Guitarist Cliff Powell (a.k.a. Cliffy Huntington) got his start in the mid-nineties with the Ramones influences punk rock band The Huntingtons. Parting ways with The Huntingtons in 2001, “Cliffy” joined The Stivs, a Portland, Oregon based unit that merged elements of rock and roll and punk, later the same year. The Stivs went on to fall apart in early 2006 at which point Cliffy developed a vision to form his first evangelistic band. The end result was Main Line Riders. A group originating from Houston, Texas, Main Line Riders put together its initial line up in 2006 and, after writing and rehearsing over the next year, recorded its full length debut, 'Shot In The Dark'. The album was shopped around to several labels until the band settled on Retroactive Records, which released it in the fall of 2007. Main Line Riders brings forth the legacy of the 80's melodic hard rock/metal and sleaze into this new millennium, adding a fresh production, and punk-like attitude.

  SHOT IN THE DARK (2007) RETROACTIVE

Sleaze metal has never been my style of choice, although I do like a band or 2 in the genre. Main Line Riders seems to be an exception to the rule. Their music is full of that glam rock/Sunset Strip attitude, originally delivered by bands like Hanoi Rocks, Mötley Crüe, L.A. Guns and their likes. But they also manage to bring the music into this millennium, so you might just as well throw in bands like Velvet Revolver and Foo Fighters into the mix. I ain't sayin' that Main Line Riders sounds a lot like any of these bands, but said bands do point you in the general direction. 'Shot In The Dark' brings you an innocent band, hungry and with their punk-like attitude still intact. They are playing this kind of music because it's what they love, and that is shining through. It's impossible not to get caught singing along to catchy choruses like "Ride The Main Line" and "One Way Ticket To Love". But the guys also slow it down a little, and balance the CD out with the beautiful ballad, "Here I Am". 'Shot In The Dark' delivers what it promises, namely a good time of infectious party music. The title track is not even listed on the CD cover. This Junkyard cover songs end the album.

Killer tracks: Ride The Main Line, One Way Ticket To Love, Here I Am, We Are The Ready Ones