Monte Warden and the Wagoneers – Doghouse Flowers
2026
Doghouse Flowers – Yesterday Stopped By – Ballad of Paladin – Stout and High (redux) – I Got A Woman
There are days when you want to act like a newspaper editor in a 1950s movie—leaping out of your chair, cigar in mouth, and bellowing, “Stop the presses! We’re changing the front page!” But then you quickly remember that you write articles for the internet, so you sit back down and try to rein in your excitement. You might ask, though, what exactly is generating such enthusiasm? The answer is simple: the new EP from Monte Warden and the Wagoneers.
The fact that the band is releasing a record after a hiatus of over 35 years would be an event in itself, but it turns out this record is the finest blend of rockabilly, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and soul to come along in ages.
It all began when the Wagoneers (Monte Warden—vocals and guitar; Brent Wilson—guitar; Mas Palermo—drums; and Brad Fordham—bass) found themselves in the studio early this year to record a version of Johnny Western’s Ballad of Paladin—the theme song from the series Have Gun – Will Travel. After recording the track—which, judging by the result (a superb country tune featuring baritone guitar and a delicate drum shuffle), seems to have been a breeze—the quartet found themselves with some spare studio time and decided to record a few more songs.
Released earlier this year, Doghouse Flowers is a fantastic rockabilly track. It is exactly the kind of thing that would have driven Sam Phillips wild: reverent toward the genre, yet modern and personal. The Wagoneers aren’t a retro revivalist band; they take the genre seriously and make it contemporary without stripping away its essence. It reminds me a quote from the late Lux Interior of The Cramps—something along the lines of (and I’m quoting from memory): “If Elvis had been content to play music from twenty years prior, he would have been playing Charleston music.” Next up is the real gem of the selection: Yesterday Stopped By, co-written—like the previous track—by Monte Warden and his wife, Brandi. With this song, we stay in Memphis, but this time we lean toward the Stax sound, with a brief detour via the Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama. Perfectly supported by an organ, the track unfolds with a smooth, irresistibly groovy rhythm over which Warden lays down his magnificent vocals. Such talent is almost indecent!
This session also provided an opportunity to re-record Stout and High —their best-known song—since Warden wasn’t entirely satisfied with the version on the 1988 album. One might have argued that the original was perfect—asking why try to improve something that didn’t need it—until hearing this new version. From Warden’s vocals, brimming with restrained intensity, to Wilson’s guitar attack and the furious rhythm section of Palermo and Fordham—plus the subtle piano in the background—everything comes together to deliver a memorable performance. Warden and his band manage to capture their live energy in the studio without sacrificing sound quality (just listen to the subtle rhythm guitar work).
The EP closes just as it began, with a stunning rockabilly take on I Got A Woman. Naturally, one thinks of Elvis’s version from his debut RCA album, but the band approaches this one—both musically and vocally—more like a Gene Vincent track from the late 50s or early 60s. Have I used the word “marvel” yet?
Normally this last sentence is superfluous, because if you have any common sense, you went to listen to the record at the end of the second paragraph of this far too long text, but if you are still here, do not waste another second and throw yourself on this record (and measure your luck by telling yourself that the earth is 4.54 billion years old and that you are living at the same time as the Wagoneers).
One last thing: the cover art is by Shag—I told you it was a triumph on every level.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
