Darryl Lee Rush not only coined the phrase “The Lakewood Sound” — he is rolling up his sleeves to define it. His 2005 release on the Shiner label, Llano Avenue, with its warm nostalgia, is like musical comfort food. Or more appropriately, in DLR’s own words, it’s like a steaming bowl of “black dirt gumbo.” The album offers up equal portions of honest song writing, unique vocal styling, and an excellent collection of covers. On the third track, “Town Too Tough To Die,” Rush, a 13-year Lakewood resident (hence the album title), humbly tells, in a universal language, of growing up in Markham, Texas. “You know it has some history like most places do, once sacred to the ones who called it home.” This will surely strike a chord with much of his audience. It’s about knowing your roots and respecting your history. Music fans are likely to hear his name and his music for some time to come. What is perhaps not so audible, though, is arguably DLR’s most notable achievement: snagging Gurf Morlix to produce and play on Llano Avenue. Morlix has produced albums for the likes of Slaid Cleaves, Robert Earl Keen and Lucinda Williams, just to name a few. After all, nothing screams credibility like a great producer. There must be something in the gumbo.
—BEN MAGILL
Audio Samples:
White Trash Paradise
Shotgun Annie
LIVE CATCH:
Darryl Lee Rush will open for Suzy Bogguss at Granada Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. $25.
BONUS SHOW:
Audio File author Ben Magill’s band — I Have Seen the Monsters — with Clay Odom and special guest Molly Magill, will play White Rock Coffee on Friday, Sept. 28, 10 p.m.-midnight.
Are you a musician living in East Dallas, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow or North Dallas? Want to be featured in Audio File?
Send an e-mail to audiofile@advocatemag.com, or mail a CD to Audio File, c/o Advocate Publishing, 6301 Gaston Ave., Suite 820, Dallas 75214. Not all submissions will be selected for review.
