The Rousers have been rocking NYC since their first gig at CBGB in 1977. They soon became headliners at CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, among other venues. While headlining shows all over the Northeast, The Rousers released only one single,"Party Boy", on Jimboco records. This Wayne Kramer-produced single was favorably reviewed in the New York Times and elsewhere. As the years went by the band changed names and some members over time, but everyone who knew of them from the old scene still referred to them as The Rousers, so The Rousers they remain.

The Rousers released their "Playing the Rock and Roll For You" in 2014, and ushered in a new era of popularity for the band, expanding their audience and leading to a feature article in the New York Times highlighting the current NY rock scene in late 2017: ” The Rousers are amazingly tight and rock incredibly hard with an edge that seems to have only sharpened with time, some say they are in their prime". Also rated one of the Top 10 NYC bands to see live in 2018 by the Aquarian Weekly. Their EP “Kickin’ ” was released in 2019.

Drummer Sal Capozucca died in May 2020 of Covid-19. As a tribute and testimony to his talent, the band has digitally released a trio of albums featuring

Sal:

Praise Jockeys: Look at my Face

Mockingbirds: Broken Times

The Rousers: All the King’s Men

 

This mid-career version of The Rousers captures the band at a stylistic crossroads, mixing country, rockabilly, 60s-style garage rock, blues, surf twang and a tender ballad among various offerings. 

 

The Rousers are:

 

Sal CapozuccaDrums/ backing vocals

Bill DicksonGuitar/lead vocals

Tom MilmoreLead guitar/backing vocals

Brett WilderBass/backing vocals

 

 

When a guitar band gets a keyboard player, it’s magic or murder. Thankfully, The Mockingbirds sound like a keyboard band that added guitars. Saucy and sad, menacing and melancholy, there’s some music here everyone should hear once, in case they like it. 

The Mockingbirds appeared often in New York City in the 1990s at CBGB, McGovern’s and other dubious spots. The band went into Roxy Studios in Queens, NY with producer/engineer Bob Stander in 1992?. 

 

From moody and snooty songs like “Keep a Secret” to the sorrowed shade of “CBGB” and “Broken Times” to the pure joyous desperation of the 60s cover “We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet”, this EP catches the happy meeting of guitars, keys and big beats with an authentic verve that pairs well with The Animals and Sir Douglas Quintet.

 

 

The Mockingbirds are:

 

Sal CapozuccaDrums/ backing vocals

Bill DicksonBass/lead vocals

Tom MilmoreLead guitar/backing vocals

Chris PondishKeys/backing vocals

 

 

The Praise Jockey group is best understood as veteran NYC New Wave popist rock n rollers giving into their primal urges to rock hard in the mode of Brit idols like Slade, Mott the Hoople and locals like the New York Dolls while semi-mocking the perceived grandiosity of hard hair pretenders of the late 80s/ early 90s. 

 

The base of this outfit is The Rousers (1977- 1983 NYC) minus original singer Jeff Buckland. The riff-tastic real exuberance of the Jockeys caught the attention of local media  which ensured continued CBGB dates and little else. The Praise Jockeys recorded twice at Roxy Studios in Queens, NY with producer/engineer Bob Stander, the first session bankrolled by former manager and future super agent Andy Somers. The resulting material is a rich ragout of righteous rocking, including a sea chanty (“The Thresher”), a song of psychedelic disaster (“I Just Dropped In”) and a love song quoting “Winchester Cathedral” (“The Gesture”). Ernest intensity and uneasy distance boss the emotions while the beat tells you it’s all right. 

 

The Praise Jockeys are:

 

Sal CapozuccaDrums/ backing vocals

Bill DicksonGuitar/lead vocals

Tom MilmoreLead guitar/backing vocals

Brett WilderBass/backing vocals

 

 

Tom Milmore has appeared and recorded on the NYC music scene since 1977 when he moved to the city from Connecticut to work at the legendary Media Sound and (later) Power Station studios where he worked alongside many  future rock audio icons.

A talented guitarist, Tom ultimately decided to devote himself to playing music with former high school bandmates, forming The Rousers in 1977. The Rousers enjoyed regional success as stalwarts of the growing underground scene typified by Max's Kansas City and CBGBs, but failed to break big. 

Tom has continued to pursue music with a steady vengeance and remains highly regarded and active on the New York rock scene. His playing can be idolized anew on fresh releases by his bands The Rousers, The Mockingbirds and Praise Jockeys.

 

Brett Wilder began his professional musical career at age 17 as bassist for Justin Trouble/Justin Love, appearing at Max's Kansas City and other New York City hotspots before joining The Rousers in 1981 (and again in 1996 and 2016, see recent release “All the King’s Men”).  He played bass next in The Backbones with Philippe Marcade of The Senders before rejoining Sal Capozucca, Tom Milmore and Bill Dickson to form press darlings the Praise Jockeys. 

Brett branched out as a bassist or guitar player with The Vacant Lot, The Trick Babys and other punk outfits still adored by enthusiasts. He has appeared and recorded with more bands than not. Brett is valued as a solid bassist, songwriter, vocalist and snappy performer.

 

Sal played his first drum kit at age 4, encouraged by his jazz-loving namesake uncle. He grew up playing parties and weddings before moving onto rock and roll clubs, first gaining notice in The  Boyfriends. He joined The Rousers in 1981, and played with several related bands throughout his career, including Praise Jockeys and The Mockingbirds. 

 

An author, producer, coach and mini-mogul, Sal is known for his ready groove, exuberant fills and bass background vocals. He died of Covid-19 on May 13, 2020. 

 

Bill Dickson began singing and writing songs in high school bands in Connecticut and first played guitar professionally in The Rousers after moving to New York. He went on to play in The Backbones with Brett Wilder. As a lead vocalist he came into his own with the Praise Jockeys, switching to bass with The Mockingbirds. Bill then played either bass or guitar depending on Mr. Wilder’s whereabouts and continues to write, sing and play in the New York area. His stylings can be absorbed on Spring 2021 releases by The Rousers, The Mockingbirds and Praise Jockeys.

 

Dr. Chris began his musical career banging away on the dust filled family piano in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. After knocking around the NYC club scene in various bands, Chris met Tom Milmore and the rest is Mockingbirds history. Some claim he was instrumental (oh yes) in crafting the catchy keyboard inflected sonority that lifted the ‘birds above the usual guitar band sound.  Now in his dotage, he spends his mornings on the tennis court and his afternoons banging away on a significantly cleaner piano much to the dismay of his yellow lab (a harsh critic, that one). Chris is an accomplished player, singer and songwriter, and does some of his best work here with The Mockingbirds.