OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASEJERSEY BASED WORKING CLASS HUSSYSBRING ROOTS AND CLASSIC ROCK,A DASH OF BROADWAY DRAMA AND A BLEND OF WITAND POIGNANCY TO THEIR ALT ROCK VIBEON ‘DIARY OF A BLUE COLLAR CRACKER’Asked about their major influences, most indie alternative rockers cite other alt rock bands—but Ian Patrick Gentles, charismatic frontman and driving creative force of the New Jersey based Working Classy Hussys, brings a few more colorful and unexpected inspirations (and a tasty blend of wit and poignancy) to the dance on their official full length debut Diary of a Blue Collar Cracker.A prolific songwriter who has also recorded eight yet to be released solo albums, Gentles loves it all and draws inspiration from many different wells, from rootsy Southern, classic rock to the whimsical, quirky drama of Broadway. Working Classy Hussys’ expansive appeal has led to the group—a trio also featuring Patricia Crowell (backing vocals, tambourine) and guitarist Mike McClellan)–performing everywhere from regular haunts Triumph Brewery and John and Peter’s in New Hope, Pennsylvania to Rooster’s Barbecue and The Listening Room down in Nashville. Aside from the band’s infectious melodies, another aspect of WCH’s powerful connections to their audience is Gentles’ personal working class story, which includes years as a truck driver and his current “day gig” as an architecture-obsessed double decker bus tour guide in NYC.Working Class Hussys’ history is as fascinating as their music, stretching back to the early 2000s when Gentles—formerly of the NYC and Boston based band Uncle Butch—fronted the first lineup. After playing locally in PA and Jersey with some success, Gentles put the live band on ice in order to hunker down in the studio and develop as a songwriter for a number of years. He recorded those eight CDs during this period. Developing a creative and romantic relationship with his future wife Crowell (a digital marketing veteran) in 2010, he decided to resurrect the band concept, and after a rotating series of musicians, the new Working Class Hussy took off with the addition of McClellan in mid-2011. In addition to recording and releasing Diary of a Blue Collar Cracker, they re-released one of Gentles’ CDs of demos called Urban Country. Reflective of the band’s prolific output, even as they are promoting Diary, their new track “Goin’ For A Ride” (that will appear on their in the works follow-up album) is receiving airplay on local stations WDVR and the Pennsylvania college station WDIY.Although the band’s moniker and the title Diary of a Blue Collar Cracker have a tongue in cheek edge, much of Gentles’ songwriting is also heartfelt and poignant. Originally begun as an homage to an ex girlfriend, the album evolved to include songs about other issues and in the moment observations. As the harmonic rocker “Whiter Shades of Trash” jangles and rumbles along, Gentles sings wistfully about the downfall of his hometown of Trenton and its resulting “white flight”; the hard hitting video he and Crowell created track the stark differences from the culturally void suburbs where he grew up to the colorful and culturally rich, but depressed present day downtown Trenton. The infectious old school blues tinged pop rocker “Friends of Mine” has a buoyant melody but has darker lyrics about friends who committed suicide. The harmonic, beautifully textured pop rocker “Somewhere You’re Smiling” is about an uncle (just a few years older) Gentles was close to who died of lung cancer.“Nobody Knows My Pain” takes a lighthearted musical approach to the way a friend’s personal issues can bring you down. “Loves To Be” is a dreamy acoustic based Southern rock styled love song.“We’ve really worked on the stage show to make it a very compelling, fun experience for both us and the fans,” says Gentles. Crowell adds, “What makes us tick? Ian’s songs. We just want them to be heard and Working Class Hussys is our vehicle that brings them to life. They’re intelligently written. But as strong as his creative talent as a songwriter and singer is, he’s also a comedian, as well as an illustrator and copywriter. It’s been easy for him to get bogged down in the studio creating, and when we met, he realized it was time to start sharing his music with the world. We’re really enjoying the opportunity to do this. His talent shouldn’t be a secret anymore.”Artist: Working Class HussysAlbum: Diary of A Blue Collar CrackerReview by: Alec CunninghamWorking Class Hussys’ 2010 release, Diary of A Blue Collar Cracker, is an interesting one to say the absolute least. And with an album title as quirky as that, there is no real way to predict what you might be in for. But somehow, the title seems to fit the album perfectly. The quirkiness and whimsy does not stop at the title, however; it continues throughout the entirety of the album. The band’s album artwork correlates well with the theme of the album; they take the classic WWII Rosie the Riveter “We Can Do It” poster and change it up a bit. Instead of the well-known woman, a man is exhibited, and in place of the “We Can Do It” thought bubble, the man has tattooed “Working Class Hussys” on his bicep.The lyrics of “Whiter Shade of Trash” are truly one of a kind. The song details the working life of a “working class cracker” and how picket fences, suburban sprawls, and soccer moms have altered life for the community. The higher class population has slowly been edging this working class population out until there are none left. It is an unusual song that tells a story that will keep you enthralled until the end. And the light melody along with each “Shoo ba doo” sound created by the background vocalists give the song a ‘60s feel. Being out of Nashville, Tennessee, the band’s frontman Ian Patrick Gentles has a slight Southern tone to his voice. In “Nobody Knows My Pain,” Gentles goes from the angry, raspy singing of, “I’m frustrated, I can’t take it,” to the delicate, soft singing of, “Nobody knows my pain” in the very next line. The song’s old school, peppy qualities make it sound as if it could easily take the position of a song off of the Grease soundtrack.This album can sincerely be thought of as the diary of a blue collar cracker. Diary of A Blue Collar Cracker can be seen as a story being told from this one specific person’s perspective. It covers topics from love and broken relationships to work and home life. Most songs, however, center on the subject of love. “Antisocial Butterflies” is no different. Gentles gives a description of both social and antisocial butterflies, the difference being whether a person is in a relationship or not.With such a unique sound, it is difficult to pinpoint music that is specifically similar to theirs; their sound is rock mixed with pop and a touch of soul, but they do not exactly have a 21st century sound. Their style is more old-timey, but still has a very contemporary feel. Most songs are peppy and eccentric, while one in particular, “Break,” begins with a fairly less lively sound. The melody created by the instruments is still fairly upbeat, though. As the song continues it picks up more rock attributes and less acoustic ones, such as those that were portrayed at the song’s onset. The song is about an ongoing relationship. Gentles sings that when the relationship gets rocky things can seem awful, but the two always have hope that it will turn around. And all in all, things are going great, so they would never even consider ending things with each other.By having such an eccentric, idiosyncratic sound, Working Class Hussys should have no trouble finding steady footing for them. And since everything from the band name to the album title down to the lyrics within each song are always quirky and unpredictable, they are sure to form a lasting memory within the minds of their listeners.Review by: Alec CunninghamRating: 4 stars (out of 5)