Elam Mcknight/Bob Bogdal - Zombie Nation (Desert Highway)
Elam McKnight and Bob Bogdal combined forces in 2008 and were joined on their debut, Zombie Nation, by Grammy-winning producer/musician Tom Hambridge to catapult their sound to a new level. McKnight was coming off his critically acclaimed album Supa Good which included the song Devil Minded Woman, winner of the Independent Music Award‘s Best Blues Song 2008. McKnight and Bogdal are veterans of the music scene and have upped the ante with this release, a hybrid blend of Hill Country, Delta Blues, and their own unique approach to American music. They have begun some selected dates in support of this album and have a solidified band to support their full-throttle sound. Zombie Nation is a departure from what many would consider the “normal” blues release and its content has already been noticed by many music writers around the world. It is a powerful statement both musically and lyrically. The two artists have not only challenged themselves, but the music world at large, sticking their flag in the proverbial sand and insisting someone dare move it. Zombie Nation is a superb mixture of raw, sonic toughness and troubadour-like insight.
Have Shared the Stage with: Bobby Rush, Little Milton, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Kid Rock, Little Feat, Shemikia Copeland, Isaac Hayes, Los Lobos, Robert Randolph, J. Geils Band, Cedell Davis, Taj Mahal, Delbert McClinton, T- Model Ford, Robert Belfour, Dr John , Hubert Sumlin, Big Jack Johnson, Jimbo Mathus, Big George Brock, Bernard Allison, Robert Lockwood, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, Bob Margolin, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Kenny Brown, Cedric Burnside, Willie King and the Liberators, Wesley Jefferson, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Radio Moscow, Scott H. Biram, K.M. Williams, Norah Jean Brusso, Gravel Road, Hill Stomp, Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Band, Blue Mother Tupelo, Sam Carr, Moreland and Arbuckle, Ben Prestage, Lightnin Malcolm, Hamilton Loomis, Tinsley Ellis, Mem Shannon, Michael Burks, Reba Russell, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Left Lane Cruiser, Black Diamond Heavies, William Elliott Whitmore, Blackfoot Gypsies,Watermelon Slim, Valerie June, Poppa Chubby, Sony Landreth, Jason Ricci, and Tommy Castro.
“***1/2” —-Downbeat magazine
“***1⁄2 — Accomplished blues musicians Elam McKnight and Bob Bogdal have joined forces in hopes of expanding their respective fan bases. And if the excellent “ZombieNation” is any indication, the strategy should pay off for them.” —-Jeffrey Sisk, Pittsburgh Daily News.
“This is music to start a mosh pit for and I’m guessing many people in the audience who are watching these two play live do exactly that.” —-Russell Hill, Maverick Magazine(UK)
“Music of such an exceptional level that we will not hesitate to put forward this CD as one of the best we have in this genre in recent years”—-Roots Time (Belgium)
“The way we see it, the only reason you shouldn’t have Zombie Nation in your collection is if Zombies have already eaten your brains.” (8/10 stars) —-Skunk Magazine