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Artist: The Dalloways

Album: Penalty Crusade

Publication: N. L. Belardes Music Reviews

Category: Interview

Writer: N. L. Belardes

Date: 06/11/2006

Website: http://www.nlbelardes.com/blogger/musicrev.html

Review Link: http://www.nlbelardes.com/blogger/2006/06/cortnie-fan-site-exposed-day-after.html

Cortnie Fan Site Exposed Day After Dalloways Sing Controversial "Kenny Filthy" Song

This weekend I was hoping to show up for some punk rock over at Vinny’s. I didn’t make the punk gig but heard Bakersfield’s Box Jumper did some kind of fusion with Tehachapi’s Empty Handed while Clay Pigeon from The 28s did some punk tango moves with his buddies, The IN-Denials (Both from Bakersfield). According to IN-Denial’s lead man, Dobbler, the debut CD, “What a Joke!” from the 28s is no joke, but a great bit of Bakersfield punk artistry (CD available soon).

Saturday night I did drop in on the Dalloways over at McGees at the historic Ice House. They have been getting national radio airplay(Radio Update Blogs:1,2,3,4,5,6), were back in town, and I heard they were going to perform their latest California Dreampop flavor, the lounge scream ballad, “Kenny Filthy.”

They performed their shocking song in a moody set while patrons stabbed at chicken and potatoes and hollered support. But just what are the Brit Pop band, The Dalloways doing shaking up the Bakersfield music scene with such inflammatory material?

Gary Enns is a creative lyric machine and I wasn’t at all surprised to see him dabbling into a fictitious character-based song of alternative lounge punk angst. He was inspired by none other than local punk hero Kenny ‘Moto Gussi Motor’ Mount of the Filthies. Oh sure, Enns’ denied the song was about Kenny Mount, but read between the lines in this Sunday morning coffee interview with Dalloways’ Enns:

I asked Enns what the song “Kenny Filthy” was about and if the song would be on the new CD the Dalloways are working on:

“Most likely. I can’t guarantee,” said Enns. We have over an hours worth of music. But it looks like the song will probably be on the CD. The working title of the Dalloways up and coming CD is The Distant Fairs, which is a line from the album; actually from the “Kenny Filthy” song, so I guess that song better be on the album.

Yes, it better be on the album or else…

But seriously, a line from the song in the working title? I dug further and asked Enns what the song “Kenny Filthy” is about:

“Kenny Filthy is about rebellion, riding a fast motorcycle in the face of danger, about punk music, and dead people...”

Dead people?

I went on the record: “Does the song have anything to do with Cortnie’s fascination with the television show, Six Feet Under?” I hear her and Matildakay are obsessed with the show. And then there’s Kenny Mount, he’s a mortician, Bakersfield’s own Six Feet Under Rock and Roll star. He can embalm you, tuck you into an eternal tux or smoking jacket, and sing you a rural rock punk lullaby at Mission Family Mortuary. Heck, even his cohort in mortuary shenanigans, Ray Mish makes a cameo in the Filthies video, “Embalm You.”

“Six Feet Under? It could be on a subconscious level. That could explain a few things,” Enns laughed.

I wanted to know more about the controversy: “What’s a Brit Pop band doing writing a song about Bakersfield punk?”

“We have to write about something and something real. Why not something like punk? We sing about all kinds of people: ice skaters, New York drug addicts. We sing about coffee liqueur and about punks and punk music.”

“What do you think the song ‘Hotel California’?” That was a trick question on my part. I watched the Dalloways tone down their music for McGee’s dinner guests, and then break out into their usual dreampop charisma in their third set. By the end of the night one guest offered to pay the band a hundred clams to perform Hotel California.

What the heck was that all about? Someone had money to burn and a foofy date to show off to? Was this goon thinking he could buy off the Dalloways that easy?

I rolled up my sleeves.

In our phone interview I hit a nerve with Enns. His voice turned more serious than ever: “Why are so many people wanting us to play this song? Maybe we’ll do a vaudeville version. We are not a cover band. We can’t just bust out cover songs. Somebody offered us a lot of money to play that song. Maybe we will one day. Our own version: Hotel Dalloways. The least they could have done was chosen a Steely Dan Song.”

Of course you all should know why Matildakay and I showed up to watch the band perform at McGees. There’s a growing list of folks who aren’t just attending Dalloways shows for a glimpse of Ricky Gonzales shredding Latino edge to Brit pop, or Gary Enns dashing wit and debonair crowd interaction with his suave lounge stylings. No, forget all of that for a moment.

Some of us plain and simple are in the Cortnie Fan Club.

I did a web search and even found a site dedicated to Cortnie of the Dalloways. Watch out for Euro fans sites for this gal.

Oh you don’t know her?

She’s hot, she once went by Nico Rhodes as the Dalloways keyboard player, and has been wowing everyone from Kenny Mount to Matildakay and Matt Munoz with her back-of-the-band Diva antics, stiletto heels, back-up vocals and curvy skirts. Do yourself a favor. Get to know the Dalloways, get to know their music, and join the club and be a Cortnie Fan. Here’s her myspace address. Go check her out. But don’t even think about asking her to rock your world with any Eagles tunes.