COD (no, not Call of Duty) are touted as a rock band, but really fall more into the country/rockabilly genre. They’ve been playing out of Germany since 1996, and The Daily Dope is the latest release.
The entire album has a steampunk Americana feeling to it: fans of groups like Andrew Bird and Gogol Bordello will not be disappointed. COD are able to paint a vivid picture using their instruments and stories. For example, “The Pope Is In Town” has a classic gypsy stamp, replete with the accordion and a men’s choir. “Club 27” is a surprisingly upbeat song about joining the group of musicians that took their own life (either intentionally or otherwise) at the age of 27. It takes a different approach with “Dirty Weapons” – listen to that guitar solo! “Ready To Fall” has so much distortion, it feels meaty and dark, like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. In fact, one could say that this is a chronological journey of the meaning of “Americana”. Strange that it’s coming from Germany. They’re beating the Yanks at their own game.
I truly enjoyed the album.. For the most part, it’s fair to say that The Daily Dope could be an ideal soundtrack to the great outdoors, whether driving down a long highway, or cooking wieners and beans around a campfire. The only issue is that their online presence is minimal, at best. It took me – literally – hours to locate a streaming site to hear their album, and any literature I did find, including their official site, was in German. Even their Wikipedia site is sparse and Google Translated. Obviously Cowboys On Duty have both talent and staying power, but without effective marketing, they may as well be playing to an empty room. Find what you can on YouTube and buy the album if you like it.
