John Schooley & His One Man Band

One Man Against the World (Voodoo Rhythm)

John Schooley’s a travelin’ man. On the cover of his second LP for Swiss garage label Voodoo Rhythm, we find the local one-man band wielding a machete, guitar safely at his shoulder, collaged next to the Eiffel Tower and the pyramids. No, Schooley hasn’t gone world music; we still get his bluesy stomp and slide, at a marathon 14 songs. With a guitar, harmonica, and kick drum, he unfolds tales of his beloved South via a few choice covers (namely a cello-laden stroll through the late Lee Hazlewood’s “My Baby Cried All Night Long”), a killer instrumental (the rockabilly romp “Hudcore”), and even a little electro-dalliance (“One Man Against the World Part II”). And at the end of the World, Schooley’s true to his roots, whether blasting through the Oblivians thump of “Every Day Can Get You Down” or the holler of “The Crooked Path.” Roll on.

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This article appears in August 31 • 2007.

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