“The Rigor Mortis Shuffle” is the debut CD from a group of local boys collectively called the Ta Ta Destroyers, and their sound, “ska-punk,” is one that begs for a little head-banging.Ska-punk is a fusion blend of music that combines both ska and punk rock. Punk rock is a fast-tempo type of music characterized by guitar distortion and loud, gruff vocals. Ska gets its roots from the early years of reggae and brings a cleaner sound in both music and vocals to the fusion.
The Ta Ta Destroyers have taken this sound and have done a very good job making their first album quite entertaining.
This group of local young men features Alex Martin on lead vocals, Tyler Blanchard on lead guitar, Luke Dupre on rhythm guitar, Terrell Clark on bass, Mike Plaisance on keyboards and Brandon Rivet on drums. The album was recorded at Dead Swamp Studios with the help of Adam Clement.
The title track “The Rigor Mortis Shuffle” plays out like pure, hard-hitting punk rock with elements of brass and bouncing rhythm and vocals. Dupre said the idea behind the song came from imagining a dead man rising from the grave and cutting loose on the dance floor.
“If a zombie were to get up and start dancing, it would move all stiff from the rigor mortis. It would sort of shuffle,” he said.
This song really gets the blood flowing, whether you are alive or dead.
Also on this album is “Blues Train,” a number that starts off sounding a lot like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under The Bridge,” but quickly takes off into a booming power ballad.
Dupre said the Chili Peppers really inspired them, and they wanted to produce a sound that was just as various and successful.
“We wanted to sound like them because they’re so much harder to define,” he said.
“Casanova Frankenstein” is another worldly number with a great reggae guitar sound and some terrific vocals from Martin. Another cut that is almost pure reggae is “Pimpin’ Slow.”
“Only the Slow Die Young” and “Sword” feature a heavy drum/guitar rock sound, as well as “The Rigor Mortis Shuffle.”
Some in-between numbers includes “Memento,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Losing The War,” and “Hell for Heroes.”
In all, this CD is enjoyable. The band puts forth a professional performance and Martin’s vocals are almost always spot-on. With impressive production and decent cover art, this CD is definitely something that could get national attention.
Experience pays off, according to Dupre, who said he and many of the others have played with other bands, and combined they have over five years of experience playing and performing.
So, the only question left is “Why name your band The Ta Ta Destroyers?” Dupre said it came out of the blue at a performance at the Brickhouse in Houma.
“We needed a name and we came up with that. Then afterwards the Brickhouse said they didn’t like the name, so we kept it,” Dupre said.
“The Rigor Mortis Shuffle” is available online through Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby. It is also available at the band’s live shows, including Sunday’s upcoming performance with Meriwether at the Brickhouse.