Biography
Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls (UK) are a band like no other and will be bringing their Voodoo Vaudeville Blues on tour to the UK and Europe in 2023. The music takes influence from early vaudeville blues acts such as Victoria Spivey via Cab Calloway, Wilmoth Houdini and Wanda Jackson, but adding a creepy and theatrical twist that echoes Dr John and Screamin Jay Hawkins, all with an upbeat dose of old timey rock n roll, skiffle, calypso and a 1930's vibe.
They've got stories of deals with the devil, demons in love, witchdoctors, ghosts, ghouls, journeys to the deepest jungles and other exotic adventures that are all told using sweet melodies and syncopated sounds. The whole show is led by voodoo queen of England Jo Carley as she takes the audience on a journey to Voodoo Island, telling tales of the strange happenings and even stranger characters. Backed by her song-writing partner and husband the Zombie-like Tim Carley, who churns out blues-tinged rhythms on an old archtop guitar, kick drum and rattlin’ shoe, with fellow fiend James Le Huray providing the final ingredients of the spell, in the shape of double bass and banjo.
‘I’ll Put My Voodoo On You’ (Released 14th November 2022) is the bands fourth album and was recorded in their Voodoo Shack, down by the beach on the East Coast of England during the darkest days and longest nights of early 2022. These recordings were mixed and mastered to ¼ inch tape with Ed Deegan at Gizzard Recordings in London in the spring and summer of 2022. Their analogue and primitive way of recording totally captures the bands unique sound. Rooted firmly in a bygone era when Black Magic was rife, it has all the vibe, sounds and character of the old Blues, Old-timey Country, Skiffle, Calypso and Rock n Roll records that inspired them to make this album.
With the release of the bands fourth album ‘I’ll Put My Voodoo On You’, another chapter is here. Having escaped the witchdoctor she is now the ruler of all life on the island. You would think that being a powerful Voodoo Queen, life would be fine and dandy right? Well, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Amongst the chaos and the fun, there always seems to be something dark and evil lurking in the shadows...
If she offers you a little dose of her medicine, be careful what you wish for as a summoned devil can take on many an innocent shape. She sees your future, she sees your past, she tells you if you come to harm. But watch out! It’s not all unavoidable ill misfortune, sometimes you just gotta roll with it and let your hair down.
She leaves a lasting message for the great undead, you ain't gonna change the land unless you come out from under the sand...
‘I’ll Put My Voodoo On You’, eleven tales of terror, love and destiny from the creepy and magical weird world of Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls.
Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls combine the voodoo sounds and syncopated rhythms of the blues, but uniquely delivered with an old timey vaudeville twist. It’s music that makes people wanna come down and shake their bones!
Links
Website: www.olddryskulls.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jocarleyandtheolddryskulls
Instagram: @jocarleyandtheolddryskulls
Twitter: @theolddryskulls
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/theolddryskulls
Buy CD’s and T-shirts: www.jocarleyandtheolddryskulls.bigcartel.com
Bandcamp: jocarleyandtheolddryskulls.bandcamp.com
Discography
2022 - 'I'll Put My Voodoo On You' (ALBUM)
2020 - 'Voodoo Bones & Vaudeville Blues' (ALBUM)
2020 - 'The Zombie / The Jungle' (LOCKDOWN DIGITAL SINGLE)
2019 - 'Shake Them Rattlin' Bones' (ALBUM)
2017 - 'Them Old Bones' (ALBUM)
2014 - 'Rags and Bones' (EP)
Reviews
"Jo Carley & The Old Dry Skulls were a joy to behold. Rooted firmly in a bygone era when Voodoo and Black Magic were rife, the audience were all spellbound by the performance and its originality" - Adrian Blacklee - Blues Matters Magazine (UK)
"... a wonderfully enchanting show where magical songs were scattered." - thenextgig.nl (Netherlands)
"Tongue firmly-in-cheek they provide a full set of old school entertainment, a sideshow where vaudeville, blues and skiffle conspire to get their audiences to dance their asses off." – Hans Werkman / Here Comes The Flood (NL)
"... they've conjured up some delicious spells in their cauldron of verse, complete with wing of bat and tongue of snake" - Graham Munn / Blues In Britain Magazine
"Don’t fight it, let your soul be taken by the voodoo and soothed by these irresistible bluesy rockabilly rhythms. Turn to the dark-side, even if its just for half an hour or so…" - Neil Hodge / Louderthanwar
"With great lyrics and the combination of haunting ragtime blues they create a stupendously enjoyable jaunt into the darker recesses of voodoo, ... It's superb fun and a real pleasure to just indulge in its lyrics and music..." - Lee Powell / Vive Le Rock 2021
"... a creepy-mischievous touch. Sarcasm is no stranger to her. It seems as if she predicts hell in such a way that you have to laugh about it" - Cultuurpakt.be (Belgium)
“...a steaming broth of cabaret, blues, ska, Vaudeville, voodoo and skiffle. Horror stories are the main course, with a side orders of sex, trouble, and all-night parties” - Hans Werksman - Here Comes The Flood (Netherlands)
“Folk instruments deployed with maximum attitude” 9/10 – Vive Le Rock Magazine (UK)
“...riffs and rhythms, stomp and tap, crazy woman on vocals you find yourself waiting for her to cast a spell on you” - Alan Pearce - Blues Matters Magazine (UK)
"...medicine show huckster and old timey roots music. JCODS make deliciously devilish sounds. Something wicked coming this way. Highly recommended" - Folkcast (UK)
"That nailed it, good stuff. Left of field stomper. A wonderful fusion of trad, old timey, New Orleans Voodoo Queen" - Mike Harding / Mike Harding Folk Show (UK)
“…a magic potion made up from early 20th century blues and old-time, post-war skiffle and rock'n'roll, Don't be scared, notwithstanding these weird times it's only
entertainment and we like it!” - Tom Keller / Folkworld (Germany)
“There are dark warnings, powerful accusations, gritty observations and singular attitude... this is a musical heist that robs you of ordinary and replaces it with exceptional" - Folkwords (UK)
“Let's be honest. In this dark age, Jo Carley gives us positive energy with The Old Dry Skulls. Vintage music poured with a modern sauce. Perfect for a good feeling and a must in every club, any festival” – Keys and Chords Magazine (Belgium)
“Being scared has never been so much fun. Eyes closed, lights out, music on. Then tremble and shake and then laugh.” - Cultuurpakt (Belgium)
"...you will soon be dancing to the dead beat. An excellent album to keep you awake at night" - Shirl / Blues Matters Magazine
“The rhythms are uplifting, Jo Carley's voice remains mysterious with a mischievous twist. Nice deep bass rhythms, screeching strings and ominous, rattling percussion chase a person through the land of the living dead.” - Cultuurpakt (Belgium)
“On ‘Voodoo Bones & Vaudeville Blues’, Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls do what they do very well. They continue to brew their unique concoction of voodoo and vaudeville and skilfully season it with some blues, rock and other fine spices that taste for more after dark…“ - Eric Shuurmans / Rootstime (Belgium)
“They have that gumbo like conglomeration of blues, folk, rockabilly, and voodoo.” – Folkworld.eu (Germany)
“Let's be honest. In this dark age, Jo Carley gives us positive energy with The Old Dry Skulls. Vintage music poured with a modern sauce. Perfect for a good feeling and a must in every club, any festival” – Keys and Chords Magazine (Belgium)
“Being scared has never been so much fun. Eyes closed, lights out, music on. Then tremble and shake and then laugh.” - Cultuurpakt (Belgium)
“… Een heerlijk album …. maar als je wel van een horrorverhaal houdt zou ik zeker naar het oude vaudeville theater gaan om dit verhaal te beluisteren.” – Bluestown Music (Netherlands)
“…a magic potion made up from early 20th century blues and old-time, post-war skiffle and rock’n’roll, Don’t be scared, notwithstanding these weird times it’s only entertainment and we like it!” – Tom Keller / Folkworld (Germany)
“…a macabre fairytale, …Naughty creepy, full of sarcasm, this album predicts a wonderful performance when the band also visits Belgium during their tour in 2021, “So let’s shake those bones together”!” Luminous Dash (Belgium)