Words matter.

From its incarnation, Atomic Junkshot’s gritty fusion of country, rock’n’roll and blues — what the band describes as "honkytonk rock'n'roll" —has been built atop a foundation of carefully crafted words meant to express a wide spectrum of often contradictory emotions ranging from anger to jubilation, regret to satire, bitterness to humor, love and hate. 

With its high-energy performances and offbeat narrative storytelling, critics have described Atomic Junkshot as “twisted southern rockers" and “the honky tonk love child of David Allan Coe and Blues Traveler.” But the band's foundation always comes back to words — periodically subtle yet more often directly stated.

Born in the Midwest by rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist Aaron Perlut, Atomic Junkshot's lineup is comprised of an odd, yet tight-knit collection of players including lead guitarist Joey Mack, Clay Mudd on bass and percussionist Brian McCrary.

“We're kind of an island of misfit toys who take our love of rock, country, blues and jazz and pair it with an authentic, very personal lyrical edge,” said Perlut. “Our songs speak to our interests, things that piss us off, the experiences that have both damaged and raised us up, and the dysfunction we see every day.”

Perlut's songwriting is admittedly wordy, taking queues from his musical heroes such as Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earle and Tom Petty. The band’s straight forward, country- and rock-inspired rhythms blend seamlessly with more complex, progressive rock, blues and jazz-derived leads drawn from generations of prog-rock pioneers ranging from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour to Rob Crow of Pinback.

Over the years, Atomic Junkshot has built a sturdy reputation across North America, largely due to the band’s authentic yet offbeat approach to storytelling. As one fan noted, the band's music is simple, pure and merely “perfect for family road trips and getaway cars alike.” 

Whatever the case might be, there's certainly a long, drawn-out and exceptionally wordy explanation for it. 

Read reviews about the band here on GigSalad.