By Dave Schaefer

Stucco Jones is a two-man Columbus band that blows out rock tunes like Rodan blows down a Toho Tokyo -- efficiently, entertainingly, and (of course) destructively.

Except Stucco Jones does it with a bit more liquor.

The band consists of Tom and Dennis -- two men with a penchant for garage rock that is a step above a typical sound of the genre, but also comfortable in it.  And that’s meant in a good way.  They toss in just the right mix of driving beat and interesting riffs to create music that makes you not want to sit down, but at the same time order the bartender to line up another shot.

They profess that their songwriting process is “a shot of whiskey and a beer followed by a riff and a beat. If it has more than two parts, it usually turns into a song.”  And there being only two of them only makes it easier. “It’s good being a two piece, ‘cause if one of us likes something and the other doesn’t… its out. There’s no majority vote or anything, which we think works great.”

The band is currently working on recording their live shows for an upcoming CD titled “The Jimmy Crum EP” in homage to the former loud-blazer-wearing sports anchor from the local NBC affiliate.  Why name it that?  “We’re both not really into sports but he is a pretty bad-ass Columbus legend.”  They’ve already recorded a show at Ruby Tuesday’s last month and plan to record their October 31 show at Oldfield’s.  “We also plan to record some others so we can take the ‘best of’ tracks and have an album that is recorded live from Columbus bars.”

Which begs the question, what does Stucco Jones think about the local Columbus scene?

“Columbus has a great music scene. One of the best in the Midwest. Columbus’ scene is very diverse and has a great sense of community. Its cool that a lot of shows we have been a part of there will be bands on the same bill playing totally different types of music, but everyone is digging it. Sites like Life on the C-bus, The Cringe, and events like Comfest are great for this city’s music scene and help keep it growing. Columbus is a big city with a shitload of talent that is very underestimated.”

But then they quickly add, “But there are too many chairs in the bars that play local music. No chairs equals more people rocking.”

A friend of Stucco Jones, having perhaps one-too-many shots of whisky, one night described them in (of all things) an incredibly accurate haiku:

Stucco Jones

The wail and she screams

Hell-bent guitar, thunder boom

And yes, whiskey too

And that’s Stucco Jones, caught somewhere between Japanese poetry and the barmaid.