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It all started when Walston sent entered his demo into a competition to play a slot on a national festival, where he beat 350 hopefuls to play the slot. After the festival, in the summer of 2004, the band relocated to Baltimore, and thrived in the Baltimore scene along with their contemporaries. The band released the five song “Fierce Tiger” EP, which included some re recordings of earlier songs from the band’s career. The following year on April 6th 2007, the band released a full-length album called “Hail Mega Boys” and recorded in a house that band member Billy Gordon was staying that they called “The Pirate Ship”. The song “Rock n’ Roll II” got selected for use in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210, entitled “Rush House”, and then the song “ Sally Bangs” was used on an MTV reality show called Caged. The song “Tell You What” made it to an episode of Glenn Martin D.D.S.
The band signed to Vagrant Records in November 2009, and entered Sound City studios to record their debut released on the label. Prior to the release of the album, the band made an attempt to play every piano in the Manhattan public parks as part of an installation called “Play Me, I’m Yours” by British artist Luke Jerram. Unfortunately, the band missed out two of the 27 available pianos.
July 27th 2010, saw the band release their eponymous debut album, lead by the single “ Don’t Break the Needle” which was used in the opening of the feature film Contraband. A touring poster of the band was featured in the background of an episode of the CBS series, entitled Two Broke Girls. Following the release of the album, the band embarked on a couple of national tours, they also played SXSW and Lollapalooza.
The band released their sophomore album “Essential Tremors”, on September 10th 2013, on ATO Records, and lead the release of the album with the single “Heavy Bells” which made it into the US Alternative Chart peaking at number 11.
Have you ever seen a man playing the piano leap four feet off the bench and land back down perfectly in time never missing a note? Or bend over backwards so far his head touches the ground in a exorcist like stretch only to return promptly to the keys in a mess of hair and rock and rollness that is just unprecedented? No? Then you have not seen the joy that is a J. Roddy Walston and the Business show.
Fierce rock and roll that will honestly melt your face, that is the only way to describe it. You think how can a truly rock and roll show use a piano as a lead? It just doesn't make sense rock and roll is a guitars game. This is true and the Business bring the guitar rock that is second to none, but J. Roddy on those black and whites is something to behold. The piano becomes an extension of himself he plays one hand on the keys and rocks the whole up right back and forth with the other. He head bangs so hard you swear he's playing the song with his forehead. It is just a spectacle that every true rock and roll fan needs to see before they die.
The really great thing about J. Roddy and the Business is that they are just regular guys. I have seen J. Roddy walk around before shows and chat with everyone that came out to see him. (that is very cool) They even tour kind of old school taking up residences in bars. That is really kind of a great thing that just isn't done all that much anymore, a shame because I think a lot can be said for a band that feels comfortable with the stage that they are playing on, but to be honest J. Roddy Walston seems comfortable and cool no matter where he's jumping.
Lemorphy
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