*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Maine!
Since this is the last week of our State of the Art: Maine series, I wanted something special. Something different. Something spectacularly good. I won’t lie. It took me hours upon hours to find what I was looking for. Hell, at more than one point I was about ready to give up and use others that were good, but not what I was looking for. So glad I kept looking because what I found is the best Roots Rock band I have heard in years. Brilliant guitar, soulful and emotive vocals; all done with the true feeling associated with 70’s Rock and Hard Rock that is all too often lost today and so hard to emulate. RC.Budaka is that band and their recently released debut CD “Right Hear Right Now” is way too damned good to be any band’s first album.
Calling Portland, Maine home, RC.Budaka is the result of a collaboration between veteran guitarist Rob Carlton and singer, songwriter and vocalist Budaka Quest. Both artists have achieved musical success over the years and can easily stand alone, but together, magic happens. With Carlton’s array of heavy riffs, soulful, blues style rhythms and tasteful use of acoustic and electric guitars layered with the rich vocal textures and down-to-earth song writing and lyrical style of Budaka, brand new Classic Rock is born. Like watching the waves of the ocean or golden fields of wheat blow gently in the wind, RC.Budaka weaves an intricate lattice of tonal architecture; countless moving parts acting harmoniously as one perfect unit. Having influences like Led Zeppelin, Bert Jansche, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Rush, and Rolling Stones, RC.Budaka come by this sound honestly. Add to the mix the intricacy of legendary bands like Yes or Boston, the seminal guitar playing of Eric Johnson or Jimi Hendrix, the vocal talents of Chris Robinson or Paul Rogers and the Folk Rock lyrics circa 1969 Woodstock along with modern production and what RC.Budaka is comes into crystal clear focus. Make no mistake, to achieve this high grade of tone and sound and still sound original and authentic is extremely difficult and impossibly rare. As stated on their website: “With their hearts, souls and skills dedicated to their new music, the possibilities for the sound of RC Budaka to exist in today’s world are endless. They have the ability to thrill, entertain and genuinely connect with any size audience and have an adaptable sound that’s completely rare to find out there in music today; this music virtually fits anywhere and truly belongs everywhere.”
In 2014, the band dropped its first single, “Sweet Medicine” and subsequently released their full length CD “Right Here Right Now” in 2015. Song included on this CD are: “Right Now”, “Fly On”, “Detangled”, “Love Letters”, “Stand in the Night”, “Black Jack Baby”, “Sweet Medicine”, “Nobody Knows” and “O Captain” and can be purchased at CD Baby, from their website or at Bull Moose stores in and around Maine. All songs are positive, upbeat and an absolute pleasure to listen to. Unique and so familiar at the same time. Currently, the band also includes Aaron Neily on drums and Dan Deforge on bass and all are busy promoting their music and the band. Playing anywhere they can, RC.Budaka is definitely a band to watch out for in the very near future. With their freakishly good music, the only way is up. Way up!
