The Meanstreet Riders proclaim to be a bunch of songwriters who formed out of a love of motorcycles and the open road.
The Florida-based band might also be taking advantage of a lucrative Harley-Davidson audience.
The Meanstreet Riders will release a country-rock CD, “High on the Hog,” sometime next month.
However, all the album’s 10 songs now are available for download from Amazon.com.
In the meantime, the band has:
- Amassed 31,000 fans on its Facebook page. The band also is active on Twitter.
- Gotten a bunch of bloggers to write about the band.
- Prepared a documentary for upcoming release that includes scenes from Route 66.
- Launched a merchandise page online.
- Hung around at Biker Week at Daytona, Fla.
- Helped with fundraising at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.
- Licensed its songs to motorcycle-based businesses around the country.
A cynic may see the band’s activities as cashing in. But in an era where it’s become more difficult to make money on music alone, it makes sense for the Meanstreet Riders to build an audience (and revenues) in less-conventional ways. Many music acts that have gained favor with bikers are defunct or at Social Security age; the Meanstreet Riders might as well step into that growing vacuum.
The album’s opener, “High on the Hog,” stands out as the best song. Anchored by Shannon Wallace’s muscular guitar riff that’s reminiscent of The Eagles’ hit “Life in the Fast Lane,” it praises “the sound of that V-twin” and “running with my dawgs” on a “Harley D.” It’s a big, loud, and confident tune that’s worthy of that American-made motorcycle.
The Meanstreet Riders also are at their best when they write songs about specific places. For instance, “129” tells about the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap of Highway 129 at the Tennessee-North Carolina border, which boasts a treacherous “318 curves in 11 miles.”
And “I’ve Had a Good Ride” describes a journey to the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota’s Black Hills and the feelings that come with it.
The second half of the album drags a bit, with too many ballads and not enough rambunctious rockers. But the album’s themes of family, friends, road trips, towns, and freedom should strike a chord with travelers along the Mother Road, whether they’re bikers or not.
Download this: “High on the Hog,” “129,” and “I’ve Had a Good Ride”