Goodtime Hustle

Goodtime Hustle - ​self-released; 2022 -
3.9 out of 5 -
By Dino DiMuro

Goodtime Hustle is an alt-country band from Seattle that’s just released its first full-length release, self-titled Goodtime Hustle. This four-piece group features bandleader Bud Weather on vocals and guitar, Chris Denny on lead guitar, Michael Gagliardo on bass and Tom Lash on drums.

The band states that this is something of a concept album about Weather’s life as a “psychedelic outlaw, with honest and absurd songs about uncommon crime, Kafka-esque punishment and ten grams of make-believe LSD.” They call their music “Folkadelic Con-fusion.” Influences include The Grateful Dead, Steve Earle and Cake, and they boast of “sharing stages with a wide variety of jam bands, straight country acts, psychedelic rockers and folk musicians.” Recording and mixing were by Steven Andrea at Birdhouse Studio in Seattle, Washington with mastering by Mike Hillier at Metropolis Studios, London.

My overall impression is that the Goodtime Hustle boys prefer songs with shuffling beats and lots of lyrics, presented with clean, live-in-the-studio performances. There’s 14 songs here so I’ll touch on my favorites.

“Skeleton Key” jumps right out with a one-two beat and Allman Brothers harmony guitar licks. The Goodtime Hustle sound is just two guitars, bass and drums fronted by Bud Weather’s mid-range country guy vocals. Lyrically this is the track that sets up the story of the psychedelic outlaw. This is the kind of band where the lead guitarist takes every opportunity to solo, even during the verses, but Chris Denny is great at staying within the bounds of the song while quietly blowing our minds.

“Be Here Tonight” has a faster two-step country beat and is the kind of song you can imagine a rowdy dance floor crowd singing along with. Here the story takes an unfortunate turn as our narrator appears to be framed for a drug deal: “I was halfway outta town when they ‘helped me to the ground’ / Said, good ol boy get over here, lookie what we found / Whaddaya know that chump worked like a crystal ball / To think he almost got away, carryin’ it all.”

On the group’s Bandcamp page, “Calico” not only has the lyrics but also the chord changes if you want to play along! This is an acoustic, heartland-folk tune with a paramilitary beat. The lyrics seem to describe the events of a different, Medieval time. “Thinking’ Bout You” is a bittersweet lost-love song that features a train-style shuffle beat with expansive picking and strumming. “I can’t say that it’s all been a waste / ‘cos in the end what I’m missing is NOT YOUR FACE!”

“Queen’s Garden” has a jaunty walking beat and showcases Weather on “talking” envelope filter guitar. “Lost My Mind” is old time ’20s jazz like the Bonzo Dog Band or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The contrast of the crooner vocals with modern lyrics works great. “Turkey Shuffle” is indeed a fast country shuffle with randy thoughts and sweet acoustics, along with a rare bass solo.

“The Leaves” features dramatic roiling drums and serious-sounding vocals. Denny’s wailing, melancholic lead guitar is one of his best performances yet, and carries most of the melodic weight. Not sure about the story here but it feels like something weird happened on a deserted island. “Squared Up” has a surprise appearance of a five-string banjo and does indeed sound like a square dance. “Locked From Inside” has a Greek ambience and plays like one of those Monty Python movie songs, with a very quiet, dramatically tense ending.

“Since I Been Gone” is a beautiful folk-rock tune of a love affair interrupted, with an interesting variation on the band’s standard shuffle beat; nice chorus harmony too. “Trampling Daisies” interestingly ends the album with a song that could be a spy show theme song, thanks to the snake-like repeating riffs. Denny takes an amazing final solo drenched in echo.

​These guys have developed a unique sound and play quite well within it, and sometimes just outside it. I’m sure they’ve got plenty more music up their sleeves and I can’t wait to hear it. - Divide and Conquer