Lovelorn and slightly misogynistic (but in a good way), the rock’n roll stylings of Dirty Lingo can inspire the most devoted of followers. Before the bar shuts down, most of the patrons will be fans for life or, at least, until the next day. A much higher percentage of that crowd will be sworn in for life if the crowd is predominantly bikers or chicks.
The band’s 2009 release Junk Food Junkies was recorded in only two days. “It was a quick mix,” Mike said. “There was no mastering.” Even without granting consideration to the constraints placed upon their studio time, Junk Food Junkies is a wide-ranging, effervescent album. Even the darker songs inspire sing-a-longs on the second listen.
On the first review the album can sound a little lyrically vapid, but beneath the themes of sex, drugs, and depression there is an honest sense of being confronted by the overwhelming insignificance of adulthood and the fighting spirit to combat that fate. Dirty Lingo certainly seems to have that fighting spirit that pushes bands to new arenas. With 15 shows a month, its little surprise that the group’s growing demand landed them a spot on the upcoming McDowell Mountain Music Festival’s playbill.
Singer/guitarist Mike Chapman and bassist/backing vocalist John Hayden began playing music together at an early age. The two have a real Jonathan-and-David thing going on but not in the “Biblical” way… in a spectacular, musically-indivisible way. Adam Wolin joined the duo on drums five years ago. Since that time, the members of Dirty Lingo bounced back and forth between Los Angeles and various Arizona locales. While in Cali, Adam met another musician from Arizona, Michael Levin, who would later join the band, adding keys and backing vocals as well as the ever-popular electric cello. Only recently has the band found all members in the same place… and, thankfully, that place is here.
In a recent conversation with Mike, he filled me in on the bands interstate movements during the past three years. The dates were hard to follow. Three months here, four months back, fifteen months, six months. I promised Mike there wouldn’t be any more math during the interview for both our sakes. Dirty Lingo sound excited to be back in the desert. When asked about life in L.A., Chapman replied, “I hate it out there.”
The list of complaints was lengthy and familiar: traffic, pretentious people, air, saturated music scene, big hair. “There’s no music community there.”
With such a hectic show schedule Dirty Lingo has little time for off-stage practice so the group relies on live performances to work out new material. Catch them live most anywhere for their ever-changing repertoire.
