Turbo Ocho

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - or RCPM as they are known to fans - are the best band most of you have never heard. All of their albums have been in the Top 10 in Billboard's Charts. They are, according to their website, the only independent band to have had five consecutive albums debut in the top 10 of Billboard's Internet Sales chart. Their live shows are always sold out.Never heard of frontman Roger Clyne? Don't be so sure. In the late 90s, Roger was singer/songwriter for The Refreshments. The Refreshments' album "Fizzy Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy" was a huge hit, producing the singles Banditos and Down Together. I have yet to meet a person who doesn't recognize those tunes when they hear them, even if they aren't sure who it is. Clyne also wrote and performed the theme song for FOX's animated series, "King of the Hill."Being a rabid Refreshments fan, I never got over the fact that 1997's "Bottle & Fresh Horses", turned out to be their second and last CD. Early in 2007 I was listening to some Refreshments music and an idea hit me. I fired up Google and went looking to see if the Refreshments might have some previously unreleased material available.Google led me to Amazon, and the customer reviews there mentioned some goofy band that a couple ex-Refreshments members had formed - Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. Long story short, it wasn't too long later that I went to iTunes and purchased everything that they had available.Southwestern rock never sounded so good. Edgy, funny and a perfect blend of rock and southwestern influences, Clyne's songwriting is always smart and fun to listen to. If you can't find a beat to tap your foot to in any of RCPM's songs, something probably gnawed your foot off when you weren't looking.These guys just wrapped up a special recording session dubbed Turbo Ocho. They went to Mexico where they set out to write and record together for 8 consecutive days. They topped it off with a live (sold out) show at JJ's Cantina in Cholla Bay.The best part? They documented the entire thing on video, and uploaded the videos of the creative sessions, as well as putting up the finished songs on their site. See here.These guys ROCK. They are worth checking out if you are looking for the real-deal in terms of independent bands. They are in total control of their music and the creative process, and it shows.