The Cutlass Three

The Cutlass Three cut right to the bone, their killer combination of penetrating lead, "war" drums, solid bass and authoritative vocals creating ironclad jams punctuated with a chopping reggae/ska rthymn that evokes the best of the Clash, filtered through metal, hillbilly, blues and their own sometimes ironic twist. Whether you catch TCT live on the Southern New England club circuit, or pick up their just out EP " Ready To Strike" (Available at gigs or at www.myspace.com/thecutlassband ), you'll be amazed that three people can put out such an onslaught of sound.

The Three are brothers David - lead guitar, lead vocals - and Brenden DePrest - drums, backing vocals - plus Steve Cannella - bass, backing vocals. TheDePrests have been playing together for about six years or "for as long as they've been playing" as bassist Cannella puts it. David DePrest writes most of the lyrics, while all three combine on the music. Since the band formed about a year ago, they've been at the Century Lounge in Providence, Gillary's and The Elbow Room in Bristol, the Abbey Lounge and the Empress Ballroom, just to name a few, as well as getting airplay on the college stations and WAAF 97.7 FM in Boston.

Some of my favorite TCT cuts: "The Chills", an ominous warning that " the war is coming", underscored by Brenden DePrest's militaristic drumbeats and David DePrest's hard driving solos. It builds to a crescendo, then devolves into a dependable reggae beat, echoing the haunting refrain. "Cadillac Blues" is a frantic, raunchy tribute to a luxury ride that slyly points out " When I fill her up I feel soiled/cuz my government decided to use blood to pay for oil."

The true test of a great bar band is whether they have to compromise on their own tunes to deliver those crowd-pleasing covers, but The Cutlass Three plays 99 and 44/100% original music, like "Faraway Man", straightforward ska to get the crowd moving. One of their few covers is the Bobby Fuller Four classic "I Fought The Law" which TCT turns into its own with frenetic, soaring guitar solos and tongue-in-cheek vocals.

What's the name all about? TCT is closer to a brotherhood than an average band, according to Steve Cannella: " It's like the Three Musketeers, it's unity. There will never be another member or different members, we are the Cutlass Three."

Check out TCT's website for club dates, general band information and sample cuts from of "Ready To Strike" at www.myspace.com/thecutlassband