Indy In-Tune

Show #081: Dead Man's Grill Returns

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What a difference a year makes. Just 12 short months ago, Dead Man's Grill was an excellent, if undistinguished, hard rock band battling against a couple dozen of their peers in a battle of the bands competition on Indy's west side. When they last appeared on this show, they were touting their first EP, produced by Adam White at the Pop Machine, which, at the time anyway, I credited as being a cut above most of their peers. Shortly thereafter they went on to win that Battle of the Bands, which opened quite a few doors to regional playing, high-profile opening slots with established national acts, and a hrefined sound that, as I witness the night this interview was recorded, continues to win new fans over every time they play.

Their latest CD, Hotter than Sin, takes some of the tracks from their earlier EP and, with the assistance of some outside listeners and the benefit of a little more studio time, kicks everything up to the next level. What I thought was great listen the first time around, is now amped up to 11 with the addition of new harmonies and subtle vocal effects that are perfectly engineered so as not to overpower the core of the music. As a result, DMG's is elevated from great music you can jam out with, to a more sophisticated, immersive experience that bears close listening. With the band already getting some modest national attention, along with having their music appear on the soundtrack to an upcoming film, frankly, I can't wait to see what the next year brings for these guys.

Links referenced in the show:

Dead Man's Grill can be found here: MySpace | Web Site | Facebook | Twitter | Reverbnation.
• They first appeared on Show #063 about a year ago.
• Their new CD, Hotter than Sin was produced by Mike Osborn at Stable Studios in Spencer, IN with assistance on some tracks from Jay Elliott of the band Stereo Deluxe. It is available at the usual suspects (iTunes | Amazon | Napster).
• They recently appeared on the Macabre Cafe Radio Show which is simulcast on Jackalope Radio 105 in Los Angeles.
• Their music will be featured in an upcoming movie called The Kult, directed by Kip Shelton.
• They call the Rock House Cafe their home base and have nothing but praise for the venue as a hangout for both artists and fans.
• DMG is sponsored by Roaring Lion energy drink.
• Thanks to Bill Stamper and 8 Seconds Saloon for the use of the back room to record this week's show. It's always one of our favorite places to hang out and record.

Darrin Snider is the OCD music nerd responsible for creating Indy In-Tune. By day he's a cloud engineer and business analyst, but he still hopes to someday be an overnight freeform disc jockey married to the local weathergirl who happens to be a former eastern-European supermodel.