REVEL IN DIMES

If the delta blues gave birth to yet another slew of gold records why wasn’t anyone dancing?


After each gig as hired guns in too many New York City bands, this is the question that Eric Simons (guitar) and Washington “Washy” Duke (drums) found themselves asking. Their answer involved meditating over juke rhythms from Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside and covering their tracks with electrified Charlie Patton riffs.

When Kia Warren saw them play for the first time – two guys covering T. Model Ford at full volume on a Sunday at the Surf Lodge in Montauk – their live set stopped her in her tracks. Amid the grooves, there was grittiness to their music that her roots in Gospel and R&B hadn’t yet given her the opportunity to explore. She convinced them on the spot to let her join on vocals for a few tracks, and Revel In Dimes was born.

Multi-instrumentalist Chris “Premo” Waller (bass) joined shortly after picking up an unsolicited “seeking bass player” call. A veteran of New York City’s vast underground music circuit, Waller’s experience playing everything from hardcore punk, to soul, to psychedelic rock enabled him to bring a groove to even the most frenetic jams.

Together, Revel In Dimes is a band that knows where it came from, but refuses to follow the same routes as its contemporaries to get where it’s going. And like the best blues, their music can’t be explained so much as it must be felt.


“Though Revel in Dimes hails from Brooklyn, the percussive elements on "Runnin'" are warm and wispy, reminiscent of a hot summer afternoon somewhere Southern.” -The Deli Magazine


“We first heard Revel in Dimes perform on a balmy summer night at The Surf Lodge in Montauk and, ever since, we just can’t get enough of their soulful sound. Their tunes are a little rock and roll with the right amounts of blues and jazz mixed in, plus an undercurrent of just-plain-cool old-school. Their melody and deep rhythms epitomize the kind of live music that concerts were made for — you won’t be able to resist jumping up and jamming.” -Tori Daily


“Its sound is pure American, a little Mississippi blues crossed with a little Chicago blues, pushed by driving bass and drums.” -Baylis Geen, East Magazine