The Neighborhood Bullys

This site is called the “Rock and Roll Report” for a reason. I always use the term rock and roll because, despite what some might have you believe, the term rock and roll is not some throwback to the late ’50s and early ’60s. Far from it. For me rock and roll is the great umbrella term that encompasses all that makes music rock and roll. Whether it be punk or power pop or heavy metal, it is all rock and roll. Whether it be the influences of soul, R & B or the Blues it shaped what I call rock and roll. Whether it be the Beatles from the past or the Neighborhood Bullys of the present, all these sounds comprise the body of work referred to simply as rock and roll. No ifs, ands or buts. The tradition that is rock and roll pulls from so many divergent interests that it is just easier to lump it all into one simplistic, maddeningly vague term that both sparks arguments and yet seems to say it all.

Why have I spent a whole paragraph debating the merits of the term “rock and roll?” Because this week’s Band of the Week the Neighborhood Bullys get what I am talking about. The Neighborhood Bullys touch a number of rock and roll cornerstones from soul to punk to early Stones swagger to post-modern Knack power pop tight fit songs that burrow into your ears and stick with you for weeks. They have the attitude in both their music and their lyrics (”I’m bored, you’re boring, let’s fight!”) that makes you want to take a run at the stage and pogo your brains out before crashing into some tables on the way to getting another beer or three at the bar. Just a glance at the tracks from their recently released Mike Chapman produced CD What? will have you nodding your head in agreement. Tracks like “Let Me Be Me,” “Lead With Your Lips,” “Why I Steal,” “Go Back (To Drinking)” are all rock and roll personified.

Now is the time to check out this LA band while they still play those small clubs that imbue rock and roll character and where you can really and truly come face to face with what rock and roll is really all about. - The Rock and Roll Report - by Mark Boudreau

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

The Neighborhood Bullys' "What?" is pure, unadulterated rock'n'roll.

Forget genres, forget comparisons to other bands, forget what's popular on the airwaves. Instead, just pop in "What?" and be immediately absorbed by the band's genuine rock'n'roll soul. If you're not hooked from the first track, "Let Me Be Me," you will be by the second, the irresistible "I'm Bored, Let's Fight." And from then on, you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

"What?" has an electric rock energy that hooks the listener from the beginning and doesn't let go. It's the same energy that "What?" producer Mike Chapman also captured for bands like The Knack and Blondie; it's a raw, stripped down, authentic sound that digs into your cerebellum like a spoon into cantaloupe.

Although it may not be hard enough or heavy enough for some Rough Edge readers ("What?" is more Rolling Stones than Rancid), this is one CD ... and one band ... definitely worth a listen.

The Neighborhood Bullys: Davey Meshell - bass guitar, singer; Michael Hays - Electric Guitar, background singer; Joey Galvan - drums, background singer; Tex Mosley - electric guitar, background singer. - Rough Edge.com

By Chris Morris

Where the f#*k were you last Thursday night? Maybe gaping coolly at some trendy beardo in Silver Lake, or lovin up some tattooed metal dog at a pay-to-play gig on the Strip. Or checking out all that Tivoed American Idol shit. Or Web porn.
Well, I was at the Cinema Bar in Culver City, watching THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOSANGELES, and you weren't. Unless you're Todd Kivi, who lives in the joint, practically, or one of maybe 15 locals, drunks, or curious indigent types.

So who is THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES, you ask? It isn't Billy Boy On Poison. But they're pretty great, too. Saw them at a little gig at the Roxy a couple of weeks ago.
They'e barely out of diapers; the lead singer is 16, and he was wearing a gnarly T-shirt and gym shorts, and had duct tape around one ankle. He spit water on the crowd. They lathered up the joint in a very glam steroidal-T. Rex stylee. But they are not THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES. Yet. No, THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES is unable to draw flies at the Cinema, the tiniest friggin' watering hole on the Westside (maybe that's the problem), on a Thursday, a point in the week at which most people have already given up on their shitty jobs and want to get the hell out of the house and rock. But you didn't rock there. You rocked elsewhere. I'll ask you where you weren when I see you. I'm taking names. No, they didn't draw flies. (Ceptin' barflies, and they're always buzzin'.) Gnats, even. I don't get it, and I'm not even new in town. But you haven't missed your last chance: THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES is playing at the Cinema every Thursday night in April. And, trust me, it's worth crossing the 405 to see em. Hell, it's worth crossing the International Date Line to see em. By now you are most assuredly wondering, who the fuck is THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES? Thought you'd never ask. They're the NEIGHBORHOOD BULLYS. They've been around for a couple years. You weren't at any of those other gigs, either. I'm trying not to hold it against you. After all this time, I feel I close to you. So I'm forgiving. Loving, even. But my patience is not infinite.

So again, you ask: Who are these Neighborhood Bullys, who you claim are THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES? Well, Davey Meshell's the front man/lead singer/bassist/principal songwriter. You want credentials, Joe Skeptic? He's played with Shelby Lynne, Peter Case, John Lee Hooker, and the House of Blues house band, 'mong others. For the academically inclined: he graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music. Good enough?

But it takes more than one good dude to be THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES. That's why them call them "a band" they involve several individuals. You follow? The Bullys also include guitarist Michael Hays, of the Larks. Don't let his boyish looks (gals take note) fool you: he is one bad string bender. The other guitar chair is usually filled by the fab Eugene Edwards, but he's been acting like a new dad lately, so Meshell's Berklee buddy Geoff Pearlman has been letting it rip on stage right lately. Geoff's played with everyone and their mother, okay? Drumming is my onetime neighborhood homey Joey Galvan, who plays like Keith Moon and or like Keith Moon would, were he not deceased.

So why are these guys THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES, eh? C'mon, Mr. Critic, cough it up! Well, for one thing, this group can blow your head right onto the Cinema's back patio (a shot with a high degree of difficulty, since it requires a tough bank off the back end of the bar and out the rear door), even on a night when the saloon is utterly fly-free. They can get four drunk chicks (three semi-hot ones, one just okay) and one homely guy (wallet?) stopping by for a nightcap to get up and grind it like pole-dancers at Cheetahs. They even impressed the crackhead who wandered in and asked me, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" These boyos pump out some kind of ass-blastin' tightly wound post-punkoidal yet chopped and channeled consumer-friendly razor-rock, with a little bit o' fully funk-tional soul on the back burner and the bottom end. Yep, they've got power and chops to spare, and Davey Meshell sings like the top of his head's on hinges and is going to flip open and expel his brain at any second. But THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES does not live by juice alone, friends. They've got the tunes. Bags full of 'em. Did I mention that Mike Chapman, august producer of Suzi Quatro, Blondie, and the Knack, is coproducing The Neighborhood Bullys' album? I didn't, did I? Well, he is. And he knows tunes when he hears them. Though I never liked "My Sharona."? Drove me insane, actually. But I won't argue. Among the punch-out tunes THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES played to its humble but suitably worshipful audience were the punky two-minute killer "Lead With Your Lips" (co-penned by Silver Lake goddess Eleni Mandell), the aptly attitudinal "Sux 2 B U,"? the lovers" anthem "I'm Bored Let;s Fight"? (best song title ever), and the kleptomaniacal "Why I Steal."? R-A-W-K, Sluggo. "But, Chris,"? you say, "my girl likes ballad-type songs." Are you pussy-whipped or something? Fear not, you wimp. Davey Meshell's a soul nut, and he writes the finest neo-Stax back-beating balladry you will hear, chief: "Alive"? (co-authored by Tracy Bonham, no less), "All the Way Down," "If I Have to Ask."? Killers all. And an essential component of THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES's repertoire. (Didn't think I'd work that into this graf, did you? Sucker.)

The Bullys wrapped it up 'round 1 a.m. with "Soldier Blues,"? a fat-ass antiwar screed that is part J.L. Hooker's "Boom Boom,"? part Having a Rave-Up With the Yardbirds, and 100% skull-stomp. I went out to the patio, picked up my head, screwed it on, and left. But I'll be back at the Cinema every Thursday this month. Why, you ask? You have so many goddamn questions. Because [dramatic pause] THE NEIGHBORHOOD BULLYS ARE THE BEST F%$KING ROCK & ROLL BAND IN LOS ANGELES. Yeah.

http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/why_we_fight/6889/ - Los Angeles CityBeat

The Neighborhood Bullys-

OK let's dig deep into the Trotsky's Cranium archives andresurrect an oldie but goodie--
"The Listening Room." And what better disc to start us off than this hard-rocker from LA's Neighborhood Bullys. Its a weird thing when you've been listening to and writing about music as long as I have and suddenly you realize that all the good old stuff you listened to when you were in high school has gone and circled back on you. Granted rock and roll may just be the most self-referential of all our popular art forms. But then I LOVE bands that wear their influences on their collective sleeve--especially
when those influences comprised most of my record collection back
in the 70s and 80s. The Bullys make sure you get it all--good and hard. Songwriter/bass player Davey Meshell serves up equal parts first-wave punk (you know, when it was more attitude than fashion statement?), glamrock, R&B and Soul. The record is produced by Mike Chapman (Blondie, The Knack, and the Sweet) so any dissonance in genres is cooked down in a heady power-pop stew. There aren't many rough edges here. Punky affectations aside these guys can really play and Chapman's production provides the sheen that makes this a really impressive debut. There's great synergy between the two guitarists-- Tex Mosley and Michael Hays. It's damn refreshing to hear a new band that has already established a distinctive guitar sound. Sure the references to the NY Dolls or T Rex might leap out of the speakers at you and Meshell has an uncanny ability to sound like a cross between a young Elvis Costello and the soulful Willy DeVille. But the energy is undeniable. It all sounds new again. Songs like "Spin It," and "I'm Bored Let's Fight" just flat-out put a smile on my face. At a time when it seems like popular music is balkanizing endlessly into countless genres and sub-genres, the Neighborhood Bullys have gone and made a goddamn RAWK record. Thanks boys, I needed that. WE needed that. I'm a little unclear on how you go about getting yer mitts on the record. I got lucky and a pal from the Left Coast sent me a copy. So how about this--check out their MySpace site here. (Looks like they're playin' the Viper Room in January. Damn, that sounds pretty good... Come on LA, represent!) And for good measure here's a link to their homepage which lists a number of fine establishments in the Greater LA area that are selling it. SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT MUSIC STORES. Highly recommended. - trotskyscranium.blogspot.com

The Players: Davey Meshell, vocals, bass; Tex Mosley, guitar; Michael Hays, guitar; Joey Galvan, drums;

Material: The Neighborhood Bullys perform soulful, funky punk and above all else, fun rock & roll material with obvious influences of Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick and the Ramones. The music is driving and fast-paced behind lyrics of love, politics and partying. Crowd favorites include "Lead with Your Lips,"? a Kinks-style song that the band dedicates to the ladies, and "I'm Bored, Let's Fight," an energetic jam that's fun to sing along to.

Musicianship: There is no shortage of musicianship in this outfit. Vocalist Dave Meshell handles double-duty as frontman and bassist, and excels at both tasks. His voice is soulful and strong and his bass lines are groovy and they hold steady. Both guitarists Mosley and Hays trade off playing lead and each are talented string players in their own right. Young Hays plays a more modern guitar, while Mosley is a blues player through and through. Galvan runs a tight rhythm section as well as fueling each song with striking beats and flair.

Performance: The Bullys performed to a packed house at the Viper Room. The band took to the stage and got right down to business, entertaining the enthusiastic audience with a revved up performance. Meshell, who sounds much like Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, was a true-blue front-man and expressed an authentic connection with the audience as well as his bandmates. In fact, the band's upbeat and smooth-as-jelly performance garnered screams and hollers from the crowd through-out the entire set.

Summary: The Neighborhood Bullys come equipped with creatively crafted songs and the instrumental talent to perform them at a professional level. They deliver a full-bodied sound in their live performance. Also, the genre of up-beat party music that the group performs will always carry a fan base. Tight, fun and able to draw a crowd, The Neighborhood Bullys prove that they deserve an opening slot for a nationally touring act.

By Anne O'Neary

http://musicconnection.com/digital/index.php?page=55 - Music Connection Magazine

by Michael Toland

In case you’ve been wondering what producer MIKE CHAPMAN has been doing since his days stewarding BLONDIE and SWEET, here’s your answer: giving L.A.’s Neighborhood Bullys a crisp, lively presence. But Chapman’s participation on their debut album What? is less the point than the band’s hooky melodies and joyful energy. Bandleader DAVEY MESHELL sings like he loves R&B but respects it enough not to try to sound like Otis Redding, and his songs add healthy doses of snotty humor to the catchy tunes. “Sux 2 B U,” “Go Back (To Drinking)” and the hilarious and exuberant “I’m Bored, Let’s Fight” boast a kick beyond the punchy singalongs. The band rocks along behind him, tight as brand new hot pants and twice as bright. The Bullys sound as excited as toddlers at a birthday party, and they want to share that buzz with us.

http://www.bigtakeover.com/reviews/playing-ketchup-pt-2 - Big Takeover