Australia's Wagons' Rumble Plan U.S. Invasion

While the title Rumble, Shake & Tumble goes a long way in describing Wagons' unruly yet easy-to-like roots-rock sound, all you really have to do is listen to the disc's opening lines. The leadoff track "Downlow," a Tom Petty/Traveling Wilburys-ish jangly rocker, begins with a man proclaiming that his girl's mama "doesn't like me none/she's got every reason under the sun/Your daddy think I'm okay/But not for his little Pamela May." These words nicely encapsulate frontman Henry Wagons' charming but slightly dangerous way with music.

Listen to Rumble, Shake & Tumble, out August 16, 2011 on Thirty Tigers, and it's easy to fall under Wagons' sway. Their unruly sound, which has made them a popular act in their native Australia, draws upon rock 'n' roll, country, funk, cabaret, psychedelia and soul all tied together by Henry Wagons' delightfully twisted vision. With his gentle growl, he comes off like a cross between Leon Russell and his fellow Aussie Nick Cave as he couples Russell's laidback cool with Cave's noir hipness.

On their new album Wagons embark on a lively musical adventure that is by turns rocking and twanging, tough and tender, but always engaging and exciting. In talking about Rumble, Shake & Tumble, Henry Wagons revealed, "I wanted the album to reflect the washing machine turbine we have been put through. This musician's spin cycle has been an amazing and dizzy time. I wanted to capture it on record, complete with its highs and lows and touching on each extremity we have only hinted at on previous records."

Tracks like "Downlow" and the incendiary "Love Is Burning" presents Henry Wagons as a rogue-ish type of guy; however, he has a romantic streak too. The acoustic-based "My Daydream" stands out as a heartfelt love ode and a romantic sweetness shines through "Moon Into the Sun," although he can't resist slipping in the line: "My life has been f*cking mess without you."

As vibrant as Wagons' recorded work is, it's their dynamic, unpredictable live shows that solidified their reputation as a band to remember. Henry feels that groups can't just recreate their albums live and neglect the visual elements. At a Wagons show, he states, "You'll find a lot of energy, a lot of interaction and talk. We never leave anything behind. Small or large stage, we play like every show is the headlining slot at Woodstock."

While he believes Rumble, Shake & Tumble best captures the band's live show, Henry asserts that "seeing us live completes the picture. I like to think that live we sound like the album, but with added spectacular benefits. All of the band are big and tall personalities, bursting off the stage. I think people can feel and see that."