THE SUBDUDES

Over the course of 25 years and ten albums, the Subdudes have quietly become one of America’s national music treasures. 

Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist, John Magnie, The Subdudes draw most of their inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, blending blues, gospel, funk, and R&B with their own harmony vocals; their sound is also notable for the band’s substitution of a tambourine player, Steve Amedée,  for a drummer. Tim Cook rounds out the band on bass.

Their music features an intoxicating blend of passionate, joyous roots music, not to mention some of the sharpest musicianship and ensemble playing you’ll ever hear from any musicians. More than a just a concert, the “dudes” leave you feeling like they’re having a party and you were lucky enough to be invited.

In 1987, four musicians got together for what they envisioned would be a one-time performance at Tipitina’s in New Orleans. It was a night of mostly acoustic music – sparse instrumentation with a strong emphasis on songwriting and vocal harmonies. The show far exceeded expectations, and on that March night the subdudes were born.

Nearly 10 years later, after five well-received albums and several years of hard touring, the subdudes called it quits. Spinoff projects ensued, as did the occasional reunion show.

In February of 2002, three of the four original band members decided to get back together. They recruited some friends, and they hit the road for the rest of the decade before taking another break.

Now, starting in March 2014, they're giving it another go. This time it's the original lineup for the first time in 17 years, playing a few select shows.

And after nearly 30 years, still nobody in the world sounds like them.

-- from subdudes.com

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The Subdudes  are an American roots rock group from New Orleans. Their music blends folk, swamp pop, New Orleans rhythm and blues, Louisiana blues, country, cajun/zydeco, funk, soul and gospel with harmonic vocals. Their sound is notable for the band's substitution of a tambourine player for a drummer.The subdudes formed in 1987 through a music venue in New Orleans called Tipitina's.

The Subdudes often credit their songwriting to the group as a whole, although the primary songwriters are Tommy Malone (brother of The Radiators guitarist Dave Malone) and John Magnie, both former members of Little Queenie and the Percolators. Current members of the band are Malone, vocals, acoustic, electric and slide guitars; Magnie, vocals, accordion, keyboards; Steve Amedée, tambourine, drums, other percussions, and vocals; Tim Cook, percussion, bass and vocals; and Jimmy Messa, bass and guitar. They are an Americana band with a rock-based sound that also shows soul, gospel, blues, cajun/zydeco, country, and other American roots music influences. Their former bass player was Johnny Ray Allen, who had not been with the band since their 1996 farewell tour (documented the next year on the Live at Last CD) until a brief reunion in 2014. Willie Williams also contributed to three albums: Annunciation, Primitive Streak and Live at Last as a second guitarist. Annunciation (1994) was produced by legendary record producer Glyn Johns, who also produced The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks, and Crosby, Stills and Nash among others.

After regrouping in 2002 (first as The Dudes but then re-adopting the name 'subdudes' in March 2003), Bob Dylan's guitarist Freddy Koella helped produce Miracle Mule. The album Behind the Levee (2006) was produced by bluesman Keb' Mo' and yielded a minor hit, "Papa Dukie and the Mud People" (better known by its refrain, "Love is a Beautiful Thing"). Released in late 2007, the album Street Symphony was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Blackbird Studios in March 2007 and was produced by George Massenburg, who has worked with Little Feat. Released in late 2008, Live at the Ram's Head is available on CD or as a two DVD set, with one disc being the live show from "The Ram's Head" in Annapolis, Maryland, and the second DVD being Unplugged at Pleasant Plains, with interviews and live studio footage from the recording of Street Symphony in Nashville.

Most recently (2009), the band's self-produced Flower Petals was recorded in Magnie's basement studio then mixed in Miami, Florida by The Albert Brothers and Steve Alaimo. The album was a departure for the band, being much more country-oriented than previous releases.[3] The cover art was by William Matthews, a Denver, Colorado artist well known for his Old West-style paintings. Flower Petals was originally slated to be recorded as the follow-up to Miracle Mule in 2004 but was nixed by the band's record company at the time, Back Porch Records. Five years later, the band members financed the recording themselves then shopped around the completed tapes.

The Subdudes' stature as New Orleans musicians was reflected by their inclusion individually and as a group in the HBO series Treme.

After a hiatus starting in 2011, the original line-up reunited in March 2014, with Johnny Ray Allen on bass. Allen died on August 8, 2014 at age 56. The band has continued to tour with Tim Cook on bass.