20 Watt Tombstone unleash their new EP, »Year Of The Jackalope«, featuring covers of ZZ Top and Chris Stapleton

Wisconsin death blues saviors 20 Watt Tombstone have just unleashed their new EP, »Year Of The Jackalope«, featuring covers of ZZ Top and Chris Stapleton. »Year Of The Jackalope« was self-released on January 22nd, 2021 and is available now on all streaming services.

Right before the release, 20 Watt Tombstone posted the video for their version of Chris Stapleton’s »Midnight Train To Memphis«.

“Here is the video for our cover of Chris Stapleton’s »Midnight Train To Memphis«. We shot this ourselves in the basement during Covid, with a little help with editing from a friend. Audio was recorded by Jeff Hamilton at Hamtone Audio in Milwaukee and mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering.” the band adds.

Courtesy of Dewar PR:

If ever there were a way to see in the new year, it’s by the arrival of the Jackalope, heralded by 20 Watt Tombstone. A self-styled ‘death-blues’ duo, they have kicked up a racket over the last few years as they’ve dragged their tour van through most of the US and several parts of Europe. While road dogging is the band’s main passion, it figures they put together some highway-worthy tunes. After proving their worth in their own material, it’s time to highlight just a couple of their wide-ranging influences on this two-punch record.

On the A-side of this record comes a feel-good rocker – the working man’s rock of ZZ Top with their underrated »Just Got Paid«. The effortless slide guitar licks carry the perfect level of twang – while everything has undoubtedly been recorded live as 20 Watt Tombstone’s previous releases, they’ve cleaned up their act and it all sounds much crisper. Mitch Ostrowski’s drumming is no slack either, as he bangs down hard on his kit in perfect synchronicity.

The flipside of the record, however, takes a darker turn; here has a thundering version of »Midnight Train To Memphis« by Chris Stapleton. The name may not mean much outside of southern rock and americana circles, but his influence as a songwriter reaches widely into pop, country, and rock n’ roll. As such it’s only fitting to pay tribute to a man who has done so much for music. And tribute is paid – there is a wonderful gritty tone from the voice of the tower that is Tom Jordan, as he stretches out the chorus lines detailing a prisoner’s life.

And that’s all, folks. A small teaser of 20 Watt Tombstone’s heaviness, more focused on the blues side than the death side this time. If it is indeed the Year of the Jackalope and its scary face, then it is with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that we await for further material to emerge. Long live Wisco Disco!

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well