This is how you Traverse Michigan. With cutting edge technology, tons of cargo space, and advanced safety features, Chevy Traverse is your key to unlocking the mitten state.
Click “play” on any song by The Muggs and you’ll instantly be transported back to the early 1970s, complete with a throwback blues-rock vibe reminiscent of bands like Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top.
Detroit natives Danny Methric (vocals, guitar), Tony DeNardo (bass) and Todd Glass (drums) are The Muggs, a band profoundly influenced by the likes of Cactus and Savoy Brown. With three albums under their belt (and a fourth on the way!), The Muggs have toured everywhere from the U.S. to Spain to Germany to France.
Methric and DeNardo first began playing together during their college days, under the moniker Fat Belly Brown. The Muggs were officially formed in 2000, and in 2009, Glass replaced the band’s original drummer. The best way to summarize The Muggs’ sound is nice melodies over big riffs.
The Muggs’ self-titled debut album was released in 2005 by Times Beach Records, followed by “On With the Show” in 2008 and “Born Ugly” in 2011, both of which were released independently. The band’s fourth full-length album, “Full Tilt,” will be released on Friday, April 26, 2013.
“This is our first live album ever,” DeNardo said. “I think it captures the essence of a live Muggs concert.”
The band enjoys interacting with its fans and loves playing in front of an enthusiastic audience, which is why they chose to make a live album.
“Playing in a studio is fun, but it doesn’t have the same excitement as rocking out for a bunch of beer-drinking music fans… I think that is why our forthcoming live album came out so well,” Methric said. “We just kept feeding off the audience and our performance benefitted as a result.”
The Muggs are heavily blues influenced, and they play loud. If you buy a ticket to one of their shows, get ready for a sweaty, beer-drenched, blues-rock extravaganza.
While the band draws from fellow blues-rock musicians, they have a unique sound that is all their own, and lyrics that include references to horror films (check out “6 to Midnite,” “Bite of the Weredog” and “Hats Off to Mr. Beardsley”).
“We have a really unique rhythm section. Tony, being essentially one-handed, plays all of his bass parts on a Fender Rhodes Piano. That adds a (real) heaviness to the bottom end of our sound,” Methric said. “And Todd Glass is simply the best drummer in Detroit.”
After the release of “Full Tilt” in April, the band will embark on another European tour.
“We are so humbled by our opportunities to play abroad and feel very honored to represent Detroit’s rich musical heritage in other countries,” DeNardo said.
The Muggs have had no trouble finding success nationwide, thanks to exposure including a musical appearance in the new 2013 Chevy Silverado 4×4 commercial with the song “Notes Underground,” as well as the availability of the band’s songs on Pandora.
As if an upcoming album and tour weren’t exciting enough, The Muggs have even more in store for their fans.
“More festivals, more studio albums, more commercial spots, more rock concerts, more Muggs,” DeNardo said.
While you eagerly await The Muggs’ new project, grab a ticket to the band’s Record Release Party, being held Friday, April 26 at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale.
