NASHVILLE SCENE – Positive  Critic’s Picks show preview
Cassino w/Lee Bains III and Glory Fires & Jimmy Wisconsin
Lee Bains III and Glory Fires at The Basement
When: Sat., May 12, 9 p.m.
Price: $5
From Birmingham, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires exemplify the new strain of Southern rock that’s come to life in the post-Drive-By Truckers era. A former member of Dexateens, Bains specializes in straightforward, catchy songs that sit somewhere amidst The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Allman Brothers and David Bowie circa “Panic in Detroit.” The guitars provide plenty of hooks that say something about the emotional life of these punk-loving, down-home Southerners — their pain is undisguised, but they cut the angst with music that can be austere and mysterious. On their new full-length, There Is a Bomb in Gilead, Bains and his quartet explore a brand-new South: “Everything You Took” mentions a Walker Percy novel and a Ramones T-shirt, while “Magic City Stomp” is garage-rock that quotes the Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Bains has brains and humor, and the band can really stomp.
— Edd Hurt
The Basement
1604 8th Ave. S
http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/cassino-wlee-bains-iii-and-glory-fires-and-jimmy-wisconsin/Event?oid=2863102

DUSTED (online music magazine) – Positive album review with album art and related links
Dusted Reviews
Artist: Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires
Album: There is a Bomb in Gilead
Label: Alive

Lee Bains III was a late addition to The Dexateens, joining the punk-spliced-to-Muscle Shoals outfit’s three-guitar attack in 2008, in time for the band’s final album Singlewide. The Dexateens, along with The Quadrajets (and later, The Immortal Lee County Killers), defined a certain kind of southern garage punk in the early ’00s, incorporating not just blues, but gospel, redneck rock (Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, Allmans) and soul into an incendiary onslaught. Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires picks up where the Dexateens left off, with ragged blues, rampant stomps and barroom guitar brawls. There is a Bomb in Gilead is as deeply felt as it is deeply fried, as indebted to Al Green as to Iggy and the Stooges.

Bains’s band is young-ish, raw and full of energy. His guitar player, Matt Wuertele, grew up under the influence of The Dexateens and The Quadrajets, bassist Justin Colburn played with Bains in Arkadelphia, and manic, sunglasses-at-night, singing drummer Blake Williamson has played with Dan Sartain and Taylor Hollingsworth. A few weeks ago, I saw Bains and his band play like they were on fire to a crowd of three other bands and maybe seven paying customers. They conceded exactly nothing to the fact that no one was there and played the best set of garage punk I’ve seen all year. A Bomb in Gilead, assisted by several garage vets (Tim Kerr, Lynn Bridges, Jim Diamond), captures that live sound and goes it one better, uncovering unexpected depth, soul and intelligence in a set of boot-stomping songs.

Live, their best songs are the rocking ones. Guitar-squalling, eerily harmonized “Centreville” and unstoppable “Magic City Stomp” are both tight, aggressive bursts of punk attitude, though the more complicated “Centreville” sounds better on the record, and harder-running “Magic City” comes across best in the club. The slower songs open up on Gilead, revealing strong, sure country blues chops and surprisingly sensitive lyrics. “Everything You Took” stings with Let It Bleed-style guitar twang and slouching, bruised and blown-out vocals, but it really makes its mark with the words. Bains sounds spent, exhausted, beaten as he makes one last ditch effort to hold onto the girl, offering “You can keep my Walker Percy…You can keep that tee-shirt my brother got the time he saw the Ramones,” and, I think, probably watching her walk away anyway. In “Centreville,” Bains slips in a line about being “overeducated and underemployed” into its ferocious attack, and judging by the words, he’s not kidding.

The other thing that emerges on CD is how naturally Bains and his crew mine Southern soul. The title song, which closes out the album, is the real sleeper, its gospel melody worn threadbare, its arrangements cut back to piano, drums, a little bass, and rough and righteous call and response. It’s a slow song, but backed with drama, as Bains squeals like James Brown, rasps like O.V. Wright and stretches out the climaxes like the Reverend Al Green. Not many punk bands could bear the scrutiny of such a long, tight close-up, but Lee Bains and his guys get better the more you look at them.
By Jennifer Kelly
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/7119

TUSCALOOSA NEWS (Tuscaloosa daily) – Positive Secret Stages show preview.
GETLOCAL: Secret Stages 2012 preview
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 1:21 by cory.pennington
Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires
They are playing in town soon so I’ll save the majority of my gushing for that preview, but this band has ‘it.’ Their new album, “There is a Bomb in Gilead,” is hands down my favorite record for 2012 so far. If you missed them at the Tuscaloosa Get Up in March, you should go watch the video of their performance at WellThatsCool.com. I can’t overstate how much this band rocks. It’s a lot.
Listen to: “I Ain’t No Stranger”

http://localmusic.blogs.tuscaloosanews.com/11314/getlocal-secret-stages-2012-preview/

WELD FOR BIRMINGHAM  (Birmingham weekly) – Positive Secret Stages show preview
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires • Das Haus • Friday • 11:15 p.m.
There’s not enough room here to tell you how much I like Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires and their first record, There’s a Bomb in Gilead. I want to take this limited space to urge you to see these guys live. The young Bains, a veteran of the Dexateens, already has the stage presence of any great—he is immediately compelling, and he and the Glory Fires are obviously having a great time on stage. His voice is powerful, reminiscent, at times, of an excited John Fogerty or Joe Cocker or, yes, even the Boss. The Glory Fires are the kind of band that would be as comfortable in The Nick as they would in the Alabama Theatre, and for me, man, that’s my kind of band. And though Bains & the Glory Fires are a Birmingham-based band, I still think they’re a big get for Secret Stages (they just got off a big tour of sold out dates opening for the Alabama Shakes) so catch them here in Birmingham while you still can. – MU
http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/05/10/secret-stages-music-festival-is-back-for-year-two/

BIRMINGHAM NEWS  (Birmingham daily) – Positive “Must See”  Secret Stages show preview
Secret Stages picks: 4 must-see acts at Birmingham music festival (video)
By Will Grant — The Birmingham News
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, 11:15 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday, Das Haus
Lee Bains, Birmingham native and member of on-again, off-again local group The Dexateens, has finally decided to go his own way with his new project The Glory Fires. And, if his newest release “There Is A Bomb in Gilead” is any indication, Bains is definitely going to be making a name for himself. The music is a seamless blend of garage rock, country soul and punk that recalls The Black Keys or The Alabama Shakes. But Bains is no copycat. While one can hear the Muscle Shoals and Deep South influences, this is a sound unique to Birmingham and North Alabama.
http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/05/secret_stages_picks_4_must-see.html

AL.COM (Alabama online A&E site) – Secret Stages show listing with band photo.
http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/05/schedule_for_secret_stages_fes.html

NINE BULLETS (online music blog and podcast show) – Positive review with album art and related links.
LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES – THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD
Two years ago we’d booked Lee for the Saturday ninebullets.net day party out at SxSW. It was about an hour and a half before they were supposed to play and I realized I had no idea if he was there and, more importantly. I had no idea what he looked like. So, I wandered over to Shane (Two Cow Garage) and asked if he knew who Lee was and if Lee was in the building yet. Shane said (and I quote), “You’ll know him. He’ll be in overalls, carrying a gallon of water and he’ll be the best looking dude in the room.” The minute Lee walked in the room I understood just how terribly accurate Shane’s description had been. An hour later, Lee proved he and his band weren’t just a few pretty faces by completely destroying the room (figuratively not literally). Since then, I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for a Lee Bains album and, finally, we’ve gotten it in There’s A Bomb In Gilead.

Lee Bains, as most of you probably know, was the guitarist for The Dexateens (now Ex-ateens) and the Glory Fires are Matt Wurtele (guitar), Justin Colburn (bass) and Blake Williamson (drums), all well-seasoned vets in the Alabama music scene. Finding himself gigless after the sudden dissolution of The Dexateens, Lee and Co. went to work fleshing out the raw material Lee had that was suddenly without a home.

The result?

In a word, There Is A Bomb In Gilead is sexy .The result is everything The Drive-By Truckers have been trying to become since Jason left/was kicked out of the band. The result is pure rock and roll. Pure Muscle Shoals. Pure Essential Listening. Pure American music.
http://ninebullets.net/archives/lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-there-is-a-bomb-in-gilead

LITTLE ROCK UNDERGROUND (Little Rock music bog) – Positive feature to preview local show with band photo an audio stream.
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
“The Glory Fires learned to construct music in the churches of their childhoods, and learned to destroy it in the punk clubs of their youths”. – The Glory Fires

Alright, so I have a feeling this show will make it to one of the other publications in our fair city of Little Rock, of course much nearer to the actual show date, so I thought I’d post this up a bit sooner.  Full disclosure, I have seen Lee play with Dexateens a couple times, but I didn’t know that was his name nor did I know he had started this band, so I was pleasantly happy to see this band request grace our inbox.

If you didn’t see the Dexateens, you missed out.  They were loud, fun, and always put on a hell of a show.  However, enough about Bains’ former band.  On to the current, The Glory Fires.

Born out of a hot bed of talent, Birmingham, Alabama more precisely, Bains & The Glory Fires have hit the road in support of their debut album There Is A Bomb In Gilead.  I was lucky enough to get an advance copy, and it’s something special.  Mixing equal parts Alabama soul and rough & tumble rock ‘n roll, Bains & The Glory Fires sound like they belong in the game.  With sharp lyrics, they remind me a twinge of Verbena, another Birmingham outfit, but with a significantly larger amount of pedal steel and Southern twang accentuating the rock vibe they have. I don’t think it is fair to lump them in with all the Alabama things happening, but it is inevitable that there will be comparisons.  The sound that is coming from that specific part of the US is pretty unmistakeable, and I always look forward to hearing new bands from the area.

They are rough around the edges, but just polished enough, to catch my attention.  When bands become too refined, they lose that certain something that first catches a listener’s ears.  All of us can relate to that at some point with a band we really liked that went and got fancy on us.  It is the way of music, and I understand sometimes that is what bands have to do in order to be successful.  I have high hopes that Bains & The Glory Fires will not immediately jump to that step, so listeners soon to be fans, can savor their raw, unadulterated talent that much longer.

May 18 will be a jam packed night at White Water Tavern.  Not only are The Glory Fires playing, but they are sharing the stage with Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s rockers Glossary, and Bloomington, Indiana’s ex-punk and nothing but soul, singer song-writer Austin Lucas.  This lineup is certainly a treat for a Friday night in Little Rock.  We are definitely looking forward to this show, and hope others are too.

White Water Tavern, for those that don’t know, is located at 2500 W. 7th St.  The cover charge is not yet posted, but as a fair guess goes, the show will likely run from $5-7 and kick off between 9:30-10:00.
http://littlerockunderground.wordpress.com/tag/lee-bains-iii-and-the-glory-fires/

MOD MOBILIAN (Mobile, AL A&E site) – Album review to preview local show with band photo and two audio streams.
New Bama Album: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires “There Is a Bomb in Gilead”
Lee Bains, after playing with the Dexateens, formed the Glory Fires with fellow Arkadelphia member Justin Colburn, along with Blake Williamson and Matt Wurtele. They just got off a tour with the Alabama Shakes (see the video below – “Dirt Track”).

We think – having seen some of his Twitter posts and even talked to him – that Lee Bains probably wrote this bio himself:
“This is not country music. Really, it’s city music. It’s Southern, but it’s not the kind sold on TV.”
“As much Wilson Pickett as Fugazi, as much the Stooges as the Allman Brothers…on ‘THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD’ they deconstruct the music of the Deep South, strip it down and reassemble it, to make a righteous ruckus that sits at the vanguard of the vernacular.”

Now Lee probably wrote that because he’s a smart guy and he did some fancy book learnin’ up at NYU to get his English degree.  Yes, they do “deconstruct” Southern music.  He is as much of a fan of Southern culture as we are – and it shows as each song reflects some aspect of Southern music.  Although we’d say the roughest are more Molly Hatchet than Fugazi – they range from Southern rock (”Centreville”) to soul (”Everything You Took”) to pretty much modern country (”Righteous, Ragged Songs” or “Reba”).

And that’s not to say this is some dry, academic exercise. There is some great songwriting, and some serious “righteous ruckus” (although you still have to hear “Magic City Stomp” live). But above all “Gilead” works to define and revive Southern rock. It seems he wants to honor our past while continuing to move forward, musically and culturally. Hurrah.

Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires will be playing at Alabama Music Box Thursday May 24.
http://modmobilian.com/2012/05/08/new-bama-album-lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-there-is-a-bomb-in-gilead/

GUITAR WORLD (National monthly music magazine)
Hear It Now: Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires “Centreville”
ALBUM There Is a Bomb in Gilead (Alive Naturalsound)
SOUND Guitarist/singer/songwriter Lee Bains III leads his Birmingham, Alabama–based band in a raucous exploration of the intersection between garage rock, soul, country and punk on this full-length debut. Not unlike acts like the Black Keys, Bains manages to merge these styles into a rollicking, timeless sound with plenty of six-string swagger.
KEY TRACK “Ain’t No Stranger” and “Centreville”
Listen to “Centreville” below:
http://www.guitarworld.com/hear-it-now-lee-bains-iii-glory-fires-centreville

ARDENT MUSIC BLOG (Memphis, TN music blog for Ardent Studios)
My First Record: Lee Bains III (of Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires)
Standing in the cool, fluorescent cavern of the K-Mart, clacking through the stack of cassette tapes, boasting brightly colored stickers declaring things like “Wow! Only $6.99!” or “Feat. Warren G!,” I paused over one near the bottom. I’d heard of it. Probably from liner notes. One of my daddy’s Allman Brothers albums more than likely. Muddy Waters –  The Real Folk Blues. I pulled it from the plastic rack, carefully, turning it over in my fingers, looking at the husky black man’s twin, mustachioed, pompadoured faces on the cover — one shut-eyed and moaning, the other tight-lipped, eyebrows arched, as if to say, “Go on, and try me.”

I turned it over again.

“Mannish Boy.” “Gypsy Woman.” “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had.”

I fished the crumpled ten-dollar bill out of my pocket, and handed it to the lady at the register.

“This it, honey?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Christmas money, probably. Maybe birthday. (It would’ve been my 11th.) Probably from Aunt Myrt, or maybe Uncle Bill.

There in the backseat, I bit off the corner of the cellophane, and tore off the rest. I cracked it open, pulled out the tape, and stuck it in the Walkman.

It crackled first. I remember the crackle. It sounded like smoke looks. Like barbecue smells. The guitar tickled my ear, the way that gnats and sweat conspire to do in the summertime. I think I blushed. Like I’d heard a dirty joke within earshot of my parents, or like somebody had called me a name. And that voice. It was kind of like the old black gospel music I’d heard. But far simpler. Cruder. Tougher. Sadder. Not pretty enough for the choir loft, I imagined. And there were all those grown-ups yelling and carrying on in the background. Drinking, surely. Cigarettes, too.

The language was familiar. The kinds of words and cadences that rolled out from between the lips of older folks, black and white both, around Birmingham. The kind that the old men in their perfectly creased ball caps and shirts, necks and noses burned deep red or deep black, would use at the Krispy Kreme or on the bleachers at the ballpark. But this man wasn’t cutting up and talking about football, or city politics, or fishing, or church, or carburetors, or old so-and-so, or whatever grown men were supposed to cut up and talk about. He was talking about crying, and being lonely, and drinking, and mean women, and drowning, and dying.

But he wasn’t complaining. I wasn’t sure why it wasn’t complaining, but it wasn’t. Complaining, of course, was something that a man didn’t do. There was just something about the way he sang, the words he chose, the way he spat them out, that sounded like he was daring — like he was BEGGING — the first dumb sumbitch to come forward and tell him he was whining. He’d earned his stripes, and there was something in the earning that was far worse, far more horrible, than anything that could be slung at him again.

Even then, I knew that whatever I was experiencing as a weird longhaired white middle-class boy at a Christian school in Birmingham was pretty far removed from whatever Muddy Waters had endured up to the point he sang “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had.” But, still, listening to that tape, watching the strip malls blur into pine trees through the backseat window, I heard that there was a certain power in putting your heart on your sleeve. And that, once you got the nerve to put it there, there wasn’t a soul that could take it from you.

Sun. May 6th LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES w/ LUCERO, Dirty Streets 5-10pm at The Hi-Tone, 1913 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN (901) 278-8663 $20 18+
http://www.ardentstudios.com/musicblog/2012/05/03/my-first-record-lee-bains-iii-of-lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires/

ARTSWRAP (UK music site)- Positive posting with album art and related links.
There is a Bomb in Gilead: Review
What is undeniably brilliant about Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires on this album is how catchy their tracks are. It is a brilliant debut album which should give them some much deserved attention.

Tracks such as ‘Magic City Stomp!’ and ‘Reba’ unleash a blues genre to their music, while ‘Everything you Took’ and ‘Ain’t No Stranger’ definitely have more of a rock feel to them. What comes across in all of the tracks is their chilled out approach to music, which is not a bad thing when you are producing music as good as this.

Although in their biography Lee Bains’s voice is described as being ‘drawling, howling’ there is no evidence of the howling at all. His drawling voice is supported by drummer Blake Williamson, bass player Justin Colburn and guitar player Matt Wurtele, giving the album an almost lazy feel.

On the track ‘Roebuck Parkway’ Bains’s vocals are perfectly matched by Wurtele’s gentle guitar playing, making this one of the many highlights on this album.

In contrast to this, the album’s title track ‘There is a bomb in Gilead’, Bain’s gravelly tones brings to mind a young Rod Stewart.

While there are no tracks on the album that ruin the mood or style, it will be interesting to see where they will take their music next or whether they will stick to this formula. It feels as though at times on this recording they are holding something back, desperate to let go of held back energy which can be heard at times on certain songs.

It is the perfect album to listen to on a summer afternoon and I wait in eagerness to hear what they produce next. If the music they intend to produce keeps to this high standard then a long and successful career awaits this brilliant new discovery.
http://artswrap.co.uk/article/there-bomb-gilead-review

AUDITORY ARSON (Salt Lake City music blog)- Positive album review with cover art and Righteous Ragged Songs audio stream
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – There is a Bomb in Gilead
Alive Naturalsound Records / May 15, 2012
Recorded in the heart of Dixie and mixed in the motor city, the debut release from Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires burns a path through the American musical landscape on which lesser bands have become hopelessly lost. These boys are forging a sound based on garage rock guts, southern riffs and gospel flavors that was first explored by the Rolling Stones 40 years ago on Exile on Main St. The difference here is the Stones were doing an homage to the sounds they learned to love. On There is a Bomb in Gilead, with Bains on vocals, drummer Blake Williamson, bass player Justin Colburn, and guitar player Matt Wurtele…the band plays like the stuff Gram Parsons called “Cosmic American Music” is in their DNA.

There is nothing here either quite as sinister sounding or as obtuse as some of the Exile tracks, this band follows a more observant trail of lyrical hooks including the pun of the closing title track. “There is a Bomb in Gilead” plays on a Bible verse that became the Black American spiritual, “Balm in Gilead.” Bains misheard the lyrics as child and sticks with that here yet works in the meaning of both words in a clever way. Getting to that last track will take you on a journey through the deep, dirty south of today, the band even stops along the way for the “Magic City Stomp!” where they do a bit of their own homage via some very Stones-like jamming.
http://www.auditoryarson.com/lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-there-is-a-bomb-in-gilead

BLOGTO (Toronto music blog)- Positive Toronto show review as part of their larger Shakes review
Alabama Shakes recently rolled through Toronto for a sold out show at Lee’s Palace. Joining them in support was Birmingham’s The Glory Fires, who opened the night by taking the stage sheepishly, before dismantling the place with songs from their debut LP, There is a Bomb in Gilead. It was a little awkward at first, but working through songs echoing The Allman Brothers and The Band, the crowd warmed and the band relaxed.

Drummer Blake Williamson and bassist Justin Colburn put down a solid foundation and added welcome harmonies, while up front lead guitarist Matt Wurtele was Robbie Robertson 2.0 and front man/ guitarist Lee Bains III led the charge with tear-your-face-off vocal power a-la Joe Cocker.
http://www.blogto.com/music/2012/04/alabama_shakes_get_a_stew_on_at_lees/

THE DAILY TIMES (Knoxvillle, TN area daily)- Positive feature/interview to preview Knoxville show with band photo and related link
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires rise from the ashes of The Dexateens
By Steve Wildsmith
When Southern rockers The Dexateens came grinding to a halt back in 2010, Lee Bains found himself adrift.

He’d shuttered his old outfit, Arkadelphia, to play guitar for the band. He’d thrown himself into it with gusto, drawing on the group’s energy and giving it everything he had. And when it ended, he wasn’t sure what to do next.
“I loved playing with The Dexateens, and when that came to an end, I didn’t know what I was going to do,” he told The Daily Times this week. “I was really just kind of lost. I’d been talking to a major label in Los Angeles about doing this recording project thing, and while that was financially promising in certain ways, creatively I didn’t feel good about it.

“So I walked away from that, and then The Dexateens petered out, and I hadn’t had my own band or played my own songs for a couple of years at that point.”

So he turned to the only outlet a musician knows for solace: songwriting. They came pouring out, and once he settled back in Birmingham, Ala., he called up his old Arkadelphia bandmate Justin Colburn, and the two started putting together a new project: Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires.

It’s an apt name for the sort of gritty, desperate rock ‘n’ roll Bains and his bandmates have created on their debut album, “There Is a Bomb in Gilead.” The title comes from a misheard gospel lyric from Bains’ childhood, and while “balm” may sound more soothing to some, “bomb” is exactly what this record is. The songs begin with the simmering hiss of a grenade fuse before exploding in ways that define what life is like in the modern South: Tough, mean and unforgiving.

That’s not to say “Bomb” is a metal album; far from it. There’s a steady-as-she-goes sensibility to the tracks that took Bains a bit to wrap his head around.

“When we first got together, our buddy Tim Kerr came from Austin to sort of encourage us, and as we were going through these songs, he kept telling us I was doing things, and that we as a band were doing things, that sounded like The Dexateens,” Bains said. “He kept asking, ‘How do YOU do it?’ And I think a lot of that had to do with focusing more on the pocket.

“With The Dexateens, we would pretty much go out and blaze through the song at warp speed. With this band, Tim was sort of saying that our power wasn’t going to come from that; it was going to come in part from the groove, from being in the pocket. And in playing together, I want it to feel good rhythmically and have that laid-back sort of behind-the-beat feel.”

The Glory Fires have already made waves around the Southeast, both for the music the band makes and for the state the guys call home. They’ve appeared with The Alabama Shakes, and like the Drive-By Truckers before them, they’re helping call attention to a region that’s often overlooked for its contributions to rock ‘n’ roll.

“I definitely look to a place for inspiration and setting,” Bains said. “In Arkadelphia, pretty much all the songs on that album were intentionally about Birmingham. I’m still drawn to doing that, and a lot of it has to do with the literature I’m into: Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, Faulkner; people who very consciously dwelt in their own place.

“This is the only place I can truly understand, and it’s where I belong. I can’t speak to New York City, but I can speak to Central Alabama, and I feel like that’s definitely influenced my writing.”
IF YOU GO
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
PERFORMING WITH: Kelsey’s Woods, Jack Herranen, Dixieghost
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, April 20
WHERE: The Well, 4620 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
HOW MUCH: $5
CALL: 851-7459
Related Links

http://thegloryfires.com

http://www.thedailytimes.com/Weekend/story/Lee-Bains-III–The-Glory-Fires-rise-from-the-ashes-of-The-Dexateens-id-022893

EXCLAIM! MAGAZINE (Canadian national music monthly)- Positive Toronto show review
Alabama Shakes / Lee Bains the III & the Glory Fires
Lee’s Palace / Toronto, ON April
By Laina Dawes
It’s amazing the cultural difference between Alabama and Toronto. Not only was opener Lee Bains the III’s heavy ‘Bama drawl slightly alarming, his band Glory Fires quickly demonstrated that Toronto’s indie bands better start working on their musical chops.

Debuting tunes of their upcoming debut, There Is a Bomb in Gilead, the opening band deftly blew away probably half of the local talent that has ever graced the Lee’s Palace stage. Impossibly young to be churning out some petty intricate tunes, the technique and depth of their musical skills and knowledge was simply astounding, switching between some Southern-fried boogie, country twinge and some soul that would make Charley Pride, well, proud.

The friendly interplay between opener and headliner was also a match made in heaven. Alabama Shakes guitarist Heath Fogg and drummer Steve Johnson joined the Glory Fires for their finale, and the band later joined Alabama Shakes for “You Ain’t Alone.”
http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Concerts/alabama_shakes_lee_bains_iii_glory_fires-lees_palace_toronto_on_april_17

BOSTON MUSIC SPOTLIGHT
Stepping into the Spotlight with Lee Bains III

Every week we like to spotlight a rising band from outside of New England. Today, we get to know Alabama’s Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. You can catch the band in Massachusetts when they open for the Alabama Shakes at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club on Sunday, April 15. Learn more about the band, below.

Band Name: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
Band Members:
Lee Bains III: Vocals, Guitar (Birmingham, AL)
Justin Colburn: Bass (Jasper, AL)
Blake Williamson: Drums, Vocals (Birmingham, AL)
Matt Wurtele: Guitar (Homewood, AL)
Albums:
There Is a Bomb in Gilead (2012)
Website:
www.thegloryfires.com

How did you form/start?
LB: I had been playing with Alabama band The Dexateens, and, as that band started slowing down considerably, wanted to start my own thing. Justin and Blake were old musical cohorts in the Birmingham area, and Matt was somebody I’d gotten to know through friends in Tuscaloosa.

Finish the sentence, someone would like your band if they like…
LB: …their family, their hometown, raising hell, swimming holes.

What song of yours should people listen to first and why?
LB: “Ain’t No Stranger” since it’s the first on the album!

Walk us through your songwriting process.
LB: Well, every song is different. A melody or lyric might come to me while I’m driving, or working, or reading. Or it might just be while playing guitar. It does help when I’m singly focused on something, not necessarily music.

Tell us a little bit about your latest album.
LB: Well, we’re proud of it. We recorded it with our friend Lynn Bridges in Water Valley, Mississippi, and worked really hard on it. We think we did a pretty good job of capturing our vibe as a band and a group of dudes. That said, we’re a fair bit louder live.

What has your most memorable moment as a band been?
LB: Dodging into a crawfish restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi to avoid a tornado.

What has been the hardest part of building your name onto the national level?
LB: Man, that’s a complicated question. To be honest, it’s all hard. Booking shows, trying to find a good label, finding work that will allow you to be away on tour, being away from family and friends, making enough money for gas, getting more than a handful of people out to shows. That said, it’s of course worth it. We all love music.

Who are the best bands from your hometown that we might not know about?
LB: Birmingham has several killer bands right now. 13ghosts, Through The Sparks, Black Willis, Dead Fingers, and more that aren’t immediately jumping to mind.

What band would you most like to open for?
LB: A reunited Replacements. Why not?

Who is your all-time favorite Boston band?
LB: Blake immediately said Aerosmith. I say The Modern Lovers.

What are your thoughts on playing Boston?
LB: Boston is honestly one of my favorite cities to visit. It strikes me as ancient, particularly coming from a part of Alabama that was very rural and sparsely settled until the late 1800′s. I’ve had a couple fun shows there with The Dexateens at T.T. The Bear’s and always look forward to going back. Probably my number-one reason for loving Boston is the original Pizzeria Regina in the North End. It is my favorite pizza of all-time, hands down.

What can people expect from your live show and why should our readers catch your next stop in Boston?
LB: Man, we play like we mean it, and have a really good time. Hope y’all will come!
http://www.bostonmusicspotlight.com/features-stepping-into-the-spotlight-with-lee-bains-iii-and-the-glory-fires-april-2012/

THE GLOBE & MAIL (Toronto daily)- “Everything That You Took” featured in their “Five New Songs You Need To Hear” with band photo
SOUL/ROCK
Everything You Took
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, from the forthcoming There Is a Bomb in Gilead (Alive); streaming here
She took his Ramones T-shirt, and she took his Walker Percy book. On a grooving slice of southern rock with a tasty Muscle Shoals-soaked guitar solo, all a broken-hearted dude asks for in return is small hope and a touch of sweet mercy.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/five-new-songs-you-need-to-hear/article2403811/

THE RED & BLACK (Athens, GA college weekly) – Positive album review
Listen Up! — ‘There Is A Bomb in Gilead’
By HILARY BUTSCHEK

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires surprise, but not in the way one might think.

It’s not the band’s style or genre or sound alone that takes the listener unexpectedly; it’s the whole package.

The band’s debut album, “There Is A Bomb in Gilead” has a genuine feel to it — it’s good Southern music made in the South.

With themes of country, rock and gospel, the album couldn’t have better represented all the deep facets of the region. It couldn’t have represented them any more truthfully, either.

This album isn’t a hoax. It isn’t trying too hard. It isn’t too much or too little. It’s just right.

Because, with a mix of many styles, “There Is A Bomb in Gilead” covers all its bases.

The songs range in tempo while mixing traditional sounds. From slow and heartfelt — like “Reba,” a brooding song revolving around melancholy love — to fast and rowdy — like “Centreville,” an upbeat and energetic song to get the crowd dancing.

Then there is also the in-between songs like “Everything You Took,” which works off roots of a simple country melody but adds the rhythm of the blues and the guitar solo of a soft rock band.

Sewn through all of these widely ranging styles is one thing in common: Bains’ voice, which sounds as if he’s been through all that he sings of and is better and wiser from it.

He knows.

This is exactly what this kind of rootsy, soulful music calls for, so it’s a perfect fit.

Although the truthfulness of the lyrics of the album sometimes run up against the loud music, there is always an exception: for example, “Roebuck Parkway” highlights slow and meaningful lyrics and is nicely offset by the other people’s responsibility.

That is the sum total of the album: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires sets the truth to a little bit of fun.
http://redandblack.com/2012/04/09/listen-up-%E2%80%94-%E2%80%98there-is-a-bomb-in-gilead%E2%80%99/

MARQUEE MAGAZINE (Boulder, CO monthly) – Positive 4/5 album review.
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
There Is A Bomb In Gilead
Alive Natural Sound Records
4 out of 5 stars

Lee Bains III is from central Alabama — Birmingham, to be exact — but the sound on his debut album with The Glory Fires is 110% Muscle Shoals, Ala. territory. At least it sounds that way. Despite the unfortunate fact that the album was actually recorded over the state line in Water Valley, Miss., the power, soul and vintage sound of There Is A Bomb In Gilead is indicative of recordings that have come out of Muscle Shoals Fame Studio by bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers and more recently, Drive-By Truckers.

There Is a Bomb is a righteous ruckus that sits at the vanguard of the vernacular. The first 15 seconds of the album starts with a somewhat tacet guitar piece, before exploding into rock and soul for the next 38 minutes. Part of that explosion is no doubt due to the environs. Recorded in the south, but mixed in Detroit, the album straddles the Appalachian Mountains, with one foot in the Confederacy and one in the Motor City — or as the band’s label said, the album is where “Mississippi grease and Detroit grit” meet.

Each track is chock full of southern storytelling, but choruses give way to great anthematic singalongs. The track “Everything You Took” most perfectly shows the blending of styles. With a nostalgic, soulful verse, Bains sings about a failed relationship with mentions of lost Ramones t-shirts and Walker Percy books, before a blistering guitar solo gives way to a chorus as catchy as they come, with heavy background vocals and an optimistic sense of “everything is going to be okay.”

There Is A Bomb In Gilead is an awesomely solid debut, and I wish I had the chance to hear it in its native form — blasting from a Ford truck stereo rolling down Highway 72, through the South. — BFJ

WELD FOR BIRMINGHAM  (Birmingham weekly) – Feature story with interview and band photo to preview local show

7 Questions with: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
Chefs and musicians share a love of creation through blending. Like cooking, some of the best music comes from mixing unexpected and seemingly disparate genres. The real standouts are where you can taste each individual flavor, but only when you’re really trying, or maybe if you’re in just the right mood to notice; every subsequent experience of the same dish brings new and subtle discoveries of the parts that make up the equally delicious whole.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires’ new album “There is a Bomb in Gilead”, out in mid-May, is a masterful meal. There are a hundred influences and flavors, all immediately recognizable but mixed perfectly so that none stands out above the other. There’s early New York City punk, soul, country (both front-porch and Outlaw), blues, and, of course, rock and roll, all blended together so well that you can hear it all without noticing any of it, because the combination makes it it’s own thing.

You can (and should) catch Bains and the gang at the Nick, March 24, as they prepare to head out on the road with the Alabama Shakes, spreading the gospel of Alabama rock’n’roll across the East Coast. -km

1. The new disc kicks off with “Ain’t No Stranger”, that excellent kind rock ‘n’ roll that feels like it’s about to fall apart any second, but never does. Where does that come from, and is it ever tempting to just let it?

Thank you for the kind words and the great questions. I don’t know where it comes from. I mean, I think I do. At the risk of sounding pretentious, I get a lot of spiritual fulfillment out of playing music. Through different periods in my life, playing music with other people has been the only time I’ve really been able to experience a moment without having my mind race, and my attention wander. I do know that I’m grateful to play with three dudes that play like their lives depend on it — like they really do believe in rock’n’roll. I think there’s a sweet spot with falling apart. Live, we look for that Rahsaan Roland Kirk-style falling apart. Not the Hank Jr. at the Star Lake Ampitheatre in 1991 kind of falling apart.

2. There’s a clear and unique set of influences — from seventies soul to country folk to emaciated punk. What new music excites you, if any?

Man, I like a good number of bands right now — a lot of them here in Alabama. Doc Dailey has one of the greatest voices in music, and a weary wistfulness to his songs that will break most any heart. The Alabama Shakes are of course great. The new Dead Fingers record is really pretty, and the forthcoming Black Willis E.P. is kickass. The last two 13ghosts albums were two of my favorite in the last year; Brad Armstrong can make the ol’ eyes get misty pretty easily. My buddy Blaine Duncan is about to record an album of songs that will make many a songwriter hang their head in shame. G-Side put out a pretty damn cool record this year, too, with several songs that ought to light a fire under Outkast’s ass. Anyway, that’s just Alabama, and there’s plenty more where that came from! In the last year, I saw some great bands, from places other than Alabama, including: Jack Oblivian, River City Tanlines, Fucked Up!, Paul Collins, Hans Condor (RIP), Elf Power, Mark Eitzel, Glossary, The Bohannons, Future Virgins. There’s great music everywhere.

3. How different would the new album be if you had misheard the hymn as “There’s a *bum* in Gilead”?

It’d be a scathing indictment of Benjamin Netanyahu’s lackluster work ethic. Or a description of his posterior.

4. How did growing up in Alabama affect your approach to music and lyrics?

Man, I think in every conceivable way. I’m really grateful to have been born and raised in a single place, and to have real ties to it — both familial and personal. I can drive around Birmingham, and think, “That’s where my mama lived growing up. That’s where my granddaddy’s band used to play in the Thirties. That’s where I sat in my friend’s truck and drank our first case of beer. That’s the church where my grandmama directed the choir.” Every place, every name, every tradition and custom is so rich with meaning. When I was around 18 or 19, I really started thinking consciously about all that — what it means to be of a place. I got to that point, to where Faulkner said, “I discovered that my little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about,” and I started trying to play with that in my own feeble way. I love no place on Earth more than I do Birmingham. Because without it, in a very real way, I wouldn’t exist.

5. If you could pick one song off the new disc to be played on radio stations everywhere, which would it be and why?

After that last diatribe, I’d be remiss if I were to say anything other than “Magic City Stomp!”

6. Be honest: would you rather be touring with The Alabama Shakes, or Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake?

Since watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force makes me feel like I’m coming down off Sudafed, I’ll answer with a resounding, “Alabama Shakes!”

7. With the assumption that your live shows are at least half as energetic as your disc, should people expect to see someone burst into flames or possibly explode onstage?

We’ve got some very smart folks working around the clock to make this happen for the people.
http://weldbham.com/icanhearyourhousefromhere/2012/03/22/7-questions-with-lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires/

LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE (Mobile, AL  bi-weekly alt) – Feature to preview Mobile show review.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires continue ‘dirty’ rock tradition
By Katie Nichols

Before heading out to open up for the Alabama Shakes at sold out shows across the country, Birmingham-based band Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires will be stopping by Blind Mule Saturday at 9 p.m.

The group is also touring in support of their debut album “There is a Bomb in Gilead,” which came about when Bains as a child misheard the old hymn “There is a balm in Gilead.”

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires tour with the Alabama Shakes, who has received national attention for their upcoming debut album “Boys & Girls,” begins April 5 in Athens, Ga. But before the Alabama Shakes ever played on “Conan” or took SXSW by storm, they were playing in the same circuit as Bains.

“We just like each other’s bands from having played together in Tuscaloosa,” Bains said about the Alabama Shakes. “The funny thing is that, several months ago, before things started going really crazy for the Shakes, I asked them if they’d want to do a co-headline tour in April, since both of our albums were supposed to come out around that time. When I asked back then, they had said that a couple members couldn’t get off work for that long, so they’d have to pass. Now, here it is, six or seven or eight months later, and we’re opening for them on a tour of much bigger venues than we could’ve ever expected.”

Fans of the Alabama Shakes can expect a kinship of sorts when they listen to the Glory Fires.

“We have both definitely come out of the Alabama rock’n’roll scene. Heath and Zac [from Alabama Shakes] were both frequenting Egan’s in Tuscaloosa before the Shakes played there, and I’d seen Zac at our Dexateens shows. There’s definitely a tradition of dirty Alabama rock’n’roll that takes pride in being from Alabama,” Bains said. “I guess I’d point to the Quadrajets, Immortal Lee County Killers, Drive-By Truckers, Model Citizen and Dexateens as being a few of those bands. In those bands and others, I see a definite sense of Southern heritage, mostly in their influences (Muscle Shoals and Memphis soul, 1970s Southern rock, Big Star and Memphis garage stuff, gospel music, classic country and blues), but also a conscious effort to question and subvert what it means to be Southern. With really loud damn guitars.”

The Glory Fires start can be traced back to 2008 when Bains returned home from college in New York. He joined up with the Dexateens, a Tuscaloosa institution whose raggedy union of cock-eyed rebel pride and forward-thinking fury proved to be the perfect apprenticeship for a confused Southern boy, raised on Skynyrd and schooled in Faulkner. After playing with the band for a few years and countless shows, the Dexateens came to a reluctant end. Bains found himself off the road, back in Birmingham, without a band, and with some songs sitting somewhere between garage, classic power-pop and country-soul.

Pulling together musicians from central Alabama, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires began. The Glory Fires are drummer Blake Williamson (Black Willis, Taylor Hollingsworth, Dan Sartain), bass player Justin Colburn (Model Citizen, Arkadelphia), and guitar player Matt Wurtele.

Together they traveled to Water Valley, Miss. to record “There is a Bomb in Gilead,” and created an album that not only has a uniquely Alabama sound, but draws from soul, gospel, country, rock and much more.

The Glory Fires will be joined Saturday with the Old Tire Swings, a California-based band.
http://classic.lagniappemobile.com/article.asp?articleID=5306&sid=13

THE PERLICH POST (Toronto music blog) – Positive feature with band photo, audio streams, and related links.
Lee Bains carries Dexateens’ rock ‘n’ soul legacy
When Lee Bains III suggested the idea of an East Coast tour with his pals in the Alabama Shakes, he wasn’t thinking they’d be doing mid-sized venues – let alone selling out a Toronto show at Lee’s Palace on April 17. That’s a major change from the last time Bains was in town to tear up the Comfort Zone with the Dexateens as part of the Perlich Post’s Canadian Music Week showcase. Since then, Bains recorded an amazing album There Is A Bomb In Gilead (out May 15) with his new band Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Alabama Shakes have suddenly become the buzz band everyone wants to see. No doubt having their tune You Ain’t Alone used in a Zales jewelry commercial and a load of media hype helped getting the word out about the Alabama Shakes.

Alabama Shakes
“We just like each other’s bands from having played together in Tuscaloosa,” explains Bains about the relationship between the two groups. “The funny thing is that, several months ago, before things started going really crazy for the Shakes, I asked them if they’d want to do a co-headline tour in April, since both of our albums were supposed to come out around that time. When I asked back then, they had said that a couple members couldn’t get off work for that long, so they’d have to pass. Now, here it is, six or seven or eight months later, and we’re opening for them on a tour of much bigger venues than we could’ve ever expected.”

As Bains elaborated, “We have both definitely come out of the Alabama rock’n'roll scene. Heath and Zac [from Alabama Shakes] were both frequenting Egan’s in Tuscaloosa before the Shakes played there, and I’d seen Zac at our Dexateens shows. There’s definitely a tradition of dirty Alabama rock’n'roll that takes pride in being from Alabama. I guess I’d point to the Quadrajets, Immortal Lee County Killers, Drive-By Truckers, Model Citizen and Dexateens as being a few of those bands. In those bands and others, I see a definite sense of Southern heritage, mostly in their influences (Muscle Shoals and Memphis soul, ’70s Southern rock, Big Star and Memphis garage stuff, gospel music, classic country and blues), but also a conscious effort to question and subvert what it means to be Southern. With really loud damn guitars.”

The title of Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires’ debut album comes from Bains mishearing an old hymn as a child. In the soft accents of his elders around Birmingham, Alabama, There is a balm in Gilead sounded a lot like “There is a bomb.” It fits, really. The Glory Fires learned to construct music in the churches of their childhoods, and learned to destroy it in the punk clubs of their youths.

As much Bobby Womack as Fugazi, as much Iggy & the Stooges as the Allman Brothers, Birmingham, Alabama’s Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires have brought radical rock’n’roll to bear on their own experience and their own place. On There Is A Bomb in Gilead, they deconstruct the music of the Deep South, strip it down and reassemble it, to make a righteous ruckus that sits at the vanguard of the vernacular.

In 2008, shortly after returning to Birmingham from college in New York, Lee Bains fell in with the Dexateens, a Tuscaloosa institution whose raggedy union of cock-eyed rebel pride and forward-thinking fury proved to be the perfect apprenticeship for a confused Southern boy, raised on Skynyrd and schooled in Faulkner. After Bains had played with the band for a couple or three years, a couple or three hundred shows, the Dexateens came to a reluctant end. Their final album was going to be called Glory Fire.

Bains found himself off the road, back in Birmingham, without a band. He also found himself with a passel of powerful songs sitting somewhere between buzzsaw garage, classic power-pop and sweating country-soul. Casting his nets in central Alabama’s rock’n’roll clubs, Bains assembled the Glory Fires: drummer Blake Williamson (Black Willis, Taylor Hollingsworth, Dan Sartain), bass player Justin Colburn (Model Citizen, Arkadelphia), and guitar player Matt Wurtele. Chugging along with a fierce Muscle Shoals vibe, the Glory Fires brought a sense of urgency to Bains’ drawling, howling voice.

After tracking some demos under the powerful guidance of Texas punk pioneer Tim Kerr (Big Boys, Poison 13, Now Time Delegation) and a few months of shows, the Glory Fires traveled to Water Valley, Mississippi to record the tracks for their debut LP There Is a Bomb in Gilead at Dial Back Sound with engineer Lynn Bridges (Quadrajets, Jack Oblivian, Thomas Function). The songs were mixed in Detroit, at Ghetto Recorders by Jim Diamond (The Dirtbombs, The New Bomb Turks, Catl). It is there — in that Mississippi grease and Detroit grit — that There Is a Bomb in Gilead sits, fuse lit, ready to go.

There Is A Bomb In Gilead hits stores May 15th and will be available on CD and good old black vinyl with with lyric sheet and download card. In addition, there will also be a very limited pressing of 500 purple vinyl albums with lyric sheet and download card exclusive to mailorders through Bomp!’
http://theperlichpost.blogspot.com/2012/04/lee-bains-carries-dexateens-rock-n-soul.html

BOSTON MUSIC SPOTLIGHT (Boston music site) – Best picks
Alabama Shakes at the Paradise Rock Club: They just released their debut album this week but this show was sold out long before. If you do have tickets, be sure to check out openers Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.
http://www.bostonmusicspotlight.com/news-weekend-guide-april-13-15-2012/

PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPER (Philly weekly) – Brief show review mention
Lee Bains III and the Glory Fire’s opening set was, well, true-to-form country rock. Their album, There is a Bomb in Gilead comes out next month.
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/criticalmass

DAVE FM (Atlanta radio staton) – Brief  Hoboken show review as part of The Baseball Project review.
Opening for The Baseball Project at Maxwell’s was the Birmingham, Alabama rock band Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires. I hadn’t heard of them before, but they delivered a hot set that served as an ideal opener for TBP Their bio describes their music as “As much Wilson Pickett as Fugazi, as much the Stooges as the Allman Brothers,” which is pretty apt. Yes, they play blues-influenced southern rock, but with a nice edge to it. By Dave Bruce
http://929dave.radio.com/2012/04/13/the-baseball-project-hits-it-out-of-the-park-at-maxwells-in-hoboken-nj/

HELLHOUND MUSIC (online music site) – 2nd posting – News feature on tour (from press announcement) with band photo, album art and related links.
http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/04/lee-bains-iii-glory-fires-tour-w.html

THE CORNER NEWS (Auburn, AL weeklt) – Positive Auburn show preview with band photo.
Southern band brings funky rhythm to the stage:
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires will be playing at Bloodhound this weekend before heading out on tour with Alabama Shakes.
By Destiny Brown

Birmingham-based band, Lee Bains III & Glory Fires, have added Auburn to its tour route to kick off its debut album, “There is a Bomb in Gilead.”

The lead singer, Lee Bains’s voice is a heart of Dixie treasure that is complimented by a funky band of talented musicians that have formed its own style of country soul.

After retiring from three years with Dexateens, a Tuscaloosa-based outlaw country band, Bains began his own circuit of playing Alabama rock ‘n’ roll venues until he found candidates for the perfect band to compliment his southern and bluesy vocals.

With a collection of original songs that ranged from classic-power pop to rural country soul, Bains formed the band in 2008 with a drive to continue his passion for the country stage.

The results for the perfect band were Justin “Catfish” Colburn, bass; Brian “Death Machine” Gosdin, drums; “Bad” Blake Williamson, drums and Matt “L.R.” Wurtele, guitar.

The bands influences range from Wilson Pickett to Lynard Skynard and credits southern staples such as catfish and T-model Fords for its southern sound.
“There is a Bomb in Gilead,” will be available May 15. The band is warming up to begin its tour with friends, Alabama Shakes.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires will be playing at Bloodhound at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 30.
http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/nightlife/comments/southern-band-brings-funky-rhythm-to-the-stage/

The Hawthorne Effect is also a four-piece rock band from Chicago. The name implies depth and the songs on their full-length debut, Awakefulsleep, reflect the name. Each song has been carefully crafted from beginning to end, not only rich with layers of meaning, but with layers of melody and musical sensibility. It’s where simplicity meets the source. What we know and don’t speak of; what we see and often forget. The songs are about the general and the specific, serving as projective tests that allow the listener to generate multiple meanings, while packaged neatly inside a well straightforward simple message as well.

The songs were written by the band’s creative fountainhead John Jauch (Smoke Off Vinyl/Killing the Enemy), who has been an active member of the Chicago music scene for the last decade and has had his music featured on television and radio programs across the globe.

All the songs on Awakefulsleep were tracked, arranged, mixed, and mastered at Stranded On A Planet recording studio in Chicago, under the technical and musical prowess of producer Scott Fritz (Nadia Ali, Martha Berner, Cavalier King) and features the talents of several studio musicians: including Fritz, William Sprawls, Tyson Ellert, and Bethany Fritz.

The album is a roller-coaster of emotion and reflects the differing sides of the human experience not only through lyrics, but also in sound. Addiction, oppression and mortality are just a few of the topics touched upon in this ten song soundtrack of lives that is unclassifiable as a whole, yet still somehow hauntingly familiar.

The Hawthorne Effect will release their full-length debut album Awakefulsleep on July 10th through Red Mist Records, and will be available in CD and Digital formats.

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD & SHARE THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT’S NEW SONG “DRUNK MISTAKE” FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM AWAKEFULSLEEP:
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/the-hawthorne-effect-drunk

The Hawthorne Effect’s Awakefulsleep Tracklist:
01 All Wars Start This Way
02 The Same
03 Viva
04 Run
05 Anything
06 Drunk Mistake
07 Marry Him
08 Awakefulsleep
09 Devil Don’t Care
10 Goodbye

THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT’S TOUR DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

FOR MORE INFO ON THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT:
http://www.thehawthorneeffectmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/the373

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com

DOOR COUNTY ADVOCATE (Door County, WI daily) – Feature story w/Johnny interview to preview show (This same story was also syndicated in the Green Bay Press Gazette and the Wassau’s Daily Herald).
Still alt after all these years
Cracker brings its ‘mixed bag’ of rock to DC Auditorium
Written by
Christopher Clough
It may seem weird for a band that was called “alternative” when it burst onto the music scene more than 20 years ago to still be called that today, but Cracker has kept its sound fresh and ever-changing through those years.

Maybe that shouldn’t be so weird, given that it draws its inspiration and sound from rock, country, Americana, psychedelia, punk and even glam and surf rock. The band brings its unique “Cracker sound” — and maybe a few of its “Crumbs,” the fans who follow Cracker from concert to concert — to Door Community Auditorium for a concert Saturday night.

Longtime friends David Lowery (lead singer) and Johnny Hickman (guitar) formed the band in about 1990, after Lowery’s run with ska band Camper Van Beethoven, and their musical ideas, songwriting abilities and sometimes twisted, sometimes ironic humor led to Cracker becoming one of the pioneers of what is now called alt-rock.

“When we came out, grunge was the big thing,” Hickman said in a phone interview last week. “Alt-rock, alt-country, that wasn’t a term yet. The record company wasn’t sure how to label us. They wanted to know what category or genre to put us in. I’m pretty proud of that.”

Apparently, the record label — Virgin Records — figured out what rack to put the CDs into at the stores, as the 1992 self-titled debut album spawned the No. 1 rock single “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now),” and the follow-up album a year later, “Kerosene Hat,” became the band’s biggest seller to date, featuring the singles “Low,” “Eurotrash Girl” and “Get Off This.” Cracker has recorded seven albums since, most recently 2009′s well-received “Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey” on the independent label 429 Records, and toured when Hickman and Lowery weren’t involved with solo and side projects.

Hickman said changing up the band’s sound comes very naturally to him and Lowery.

“I think Dave and I would go a little crazy if we had to be constrained with one particular kind of music. Cracker’s always been a mixed bag,” Hickman said. “Whenever we put an album out, it always has a little different sound — but it always sounds like Cracker … We make music that entertains us. We know in our hearts that there are people out there who will get it. I know bands that try so hard to sound like whatever sells at the moment, and that’s a mistake.”

And while other bands of that independent style might dodge the “alt-rock icon” label that appeared in Cracker’s promotional materials, Hickman said he appreciates what it means.

“It’s OK,” he said. “I also heard us called the ‘godfathers of alt.’ That’s sweet.”

In fact, Hickman said he and Lowery often help young bands looking for advice. Lowery, who has a business degree from the University of Georgia, teaches a music business class, and Hickman recently sat on a panel of musicians for a class on the issues young bands face when touring and recording.

“Dave and I are both at the point where that happens fairly often,” Hickman said. “It’s a really fun thing to do, telling musicians what to do. More and more, you’re seeing young musicians educate themselves.”

That includes encouraging bands to take control of their own futures. Like other bands of the early ’90s, Cracker did much of its own work to get the word out on concerts and albums, and it continues to do so today, Hickman said.

“We do things on our own, in an indie sort of way,” Hickman said. “It’s similar to back then (in the ’90s), when you’d put up a flyer for a concert, get word of mouth going — now, it’s the Internet. I always tell young bands to do as much by yourselves as you can. We’ve always been sort of our own networking and publicity machine, and I’m proud of that.”

The band has gone through personnel changes — other current members are bass player Sal Maida, since 2006, and drummer Frank Funaro, since 1996 — and Hickman and Lowery have recorded solo albums along the way. Yet, the two co-founders have kept Cracker together, even when it wasn’t necessarily active in music at the time.

“No, we never split up,” Hickman said. “David and I have always been together, stayed together as the songwriting core of Cracker. We’ve been lucky — we got enough attention that when we put out a solo album, it’s tended to do well.”

Hickman’s new solo project comes out July 3. It’s titled “Tilting,” a reference to Spanish fictional hero Don Quixote “tilting at windmills.” Hickman said it’s a more personal album for him, dealing with middle age and a little bipartisan politics while maintaining his, and Cracker’s, usual wry humor.

Cracker itself is going on the “Last Summer on Earth” tour — a reference to the Mayan predictions that the world will end in 2012 — with Blues Traveler, Barenaked Ladies and Big Head Todd and the Monsters in July and August. Hickman said the tour may offer him and Lowery some ideas for a new Cracker album, perhaps to be recorded next year.

Undoubtedly, the self-labeled Crumbs will follow Cracker on tour. Hickman described them as similar to what the Deadheads are to the Grateful Dead, and it might not be a surprise for Fish Creek to get a few extra out-of-town visitors for Saturday’s concert.

“They follow us around,” Hickman said, “share lyrics, share set lists, we let them tape us live. We like to stay in touch with our fan base, unless they get stalker-y (chuckles). It’s a lot of fun for me.

“Part of the reason for what we do is the people. We just pride ourselves in being a great live band.”
http://www.doorcountyadvocate.com/article/20120502/ADV05/205020646/Still-alt-after-all-these-years?odyssey=nav|head

106.9 THE LODGE (Door County AAA Radio) – PD Mike Mesic confirmed spins and on-air show mentions for the show. Also posted this show preview on their site:
Saturday, May 5 7:00 pm
Cracker
Door Community Auditorium: Fish Creek, WI (MAP)
The iconic alt-rock band Cracker blends rock, punk, glam, surf, blues and country aesthetics to create a brand of music that is entirely their own. Irreverent, sharp-witted and anthemic, Cracker burst onto the scene in 1993 with the platinum-selling album Kerosene Hat and the hit songs, Low, Euro-Trash Girl and Get Off This. Since then, the band has toured continually and released ten studio albums. The quirky musical sensibility and quick intelligence of Cracker cofounders David Lowery (formerly of Camper Van Beethoven) and Johnny Hickman make Cracker’s trademark style of guitar-driven rock just as compelling today as it was when they made their debut.
Tickets: $22 / $28 / $35
Online: www.dcautorium.org
http://www.fm1069thelodge.com/lodgeactivityboard.cfm

GREEN BAY GAZETTE (Green Bay, WI daily) – Show mention
Big names, regional favorites lead Door County Auditorium fare
After a preseason concert May 5 by alt-rock heroes Cracker, the auditorium officially kicks off the season with a June 15 performance of “Buckets of Rain: The Music of Bob Dylan,” performed by some of Door County’s favorite artists.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120428/ADV01/204280407/Big-names-regional-favorites-lead-Door-County-Auditorium-fare

EGG HARBOR DOOR COUNTY (Door County online A&E site) – Show preview with band photo
May 5, 2012 [Sat]
Main Stage Presentation: Cracker
Cracker, the alternative rock icons best known for their platinum 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, and the hit songs Low, Euro-Trash Girl, and Get Off This, is heading to Door Community Auditorium for the Door County Half Marathon Weekend! Mixing rock, punk, alternative country, psychedelia, blues and folk, Cracker features David Lowery (formerly of Camper Van Beethoven) on vocals, Johnny Hickman on guitar, Frank Funaro on drums, and Sal Maida on bass. Tickets: $35 / $28 / $22. Door Community Auditorium, 3926 Hwy 42, Fish Creek. 920-868-2728
http://www.eggharbordoorcounty.org/calendar-of-events

PENINSULA PULSE (Door County, WI daily) – Show preview with band photo
Alt-Rockers Cracker Kicks Off DCA Season
April 27, 2012
In conjunction with the Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5k, Door Community Auditorium (DCA) will present a soulful performance by iconic alt-rock band Cracker on May 5 at 7 pm. Cracker’s unconventional blend of rock, punk, glam, surf, blues, and country music will make their concert a memorable event for runners and non-runners alike.

Irreverent, sharp-witted, and anthemic, Cracker burst onto the scene in 1993 with the platinum-selling album Kerosene Hat and the era-defining hit singles “Low,” “Eurotrash Girl,” and “Get Off This.” Since then, the band has toured continually and released 10 studio albums, attracting a devoted following of fans who call themselves “Crumbs.” Still touring and making music today, Cracker has also developed a following among a younger generation of fans, many of whom first heard Cracker’s music on the radio as children.

Nineteen years after their debut, Cracker endures as a musical force to be reckoned with. The quirky musical sensibility and quick intelligence of Cracker cofounders David Lowery (formerly of Camper van Beethoven) and Johnny Hickman make the legendary band’s trademark style of guitar-driven rock just as compelling today as it was then.

Spin Magazine writes that Cracker’s latest album release, Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey, shines with “piercing intelligence” and “genuine soul.”

Tickets for Cracker’s concert range from $22 to $35. For more information or to purchase tickets call 920.868.2728, visit www.dcauditorium.org, or stop by the DCA box office, located on Highway 42 in Fish Creek and open Monday through Friday from 12 – 5 pm.
http://www.ppulse.com/Articles-Live-Music-c-2012-04-26-101508.114136-AltRockers-Cracker-Kicks-Off-DCA-Season.html

The Sights combine the unobtrusive honesty of The Band with countless slivers of influence from their own personal record collections: Ike and Tina, Solomon Burke, The Everly Brothers, Bob Seger, Tim Hardin and all manner of raucous, infectious songwriting. Starting in the summer of 1998, famed typhoon of energy Eddie Baranek (guitar/vocals) fronted evolving line-ups through 2000’s Are You Green?, 2002’s Got What We Want and 2005’s self-titled The Sights – all recorded at Jim Diamond’s (White Stripes, Electric Six, Dirtbombs) Ghetto Recorders in Detroit.

2010’s Most of What Follows Is True was an overwhelming critical success, placing in the top fifteen percent of The Village Voice’s 2010 Pazz and Jop listing and garnering press accolades from around the globe. With that record, The Sights achieved an unprecedented level of song and studio craftsmanship. In an era of soulless keyboards, drum machines and Autotune, Eddie & Co. responded with thrillingly catchy songs. No gimmicks, no studio trickery – just inspired rock ‘n’ roll from the heart.

2012 is shaping up to be The Sights’ best year yet. They’ve already supplied the music for two Chevrolet ads, and this summer will bring a new single (“Eso No Está Bien Pequeña/Like Two Little Kids”) as well as the release of their seventh effort, Left Over Right. On it, Baranek is joined by Jarrod Champion (keyboards/vocals), Dean Tartaglia (saxophone/vocals), Kyle Schanta (bass) and Skip Denomme (drums) where they deliver not only their most soulful album to date, but do it with all of the intensity that has fueled their previous recordings and live shows for well over a decade. If you love – really love – passionate songs that fire your imagination and move your ass, then you’re gonna really love The Sights.

The Sights have shared the stage with some of the best in the business: Robert Plant, Tenacious D, The White Stripes, The Dirtbombs, Sloan, The Datsuns, The Donnas, The Bravery, The Kills, along with many others. Their precocious ability to blend frenetic garage rock with ’60s pop and create something equally classic and catchy has garnered consistently rave reviews from both sides of the Atlantic. NME wrote “[The Sights are] a revelation – a treasure trove of sparky and wildly immediate songwriting” and Rolling Stone commented “at last – a new Detroit-garage band that comes in colors.”

Raucous? Infectious? That pretty well sums up The Sights’ live shows as well. It’s a rocket-ride that has been experienced by countless audiences throughout North America and Europe, and will surely win over thousands more this summer when they hit the road with Tenacious D as part of their highly anticipated Rize of the Fenix tour!

The Sights’ Left Over Right album will be available June 19th through HRM in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Vinyl formats.

THE SIGHTS’ SUMMER 2012 TOUR DATES:

May 04  Tequila Blue – Royal Oak, MI

May 05 Town Pump – Detroit. MI

May 12  Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti, MI

May 16 Euclid Records In-Store – St. Louis, MO

May 19 The Compound – Phoenix, AZ

May 21 Burger Records In-Store (9pm – Free) – Fullerton, CA

May 22 Whisky A Go Go – West Hollywood, CA

May 23 Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA  w/ TENACIOUS D

May 24 Fox Theater – Oakland, CA  w/ TENACIOUS D

May 26 Les Schwab Amphitheater – Bend, OR  w/ TENACIOUS D

May 27 Langano Lounge – Portland, OR

May 28 Sasquatch Festival – George, WA

May 31 Turf Club – Minneapolis, MN

Jun 02 Upfront and Company. Marquette, MI

Jun 16 Park Bar, Detroit, MI w/Reigning Sound

Jun 17 Double Door, Chicago, IL w/Reigning Sound

Jun 21 31st St. Pub Pittsburgh, PA

Jun 22 MOTR Pub, Cincinnati, OH

Jun 23 Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 25 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 26 The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 28 Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 29 Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY

Jun 30 Penn’s Landing – Festival Pie, Philadelphia, PA   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 02 Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 03 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 06 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 07 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 16 Daytrotter Session – Rock Island, IL

Jul 19 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 20 Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 21 Brady Theater, Tulsa, OK  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 22 The Outland, Springfield, MO

Jul 23 The Pageant, St Louis, MO  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 24 Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 26 Red Rocks, Denver, CO  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 29 SDSU Open Air Theatre, San Diego, CA  w/ TENACIOUS D

MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

FEEL FREE TO POST THE SIGHTS’ NEW SONG “FOOL” FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM LEFT OVER RIGHT:
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/the-sights-fool

FOR MORE INFO ON THE SIGHTS:
http://www.sightsarmy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR

p: 262.903.7775

e: bonyata@wi.rr.com

The Sights combine the unobtrusive honesty of The Band with countless slivers of influence from their own personal record collections: Ike and Tina, Solomon Burke, The Everly Brothers, Bob Seger, Tim Hardin and all manner of raucous, infectious songwriting. Starting in the summer of 1998, famed typhoon of energy Eddie Baranek (guitar/vocals) fronted evolving line-ups through 2000’s Are You Green?, 2002’s Got What We Want and 2005’s self-titled The Sights – all recorded at Jim Diamond’s (White Stripes, Electric Six, Dirtbombs) Ghetto Recorders in Detroit.

2010’s Most of What Follows Is True was an overwhelming critical success, placing in the top fifteen percent of The Village Voice’s 2010 Pazz and Jop listing and garnering press accolades from around the globe. With that record, The Sights achieved an unprecedented level of song and studio craftsmanship. In an era of soulless keyboards, drum machines and Autotune, Eddie & Co. responded with thrillingly catchy songs. No gimmicks, no studio trickery – just inspired rock ‘n’ roll from the heart.

2012 is shaping up to be The Sights’ best year yet. They’ve already supplied the music for two Chevrolet ads, and this summer will bring a new single (“Eso No Está Bien Pequeña/Like Two Little Kids”) as well as the release of their seventh effort, Left Over Right. On it, Baranek is joined by Jarrod Champion (keyboards/vocals), Dean Tartaglia (saxophone/vocals), Kyle Schanta (bass) and Skip Denomme (drums) where they deliver not only their most soulful album to date, but do it with all of the intensity that has fueled their previous recordings and live shows for well over a decade. If you love – really love – passionate songs that fire your imagination and move your ass, then you’re gonna really love The Sights.

The Sights have shared the stage with some of the best in the business: Robert Plant, Tenacious D, The White Stripes, The Dirtbombs, Sloan, The Datsuns, The Donnas, The Bravery, The Kills, along with many others. Their precocious ability to blend frenetic garage rock with ’60s pop and create something equally classic and catchy has garnered consistently rave reviews from both sides of the Atlantic. NME wrote “[The Sights are] a revelation – a treasure trove of sparky and wildly immediate songwriting” and Rolling Stone commented “at last – a new Detroit-garage band that comes in colors.”

Raucous? Infectious? That pretty well sums up The Sights’ live shows as well. It’s a rocket-ride that has been experienced by countless audiences throughout North America and Europe, and will surely win over thousands more this summer when they hit the road with Tenacious D as part of their highly anticipated Rize of the Fenix tour!

The Sights’ Left Over Right album will be available June 19th through HRM in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Vinyl formats.

THE SIGHTS’ SUMMER 2012 TOUR DATES:

May 04  Tequila Blue – Royal Oak, MI

May 05 Town Pump – Detroit. MI

May 12  Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti, MI

May 16 Euclid Records In-Store – St. Louis, MO

May 19 The Compound – Phoenix, AZ

May 21 Burger Records In-Store (9pm – Free) – Fullerton, CA

May 22 Whisky A Go Go – West Hollywood, CA

May 23 Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA  w/ TENACIOUS D

May 24 Fox Theater – Oakland, CA  w/ TENACIOUS D

May 26 Les Schwab Amphitheater – Bend, OR  w/ TENACIOUS D

May 27 Langano Lounge – Portland, OR

May 28 Sasquatch Festival – George, WA

May 31 Turf Club – Minneapolis, MN

Jun 02 Upfront and Company. Marquette, MI

Jun 16 Park Bar, Detroit, MI w/Reigning Sound

Jun 17 Double Door, Chicago, IL w/Reigning Sound

Jun 21 31st St. Pub Pittsburgh, PA

Jun 22 MOTR Pub, Cincinnati, OH

Jun 23 Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 25 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 26 The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 28 Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jun 29 Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY

Jun 30 Penn’s Landing – Festival Pie, Philadelphia, PA   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 02 Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 03 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 06 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 07 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 16 Daytrotter Session – Rock Island, IL

Jul 19 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 20 Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX   w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 21 Brady Theater, Tulsa, OK  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 22 The Outland, Springfield, MO

Jul 23 The Pageant, St Louis, MO  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 24 Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 26 Red Rocks, Denver, CO  w/ TENACIOUS D

Jul 29 SDSU Open Air Theatre, San Diego, CA  w/ TENACIOUS D

MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

FEEL FREE TO POST THE SIGHTS’ NEW SONG “FOOL” FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM LEFT OVER RIGHT:
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/the-sights-fool

FOR MORE INFO ON THE SIGHTS:
http://www.sightsarmy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR

p: 262.903.7775

e: bonyata@wi.rr.com

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT THE SIGHTS’ MOST OF WHAT FOLLOWS IS TRUE:

“The album’s great; it’s filled with sing-song themes of self-reproach and waning innocence, all delivered with the heartfelt zeal of a modern-day Faces. Do your duty and purchase a copy at your local indie record store.” – Brian Smith / METRO TIMES

“The Sights are an awesome band and their new record Most Of What Follows Is True is a great, great record. I highly recommend it.” – Keith Roth / THE ELECTRIC BALLROOM: WRAT RADIO

“…one of Detroit’s greatest musical treasures.”  – MOTOR CITY ROCKS

“…this was a record made out of the love for music and it comes through here on every ‘60s influenced power pop nugget, every Detroit sounding garage stomper and even the steel pedal induced tracks all back up The Sights early hype and prove that their talent has never diminished.” – THE FIRE NOTE

“… a raw slice of Detroit-style blues rock.” – BROOKLYN ROCKS

“… a foot tapping, stomp fest.” – THE ROCK & ROLL GURU

“The band comes out of the gate with the guitar-heavy “How Do You Sleep?” sounding like a mix between The Creation and Blue Cheer while “Hello to Everybody” is a charging power pop nugget which doesn’t forget the humor (“Well I tried suicide but it wasn’t for me, it got to be a little too trendy”). A few tunes add some nifty pedal steel (“I Left My Muse” and “Back to You”) while the jangly “Maria” adds a nice Beatles touch to the proceedings (and “Happy” is pure 1967 Who with those opening Keith Moon-esque thundering drum fills).
Baranek proudly wears his influences on his sleeve but when the attention to songcraft is this detailed you won’t hear too much complaining. Their best yet.” – BLURT

“… a notable album that deserves your attention. Detroit rock band The Sights is rooted in their native Motown sounds, with a modern rock edge.” – John Hendricksen / THE DENVER POST

 “…classic rock with a hint of blues and, this time around a little hint of country too.  It’s a corker… it’s rock and roll.” – HOT SPOT MUSIC

“Awesome opening track ‘How Do You Sleep’ may sound like it was recorded 35 years ago, but it, along with much of the record, transcends any era trappings, feels current, and kicks ass. The band wisely reteamed with old producer Jim Diamond, who is responsible for at least 75% of the best straight-up rock records of the past decade (The Dirtbombs, The Ponys, The Whites Stripes…etc), and doesn’t disappoint here.” – David Mansdorf / LOSING TODAY

“Five years after their last album, The Sights have returned with its strongest effort yet. Leader Eddie Bararenk has found the sweet spot in his songwriting, harnessing the melody of British-influenced power pop to the R&B-fueled garage rock of the band’s earliest days with tighter craft than ever before.” – Michael Toland / THE BIG TAKEOVER

“Much of The Sights’ first three records play like grinning, raucous romps through dusty record shops, spinning everything from blues to latter-British-invasion to mustachioed, solo-indulgent ’70s rock. Most of What Follows is True, with its sporadic brow-raising bluntness in autobiographical lyricism, could be the most illuminating, or at least heartfelt, Sights album yet. Musically, it’s simultaneously fresh, yet worn and comfortable, with three new members flexing their idiosyncrasies in instrumental inflection and switching off lead singing/writing. It’s still flat-out rock ‘n’ roll, but noticeably, on Baranek’s pieces, more candid.” – Jeff Milo / REAL DETROIT WEEKLY

“The Sights’ latest release is an explosion of tuneful power-pop gems that conjure up ‘60s British masters like The Kinks and (dare I say) The Beatles.  They stretch out on a few songs to dip into Country and some blue-eyed Soul.  A remarkable comeback.”  - PIRATE CAT RADIO / SAN FRANCISCO

“… powerful songs with hooks and harmonies aplenty. Listen now, or forever hold your peace!” – WFMU RADIO

“Put your pants on tight, because The Sights are back to rock them off. Their upcoming album, Most of What Follows Is True, is crammed full of hearty, gritty rock that could blow a house down.  Led by Detroit’s most underrated contributor to the rock world, Eddie Baranek, the newly-aligned four-piece will have you longing for simpler times when rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t drowned in pretension.” – QRO MAGAZINE

It’s been 20 years since the release of Cracker’s self-titled album, but despite the band’s longevity, multiple gold records, worldwide tours, accolades for their nine studio albums and ever-growing fanbase, the band’s two creative fountainheads – Johnny Hickman & David Lowery – aren’t entertaining any nostalgic trips down memory lane this year with career spanning best-of collections or reissues.

Instead, before the band regroups in the studio for their next Cracker effort in 2013, Hickman will be releasing his long-awaited sophomore solo album, Tilting, on July 3rd through his own label imprint Campstove Records.

Hickman has long been known for both his guitar prowess and deft songwriting skills, with many songs leaning heavily towards the Americana/alt-country side of the fence – both in Cracker and on his 2005 solo debut, Palmhenge, which received positive accolades from the likes of revered music critic Robert Christgau, No Depression, AllMusic, Village Voice and many others. But on Tilting his musical boundaries are broader than ever before. While there are still traces of Americana present (“Measure Of A Man,” “Destiny Misspent,” “Whittled Down” and the bluesy “Resurrection Train”), there are also strains of smoky Dust Bowl-era jazz (“Papa Johnny’s Arms”) and gutsy rockers (“Takin’ Me Back” and “Another Road,” the latter which also incorporates a sweet and sublime refrain throughout). Perhaps most surprising, however, is the heavy presence of some incredibly hook-laden pop. Not only are some of these tracks reminiscent of Lennon & McCartney in their prime (“Dream Along With Me,” the satirical poke at national hubris of “Not Enough” and “Sick Cynthia Thing,” the latter which also surges with an uplifting mid-’70s glam swagger), but even the earthy folk of “Drunkard’s Epiphany” is elevated from a state of melancholy into something much more hopeful with its sunny harmonies and keen pop sensibilities.

As Hickman explains, “Personally, all my favorite records and bands have been those that don’t flatline into one tiny sub-genre (Beatles, Kinks, Radiohead, Petty, Neil Young…). When I write, I just do it and don’t worry about it. As David [Lowery] and I always say, the only real rule in music is ‘don’t suck.’”

The album’s title Tilting is tied to one of Hickman’s favorite countries, Spain, and it refers to Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote. “I sometimes feel like the impassioned madman with his lance trying to slay the windmill monsters,” Johnny reveals. “I think a lot of people do in these troubled times. The idea of battling these mighty, unbeatable foes both real and imagined is disturbing yet darkly amusing to me.”

“The songs on Tilting are definitely more personal, more autobiographical than on either Palmhenge or Cracker records. I didn’t set out to do that but it’s just where I am in life I suppose. I didn’t steer cautiously around any of my feelings or experiences, good or bad. It’s as honest as hell, I can tell you that. Lyrically, there’s a little mid-life crisis catharsis going on here, not that that’s a bad thing. That and just being pissed off and reveling in it. I also love collaborating, which I do with David as well as my long time friend Chris LeRoy. Two of the twelve songs onTilting were written by or with Chris, though the majority of these songs are directly from my head and heart.”

“Musically, my young friend and ace producer Jason Larson and I bonded a lot over how amazing The Beatles’ mid-period stuff is, even though he wasn’t even born yet when those albums came out. That came through almost subconsciously in the songs. The two of us played most of the instruments and sang most of the backing vocals on Tilting. I would get behind the board while he played drums, then we’d switch while I sang, played bass or guitar. I wrote a few of these songs on piano instead of guitar, but soon fired myself as piano player because Jason plays it much better than I can. At times we would call up our very talented musician friends to come in and play too, but mostly it was the two man band – laughing and running back and forth until we dropped at 3 AM. Then we’d get together the next morning, listen and see what we had. A kind of crazy way to make a record, but it worked.”

Johnny Hickman’s new solo album Tilting will be available in CD and Digital formats on July 3rd.

LISTEN TO JOHNNY’S NEW SONG “MEASURE OF A MAN” FROM TILTING:

http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/johnnyhickmanmeasureofaman

TILTING TRACKLISTING:
01  Measure of a Man
02  Destiny Misspent
03  Not Enough
04  Dream Along With Me
05  Sick Cynthia Thing
06  Whittled Down
07  Our Little Movie
08  Papa Johnny’s Arms
09  Takin’ Me Back
10  Resurrection Train
11  Drunkard’s Epiphany
12  Another Road

Johnny will be performing various solo shows in 2012 in support of Tilting (to be announced soon), and will be hitting the road with Cracker for a high-profile summer tour as part of Barenaked Ladies’ “Last Summer on Earth” tour, also featuring Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd & The Monsters. For tour dates go to: http://www.crackersoul.com/fr_home.cfm

FOR MORE INFO ON JOHNNY HICKMAN:
http://johnnyhickman.com

FOR HI-RES PHOTOS & COVER ART:
http://johnnyhickman.com/tilting/presskit

FOR MORE INFO ON CRACKER:
http://www.crackersoul.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com

DEBUT ALBUM “THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD” OUT MAY 15TH THROUGH ALIVE NATURALSOUND RECORDS

The title of LEE BAINS III AND THE GLORY FIRES’ debut album comes from Bains mishearing an old hymn as a child. In the soft accents of his elders around Birmingham, Alabama, “There is a balm in Gilead” sounded a lot like “There is a bomb.” It fits, really. The Glory Fires learned to construct music in the churches of their childhoods, and learned to destroy it in the punk clubs of their youths.

As much Wilson Pickett as Fugazi, as much the Stooges as the Allman Brothers, Birmingham, Alabama’s Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires have brought radical rock’n’roll to bear on their own experience and their own place. On THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD, they deconstruct the music of the Deep South, strip it down and reassemble it, to make a righteous ruckus that sits at the vanguard of the vernacular.

In 2008, shortly after returning to Birmingham from college in New York, Lee Bains fell in with the Dexateens, a Tuscaloosa institution whose raggedy union of cock-eyed rebel pride and forward-thinking fury proved to be the perfect apprenticeship for a confused Southern boy, raised on Skynyrd and schooled in Faulkner. After Bains had played with the band for a couple or three years, a couple or three hundred shows, the Dexateens came to a reluctant end. Bains found himself off the road, back in Birmingham, without a band. He also found himself with a passel of powerful songs sitting somewhere between buzzsaw garage, classic power-pop and sweating country-soul. Casting his nets in central Alabama’s rock’n’roll clubs, Bains assembled the Glory Fires: drummer Blake Williamson (Black Willis, Taylor Hollingsworth, Dan Sartain), bass player Justin Colburn (Model Citizen, Arkadelphia), and guitar player Matt Wurtele. Chugging along with a fierce Muscle Shoals vibe, the Glory Fires brought a sense of urgency to Bains’ drawling, howling voice.

After tracking some demos under the powerful guidance of Texas punk pioneer Tim Kerr (Big Boys, Poison 13, Now Time Delegation) and a few months of shows, the Glory Fires traveled to Water Valley, Mississippi to record the tracks for their debut LP There Is a Bomb in Gilead at Dial Back Sound with engineer Lynn Bridges (Quadrajets, Jack Oblivian, Thomas Function). The songs were mixed in Detroit, at Ghetto Recorders by Jim Diamond (The Dirtbombs, The New Bomb Turks, Outrageous Cherry). It is there — in that Mississippi grease and Detroit grit — that There Is a Bomb in Gilead sits, fuse lit, ready to go.

There Is A Bomb In Gilead hits stores May 15th and will be available on CD, Digital and Black Vinyl with with lyric sheet and download card. In addition, there will also be a very limited pressing of 500 Purple Vinyl albums with lyric sheet and download card exclusive to mailorders.

“THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD” TRACKLIST:
01. Ain’t No Stranger
02. Centreville
03. Reba
04. Choctaw Summer
05. Magic City Stomp!
06. Everything You Took
07. Righteous, Ragged Songs
08. The Red, Red Dirt of Home
09. Roebuck Parkway
10. Opelika
11. There Is A Bomb In Gilead

Later next month Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires will be heading out on the road for a highly anticipated tour with their friends and musical brethen Alabama Shakes. “We just like each other’s bands from having played together in Tuscaloosa,” Bains explained about their relationship. “The funny thing is that, several months ago, before things started going really crazy for the Shakes, I asked them if they’d want to do a co-headline tour in April, since both of our albums were supposed to come out around that time. When I asked back then, they had said that a couple members couldn’t get off work for that long, so they’d have to pass. Now, here it is, six or seven or eight months later, and we’re opening for them on a tour of much bigger venues than we could’ve ever expected.”

Bains further elaborated, “We have both definitely come out of the Alabama rock’n'roll scene. Heath and Zac [from Alabama Shakes] were both frequenting Egan’s in Tuscaloosa before the Shakes played there, and I’d seen Zac at our Dexateens shows. There’s definitely a tradition of dirty Alabama rock’n'roll that takes pride in being from Alabama. I guess I’d point to the Quadrajets, Immortal Lee County Killers, Drive-By Truckers, Model Citizen and Dexateens as being a few of those bands. In those bands and others, I see a definite sense of Southern heritage, mostly in their influences (Muscle Shoals and Memphis soul, ’70s Southern rock, Big Star and Memphis garage stuff, gospel music, classic country and blues), but also a conscious effort to question and subvert what it means to be Southern. With really loud damn guitars.”

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES TOUR DATES
March 2 – Jackson, MS – Sam’s Lounge
March 9 – Chattanooga, TN – JJ’s Bohemia w/ Bohannons
March 11 – New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar w/ Bohannons
March 23 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Bama Theatre w/ Dexateens, Alabama Shakes
March 24 – Birmingham, AL – The Nick w/ Black Willis, Bohannons, Doc Dailey
April 5 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre w/ Alabama Shakes
April 6 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle w/ Alabama Shakes
April 7 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head w/ Alabama Shakes
April 9 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live w/ Alabama Shakes
April 10 – Hoboken, NJ – Maxwell’s w/ The Neutron Drivers
April 11 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom w/ Alabama Shakes
April 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Alabama Shakes
April 14 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground w/ Alabama Shakes
April 15 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club w/ Alabama Shakes
April 17 – Toronto, ONT – Lee’s Palace w/ Alabama Shakes
April 19 – Cincinnati, OH – The Comet w/ Buffalo Killers
April 20 – Knoxville, TN – The Well
April 21 – Waverly, AL – Old 280 Boogie w/ Centro-matic, Pine Hill Haints

May 5 – Summerville, GA – Finster Fest w/ Patterson Hood, Nikki Lane, Bohannons
May 6 – Memphis, TN – The Hi-Tone
May 11 – Birmingham, AL – Birmingham Mountain Radio In-Studio Session
May 11 – Birmingham, AL – Secret Stages
May 12 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
May 18 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern
May 19 – Batesville, AR – Lucero Family Picnic w/ Lucero, Shooter Jennings
May 27 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl w/ Glen Iris / Dirty Souls
June 21 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
June 22 – Indy or Bloomington [pending]
June 23 – Chicago, IL – Hideout
June 24 – Rock Island, IL - Daytrotter Session
June 26 – Madison, WI – Mickey’s Tavern
June 27 – Milwaukee, WI – Quarter’s Rock’n'Roll Palace
June 28 – Minneapolis, MN – Palmer’s Bar
June 29 – Bayport, MN – Deep Blues Fest

FOR MORE INFO ON LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES:
http://thegloryfires.com
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=3093
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lee-Bains-III-The-Glory-Fires/148581995155439

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com

ALL ATTRACTIONS TO INCLUDE BONUS 7-SONG INSTRUMENTAL APRICOT JAM EP

Camper Van Beethoven’s co-founder and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel will be releasing his latest full-length solo effort, All Attractions, on March 6th in both Digital and CD formats.

Most of the songs were written in the Swedish countryside where he and his (Swedish) wife have been staying with her family every summer. Although one would expect a pastoral tone, the music ends up as some rocking electric guitar-based tunes, evoking the big ’70s rock bands of the past, along with some more contemporary features thrown in.

The record was started by Jonathan working with fellow Camper Van Beethoven bandmate Victor Krummenacher on bass and guitar, and their SF Bay Area cohorts former King Missile/Moth Wranglers’ Chris Xefos playing some bass and doing the recording and mixing, and John Hanes on drums. As the project progressed, he got some backing vocal help from the Counting Crows’ David Immergluck, Baby Flamehead’s Eden Daniels and Espers’ Helena Espvall (who also contributed some cello). Built To Spill’s Brett Netson also delivers a show-stealing guitar lead on the track “I Know You Know Me (Hey You).”

At the end of the recording process, Jonathan used Kickstarter to fund the mixing, mastering and manufacturing of the CDs.

As part of this project Jonathan will not only be releasing the full-length All Attractions studio album, but also a seven-track bonus instrumental EP entitled Apricot Jam, an organic collection of improvised jamming between him (guitar), John Hanes (drums), fellow CVB alum Victor Krummenacher (bass) and Graham Connah (Hammond organ). The title is an obvious nod to George Harrison’s third LP in the All Things Must Pass set.

Jonathan Segel will be performing material from All Attractions as part of Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker’s CAMP-IN Music Festival at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA on March 1-3 2012.

FOR MORE INFO ON JONATHAN SEGEL :
http://www.magneticmotorworks.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/jonathansegel
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonathan-Segel/118261062377

CDS AVAILABLE AT:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jonathansegel2
http://www.amazon.com/All-Attractions-Jonathan-Segel/dp/B006Z9434O/

DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE AT:
http://jsegel.bandcamp.com/

FOR MORE INFO ON CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN:
http://www.campervanbeethoven.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com

Instead, before the band regroups in the studio for their next Cracker effort in 2013, Hickman will be releasing his long-awaited sophomore solo album, Tilting, on July 3rd through his own label imprint Campstove Records.

Hickman has long been known for both his guitar prowess and deft songwriting skills, with many songs leaning heavily towards the Americana/alt-country side of the fence – both in Cracker and on his 2005 solo debut, Palmhenge, which received positive accolades from the likes of revered music critic Robert Christgau, No Depression, AllMusic, Village Voice and many others. But on Tilting his musical boundaries are broader than ever before. While there are still traces of Americana present (“Measure Of A Man,” “Destiny Misspent,” “Whittled Down” and the bluesy “Resurrection Train”), there are also strains of smoky Dust Bowl-era jazz (“Papa Johnny’s Arms”) and gutsy rockers (“Takin’ Me Back” and “Another Road,” the latter which also incorporates a sweet and sublime refrain throughout). Perhaps most surprising, however, is the heavy presence of some incredibly hook-laden pop. Not only are some of these tracks reminiscent of Lennon & McCartney in their prime (“Dream Along With Me,” the political satire of “Not Enough” and “Sick Cynthia Thing,” the latter which also surges with an uplifting mid-’70s glam swagger), but even the earthy folk of “Drunkard’s Epiphany” is elevated from a state of melancholy into something much more hopeful with its sunny harmonies and keen pop sensibilities.

As Hickman explains, “Personally, all my favorite records and bands have been those that don’t flatline into one tiny sub-genre (Beatles, Kinks, Radiohead, Petty, Neil Young…). When I write, I just do it and don’t worry about it. As David [Lowery] and I always say, the only real rule in music is ‘don’t suck.’”

The album’s title Tilting is tied to one of Hickman’s favorite countries, Spain, and it refers to Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote. “I sometimes feel like the impassioned madman with his lance trying to slay the windmill monsters,” Johnny reveals. “I think a lot of people do in these troubled times. The idea of battling these mighty, unbeatable foes both real and imagined is disturbing yet darkly amusing to me.”

“The songs on Tilting are definitely more personal, more autobiographical than on either Palmhenge or Cracker records. I didn’t set out to do that but it’s just where I am in life I suppose. I didn’t steer cautiously around any of my feelings or experiences, good or bad. It’s as honest as hell, I can tell you that. Lyrically, there’s a little mid-life crisis catharsis going on here, not that that’s a bad thing. That and just being pissed off and reveling in it. I also love collaborating, which I do with David as well as my long time friend Chris LeRoy. Two of the twelve songs on Tilting were written by or with Chris, though the majority of these songs are directly from my head and heart.”

“Musically, my young friend and ace producer Jason Larson and I bonded a lot over how amazing The Beatles’ mid-period stuff is, even though he wasn’t even born yet when those albums came out. That came through almost subconsciously in the songs. The two of us played most of the instruments and sang most of the backing vocals on Tilting. I would get behind the board while he played drums, then we’d switch while I sang, played bass or guitar. I wrote a few of these songs on piano instead of guitar, but soon fired myself as piano player because Jason plays it much better than I can. At times we would call up our very talented musician friends to come in and play too, but mostly it was the two man band – laughing and running back and forth until we dropped at 3 AM. Then we’d get together the next morning, listen and see what we had. A kind of crazy way to make a record, but it worked.”

Johnny Hickman’s new solo album Tilting will be available in CD and Digital formats on July 3rd.

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD & SHARE JOHNNY’S NEW SONG “MEASURE OF A MAN” FROM TILTING:
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/johnnyhickmanmeasureofaman

TILTING TRACKLISTING:
01  Measure of a Man
02  Destiny Misspent
03  Not Enough
04  Dream Along With Me
05  Sick Cynthia Thing
06  Whittled Down
07  Our Little Movie
08  Papa Johnny’s Arms
09  Takin’ Me Back
10  Resurrection Train
11  Drunkard’s Epiphany
12  Another Road

Johnny will be performing various solo shows in 2012 in support of Tilting (to be announced soon), and will be hitting the road with Cracker for a high-profile summer tour as part of Barenaked Ladies’ “Last Summer on Earth” tour, also featuring Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd & The Monsters. For tour dates go to: http://www.crackersoul.com/fr_home.cfm

FOR MORE INFO ON JOHNNY HICKMAN:
http://johnnyhickman.com

FOR HI-RES PHOTOS & COVER ART:
http://johnnyhickman.com/tilting/presskit

FOR MORE INFO ON CRACKER:
http://www.crackersoul.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata / Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com