2:59

Attending school in Guelph meant Three Gut Records was a constant presence. The label’s roots are in that town, and it saw the formation of now internationally recognized acts like the Constantines and Royal City (Guelph being the “royal city”). One of my favorite acts on TGR’s roster was Cuff The Duke. I suppose the Oshawa based act is a “alt-country” or “punk-country” but they really sound nothing like the bands you’re thinking of. The band has this uncanny ability to take a cliched old outlaw country melody, wrap it around a garage rock song and suddenly break into a fuzzed out wall of no-wave distortion. While the band’s upcoming self-titled disc won’t carry the Three Gut logo (the label is gracefully yet bewilderingly closing their doors so the staff can explore other projects), I can’t wait to hear how the band’s songwriting has progressed. Their prior record (Life Stories for Minimum Wage) dropped in 2002, and it’s been far too long since then to wait for a follow up.

Cuff The Duke - Belgium Or Peru (MP3)