Whirlin’ Jack Dervy
‘Lemon Sucker’
Self-released
Local
singer-guitarist Nick Schaefer, better known as Whirlin’
Jack Dervy, has been fixated on songwriting since
learning to play guitar at age 11. With a deep curiosity for the cohesion
between lyrics and chord structures, he’s released four solo EP’s since 2015.
Schaefer now performs with his backing band of friends. The Wily Tycoons
consist of Jackson Cavalier on guitar and harmonica, Will Westeaver
on bass, and Adam Kujawski
on drums. The fifth release and new LP, “Lemon Sucker,” is a
self-recorded glimpse into Schaefer’s melancholic, mesmerizing, and off-kilter
world.
The album features
psychedelic, lo-fi production, accentuated by the Kurt Cobain-like scratch in
Schaefer’s voice. Whirlin’ Jack & The Wily Tycoons
exude the fuzzy psych-blues style of The Rolling Stones in “Rock
Steady,” while strumming out slower folk shuffles like “On the
Run” and “When All of This Is Over.” Whirlin’
Jack creates musical irony by foiling sad lyrics with happy music in tunes such
as “Nobody Wants to Be My Buddy,” which also features a sing-along
and a kazoo solo. The “Lemon Sucker” LP is the haunting reflection of a love-weary
soul caught up in the same old cycles.
Whirlin’ Jack Dervy &
The Wily Tycoons will perform along with The Endless Mountain Derelicts and
Late Earth on Friday, August 16, 9p.m. at Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Avenue. $7. Ages 18 and over (under 21,
will call tickets only). 454-2966. bugjar.com.
This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2019.
