Jason Stollsteimer, the frontman to Detroit-based band the Von Bondies, not to mention former Jack White collaborator/bloodied-up foe, has taken a (presumed) break from the band that brought him into the limelight, and formed The Hounds Below, a new Roy-Orbison-meets-garage-rock act that hopes to make a big splash at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, TX.
Jim Diamond, one of the best rock music engineers in America, and another Detroit native with a troubled Jack White history, has recorded the debut Hounds Below 7”, as well as other future recordings from Stollsteimer and company’s as-yet-unknown upcoming releases.
Truth be told, I wanted to not like these guys (we’re Jack White loyalists ‘round here and it felt like blasphemy). When it comes to fresh jams, though, I cannot tell a lie: The Hounds Below are damn good.