Muddy Ruckus and Brian Dolzani at The Press Room

Description

Muddy Ruckus is a nationally touring americana-rock duo from Portland, Maine. The stripped down power duo features guitarist Ryan Flaherty and percussionist Erika Stahl. Muddy Ruckus blends haunting male/female vocals, rootsy guitar and edgy percussion on a suitcase drum kit. The New York Music Daily calls Muddy Ruckus "Darkly Inventive Americana".

Muddy Ruckus' music is an epic blend of americana, punk-folk and suitcase rock. Flaherty, originally from Rock Island, IL, met Stahl in 2013 in Portland Maine. They played on porches, street corners and campfires and became Muddy Ruckus. The duo pulls inspiration from the music they love - old-timey folk music, dirty blues, circa 1940 hot swing (Django Reinhardt) and Rock n Roll - dressing it with Dylan-esque lyrics that poke fun at society and examine the state of the world. 
Muddy Ruckus released their debut album in September, 2015. The New York Daily call's it "Darkly inventive americana." Maine Today says "Muddy Ruckus's self-titled debut album touches on the sacred, hints at the profane and encapsulates everything in between, all to the sound of an infectiously toe-tapping backbeat."

The duo is recording a brand new album to be released in the winter of 2016. The duo was recently nominated for the New England Music Awards "Best in State of Maine" and was included in Daytrotter's "Best songs of 2014". Muddy Ruckus has gone on to record three Daytrotter sessions over the past year. The band tours regularly and has performed several shows with other renowned touring artists, including "Family Spirit Reunion", "Elephant Revival" and "Ghost of Paul Revere" just to name a few. 

Brian Dolzani mines his personal life and experiences to create songs that cut deep upon first listen. Through his unique vocal tone (a 'smoother Neil Young') and individualistic writing style, you can tell Brian is putting himself on the ledge with every song and performance. His music reflects his heartache and perseverance through early life tragedy, as well as the daily complexities of family life and deep existential issues we all face (if we know how to look and feel). Despite the often confessional and weighty issues that he writes about, Brian's music is inspiring, healing, and a testament to the human ability to engage life at a deep, spiritual level, and live to tell the tale.