60s hidden in the farmland of West Jersey, and you can start to hear the sound of CB Radio. Jayson Jannuzzi and Linda King invoke the spirit of Gram and Emmylou, infusing it with longhaired country boy Southern rock, truckin' twang and just a lil' bit of moonshine.

Meredith Ochs (The Highway Hellion)

DJ @ Sirius XM Radio Outlaw Country
- Meredith Ochs

Citizens Band Radio brings a retro theme to the table with their brand of 70s country/blues/rock; reminiscent of the 70s AOR (album oriented rock), FM days. From the looks of the cover, I would have expected to find this gem in a used record store. But I think that’s the point. Their press says, “think Waylon Jennings, Jesse Colter, and Johnny Cash.” How about a little Alman Brothers too. Good stuff.

- Americana Rhythm Magazine
- Americana Rhythm Magazine

From Woodglen, New Jersey, Citizens Band Radio are a proper country rock band, playing the sort of stuff that Gram Parsons invented with the International Submarine Band, and The Eagles made shit loads of wedge from. Obviously times have changed. Grunge morphed into alt. country, Townes is long gone, stringbands are on the rise again and Steve Earle’s off the gear. So what’s a poor boy to do? In this case it’s kick back and enjoy these guys. We need Citizens Band Radio, we need country rockers with long hair, classic finger pickin’, songs that inspire idiot grinnin’, beer drinking and tokin’. Check out their MySpace page for a taster, then head over to CD Baby to purchase. If they’d just lose the truck driving imagery, hole up in Woodstock for a year or two and embrace the whole ‘back to nature’ thing, they’d probably be too perfect.

- Leicester Bangs
- Leicester Bangs

Earlier this year I gave a glowing review to a 3 song EP that I received from New Jersey's Citizens Band Radio. Those three songs begin their brand new full length CD, "CBR". On it, they continue to blend bluegrass, mountain music, classic country, and southern rock into something beautiful. Pedal steel guitar and mandolin mixes with twangy vocals, and songs with classic country type titles like, "ole Kentucky whiskey blues", "my ramblin ways", and, "band of outlaws". Fans of artists like Merle Haggard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Jayhawks, Old Crow Medicine Show, Warren Haynes, and even the Grateful Dead, will all likely find something on this CD that they will enjoy. "18 wheels" even sounds like a country infused gospel song. As I was listening to it, I wasn't picturing a band from New Jersey, I was picturing a bunch of friends sitting on an old-timey back porch on a hot summer night in the deep south just hanging out, drinking and jamming. This is about as pure as country rock gets. Citizens Band Radio may not save your soul, but they can certainly move it with their fine debut album. - Blow Up Radio

Citizens Band Radio brings a retro theme to the table with their brand of 70s country/blues/rock; reminiscent of the 70s AOR (album oriented rock), FM days. From the looks of the cover, I would have expected to find this gem in a used record store. But I think that’s the point. Their press says, “think Waylon Jennings, Jesse Colter, and Johnny Cash.” How about a little Alman Brothers too. Good stuff. - American Rhythm Magazine

From Woodglen, New Jersey, Citizens Band Radio are a proper country rock band, playing the sort of stuff that Gram Parsons invented with the International Submarine Band, and The Eagles made shit loads of wedge from. Obviously times have changed. Grunge morphed into alt. country, Townes is long gone, stringbands are on the rise again and Steve Earle’s off the gear. So what’s a poor boy to do? In this case it’s kick back and enjoy these guys. We need Citizens Band Radio, we need country rockers with long hair, classic finger pickin’, songs that inspire idiot grinnin’, beer drinking and tokin’. Check out their MySpace page for a taster, then head over to CD Baby to purchase. If they’d just lose the truck driving imagery, hole up in Woodstock for a year or two and embrace the whole ‘back to nature’ thing, they’d probably be too perfect. - Leicester Bangs