Known for their high-energy live performances, dozen+ albums, over 3,000 concerts played, and recent induction into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame, Cowboy Mouth continues to keep their motors runnin’.
Since their founding in 1990, Cowboy Mouth has blended genres much like a gumbo from their native New Orleans stomping grounds, as they experiment with “rock, blues, punk, funk, country, pop, soul and whatever else feels good.”
The band has released their latest album, Cover Yo’ Azz!, which officially hit streaming today, August 15th. It spans a gamut of decades and styles, bouncing from Frank Sinatra to Cher to The Replacements. As Fred LeBlanc (vocalist and drummer) explains, “there’s no rhyme or reason” to the album — “it just happened.” LeBlanc says each member of the band “brought a different sound and vibe,” and they “had a blast re-creating some amazing songs– with a CM twist.”
The recently released music video for Cowboy Mouth’s cover of The Replacements’ iconic song “Can’t Hardly Wait” captures the infectious energy of the band’s rollicking performances and enthusiastic audiences. The video includes clips of fans showering the stage with red spoons, a long-established tradition during their song “Everybody Loves Jill,” and shots of the band ripping on piercing electric guitars, thunderous drums, and even a fiddle. Cowboy Mouth’s jauntier version of this punk-rock song infuses a classic with fresh joie de vivre.
“Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves,” the whimsical Cher earworm, is dialed up to eleven on Cover Yo’ Azz!, with its tinkling bell intro exchanged for an electric guitar riff that propels the 70’s pop song into rock ‘n’ roll territory. Growing up, LeBlanc would often listen to his clock radio while falling asleep, and this song takes him back to that era. “The original recording sounded like a circus,” LeBlanc says. “That, combined with the forbidden nature of the lyrics, painted a very exotic picture… It still does to this day.”
LeBlanc was initially unsure about John Thomas Griffith’s (guitar) suggestion to include “Fat Bottomed Girls” on the new album, but was sold when Griffith proposed “adding a bluegrass spin” to the boisterous Queen song. LeBlanc added a suggestion of his own: for Griffith to “sing it like a pirate!” The addition of a fiddle, along with some creative guitar and bass work, gives this cover an Appalachian flair.
Cowboy Mouth wraps up the album with “City By A River,” written by Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish, a nod to the enduring friendship between the two bands. Bryan joined in on lead guitar on Cowboy Mouth’s rendition of the introspective song, which LeBlanc describes as a “longing for the intangible. Maybe it’s heaven, maybe it’s home.” This song is a little slower than some of the other album picks, but LeBlanc’s clear, strong voice and the band’s lively instrumentation ensure that Cover Yo’ Azz !ends on a high note.
Cowboy Mouth will be back on the road again this fall with tour dates scheduled all over the South.
Photo by Angelo Joseph
