Cropduster

"While some folks like to use (and abuse) the term 'insurgent country' to brand anything that resembles twangy punk rock, Cropduster inspires a whole new label--'eccentric country.'"- CMJ, February, 1999

"Unlike many of the bands I loved back in the late Nineties and early 00’s but rarely listen to anymore, Cropduster holds up surprisingly well. The cowpunk quartet from Hackensack (and later New Brunswick) never fit into a box, neither ahead of their time, nor retro, nor slaves to contemporary tastes. Rather, the group’s blend of cracked country, turnpike snark, mumbled nonsense, and vintage riffs seemed outside of whatever else might have been going on around them. So I was delighted to hear that Mint 400 Records (home of Jersey stalwarts Fairmont, the One & Nines, and Les Trois Chaud, among others) would be digitally re-releasing the band’s 1998 self-titled DIY debut and its 2001 follow-up, Drunk Uncle, originally released on…(We Put Out Records) the in-house label at the Music Syndicate.

After playing bass in several failed local acts, Marc Maurizi nearly chopped his thumb off in an industrial accident. While recuperating, he decided to teach himself guitar, learn how to write songs, and step in front of the mic as frontman in his next band. Cropduster (by Cropduster) displays the fruits of those endeavors, with eight catchy numbers that showcase Maurizi’s sarcastic wit, ably abetted by Tom Gerke’s nimble lead guitar and exquisite harmony vocals. “Trevor Trailer Trash,” “Point The Finger,” “Never,” and “Animal Crackers” would become staples of the band’s live show, with a disarming earnestness and Maurizi’s almost sing/song delivery slyly masking the group’s potent pop chops.

Three years later, the band recorded Drunk Uncle for The Music Syndicate, a Weehawken promotions company that specialized in getting indie bands played on college radio. The bigger production budget, plus Maurizi’s considerable growth as both a singer and songwriter, resulted in one of the best homegrown Jersey albums ever, with nine near-perfect, clever, catchy tracks. The band still toyed with country tropes and simple major chord melodies, but on songs like “Lower East Side Blues” and “Mind Rock,” Cropduster proved it could get a room full of twentysomethings dancing as well. The deal with the Syndicate, while short-lived, did let the band tour quite a bit and play larger venues, although I will always remember Cropduster at those infamous house-shows the band threw at its punkhouse in Hackensack, or playing with the tightly-knit New Brunswick scene bands of the era at small clubs like Maxwell’s and the Court Tavern. Marriages and babies and jobs and life put Cropduster on hold for a while, but I hear they’ll be playing out again, and next year Mint 400 promises to release a new CD of unreleased tracks and rarities, which will almost certainly wind up being one of my top albums of the year. For now, I heartily recommend you dig into two of my favorite records from 1998 and 2001." - Jim Testa | Jersey Beat

RIYL: Eels, Craig Finn (The Hold Steady), The Rural Alberta Advantage
TRY: #1, 2 (on Cropduster) & #2, 5 (on Drunk Uncle)
DIRTY: #1 (on Drunk Uncle)

Download Full Album Here:
https://www.piratepirate.com/downloads/

More Info Here:
http://www.cropduster.net
http://www.mint400records.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cropduster/126516807411425
https://www.facebook.com/groups/147634748608337/
https://twitter.com/mint400records