History:

Contrary to popular belief, Lakota was not a Native American band. None of the members were Native American at all (or so my research suggests). Lakota centered around the duo of High School buddies W.J. (Willy Sage) Grimm (lead vocals, guitars, bass) and J.J. (Jimmy) Callahan (vocals, drums, percussion). The group members were both from Holmdel, NJ. The duo added additional musicians when playing live. It’s unclear how long the group had been performing but they were at least active in the mid 70’s. They performed live in clubs and country bars in southern New Jersey. 

Lakota recorded and released their only album “Lakota” in 1979. Some songs date back a year or so prior in terms of when they were written. The album featured a buffalo and native american on the cover and was heavily influenced by southern rock and country rock sounds of the time. The album also featured some long instrumental passages that were reminiscent of progressive and psychedelic rock. "Lakota" appeared to be very limited in its success despite it having two different pressings. On four tracks, Lakota was joined by Chris Norden on guitars and Williams Sleight on bass guitar.

Several months after the release of the album, Lakota recorded as Barry Zell’s backing band on his album “Modern Day Cowboy Riding That Lonesome Highway” in 1980. The album is mostly country with some country rock moments. Grimm played lead and rhythm guitars while Callahan played drums. As for the band’s demise, it's possible they disbanded when J.J. Callahan went to college in California. No known group photos are known to exist.

Review:

Lakota - Lakota (1979, JSR)

Rating: 9/10

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Very good album. Lots of territory is covered, including summery folk rock, southern rock, and heavy psych. The harder tracks like "Clouds And Feathers" and "J.W. Crier" are really good with great guitar work and heavy drumming. Balladry like "If I Wanted To" and "Walkin' In The Rain" are real catchy. Lots of lyricism concerning cowboys and Native Americans which is strange considering their location. Perhaps W.J. Grimm was a history buff? Deserves a reissue asap.