‘Old Shoes’ Is New Cucumbers

Written By Mike Greenblatt
the cucumbers

It’s been almost 20 years since Hoboken mainstays The Cucumbers released new music. The jangly guitars, bright pop melodies and brisk backbeat of their Power Pop—key to their national success—are all still evident. Producer-Arranger-Guitarist Deena Shoshkes, with her banjo man husband Jon Fried, are both singer-songwriters. Old Shoes feels comfortable. Recorded in Montclair and Millburn, mastered in Maplewood, it will be released July 21 on Life Force Records.

With their drummer son Jamie Fried and bassist Rick Wagner, these seven new originals are more acoustic-based in an Americana gumbo of delicious proportions. The guitar-banjo-bass-drums sound is quirky, funky, roots-rock, “hand-made and homey,” according to Jon, “a blend of garage-rock and back-porch strumming.”

Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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