INTERVIEW W/ LEAD VOCALIST KEVIN STEELE OF ROXX GANG & MOJO GURUS
www.myspace.com/roxxgang
www.myspace.com/mojogurus
www.mojogurus.com
About Roxx Gang
Roxx Gang exploded on the music scene in 1988 with their classic album "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em". Roxx Gang was a hybrid mixture of rock, blues and punk that virtually defied classification. "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" received stellar reviews on both sides of the Atlantic and earned Roxx Gang a spot on the Top Ten Heavy Metal Albums Of The Year in Tower Records' Pulse! This led to Roxx Gang being the first hard rock band signed by Virgin America. Their Virgin release, "Things You've Never Done Before," went on to sell over 250,000 copies and yielded a Top 50 single in the UK.
The band also released two videos "No Easy Way Out" directed by Nigel Dick (Guns-N-Roses) and "Scratch My Back" directed by Ralph Ziman (L.A. Guns) that received extensive airplay on MTV. Later in their career the band was also signed to Epic Records and Perris Records. Their music was featured in Playboy Entertainment DVD's "Girls of South Beach" and "Ladies of Color" and in the XBox 360 game "Saints Row." The band is no longer together but "never say never" as a recent resurgence of interest in the band has lead to new digital distribution and merchandising deals. Lead singer Kevin Steele now fronts The Mojo Gurus (True North Records).
About MOJO GURUS
Led by singer songwriter Kevin Steele, the Gurus come off as determined to remind us of something too many people have forgotten... the spirit in which rock 'n' roll was originally intended. Shake 'em on down! Backed by Doc Lovett's rhythm and booze riffs, Vinnie Granese's thick and black as Mississippi Delta mud bass runs and Mark Busto's cannon shot voodoo beats, the Mojo Gurus perform real deal rock 'n' roll with enough strut and swagger to make most of today's flavor of the month bands pale in comparison.
The Mojo Gurus released their debut disc in 1999 to great critical acclaim. The bands video "Tiger Lily" received heavy rotation on Canadian music video channel Much Music. That release was quickly followed by “Drinkin’ TNT and Smokin’ Dynamite” which along with their powerhouse live performances helped the band build an impressive following around the world. The Gurus third release “Hot Damn!” enjoyed a four-month success story on FM radio that included over one-hundred-nineteen FM stations playing “Hot Damn!” including sixty-five CMJ reporting "core" stations. Roots Music Report gave the band a five star review saying, “Hot Damn is right! The Mojo Gurus ‘Hot Damn!’ is a fantastic roots rock release.”
The success of “Hot Damn!” led to the band signing with Empire Musicwerks and recording a new CD entitled “Shakin’ In The Barn.” The bands hard work ethic continued to pay dividends when after a NYC showcase they were handpicked by Grammy Award winning producer Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith, NY Dolls) to be his next recording project. On “Shakin’ In The Barn” Douglas captured all the energy from the band’s amazing live performances. Jack Douglas said the following about the new CD, ”This CD makes me want to drive out on the highway ‘pedal to the metal.’ Pull over at a truck stop, hang for a while and play a game of Texas Holdem with a gang of bad bikers while Jerry Lee Lewis screams on the juke. Mojo Gurus writes and plays real deal American roots rock, all the fun and adventure included. Don't be surprised if you suddenly start off-roading in your Caddy SUV as the CD spins in your player. It was a blast to produce.” “Shakin’ In The Barn” was distributed by Universal Records and spent six months on the national roots rock/alt-country charts.
Defying all labels the Gurus new album “Let’s Get Lit With…The Mojo Gurus” combines southern rock, old school country, rhythm and blues, surf rock and even a little bit of soul. Produced by the band and Jody Gray the album was mastered in LA by Stephen Marsh (Jeff Beck, Muddy Waters). If after one listen you don't find yourself doin' the Twine and Ballin' the Jack, maybe you better have your pulse checked.
Whether you have been around long enough to remember the real thing or you are young enough to wish you could, the Mojo Gurus are the long lost friend you've been looking for. Let's Get Lit indeed!
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