DWAYNE DOPSIE & THE ZYDECO HELLRAISERS
''UP IN FLAMES''
2009
45:07
1. I'm Gonna Walk/3:59
2. Feels So Good/3:54
3. Better Go Get It/4:28
4. Just Come Back Home/5:10
5. I'm a Fool for You/5:33
6. Don't Listen/4:58
7. Got My Mind Gone/4:46
8. Start All Over/3:45
9. Back in the Woods/3:52
10. Take Over/4:42
Album Notes
By CDBaby (– Ben Sandmel)
Cajun music and zydeco have long flourished as family affairs. The Chenier, Balfa, Ardoin, Savoy and Delafose dynasties all come quickly to mind, and so does the Rubin family. The late accordionist Alton Rubin (1932 - 1993), better known as Rockin’ Dopsie, fathered four sons who proudly celebrate his zydeco legacy today. And Dopsie’s son Dwayne fronts his own group, the aptly named Zydeco Hellraisers. "On Up In Flames" they unleash a supercharged musical that’s simultaneously traditional, contemporary, and futuristic.
Dwayne’s most obvious tie with tradition can be heard in his rough-edged singing, with its striking similarity to blues legend Howlin’ Wolf and the powerful zydeco vocalists Beau Jocque and Zydeco Joe. The latter two’s influence is especially obvious when Dwayne sings in French, as heard here on “Dopsie’s Zydeco.” In addition, his choice of the diatonic button accordion harkens back to such rural-tinged players as his father, Boozoo Chavis, and John Delafose. At the same time, Dwayne’s aggressive-yet-nimble playing bears the mark of a modernist whose adventurous phrasing flirts with rhythmic mayhem but always resolves right on time. His choice of notes and licks also venture far afield from the melodic/harmonic realm of zydeco’s blues-based mainstream – and yet they always fit, too. Dwayne’s deft accompanists, guitarist Shelton Sonnier and saxophonist Carl Landry, are similarly daring yet equally well-grounded soloists. The band’s fierce groove is further insured by the powerful three-man rhythm section of bassist Dion Pierre, frottoir player Alex MacDonald, and drummer Calvin Sam, from a popular zydeco band of the 1980s known as The Sam Brothers Five.
As a songwriter (all the selections here are original) Dwayne reveals a strong a sense of composition as he draws on influences from classic blues, zydeco and basic rock to country, ‘70s funk, and a touch of hip-hop. At moments these diverse elements all swirl together to create a poly-rhythmic hybrid that underscores zydeco’s Afro-Caribbean roots. Consider “When You Coming Back Home?,” which gains momentum and builds tension through a hard rocking, unusually elongated verse structure. It then climaxes in a burst of a capella vocal funk reminiscent of “Dance To The Music” by Sly & The Family Stone. In terms of lyrics, Dwayne tends to focus on unabashedly gushing tributes to his wife, Lauren. His songs have a sweet, ingenuous sentimentality that is truly affecting. For instance, he succinctly describes the opening track, “Feel So Good,” as “how I felt when I first met Lauren. I looked into her eyes and I knew she was the one.” In zydeco, as with many traditional genres, the same familiar songs tend to be played and recorded interminably, increasingly losing their punch with each repetition. Avoiding this repertoiric rut makes Dwayne’s sincere personal statements all the more refreshing. He exuberantly honors zydeco’s bottom-line purpose as dance music, but his words and music are never predictable.
With Up In Flames, his fifth album, Dwayne Dopsie emerges as at age thirty as an important and accomplished young zydeco bandleader. As such he joins a cadre of successful sons including C. J. Chenier, Geno Delafose, Little Nathan Williams and Chris Ardoin. “I’ve been playing since I was four,” Dwayne recalls, “and I learned by watching my dad. I enjoy all kinds of music, every genre, but zydeco is my love. Zydeco is soulful music, it’s old music that you can’t teach someone or learn from a book, and I was always fascinated with it. I’m glad that I stuck with, and I’ll tell you what – I think my dad would be very proud.”
BIOGRAPHY
Dwayne (Dopsie) Rubin is the son of the legendary "King of Zydeco," Alton "Rockin' Dopsie" Rubin, an accordion master. Born March 3rd, 1979, Dwayne Dopsie was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana at the center of the zydeco culture. He was immersed in zydeco literally from birth. By the age of four, he was already accomplished on the washboard, the instrument of choice of his older brother, but soon switched to the accordion. By the age of six, he had already appeared in a Community Coffee television commercial and later performed on The Dolly Parton Show.
After traveling the zydeco circuit with his family, Dwayne formed his own zydeco band at the age of 19, continuing in the family tradition of playing southwest Louisiana’s unique music. Along the way, he has achieved national and international recognition. Dwayne Dopsie has performed on CBS This Morning, The Travel Channel, Discovery, 20/20, Good Morning America and The Fox Television Network. Another extraordinary moment was with his father and brother performing at Super Bowl XXIV. In 2006, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were invited to play for the U.S. Ambassador in Nassau for his Fourth Of July Celebration.
Dwayne Dopsie’s immense talent, technical proficiency, and charismatic stage presence have garnered him numerous national and local industry awards. In 1999 The American Accordionists Association called him "The Hottest Accordion in America.” His band won New Orleans' "Battle of The Bands" competition in 1999 and 2000 and was also voted "The Best Zydeco Band" by Offbeat Magazine in 1999. In both 2001 and 2002 Offbeat Magazine named him "The Best Upcoming Artist.” On December 3, 2002, “Hey Rosalee” from his 2002 independently released CD, Now it Begins, hit #1 on Mp3.com's zydeco chart after fewer than two months online. In 2004, he was voted Best Accordion by the “Best of the Offbeat” Awards by Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has performed not only across America but also internationally, both live and on film. In 2004, the group was filmed on MTV in Brazil, and Programa JO in South America. It completed music for a television show, “Nikki & Nora,” filmed in New Orleans to air on UPN Network, and was featured on “The Jamie Kennedy Show” airing on the Warner Network. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has appeared as a featured act of the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival annually since 2000, and was a headliner at the Syracuse Blues Festival in both 2001 and 2002.
The national and local press has taken note of the group as well. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers was featured on Playboy's website and has been covered in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2002 alone, Dwayne Dopsie made the covers of three New Orleans publications: Big City Blues Magazine, The Insiders Guide to Lovin' New Orleans: Visitor Magazine, and Offbeat Magazine. In 2003, he was featured on the cover of The Louisiana Music Directory. The Internet abounds with information on the group in the many exciting Zydeco web sites.
All the buzz is entirely justified. “Traveling Man” is both accomplished and vibrant. Reinterpreting authenticity can be a tricky proposition. “Traveling Man” does it by combining the heart and soul of zydeco’s traditions with the energy and modern sensibility of a young band. Dwayne Dopsie’s songwriting showcases his superb playing, and his band brilliantly supports both. The result is incendiary, soul-stirring zydeco.
In 2004, perfomances on MTV in Brazil, and Programa JO in South America, and completed music for TV show Nikki & Nora filmed in New Orleans to air on UPN Network. In 2003, Dwayne Dopsie appears on the cover of The Louisiana Music Directory. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has performed on The Jamie Kennedy Show featured on the Warner Network. Notably, on 12-03-2002, Hey Rosalie, from his 2002 independently released CD, NOW IT BEGINS, hit #1 on Mp3.com's Zydeco chart after less than two months online. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers, have performed not only coast to coast of the USA, but also internationally. They have been a featured act of the prestigious New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival yearly since 2000. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were headliners at the Syracuse Blues Festival in 2001 & 2002. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers have been featured on Playboy's website and numerous articles published in the New York Times, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times. In 2002, Dwayne Dopsie made the covers of Big City Blues Magazine, The Insiders Guide to Lovin' New Orleans: Visitor Magazine, and Offbeat Magazine.
Awards:
2004 - Best Accordion by offBeat Awards by OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana 2001 & 2002 - Dwayne Dopsie was named "The Best Upcoming Artist", by OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana 2001 - New Orleans' "Battle of The Bands" 1999 & 2000 - "The Best Zydeco Band," by OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana. 1999 - "The Hottest Accordion in America," by The American Accordionists Association.
After traveling the Zydeco circuit with his family, at the age of nineteen, Dwayne started his own band and has continued in the family tradition of entertaining. Some highlights of his career (besides entertaining with his dad), were a Community Coffee commerical at the age of six, as well as a stint on The Dolly Parton Show. Another extraordinary moment was with his father and brother performing at Super Bowl XXIV. Dwayne Dopsie has performed on CBS This Morning, The Travel Channel, Discovery, 20/20, Good Morning America, and, The Fox Television Network. In 2006, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were invited to play for the U.S. Ambassador in Nassau for his Fourth Of July Celebration.
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''UP IN FLAMES''
2009
45:07
1. I'm Gonna Walk/3:59
2. Feels So Good/3:54
3. Better Go Get It/4:28
4. Just Come Back Home/5:10
5. I'm a Fool for You/5:33
6. Don't Listen/4:58
7. Got My Mind Gone/4:46
8. Start All Over/3:45
9. Back in the Woods/3:52
10. Take Over/4:42
Album Notes
By CDBaby (– Ben Sandmel)
Cajun music and zydeco have long flourished as family affairs. The Chenier, Balfa, Ardoin, Savoy and Delafose dynasties all come quickly to mind, and so does the Rubin family. The late accordionist Alton Rubin (1932 - 1993), better known as Rockin’ Dopsie, fathered four sons who proudly celebrate his zydeco legacy today. And Dopsie’s son Dwayne fronts his own group, the aptly named Zydeco Hellraisers. "On Up In Flames" they unleash a supercharged musical that’s simultaneously traditional, contemporary, and futuristic.
Dwayne’s most obvious tie with tradition can be heard in his rough-edged singing, with its striking similarity to blues legend Howlin’ Wolf and the powerful zydeco vocalists Beau Jocque and Zydeco Joe. The latter two’s influence is especially obvious when Dwayne sings in French, as heard here on “Dopsie’s Zydeco.” In addition, his choice of the diatonic button accordion harkens back to such rural-tinged players as his father, Boozoo Chavis, and John Delafose. At the same time, Dwayne’s aggressive-yet-nimble playing bears the mark of a modernist whose adventurous phrasing flirts with rhythmic mayhem but always resolves right on time. His choice of notes and licks also venture far afield from the melodic/harmonic realm of zydeco’s blues-based mainstream – and yet they always fit, too. Dwayne’s deft accompanists, guitarist Shelton Sonnier and saxophonist Carl Landry, are similarly daring yet equally well-grounded soloists. The band’s fierce groove is further insured by the powerful three-man rhythm section of bassist Dion Pierre, frottoir player Alex MacDonald, and drummer Calvin Sam, from a popular zydeco band of the 1980s known as The Sam Brothers Five.
As a songwriter (all the selections here are original) Dwayne reveals a strong a sense of composition as he draws on influences from classic blues, zydeco and basic rock to country, ‘70s funk, and a touch of hip-hop. At moments these diverse elements all swirl together to create a poly-rhythmic hybrid that underscores zydeco’s Afro-Caribbean roots. Consider “When You Coming Back Home?,” which gains momentum and builds tension through a hard rocking, unusually elongated verse structure. It then climaxes in a burst of a capella vocal funk reminiscent of “Dance To The Music” by Sly & The Family Stone. In terms of lyrics, Dwayne tends to focus on unabashedly gushing tributes to his wife, Lauren. His songs have a sweet, ingenuous sentimentality that is truly affecting. For instance, he succinctly describes the opening track, “Feel So Good,” as “how I felt when I first met Lauren. I looked into her eyes and I knew she was the one.” In zydeco, as with many traditional genres, the same familiar songs tend to be played and recorded interminably, increasingly losing their punch with each repetition. Avoiding this repertoiric rut makes Dwayne’s sincere personal statements all the more refreshing. He exuberantly honors zydeco’s bottom-line purpose as dance music, but his words and music are never predictable.
With Up In Flames, his fifth album, Dwayne Dopsie emerges as at age thirty as an important and accomplished young zydeco bandleader. As such he joins a cadre of successful sons including C. J. Chenier, Geno Delafose, Little Nathan Williams and Chris Ardoin. “I’ve been playing since I was four,” Dwayne recalls, “and I learned by watching my dad. I enjoy all kinds of music, every genre, but zydeco is my love. Zydeco is soulful music, it’s old music that you can’t teach someone or learn from a book, and I was always fascinated with it. I’m glad that I stuck with, and I’ll tell you what – I think my dad would be very proud.”
BIOGRAPHY
Dwayne (Dopsie) Rubin is the son of the legendary "King of Zydeco," Alton "Rockin' Dopsie" Rubin, an accordion master. Born March 3rd, 1979, Dwayne Dopsie was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana at the center of the zydeco culture. He was immersed in zydeco literally from birth. By the age of four, he was already accomplished on the washboard, the instrument of choice of his older brother, but soon switched to the accordion. By the age of six, he had already appeared in a Community Coffee television commercial and later performed on The Dolly Parton Show.
After traveling the zydeco circuit with his family, Dwayne formed his own zydeco band at the age of 19, continuing in the family tradition of playing southwest Louisiana’s unique music. Along the way, he has achieved national and international recognition. Dwayne Dopsie has performed on CBS This Morning, The Travel Channel, Discovery, 20/20, Good Morning America and The Fox Television Network. Another extraordinary moment was with his father and brother performing at Super Bowl XXIV. In 2006, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were invited to play for the U.S. Ambassador in Nassau for his Fourth Of July Celebration.
Dwayne Dopsie’s immense talent, technical proficiency, and charismatic stage presence have garnered him numerous national and local industry awards. In 1999 The American Accordionists Association called him "The Hottest Accordion in America.” His band won New Orleans' "Battle of The Bands" competition in 1999 and 2000 and was also voted "The Best Zydeco Band" by Offbeat Magazine in 1999. In both 2001 and 2002 Offbeat Magazine named him "The Best Upcoming Artist.” On December 3, 2002, “Hey Rosalee” from his 2002 independently released CD, Now it Begins, hit #1 on Mp3.com's zydeco chart after fewer than two months online. In 2004, he was voted Best Accordion by the “Best of the Offbeat” Awards by Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has performed not only across America but also internationally, both live and on film. In 2004, the group was filmed on MTV in Brazil, and Programa JO in South America. It completed music for a television show, “Nikki & Nora,” filmed in New Orleans to air on UPN Network, and was featured on “The Jamie Kennedy Show” airing on the Warner Network. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has appeared as a featured act of the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival annually since 2000, and was a headliner at the Syracuse Blues Festival in both 2001 and 2002.
The national and local press has taken note of the group as well. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers was featured on Playboy's website and has been covered in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2002 alone, Dwayne Dopsie made the covers of three New Orleans publications: Big City Blues Magazine, The Insiders Guide to Lovin' New Orleans: Visitor Magazine, and Offbeat Magazine. In 2003, he was featured on the cover of The Louisiana Music Directory. The Internet abounds with information on the group in the many exciting Zydeco web sites.
All the buzz is entirely justified. “Traveling Man” is both accomplished and vibrant. Reinterpreting authenticity can be a tricky proposition. “Traveling Man” does it by combining the heart and soul of zydeco’s traditions with the energy and modern sensibility of a young band. Dwayne Dopsie’s songwriting showcases his superb playing, and his band brilliantly supports both. The result is incendiary, soul-stirring zydeco.
In 2004, perfomances on MTV in Brazil, and Programa JO in South America, and completed music for TV show Nikki & Nora filmed in New Orleans to air on UPN Network. In 2003, Dwayne Dopsie appears on the cover of The Louisiana Music Directory. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers has performed on The Jamie Kennedy Show featured on the Warner Network. Notably, on 12-03-2002, Hey Rosalie, from his 2002 independently released CD, NOW IT BEGINS, hit #1 on Mp3.com's Zydeco chart after less than two months online. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers, have performed not only coast to coast of the USA, but also internationally. They have been a featured act of the prestigious New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival yearly since 2000. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were headliners at the Syracuse Blues Festival in 2001 & 2002. Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers have been featured on Playboy's website and numerous articles published in the New York Times, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times. In 2002, Dwayne Dopsie made the covers of Big City Blues Magazine, The Insiders Guide to Lovin' New Orleans: Visitor Magazine, and Offbeat Magazine.
Awards:
2004 - Best Accordion by offBeat Awards by OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana 2001 & 2002 - Dwayne Dopsie was named "The Best Upcoming Artist", by OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana 2001 - New Orleans' "Battle of The Bands" 1999 & 2000 - "The Best Zydeco Band," by OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans, Louisiana. 1999 - "The Hottest Accordion in America," by The American Accordionists Association.
After traveling the Zydeco circuit with his family, at the age of nineteen, Dwayne started his own band and has continued in the family tradition of entertaining. Some highlights of his career (besides entertaining with his dad), were a Community Coffee commerical at the age of six, as well as a stint on The Dolly Parton Show. Another extraordinary moment was with his father and brother performing at Super Bowl XXIV. Dwayne Dopsie has performed on CBS This Morning, The Travel Channel, Discovery, 20/20, Good Morning America, and, The Fox Television Network. In 2006, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were invited to play for the U.S. Ambassador in Nassau for his Fourth Of July Celebration.
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