Back in November we wrote about Brent Amaker and the Rodeo, with single ‘Take It By the Horns‘ introducing the band’s forthcoming full-length Philaphobia on Killroom Records. “Insurance agent by day and costumed country star by night, Brent Amaker of Brent Amaker and the Rodeo is something of an enigma,” we wrote. “A Southerner in Seattle who channels the classic country spirit while at the same time subverting its tropes, owing as much to the persona-led art rock of Bowie and co. as the macho (so-called) authenticity of the genre’s heavy hitters.” Amaker himself expounded on these ideas when explaining the ideas around the project. “We’re cowboys, living the spirit of the West,” he explained. “We’re not really playing country music, but we’re playing cowboy music. ‘Western performance art’ is what I like to say.”
To further whet appetites for the upcoming record, Amaker and co. have now returned with their own singular take on the Devo classic, ‘Gut Feeling’. The match feels fitting, with Brent Amaker and the Rodeo honouring one of the premier performance-based art rock acts with a version which both celebrates the original and pushes it to new places. The upbeat rhythm remains, though some of the breathless intensity is tempered in favour of a more contemplative tone. Which is not to say this rendition lacks energy, for by the time it reaches the closing section, an infectious momentum has firmly taken hold. Watch the video produced, directed, filmed and edited by Jasmina Hirschl below:
Philaphobia is out on the 26th January via Killroom Records.
