The five guys in cowboy hats who go by the name of The Ponderosa Aces are Honky Tonkin' outlaws through and through; no frills, no gimmicks, no irony.
This, to many, is the essence of unreconstructed 'real country' and is as unambiguously macho as a John Wayne Western. The 'Aces' appear blissfully oblivious (or ignorant) of modern trends or any need for political correctness. It's not offensive, just outmoded.
The stompin' and "growlin'" singer and song writer is Mike Maddux and, of his four loyal compadres, Steve Meister's pedal steel expertise does the most to define their sound.
The band's debut release was 'Honkin' Tonkin' My Life Away'; a title which both identifies their destiny and accurately defines their modus operandi. What you hear is what you get.
They pride themselves in being in their element live, accustomed to playing all types of venue for up to three hours if called upon. Condensing this into eleven songs and under 40 minutes initially proved a challenge but after some drink fueled rehearsal sessions at bassist Johnny (JB) Bottoms' home they were prepared to apply the finishing touches in The Racket Room studio in Santa Anna, California.
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Tracks like Lots Of Ways To Be An Outlaw and Raising Hell In Honky Tonks serve as succinct guidelines to the hard drinking, hard living, truck driving lifestyle they advocate. In the latter, for instance, the song's anti-hero "drinks the bottle all the way down and is ready to start again".
File under willfully anachronistic.
The Ponderosa Aces' website
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