The Bonedaddys: “Waterslide”
Bringing their 1980’s “Rock” Style Back

by Lindsay Gordon - 12/07
NEIRAD enilno edition

Blue hair, pink neon leggings and animal print costumes are all part of the everyday attire of the “The Bonedaddys,” the band who just recently released their new album, Waterslide in September.
The group's music is similar to their fashion sense -- completely all over the place!
The Bonedaddys was founded by percussionist Michael Tempo in 1985 in Los Angeles. They have held a strong reputation as a true American band due to the variety of music genres represented in their songs.
In order to incorporate so many different musical styles there are constantly new members of the band. At any given time, they have about 13 members including a couple of “honorable jammers.”
Waterslide is the Bonedaddys’ sixth album and proves to be just as enticing as their previous albums, To Jam is Human to Gig is Divine and Jungle, Jungle.”
Although their album And the Journey Begins was a failure in 2001, the Bonedaddys regained their fame with the success of Garage Sale in 2003.
It is hard to describe the style of the Bonedaddys’ music because it really does incorporate a little of everything. Although their music is classified as “rock” on iTunes, some songs such as “Reverend Singer” have a steady, relaxed reggae beat. Most songs, however, are very up-tempo with a mixture of jazz, rock, country and blues, such as “Waterslide” and “Louisville Flame.”
Since the songs each incorporate so many different types of music, listening to the Bonedaddys is never boring. “Waterslide” at first seems cabaret, but this jazzy feel is soon mixed with a spark of Latin flare.
The combination is reminiscent of any feel-good song played at a Bar Mitvah or adult birthday party. Nevertheless, listeners can’t sit still upon hearing the fast-tempo refrain of the trumpets.
The strength of the Bonedaddys music lies in their instrumental solos. While the lyrics are often repetitive, the intricate guitar riffs leave you envying the improvisational skill.
“Blame it on the Moon” adds fantastic contrast to the usual up-tempo vibe of these tracks. The smooth & controlled guitar solo on top of the steady beat of the percussion leaves the listener in a trance.
The problem with the Bonedaddys is that they try to incorporate too many musical styles into one album. While individual tracks are usually well done, the album as a whole is not cohesive. It is hard to determine a signature style of the Bonedaddys’ music in Waterslide because each song is completely different in vocal and instrumental style.
The Bonedaddys should concentrate their talent in creating music that mixes only a few genres. This way, the listener would be left with a stronger impression of the band’s vibe as a whole rather than a feeling of confusion.

It isn’t hard to figure out that mixing completely different aspects of style is actually the signature style of the Bonedaddys. Even their album cover is a piece of modern art melding all colors in an intricate pattern of geometric shapes, sometimes the eclectic nature of the Bonedaddys makes their music and overall sense of style hard to follow, but this is obviously something they are not going to give up any time soon. They are still stuck in the 80s like their fashion sense.