On his new album, Les Claypool appears in a whole new light. The bassist strips down the Primus metal jacket and touts his cowboy boots for an Americana-laden style. Now, Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang features Claypool on acoustic bass, along with longtime collaborator Bryan Kehoe on the acoustic guitar. Together, on Four Foot Shack, the duo take an alternative, Claypoolian approach to modern hits, Claypool originals, and country classics.
Talking about the album, Claypool said, “This record represents what I personally listen to these days. Guys like Johnny Horton, Jerry Reed and Vernon Dalhart are the soundscape of my world as I’m boiling up crab in the backyard or working on my old Chryslers, so the notion of ‘twangifying’ my tunes seemed like a damn good idea.”
Twangified indeed. Claypool channels simple living through his stripped-down, loose recording style. The percussion is minimal, paving the way for raw vocals and wailing guitar solos. Yet, the music still retains that chunky, funky bass groove from Claypool – it’s one knee-tapper after the next!
If you only have time for one track from Four Foot Shack, I would highly recommend the Duo de Twang’s cover of The Bee Gees’ “Stayin Alive.” Somehow both true to the original and completely unique, the duo seem to stick that disco beat in the deep frier, and the result is magnificent.
But, we strongly recommend listening through this whole album. Somewhere between Americana and funk, Duo de Twang is an undeniable groove. You’ll shake your head, tap your feet, slap your knees. Basically, it’s a hoedown, available for streaming. Speaking of which, you can find the album through Rolling Stone. Four Foot Shack will officially be released on February 4th.
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)
Duo de Twang Tour Dates
2/27 – New York, NY – The Heath at McKittrick Hotel
2/28 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
3/1 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
3/3 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
3/4 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
3/6 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage
3/7 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
3/8 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue