Music Review: "Big Dark Town" by Roberta Faceplant
Roberta Faceplant is a full-blown honky-tonk hurricane out of Philadelphia, delivering a rowdy, City-meets-Country sound that’s equal parts outlaw grit and cowpunk swagger. Once described as “a cowpunk miracle” by Country Universe, this five-piece Outlaw Americana band knows how to stir up a crowd. Over the past year, they’ve brought their high-octane energy to venues like Brooklyn’s Skinny Dennis and Philly’s beloved Baby’s First Rodeo, while sharing bills with rising stars like Emily Nenni, Dylan Earl, Hannah Juanita, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, Rebecca Porter, and more. On the cusp of releasing their sophomore EP, the band offers up their latest single, “Big Dark Town”—a track that leans into a heavy, spooky, and line dance–ready vibe you can’t help but move to.
(Photo submitted by Roberta Faceplant)
With raucous guitars, a thunderous rhythm section, and the raw, soulful vocals of frontwoman Katie Feeney, Roberta Faceplant makes “Big Dark Town” an instant-replay kind of track. The song dives into the world of opioid-addled scrap metal miners scattered across Pennsylvania and other rural pockets of the country, painting a vivid picture with grit and empathy. With a fiery blend of tongue-in-cheek humor and righteous rage, Roberta Faceplant isn’t pulling any punches, tackling hard truths head-on, and writing undeniably catchy tunes while doing it.
(Photo credit Will Drinker)
“Big Dark Town” is the first in a string of singles, with “Bottle It, Smash It” arriving August 28, leading up to their six-song EP Brisket & Cigarettes, out Friday, September 26, 2025. Follow Roberta Faceplant online and catch them live at iconic Philadelphia house concert Dumpster Out Back for the Brisket & Cigarettes EP Release Show alongside fellow Philadelphia honky tonk band Mandy Valentine and Candy from NY, on September 26.
