Deaf Rhino give new meaning to the term DIY. The balls-to-the-wall rock & roll band from New Jersey—made up of Adam  Schlett (lead  vocals,  rhythm  guitar), Bobby  Weir (lead guitar, vocals), Tommy  Scerbo  (bass guitar, vocals), and Jack  “Shirtless  Savage” Biamonte  (drums)—not only created their own music scene in northern New Jersey and New York, they also performed at venerable East Coast venues such as Maxwell’s Hoboken, Arlene’s Grocery and Webster Hall by  handling booking,  distribution and  promotion themselves.

On May 5, the band whose beginnings involved a yearning to play in more than a cover band will release Dirt, Rust, Chaos (out on May 5). To preview the album, Myspace is premiering “Don’t Believe What You Heard.” Shlett says, "This song is definitely one of our catchiest.  It's one of the prettier songs on the record, but if you listen to the words it's  got a pretty heavy message about shit being swept under the rug.  If you don't sing along with us during the break, you're not allowed to come to the next show." He talks about the band’s name, their influences, and what they have in common with the Grateful Dead.

Follow Deaf Rhino on Twitter @DeafRhinoBand or on Facebook. 

Hometown:  A small suburb in New Jersey called Glen Rock.

Current residence: Jersey City, New Jersey.

Why are you called Deaf Rhino?

Batman was taken.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

Neil Young, Bob Marley, tons of great bands…

Does living in New Jersey help define your sound?

We're fortunate to live near so many scenes and clubs that local bands can play at. Where we live impacts our lives, which impacts our music, but I wouldn't say we have a "Jersey" sound. We have our own sound.

How do you describe your music to someone who's never heard you before?

Groovy, catchy heavy rock.

You and guitarist Bobby Weir were both in cover bands before starting Deaf Rhino. What are your favorite cover songs?

“Use Me” by Bill Withers. We do a ripping version at our live shows.

Bobby Weir is also the name of one of the Grateful Dead founders. Do your fans ever think he’s the guy from the Dead?

We definitely hear that a lot at gigs.

Do you have anything in common with the Dead?

The only thing we have in common with them is our love of playing live shows.