music// The Jade Idol
The Jade Idol
FUCK YEAH! What’s up with Bob Bleed?
by Piero De Luca
What’s up with Bob Bleed? Let me tell you…
Most musicians give it a shot and hope for that chance to live the rock star life playing shows, making money, recording albums, owning fast cars and big houses. But usually, that guy ends up at some guitar center selling China-made Fender Strats to the next guy in line for his chance to grace the stage and rock his little heart out - the cycle of the rock star dream.
Well, you see, it’s different with my buddy Bob Bleed. He has been playing music pretty much all of his life. He has played thousands of shows and the dream of rock stardom is alive and well, but the big record deals and the giant houses are not a part of it. That’s because he’s doing it himself - total control. The love of the music is what he’s all about. He records all the records himself, in a tiny room in his kick ass 1930’s Craftsman-style house, located dead center in the music mecca, Austin, Texas. As a matter of fact, his first show was at the famed Continental Club to a sold out crowd, which is pretty rare for that venue.
Bob moved to Austin from Wisconsin to follow his other passion: building hot rods, which like the music, has been a central part of his entire life. Bob was born into this passion of building hot rods and playing music, and it stems from his father Bob Sr., who like Jr., has been playing music and building cars all his life. Bob’s roadster is the proof of that. To this day, Bob Sr. is still doing both; he’s either driving his roadster or playing his guitar in front of the old shop. He lives music and hot rods every day.
In 2007 Bob Bleed, Jr., was offered a chance of a lifetime - Austin Speed Shop wanted him to be the main guy in the shop. It would be a chance to build some really nice high-end cars, using the ideas of his twisted mind. The thought of a steady paycheck sounded great. But on the other side of it, he had to - pack up and leave his family, his band and the little shop where cars were built with what tools he could afford, not to mention, the utter freedom of being his own boss. One of the bright sides of moving to Austin was that, all of a sudden, he had everything he could want in the shop, accompanied by huge responsibility. When an opportunity like that comes up, tough decisions have to be made to better your future.
So he packed up and spent a week to try it out and see if it was what he wanted to do. It was a big opportunity to really display his skills.
The first task at hand was to help the guys at the shop chop Jesse’s (James) ‘51 Mercury. No pressure right? Bob mapped it out using his knowledge of history and understanding the proper technique to chop a car that actually respects proportions. I’d say he nailed it.
He ended up taking the job, and with his wife Laura, the dogs and his hot rods, they packed up their entire life and waved goodbye to Delafield, WI. Since the move, Bob has been on a roller coaster ride building some of the coolest hot rods and kustoms barreling down the streets of Austin. The shop has been hiring a great bunch of new builders under the guidance of Bob. Some of the younger guys at the shop are soaking up Bob’s knowledge, making the next generation that much more radical.
A few weeks ago Bob hit another milestone. He released his first record since Bleeds 2000 Motor Psycho, which became a classic in the Midwest garage rock scene. If you have not heard any Bleed albums, they will be available on ITunes soon, it’s a must get!!!
Bob’s new band, the Jade Idol, formed after Bob moved to Texas and was looking for someone to jam with. He was already doing a ‘one man band’ thing known as “Lil Bobby Bleed.” Again, he’s about doing it himself, so a kick drum, a snare with a kick pedal hitting it, a tambourine and a guitar is all he needed.
Bob enlisted Austin Speed Shop coworker Mark Ford, who like Bob, has played many shows as a guitarist, but took a leap and stepped up to play drums. So they put together the Jade Idol, a two-piece stripped down rock ‘n’ roll band. Seems like a common occurrence to see two-piece bands after the success of the White Stripes and the Black Keys, and they got that from originators Flat Duo Jets. So it’s nothing new.
The key ingredient common to those bands is a front man that can not only play the shit out of a guitar, but take charge of the stage and belt out lyrics that have some sort of possessed quality of an old soul singer. Rock ‘n’ roll started out raw and you can’t get any rawer than a string of vintage amps working together to make up for the lost bass player. That all works well with the powerful sound of the vintage drums Mark plays. All this is very evident in the new album.
Bob and Mark start pretty heavy with the first track “Blow My Mind” right off the bat, rock ‘n’ roll! The album has a few rocking ballads (not like 80’s metal rock ballad, but early rock). Bob is known to croon a few slow jams: “I Will”, “Oh Oh Oh Oh” and “Why”….dude, your girl will totally give you some if you play it loud. “Stuck on You” to me, sounds like a radio-hit, cause it sticks on you! I couldn’t get that song out of my head for days. “Always Will”, “You’re the One” and “That’s What I Say” sound like the songs were written in 1958 with some early rock roots. Pure, very pure. And my favorite song, which is really hard to decide because they are all really good, is “What You Gonna Do.” It has it heavy guitar, great drums and a catchy hook; all the elements are in line. The album ends with a bonus track, “Goodnight Irene,” a Lead Belly cover that Bob recorded a few years ago. The album is loud and raw, so I hope you can afford new speakers.
So, is Bob living the rock star life? Well, in my eyes he is, but the reality is that Bob is a down to earth guy that works really hard. He’s probably one of the hardest working people I know. He loves his wife and his dogs and, really, that’s what he works hard for-- supporting the family. The greatest thing is that it’s now Bob’s turn to pass on his passion for music. This year Bob and Laura are having a little one of their own, continuing the Merkt legacy while changing diapers along the way. Total rock ‘n’ roll. DANGER! DANGER!
The Jade Idol “No Control” Shake the House Recordings
Available at www.madfabricators.com
