After 32 years of treating audiences to his own Ska-Rockabilly brand of “Radiation” therapy, Roddy Byers is stepping away from the side of the stage as the Specials’ lead guitarist and into the center spotlight as the frontman/guitarist of his newest and best musical endeavor, the SKABILLY REBELS!
Roddy and his Skabilly Rebels are the next phase of an audio formula Byers has been working to perfect since the day he stepped into the recording studio with the Specials back in the 80s – a fusion of the driving rhythm of Ska and the gritty, hard edge of Rockabilly, also known as “Skabilly.” With the Skabilly Rebel’s debut album, BLUES ATTACK!, Byers and his boys Sam Smith (rhythm guitar), Matt Hart (drums), Mac (bass), and Jay Jones (keyboards) bring this sound screaming into beautiful reality, spanning a variety of sonic flavors from the cajun-edged “Black Zodiac,” to the breezy-ska of “Desire,” to the roots-rock flow of “Judgement Day,” to the blues anthem “Another Rusty Nail.” The unique vibe behind each Byers-penned original tune is tied together by that Skabilly heart and soul that flows through Byers’ vagabond voice and shredding guitar licks.
Each song’s rocksteady beat, vocal twang, and rocking riff takes the listener on a thrilling adventure of teenage angst, crazy weekends, long-lost love, cheating hearts, sudden death, and a deep longing for that which a simple department store window is holding back. The subject matter in the 16 tracks is diverse enough to leave any and all listeners able to find a piece of themselves in Byers’ lyrics.
