A pussycat and a cock walk into a bar to make some noise. That sounds like the start of a bad joke, but actually it is the business model of Canadian rock ‘n’ roll duo Kitty & The Rooster. On their debut album One Gig Hard Drive (2018) they introduced themselves in opening song Kitty & The Rooster’s Official Bio (“We’re like The Black Keys, with better tits”), now Jodie Ponto on the stand-up cocktail drum kit and Noah Walker on electric guitar – they share vocal duties – are back with their second long player, Ain’t Pussyfootin’ Around. Expect eleven “true tales from the tour van” with explicit lyrics in which pretty cleverly worded humor is key, songs that elicit blushing and loud laughter during live shows (“Just when I was popping my rock n’ roll boner // A man tapped me on the shoulder, told me he was the owner // He said: You need a license for dancing in here // So could you tell all these people to get back in their chairs?”). However, all this is way more than a gimmick – musically the tracks are perfectly fine, an infectious and skilfully played mix of 60s-inspired surf rock and energetic rockabilly, with two voices that go together nicely. This record offers 35 minutes of danceable fun, and if you listen very closely you might even hear a deeper message.
Ain’t Pussyfootin’ Around, recorded & mixed by Corwin Fox, and mastered by Brock McFarlane, is out now digitally and on CD (self-released). Also featuring Jody Peck & Kathleen Nisbet aka The Cockettes on background vocals, and Tom Heuckendorff on organ & piano.
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