Moreland & Arbuckle: Press

“On Flood, Moreland & Arbuckle attack the blues in ways that strongly recall the youthful rediscovery of the genre that hits both sides of the Atlantic in the 1960s, where an art form sometimes given up for dead leaps up and snares you with hard, piercing eyes and a grip that don’t quit.”

JamBase

“It’s one of the stranger instruments you’ll ever lay your eyes on, but lawdy, lawdy does it sound sweet in the capable hands of guitarist Aaron Moreland on the traditional tune ‘Legend of John Henry.’ I’m talking, of course, about his custom cigar box guitar, which has one bass string, three guitar strings, a fretless neck, hand-wound pickups, and tone as fat as a biscuits ’n’ gravy buffet. Moreland goes the traditional route as well, drawing from a colorful palette of electric and steel-string acoustic guitars on the trio’s swampy Delta blues and hill-country stomps. Notable too are singer Dustin Arbuckle’s considerable harmonica chops, exuding a big and rich tone and bona fide blues verve."

****1/2 Guitar Edge

“Moreland & Arbuckle beat the Black Keys at their own game, presenting raw, gut-bucket blues in a commanding, visceral manner. Plain and simple, these guys kick the blues square in the derriere!”

Virginian-Pilot

“…just fabulous! This is their debut CD with Telarc and it is strong from top to bottom. Guitarist Aaron Moreland has teamed up again with harp player Dustin Arbuckle, and they have a real gem in this new CD. Brad Horner is on drums and the three of them are just killer. Sometimes these guys are throw backs from 100 years ago, playing genuine delta blues. Two songs later and they are contemporary and putting fresh new sounds into our ears. Excellent slide, and guitar work. Stellar harmonica playing, and vocals that add to the mix. Brad never gets in the way with his drums, and they can keep a ‘John Henry’ beat going all day. With 13 cuts on the CD lasting almost 50 minutes Moreland & Arbuckle deliver the blues to us in 2010.”

Smoky Mountain Blues Society 

“These guys have kegs full of talent. Their songs can keep you driving fast and long. And if you’re a guitar player, you’d love to get into some of their playing and learn from them.”

No Depression

“Moreland & Arbuckle are the real deal. Flood is an album that will delight and surprise you and force you to push the volume up at one in the morning despite the neighbors banging on the walls.”

Blurt

 “Moreland & Arbuckle are back with a mighty fine new record called Flood. Their first collection for Telarc, Flood advances the band’s tightness and confidence, but retains all of the fire and the raw qualities that made 1861 and Caney Valley Blues so fun…Moreland’s distinctive cigar box guitar is in full effect, as well. Made from an actual cigar box, the electrified instrument has one bass string (routed to a bass amp) and three guitar strings (sent to a guitar amp) and a fretless neck. It’s a seemingly primitive instrument, but it sounds incredibly fresh and vital on Flood, a great third album from this fine roots trio.”

Napster

“What impresses me most is the passion the players use in performing, and evoke in listeners. Like an Oscar winning actor who can emote convincingly through a character, Moreland and Arbuckle turn every song into something that seems critically important. Even on an ‘I don’t give a damn’ day, their performances make me want to listen and have a care. An example is ‘Legend of John Henry,’ recorded live. I have heard versions of this old classic since I was old enough to listen, but Arbuckle sings it (and plays harp) like John Henry was his blood brother.”

Blues Blast Magazine

“If the blues has a contemporary voice in today’s music, it is surely Moreland & Arbuckle carrying the torch.”

Metronome Magazine

“…a disc whose strength and thump springs from an earthiness, and in that sense it generates its own muscle.”

Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange

“This ability to make connections with the troubles of the average person is one of the reasons the blues reaches so many people, and why Flood is so successful from a songwriting standpoint. Match that with a solid groove, great guitar playing and harmonica lines that sit right in the pocket and the result is one of the best blues releases of the new millennium.”

Guitar International

“These young men have taken traditional blues and forged it with folk, roots-music and rock that, given their affinity for great storytelling, makes Flood a highly-enjoyable listen!!”

Nashville Blues Society

The hundreds of one-night stands in dingy blues clubs and as support for other roots artists yield a tough, no-nonsense set that barrels through 50 minutes of highly charged Delta-styled blues and blues-rock. Like Billy Gibbons, guitarist Aaron Moreland gets a lot of gritty sound out of his guitar, in his case a custom cigar box contraption with three guitar strings and two bass strings. A bassist contributes to three tracks, but Moreland's attack is so powerful that he doesn't need the help. Singer/harpist Dustin Arbuckle blows like a combination of Little Walter (whose "Hate to See You Go" is one of the album's few covers), Paul Butterfield, and Jason Ricci; in other words, plugged in and spitting blood. The pair's raw talent and gutsy approach, honed by a decade of roadwork and musical empathy, are evident throughout this inspiring, energetic, and dynamic release.

 **** All Music Guide

“This entire album is an all-you-can-eat countrified blues buffet, best-served with cold beer and pool tables. Amidst the Jonas Brothers and Lady Gag Gag, who knew they still made music like this? No matter, you’ll be glad they still do. Play this on your bike at maximum volume and Johnny Law will be pulling you over before the next off ramp, ‘cause you’ll be lost in some of the greatest road tunes this side of Memphis.” Hot Bike Baggers
“If Moreland & Arbuckle’s upcoming album Flood is any indication, 2010 is gonna be a great year for music. Guitarist Aaron Moreland and singer-harpist Dustin Arbuckle have been making music together for nearly a decade, and their playing has the ease and cohesion that only such longtime familiarity could produce.”

 Muruch