The Dirty Rooks
Encyclopedia
The Dirty Rooks are an American rock band from Chicago
, Illinois
, whose music has been described as "booze rock". They are influenced by classic-rock artists such as The Rolling Stones
, The Faces
, and Led Zeppelin
.
use of the word "rook” meaning to swindle or cheat and derived from the thieving, magpie-like tendencies of the common rook
.
As they played in various small clubs in Chicago, The Dirty Rooks began receiving notice as a classic blues-rock
revival group similar to The Black Crowes
. In 2007 they were Top 20 finalists in the Lollapalooza
Last Band Standing contest, nearly winning a performance slot at the festival.
Guitarist Mike Bailey joined in 2008, and after sitting in with the band for several years, keyboardist Alan Bailey joined as an official member in 2010.
The Dirty Rooks have played with well-known acts like The Steepwater Band
, The Waco Brothers
, Jon Langford
, Lez Zeppelin
, Foghat
, and Blue Öyster Cult
.
said of the album, "rock 'n' roll hasn't been this drunk in a while." It went on to become a top seller in the pub rock genre on CD Baby
.
/Metromix
, Newcity
, and A.V. Chicago
. Like its predecessor, it became a top seller on CD Baby.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, whose music has been described as "booze rock". They are influenced by classic-rock artists such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
, and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
.
History
The band was formed by Grant Gholson and Dan Stalilonis as “Moustache” in 2003. After Ben Hunt and Nathan Urbansky (a.k.a. Nathan Urqhuart) joined in 2005, the group changed its name to "The Dirty Rooks". According to band members, the name comes from the slangSlang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
use of the word "rook” meaning to swindle or cheat and derived from the thieving, magpie-like tendencies of the common rook
Rook (bird)
The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering"....
.
As they played in various small clubs in Chicago, The Dirty Rooks began receiving notice as a classic blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
revival group similar to The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
. In 2007 they were Top 20 finalists in the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
Last Band Standing contest, nearly winning a performance slot at the festival.
Guitarist Mike Bailey joined in 2008, and after sitting in with the band for several years, keyboardist Alan Bailey joined as an official member in 2010.
The Dirty Rooks have played with well-known acts like The Steepwater Band
The Steepwater Band
The Steepwater Band is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1998 by the trio of Jeff Massey , Joe Winters , and Tod Bowers...
, The Waco Brothers
The Waco Brothers
The Waco Brothers are an alternative country band in Chicago, Illinois, formed by Jon Langford of the Mekons. The group grew out of Langford's wish to play more country-influenced music as the Mekons concentrated more on a punk sound. They were originally put together simply for local Chicago...
, Jon Langford
Jon Langford
Jon Langford born October 11, 1957, Newport, Monmouthshire is a Welsh-born musician and artist who is presently based in Chicago. He is the younger brother of science-fiction author and critic David Langford...
, Lez Zeppelin
Lez Zeppelin
Lez Zeppelin is an all-female tribute act, performing the work of Led Zeppelin.-History:In June, 2005, Chuck Klosterman wrote an article for SPIN Magazine that featured Lez Zeppelin as a leading protagonist in a trend of all-female hard rock “tribute” bands...
, Foghat
Foghat
Foghat are a British rock band that had their peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. Their style can be described as "blues-rock," or boogie-rock dominated by electric and electric slide guitar. The band has achieved five gold records...
, and Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
.
The Dirty Rooks
The band released its eponymous first album in 2007. Tom Lynch of NewcityNewcity
Newcity is an independent, free weekly newspaper in Chicago that specializes in music, stage, film and art and is notable for launching the careers of numerous cartoonists and writers and art critics. The publication was described by the Chicago Tribune as "sophisticated" and as an "alternative...
said of the album, "rock 'n' roll hasn't been this drunk in a while." It went on to become a top seller in the pub rock genre on CD Baby
CD Baby
CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of CDs and digital music downloads from independent musicians to consumers. The company is also a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers.CD Baby has achieved recent...
.
Sugar Mama
In 2010 the band released a second album, titled Sugar Mama. The album and concert celebrating its release were recommended by several media outlets covering the Chicago music scene, including Centerstage, RedEyeRedEye
The RedEye is a daily publication put out by the Chicago Tribune geared toward 18 to 34-year-olds. RedEye was created due in part to the loss of readership among young people of the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers...
/Metromix
Metromix
Metromix is a network of local entertainment websites backed by a joint venture between media companies Gannett and Tribune Co. A guide to local restaurants, bars and clubs, events, concerts and movies, Metromix is currently available in over 60 markets. In late 2009, the company launched 27 new...
, Newcity
Newcity
Newcity is an independent, free weekly newspaper in Chicago that specializes in music, stage, film and art and is notable for launching the careers of numerous cartoonists and writers and art critics. The publication was described by the Chicago Tribune as "sophisticated" and as an "alternative...
, and A.V. Chicago
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
. Like its predecessor, it became a top seller on CD Baby.