Continental Drifters (from the album White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters

Continental Drifters (from the album White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters

​Continental Drifters (from the album White Noise & Lightning: The Best of Continental Drifters available on Omnivore Recordings) (by Danny McCloskey) 


A collective of musicians found a common musical goal, and a shared history of well-loved bands and songs, formed Continental Drifters in late 1991 as a West Coast band based in Los Angeles. Its members included players from marquee named bands such as The Bangles (Vicki Peterson), The dB’s (Peter Holsapple), Dream Syndicate (Mark Walton), and The Cowsills (Susan Cowsill) as well as core players Carlos Nussio (drums) and guitarists Ray Ganucheau and Gary Eaton (Giant Sand, Steve Wynn). A few stumbles sidelined the planned 1993 release, though when former New Orleans-based musicians Nuccio and Ganucheau made the decision to return to the Big Easy as Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson joined in, Continental Drifters became solidified unit. The recently released album is a companion piece to Sean Kelly’s White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story (due 09-27-24 on Cool Dog Sound), the tome chronicling the 10-year journey of the Continental Drifters, following the band through years of cross-country moves, lineup changes, industry highs and lows, along with marriages and divorces, held together by a love of dozens of classic songs.
  
A jangle of guitar note drops make “The Rain Song” sparkle as the tune opens White Noise & Lightning. A lazy sway introduces “Invisible Boyfriend” while true-believer vocals give “Peaceful Waking” credence as “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be” walks with a shaky stumble into a smoky bar that promises a better day with a train track beat pushing “Mezzanine” forward and “Drifters” striding along with Rock’n’Roll confidence. Continental Drifters gathered A-list talent into the studio, offering a decade of their lives to bring their music to the world. An unimpressed globe wore down intentions, and Continental Drifters drifted apart. Their worth is chronicled on White Noise & Lightning when true confessions and intimate late night calls become the story for “Mixed Messages” as Continental Drifters slap an early Americana label on “Match Made in Heaven” as the band offer advice over a don’t-fuck-with-me beat in “Don’t Do What I Did”, roar into “Dallas” with an assured groove, and hop aboard a caffeinated shuffle to cruise over “Christopher Colombus Transcontinental Highway” as it validates the compilation White Noise & Lightning album title. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
 
Listen and buy the music of Continental Drifters from AMAZON
 
Visit the Continental Drifters website for more information