Todd Snider's "Brilliantly Bizzare" (Rolling Stone) New LP Features A Hank Williams Jr.-Obsessed Alter Ego & Musical Inspiration From "Louie Louie" And Little Richard

Nashville singer-songwriter Todd Snider has released 'Eastside Bulldog,' his first solo album since 2012. The record premiered last week on Rolling Stone Country, who proclaimed Snider's latest as "brilliantly bizarre." Todd was also the subject of an extensive Tennessean cover story last week, which ran at the top of the paper's Ticket section. The feature preempted one of the most noteworthy performances of Snider's career: a sold-out album release show at Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium. Todd's Ryman show was deemed a Critics' Pick by the Nashville Scene, who also describe 'Eastside Bulldog' as "one of the funniest records to come out of Music City since 1966." Prior to its release, 'Eastside Bulldog' was named one of the most anticipated albums of the fall by USA Today, who previewed it on the front page of their Life section. All of this early attention has led to a #3 debut on iTunes' singer-songwriter charts.

Listen to the record via Rolling Stone Country: http://www.rollingstone.com/country/premieres/hear-todd-sniders-brilliantly-bizarre-new-album-eastside-bulldog-w443270

'Eastside Bulldog' is like nothing Todd has done in his career. The record is sung from the perspective of Elmo Buzz, a pseudonym Todd performs under in Nashville. On the new record, he creates a full backstory for Elmo Buzz - a wannabe rockstar obsessed with Hank Williams Jr. ("Bocephus"), East Nashville, partying, fighting, cars, girls, and not much else. Snider wrote the entire album from Buzz's perspective. Songs like "Hey Pretty Boy" and "37206" take a deeply satirical look at Nashville's music industry, while "Funky Tomato" and "Enough Is Enough" follow Buzz through some of his hobbies.

 

Equally unique are the musical arrangements on 'Eastside Bulldog,' which carry a deep proto rock n' roll influence. Snider was inspired by The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie," Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" and other call-and-repeat classics of the era, resulting in an unprecedented sound and feel for a Snider release. Snider jokes that the rules in the studio were "play the bones of some Fifties or Sixties-sounding thing and make it just barely original enough to start a song" and "when in doubt, yell, 'baby,' and see what happens." The results break entirely new ground in Snider's illustrious discography. 

 

“Simple, no frills, trashy fun.” – American Songwriter

“Easily the loopiest and hardest-rocking album Snider has delivered to date.” – AllMusic 

“A fun album that pounds more energy into each successive song and repeats well.” - PopMatters

Todd will bring 'Eastside Bulldog' on the road this fall, with a full list of dates below. 

 

Oct 15 - Phoenixville, PA - The Colonial

Oct 16 - Annapolis, MD - Ram’s Head Tavern

Oct 17 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

Oct 18 - Fall River, MA - Narrow Center for the Arts

Oct 19 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre

Oct 21 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater

Oct 22 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle 

Oct 23 - Charleston, WV - Mountain Stage

Oct 25 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theater

Oct 28 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre

Oct 29 - Ponte Verda, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

Oct 30 - Tampa, FL - Skipper's Smokehouse

Nov 1 - Key West, FL - The Studios of Key West

Nov 2 - Key West, FL – Coast

Nov 9 - Louisville, KY - Bomhard Theater

Nov 10 - Three Oaks, MI - Acorn Theatre

Nov 11 - Green Bay, WI - Humboldt House

Nov 12 - St. Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theatre

Nov 13 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theater

Nov 15 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's 

Nov 16 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall

Nov 17 - Little Rock, AR - South On Main

Nov 18 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric

Nov 19 - Decatur AL - Princess Theater