Monthly Archives: August 2012

THE DELTA ROUTINE IN MAGNET MAGAZINE’S “MP3 AT 3PM” FEATURE!

MP3 At 3PM: The Delta Routine
Although its music may sound vaguely familiar, Milwaukee’s Delta Routine can rock the blues and deliver Grade-A hooks just as well as any of its contemporaries. “Switchblade,” off Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares (out October 9), is a simple guitar hook that’s been played before, but it’s still infectious music, perfect for head-bobbing. It’s no wonder the Delta Routine is receiving plenty of accolades in its hometown.
Click here to see the feature and download “Switchblade.”

INTRODUCING: JOHN THE CONQUEROR – SELF-TITLED DEBUT LP OUT OCT. 16TH!

John The Conqueror‘s self-titled debut album is an amalgamation of the many sounds and styles (old and new) mined from both the North and South. Cousins Pierre Moore (vocals & guitar) and Michael Gardner (drums) are natives of Jackson, MS, while bassist Ryan Lynn hails from Philly – where the trio now call home. Together they mix a bedrock of raw deep blues with funk, soul, punk and scuzzed-up rock-n-roll into one helluva potent musical Molotov cocktail.

Perhaps what makes John The Conqueror so refreshing, however, is their honest, simple, yet extremely passionate approach to their music. Moore and Gardner have been playing together in bands since their college days in Oxford, MS, although the latter recently switched from bass to drums to make room for Lynn in the line-up in early 2011. Not only is this the first band Lynn has ever officially been in, but frontman Moore (who learned to play guitar in his early teens from a homeless man who slept in the back room of an auto repair shop) had never sang a note in public prior to March of 2011.

Yet listening to this threesome exuberantly tear through these ten expressive, unrestrained tracks proves that, while they may not have a time-tested pedigree together, they perform with a youthful, reckless abandon as channeled through some truly old souls. And, not unlike the mythological African-American folk hero they’re named after, that should be enough to resonate with just about any generation.

John The Conqueror was produced by Pierre Moore and recorded in Philadelphia at Retrocity Studios & Jesse Gimbel’s Basement. The trio will be touring in support of their new LP. Dates to be announced soon.

John The Conqueror will be released October 16th through Alive Naturalsound Records in the following formats: CD, Digital and Black Vinyl, as well as Limited Edition Colored Vinyl exclusive to mailorders.

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD & POST JOHN THE CONQUEROR’S TRACK “TIME TO GO”
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/john-the-conqueror-time-to-go

JOHN THE CONQUEROR TRACK LIST:
1. I Just Wanna
2. Southern Boy
3. Lucille
4. All Alone
5. Time To Go
6. Say What You Want
7. Come Home With Me
8. Letter Of Intervention
9. Passing Time
10. Three More

FOR MORE INFO ON JOHN THE CONQUEROR:
http://www.facebook.com/JohntheConquerorBand?sk=app_2405167945
http://www.reverbnation.com/johntheconqueror

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: tony@pavementpr.com
https://pavementpr.com

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES’ NEW U.S. TOUR DATES & “AIN’T NO STRANGER” MUSIC VIDEO!

LEE BAINS III (photo credit: Marc Millman Photography)

“I love watching Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. Terrific performers… and The Glory Fires are relentless. The musicianship is incredible and I’ve learned a thing or two watching the way the guitars interact with one another.” – ALABAMA SHAKES’ BRITTANY HOWARD (to NME on her favorite new band)

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES TOUR DATES

Aug. 16 The End Of All Music IN-STORE, Oxford, MS

Aug. 16 Proud Larry’s, Oxford, MS

Aug. 17 Hi-Tone Café, Memphis, TN w/ Dirty Streets

Aug. 18 Blue Canoe, Tupelo, MS

Aug. 22 Chelsea’s, Baton Rouge, LA w/ Futurebirds

Aug. 23 Alabama Music Box, Mobile, AL w/ El Cantador, Austin Lucas

Aug. 24 Green Bar, Tuscaloosa, AL

Aug. 25 Martin’s, Jackson, MS

Sep. 6 Earshot Records IN-STORE, Charleston, SC

Sep. 6 The Pour House, Charleston, SC

Sep. 7 Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

Sep. 8 Night Cat, Easton, MD

Sep. 9 Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

Sep. 10 Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ

Sep. 12 Monkey House, Winooski, VT

Sep. 13 Silver dollar, Toronto, ONT

Sep. 15 Scrummage Fest, Detroit, MI

Sep. 16 Mickey Finn’s, Toldeo, OH

Sep. 18 Schubas, Chicago, IL

Sep. 19 TBD, Louisville, KY

Sep. 20 The Basement, Nashville, TN

Sep. 21 Barley’s Taproom, Knoxville, TN

Oct. 26 Voodoo Music Experience, New Orleans, LA

Nov. 16 AlleyBar, Montgomery, AL

[more dates to be announced soon]

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES’ NEW VIDEO “AIN’T NO STRANGER”
(Directed by Cory Pennington / JackalopeCreative.com)
FEEL FREE TO GRAB THE EMBED CODE TO POST FOR YOUR VIEWERS

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO LISTEN TO LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES’ RECENT DAYTROTTER SESSION…

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAYING ABOUT LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES’ DEBUT ALBUM THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD AND THEIR RECENT LIVE SHOWS…..

“A glorius ruckus.” – Mick Houghton / UNCUT

“These Alabama Shakes tourmates offer their own loose-limbed take on rootsy Southern rock, with a jam that choogles like the second coming of Creedence.”  – ROLLING STONE

“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 / NASHVILLE SCENE

“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.” – GUITAR WORLD

“There is a Bomb in Gilead: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. Drag The Stooges through some deep-south barbecued-pork spare ribs, a gospel church and put a ten-gallon hat on its head, and this is what you get.” –  Ears McEvoy / SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

“The Glory Fires may be more roots-leaning than Bains’ earlier unit [The Dexateens], but they retain more than the recommended daily value of piss and vinegar, all of which is distilled into the band’s 180 proof debut, There Is A Bomb In Gilead.” – Richard ‘Luftmensch’ Morgan / MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

“There Is A Bomb In Gilead conveys that “sweaty” sound The Rolling Stones perfected back in their Exile-Sticky Finger needle & spoon days that so many bands yearn for but few realize.” – SAVING COUNTRY MUSIC

“I value music that comes from the heart and soul; sincerity can’t be faked or manufactured. Soul is something that is not lacking on this record. There is a classic Muscle Shoals brand of soul in some of the songs, but more specifically there is more of a spiritual soul in the music that is lacking in the majority of modern music.” – Cory Pennington / TUSCALOOSA NEWS

“Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires have skipped right over the formative section of their career and stepped with both feet right into their potential. There is a Bomb in Gilead is an ass-kicking, heart-pumping, soul-reflecting chunk of rock n’ roll goodness that another ten years on the road couldn’t make any more honest or cohesive. This album is a statement of purpose.” – FARCE THE MUSIC

“It won’t be easy finding a recent set transmitting more passion or generating more soul-burnin’ BTU’s than the debut disc of this Birmingham-based four-piece. Bains’ so aptly-named band serves up a combustible blend of Southern rock and soul, the bandleader’s writing tapping deep roots as he throws down vocally with an authority well beyond his years. There’s not one slouch among the tracks on Gilead but the ballads “Reba” and “Righteous, Ragged Songs” and the raver “The Red, Red Dirt Of Home” jump out. This one ought to make more than a few “Best Of” lists this year..”– Duane Verh / ROOTS MUSIC REPORT

“There are a few songs that had – had – to have been recorded at midnight by their sound and vibe (the weary goodbye of “Everything You Took”; the snapping, biting “Ain’t No Stranger”). And if the stripped-to-the-bone title track wasn’t laid down on a Sunday morning, well, I don’t want to know about it. People spend careers (and a lot of production bucks) trying to sound this soulful. This is a debut album? Holy ol’ Christ … Hang on, world: here come Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires.” – Brian Robbins / JAMBANDS

“So many times, I get caught up on the first couple of songs on a new album, mostly because I am feeble-brained with a moderate case of ADD, but on There Is A Bomb In Gilead, it’s the last three songs that sealed the deal. “Roebuck Parkway” is a great acoustic number that would fit in nicely on Jason Isbell’s Here We Rest. “Robeuck Parkway” is the main thoroughfare through Birmingham and the tune reminisces on his youth in Alabama.” – HEAR YA

“ Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires are here to put tigers in your tanks. Their debut, There is a Bomb in Gilead, will be out, officially, on May 15. I think it’s only fair to give warning. ‘Cause once I heard it, I felt considerably more hopeful about the state of the world, the union, and my own motivation for staying slim enough to look good in a pair of jeans with rolled-up legs. I mean, you can sit around wishing a band would emerge sounding like a fusion of the Stones circa Exile on Main Street and the Band at its down ‘n’ dirtiest – with a touch of the Allman Brothers, and a few shakes of CCR’s “anything could happen tonight” wildness. And nothing happens. But, within the last few years, something’s wafted up from Birmingham, Alabama. It’s shot through with juicy, smoky, backyard barbecue rock/blues/swamp punch. I know – that’s a lot of cliches, but I think I put them together fairly well. Here’s the band digging into “Opelika” – I’m pretty sure that Levon Helm would have loved it.” – Mary Leary / SAN DIEGO ENTERTAINER

“Equal parts southern swagger and punk rock Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires have arrived on the scene with their debut album There Is A Bomb In Gilead. The first record from the southern quartet is loud, rowdy and full of kick-ass rock tunes. They have been able to harness the power of a live show taking place in a dark dirty hole in the wall and implant it onto a record.” – ATLANTA EXAMINER

“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. 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.” – Jennifer Kelly / DUSTED

“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.” – AUDITORY ARSON

“The Glory Fires dismantled the place with songs from their debut LP, There is a Bomb in Gilead…working through songs echoing The Allman Brothers and The Band. 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.”  – BLOGTO/TORONTO

“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” – Will Grant / BIRMINGHAM NEWS

“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.”  – NINE BULLETS

“Great songwriting, and some serious ‘righteous ruckus,’ but above all There Is A Bomb Gilead works to define and revive Southern rock. It seems Lee wants to honor our past while continuing to move forward, musically and culturally. Hurrah.” – MOD MOBILIAN

“This is a fantastic Southern rock album in the same vein as the Drive-By Truckers or even The Black Keys. Unrelenting energy behind music that absolutely anyone can enjoy.” – WLUR RADIO

“Another ace Alabama band and highly recommended.” – TANDEM / TORONTO

“The Alabama Shakes, The Dexateens and Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires all performed with a seemingly renewed energy, none more than the other. Except perhaps for Lee Bains with his Glory Fires as well as the Dexateens. The man is a manic ball of restless energy that bounces off the walls from song to song, set to set. And he even took to the Jupiter bar later that night for another show. He definitely set a standard for the evening, which was full of memorable moments.” – Ben Flanagan / AL.com

“Grooving slice of southern rock with tasty Muscle Shoals-soaked guitars.” – THE GLOBE & MAIL/TORONTO

“This week’s Best Thing Ever actually goes to Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, for their phenomenal new album There Is a Bomb In Gilead.  Once a member of Dexateens, Bains’ new group is currently touring with another hot Alabama band, the Alabama Shakes.  His Glory Fires achieve that difficult balance between deep Southern soul and hard alt.country. On tracks like “Ain’t No Stranger” and “Centreville”, Bains howls in front of a band that will please any fan of the garage-y grunge of bands like Black Keys.  Other tunes sound like they could’ve been penned by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham”  – KRFC RADIO/ROUTES & BRANCHES

“THE FIRST GREAT ALBUM OF 2012! I’ll brand There’s A Bomb In Gilead the first true southern rock record of the 21st century. That’s what I hear in its grooves. You might hear something altogether different. It doesn’t matter in the end, though. Good music never really needs to be labeled as one thing or another. It’s a disservice to the artist and it keeps people from making up their own minds about what they’re hearing. But I’ve made up my mind about Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires. Pass me back the jar. I need another belt.” – THE RECORD CHANGER

“Debuting tunes off their upcoming debut, There Is a Bomb in Gilead, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires deftly blew away probably half of the local talent that has ever graced Toronto’s Lee’s Palace stage. Impossibly young to be churning out some pretty 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.” – Laina Dawes / EXCLAIM!

“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, Alabama territory. 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 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.”  [4/5 stars] – Brian F. Johnson /  MARQUEE MAGAZINE

“An amazing album.” – THE PERLICH POST

“[The Glory Fires is] 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.” – Steve Wildsmith /  THE DAILY TIMES

“A four-piece playing out of Alabama, Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires ripped through several songs from their first LP, There Is A Bomb In Gilead, with unbridled vigor. A clear Southern rock influence permeated the band’s sound, but you can tell there was some Social Distortion being mixed in with Lynyrd Skynyrd as these guys came up.  You can certainly hear the potential in this talented group.” – MERCHANTS OF ROCK

“True-to-form country rock.” – Brian Wilensky / PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPER

“Blues-influenced southern rock, but with a nice edge to it.” –  Liz Bradley / DAVE FM RADIO / ATLANTA

“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.”  – HILARY BUTSCHEK / THE RED & THE BLACK / ATHENS

“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 its own thing.” – Kenn McCracken / WELD FOR BIRMINGHAM

“An album that not only has a uniquely Alabama sound, but draws from soul, gospel, country, rock and much more.” – Katie Nichols / LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE

“Lee Bains’ 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.” – THE CORNER NEWS

“I will be talking a lot about this band in coming days, weeks, months… years? Their May release, There is a Bomb in Gilead, is absolutely bad ass.” – FARCE THE MUSIC

“The Glory Fires’ brand of rock ‘n’ roll could only come from the South, where the idea of being a conflicted and proud Southerner is so fittingly expressed with loud guitars. For all the struggle, grit and sweat, The Glory Fires has a record and a sound to be proud of.”  – Cory Pennington / TUSCALOOSA NEWS

“This record is a pure and unadulterated product of the south.  The influence of soul like Pickett and southern rock like the Allman Brothers is extremely self-evident but one can also hear hints of R.E.M. in these songs and even some twinges of garage rock (ala Primal Scream).  This is certainly a record that sticks with you and makes an impression, especially for those who have lived in the south.” – OKLAHOMA LEFTY

“[New Rock/Soul Discovery: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – There Is A Bomb In Gilead] A spectacular Allmans guitar intro and that soulful voice fronting a screaming Southern rock band – what’s not to like? – John Hyland / WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY

“Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires combination of rock, punk, soul and country is typical of the sound that comes out of the Quad Cities, an area in North Alabama rich with musical talent going back to the 1960S and home of one of the fasting rising bands in music, the Alabama Shakes.” – Chuck Norton / DEAD JOURNALIST

“Garage punk energy with Southern rock aesthetics. This long-awaited debut LP should be one of the hottest releases of 2012.”  – L’APENETRATION

“Sometimes a fella just needs some rock and roll. Irreverent, loud music that transports you into a more rebellious sense, the kind of radical rock and roll the Stooges played. Alabama’s Lee Bains III & THe Glory Fire have swagger, and cockiness in spades. The lead single off their upcoming album, There Is A Bomb in Gilead, jumps at you from the very second you turn it on. “Centreville,” is a little bit southern rock, that has a lot of the raucous energy that is needed in rock.“ – MUSIC SAVAGE

“The Birmingham, Alabama group takes the gospel music of their youth and reinvents it through a punk rock lens, resulting in a commanding set of impassioned songs steeped in Southern influences. There is a Bomb in Gilead incorporates some of the most iconic regional styles of American music, from Muscle Shoals to Detroit garage rock to Delta blues of Mississippi.” – J Felton / RECORD DEPT.

There Is A Bomb In Gilead is in stores now and available on CD, Digital and Black Vinyl with with lyric sheet and download card. In addition, there is also a very limited pressing of 500 Purple Vinyl albums with lyric sheet and download card exclusive to mailorders through Bomp!

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
https://pavementpr.com

THE DELTA ROUTINE’S NEW LP “CIGARETTES & CAFFEINE NIGHTMARES” DROPS OCT. 9TH!

The Delta Routine are set to release their third full-length album Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares this fall. On it the Milwaukee quintet taps directly into the jugular of early rock-n-roll; distilling the raw, impassioned power and updating it for a younger generation. The eleven tracks traverse through a number of genres, such as garage, power-pop, punk, classic rock and even a bit of earthy Americana for good measure, and while this may not make it easy to categorize, it’s no matter, as it’s sure to get the blood pumping, feet moving, and transform a simple get-together into an instant party.

While critics have favorably compared some of their previous work to the likes of The Stones, The Black Crowes and The Strokes, what really emerges on Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares is the sound of a fully-realized band with their own distant voice in an all too homogenized rock scene. Infectious hooks, strong melodies and indelible riffs abound on this effort, as do the whip-smart lyrics and musical dynamic that swaggers at times, coos at others and, more often than not, explodes with a reckless abandon.

Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares was recorded in Milwaukee and produced by Mike Hoffmann whose production credits include The Verve Pipe, Willie Porter and Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes), among others. The band is comprised of lead singer/rhythm guitar player Nick Amadeus, bassist Evan Paydon, lead guitarist Victor Buell IV, keyboardist Al Kraemer and drummer Kyle Ciske, and on the strength of both their incendiary live shows and 2011 full-length album More About You, the band took home the 2011 Best Band and Best Alternative Artist awards earlier this spring from 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and the WAMI Awards (Wisconsin Area Music Industry), respectively.

The Delta Routine’s Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares will be available October 9th in both CD and Digital formats, and the band will be touring in support of it throughout the year.

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD & SHARE THE DELTA ROUTINE’S NEW SONG “SWITCHBLADE”:
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/the-delta-routine-switchblade

THE DELTA ROUTINE TOUR DATES

Aug 03 Mainstay Rock Club – Cincinnati, OH

Aug 04 Art Beat In The Heat – Milwaukee, WI

Aug 23 Ayre In The Square – Milwaukee, WI

Aug 25 Ulao Creek Festival – Grafton, WI

Sep 15 Rock The Cause – Appleton, WI

Oct 11 Hotel Foster ‘Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares’ Release Party, Milwaukee, WI

Oct 12 400 Bar – Minneapolis, MN w/ Hero Jr.

Oct 13 Mitchell’s Pub – Whitewater, WI w/ Hero Jr.

Oct 25 The Hideaway Saloon – Louisville, KY

Nov 02 The Birds Nest Pub – Chicago, IL w/ Hero Jr.

Nov 03 Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN w/ The Hawkeyes, Hero Jr.

Nov 08 Fontana’s – New York, NY w/ Hero Jr.

(more tour dates to be announced soon)

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT THE DELTA ROUTINE:

2011 Band of the Year – 88NINE RADIO MILWAUKEE

2011 Alternative Artist of the Year – WAMI AWARDS (WISCONSIN AREA MUSIC INDUSTRY)

“I’d like to think the Delta Routine called their new album More About You because Cee-Lo and Bruno Mars beat them to “F**k You.” 2K11’s first great album is one of the great rock and roll kiss-offs. Not a break-up album, it’s the kind of disc you reach for when you’re done with the break-up albums, when you’re ready to stop being mopey and start being pissed off. The Delta Routine have just made a giant leap forward, and one of Milwaukee’s greatest rock records. Ever.” – Joey Taylor / ROCKSPOSURE

“More About You blends catchy guitar pop (opener “Blame It On Me” and “Felicia”) with swaggering blues-rooted rock and roll that nods at The Black Crowes (“Ain’t Worth Your Wait”), The Who (“Cause We’re Young”) and The Rolling Stones (“Nothing You Can Do”).” – Bobby Tanzilo / ON MILWAUKEE

Milwaukee’s The Delta Routine emulates the sound and swagger of old-school Rolling Stones, and 2011’s More About You, is a really fun record. “Ain’t Worth Your Wait” is an effective New York Dolls-style glam stomp, and channels both that group and the later solo work of guitarist Sylvain Sylvain. Other tracks find the group practically spelling out its influences in neon: “Cause We’re Young” nicks the opening guitar riff of The Who’s “I Can’t Explain,” while “And It Goes” borrows the rough shuffle of The Strokes’ “Someday.” There’s no denying how great this kind of music can sound live, as long as the beer is flowing and sexy people are shaking their hips in front of the stage. –  Steve Hayden / THE ONION’S A/V CLUB

“Fast-paced straight-up f**king rock ‘n’ roll, The Delta Routine’s blue toned power-rock sound tells no lies; their style reminiscent of The Black Keys, or a more pop oriented version of early White Stripes.” – Dustin Zarnikow / UWM POST

“The Delta Routine conjures the sound of vintage Rolling Stones and early punk bands like The Stooges and New York Dolls.” –  SHEPHERD EXPRESS

“The Delta Routine  come on like a volcano. Live, the act steams up a room. Their following is growing at an amazing rate.” – Lane Klozier / MAXIMUM INK

“Plays out like the soundtrack to a good night out. It’s very Milwaukee in nature; that is to say, it’s eager and energetic, loads of fun and goes down as smoothly as a pint of Pabst.” – Julie Lawrence / ON MILWAUKEE


(photo credit: Danielle Hanson at Local Playlist)

FOR MORE INFO ON THE DELTA ROUTINE:
http://www.thedeltaroutine.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Delta-Routine/32837004660

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

CRACKER & CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN TO HOST CAMPOUT 8 – THE OCHO MUSIC FESTIVAL IN PIONEERTOWN, CA SEP. 13TH – 15TH

Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven will be rolling into the Joshua Tree region of California next month to co-host their 8th annual CAMPOUT “The OCHO” music festival.
 
CAMPOUT 8 will take place September 13th, 14th and 15th at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace in the High Desert of Southern California. The locale of this fest ties in perfectly with Cracker’s own history as their signature album Kerosene Hat was recorded here back in 1993 in the now-closed movie soundstage next to the Palace.
 
Previous CAMPOUT’s have hosted a broad range of indie, alternative, blues and country acts and this year’s bill features the talents of Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants (of Foo Fighters), Gram Rabbit, Calamity, The Dangers, Lightning Starts Fire, The Piggies and Niantic. Along with full band performances from both Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven (the latter previewing new music from their forthcoming studio album), there will also be a number of performances from various members of both bands, including Jonathan Segel (performing material from his recent All Attractions double album), Victor Krummenacher, a special David Lowery/Johnny Hickman semi-acoustic Cracker duo set, as well as Johnny Hickman (performing material from his recent Tilting LP).

Bandmembers from both Cracker & CVB are currently available for interviews.

CRACKER / CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN’S CAMPOUT 8 – The OCHO
September 13-15 2011
Pappy & Harriet’s Palace
53688 Pioneertown Rd.
Pioneertown, CA

This Festival is All Ages (12 and under free)
3-DAY PASS $60
1-DAY PASS $25

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH
INDOOR:

Cracker duo (David Lowery & Johnny Hickman)
The Dangers
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH
OUTDOOR:
Camper Van Beethoven
Gram Rabbit
 
INDOOR:
Johnny Hickman (full-band)
Lightning Starts Fire
Niantic
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH
OUTDOOR:
Cracker
Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants (Foo Fighters’ lead guitarist)
 
INDOOR:
Calamity
Jonathan Segel
Victor Krummenacher
The Piggies
To purchase tickets and for more info on CAMPOUT 8 go to:
or call Pappy and Harriet’s at 760.365.5956 to purchase tickets the day of show.
 
 
CLICK THE TWO LINKS BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL CRACKER & CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN TOUR DATES
CRACKER: http://crackersoul.com/fr_tourdates.cfm
CVB: http://www.campervanbeethoven.com/fr_home.cfm
 
FOR MORE INFO ON CRACKER:
crackersoul.com FOR MORE INFO ON CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN:
campervanbeethoven.com FOR MORE INFO ON CAMPOUT 8 – The OCHO:
http://www.crackersoul.com/fr_home.cfm FOR MEDIA & INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
pavementpr.com

LIVING LEGEND ANDRE WILLIAMS TO RELEASE HIS NEW STUDIO LP “LIFE” ON 10/02

ANDRE OFFERS FANS A FREE MP3 OF HIS NEW SINGLE “BLAME IT ON OBAMA” JUST IN TIME FOR THE 2012 ELECTION!

Andre Williams began a very prolific and creative phase of his life when he finally got off booze and drugs. His intake of various substances was excessive, unrelenting, and dated back to at least the 1960s, when he was working extensively with Ike Turner. Reflecting on his very first drug-and-alcohol-free studio session in 2009, Andre says, “It was traumatic. It was like someone shot me out in space and I woke up on Pluto!”

Andre Williams’ new album Life was recorded this past winter in Detroit, the city where his musical career first began in the 1950s. Andre’s new songs are his latest experiments and explorations outside of the garage-soul bag that he’s often associated with. Produced by Matthew Smith, the album’s sonic palette recalls the work of Norman Whitfield’s Motown productions, ’70s Rolling Stones, Can, Bill Withers, Serge Gainsbourg, as well as Andre’s own doo-wop and funk history.

Life finds Andre in a pretty upbeat mood, whether he’s singing about people being rude and impatient (“But’n”), or laying down a political commentary (“Blame it on Obama”), reciting a children’s bedtime story (“Ty the Fly”), singing a simple love song (“Stuck in the Middle”, “It’s Only You That I Love”), or conjuring a nocturnal fetish-sex-groove (“Heels”).

The album also includes his own definitive rocking version of the standard he wrote and produced for the Five Du-Tones in 1963, “Shake a Tail Feather.” It’s a reminder that Andre Williams is one of the original guys who invented rock n’ roll.

Andre Williams’ Life will be released October 2nd through Alive Naturalsound Records in the following formats: CD, Digital and Black Vinyl, as well as Purple Vinyl (limited to 100) exclusive to mailorders.

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD & POST ANDRE WILLIAMS’ TRACK “BLAME IT ON OBAMA”
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/andre-williams-blame-it-on

[photo credit: Robert Matheu / www.robertmatheu.com]

LIFE TRACK LIST:
1. Stuck In The Middle
2. But’n
3. Don’t Kick My Dog
4. Blame It On Obama
5. Heels
6. Beep Beep Beep
7. It’s Only You That I Love
8. Money Ain’t Got No Loyalty
9. Shake A Tail Feather
10. Ty The Fly

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON ANDRE WILLIAMS

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: tony@pavementpr.com
https://pavementpr.com

THE SIGHTS ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN TOUR W/ TENACIOUS D!

THE SIGHTS EUROPEAN TOUR DATES W/ TENACIOUS D

11 Oct.  Zenith – Munich, Germany

12 Oct.  Sporthalle – Hamburg, Germany

14 Oct.  Mitsubishi Electric Halle – Dusseldorf, Germany

15 Oct.  Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt, Germany

16 Oct.  Mediolanum Forum – Milan, Italy

18 Oct.  Brighton Centre – Brighton, UK

20 Oct.  O2 – Dublin, Eire

21 Oct.  Civic Theatre – Wolverhampton, UK

23 Oct.  O2 Apollo – Manchester, UK

24 Oct.  Hammersmith Apollo – London, UK

(more dates to be announced soon)

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH THE SIGHTS’ NEW VIDEO “LEFT OVER RIGHT (LIVE ACROSS AMERICA)”
FEEL FREE TO GRAB THE EMBED CODE TO POST FOR YOUR VIEWERS

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT THE SIGHTS’ “LEFT OVER RIGHT” ALBUM AND THEIR RECENT LIVE SHOWS….

“On their new album Left Over Right dashes of Beatlesque piano pop join the band’s usual melodic garage rock and R&B-flavored power pop for another rip-snorting good time.” – Michael Toland / THE BIG TAKEOVER

“Each time The Sights make a new record we say it’s their best yet. No sense straying from tradition and getting up off our knees now ’cause their new, AutoTune-free, Jim Diamond-helmed album (their seventh!), Left Over Right, is the band’s finest moment thus far. No sh*t.” – Brian Smith / METRO TIMES

“Call it garage soul, call it ragged power pop, or simply call it rock ‘n’ roll. But whatever the label, the appeal of the raucous typhoon that erupts when The Sights kick into gear is undeniable.” – KDHX RADIO: ST. LOUIS

“Detroit’s garage/power pop monsters The Sights, fronted for the past decade and a half by Eddie Baranek (guitar/vocals), have just released their seventh effort, Left Over Right, the followup to 2010’s Most of What Follows Is True. On it 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.” – BLURT

“Unlike past efforts, the new album is less bluesy and guitar-driven, and offers a more R&B-oriented sound, built around horns and keys. A garage-rock prodigy of sorts, Eddie Baranek seems to have been blessed with an uncanny ability to evoke the best work of Humble Pie, Badfinger and Mott the Hoople in his songs — often in the same tune.” – Bob Mehr / THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL: MEMPHIS

“Detroit’s The Sights do a fine job of combining garagey crunch with retro-pop melodies.” – TIME OUT NEW YORK

“Rock and roll is what The Sights continue to deliver, and their latest record, Left Over Right offers more of the same great riffs juxtaposed against the same timeless melodies Eddie Baranek continues to produce. Sharp and electric, the latest incarnation of the band is fresh off the road from a national summertime tour with Tenacious D.” – WDET RADIO

“The Sights are on a roll with their latest album Left Over Right.” – Gary Graff / THE OAKLAND PRESS

“Opening for Tenacious D is no easy task, yet The Sights rose to the occasion. With high energy and exceptional musicianship, The Sights banged out a style of rock that could be described as a clash between The Rolling Stones and Arcade Fire. If there was anything to take away from their set, it was that these guys know how to play their instruments. Guitar solos, drum solos and even a saxophone solo made an appearance in the 30 minute opening act.” – THE REBEL YELL: LAS VEGAS

“Left Over Right is a sweet collection of high-energy rock and soul from this Detroit quintet who have been pounding the pavement for some 14+ years now.” – MOTOR CITY ROCKS

“This raucous quintet proffer hooky guitar riffs and a vibrancy missing from much of the rock scene in recent years and released their seventh album, Left Over Right, on June 19th. Fans of fellow Detroit band The White Stripes will appreciate the heart-thumping tunes that lead singer Eddie Baranek and his bandmates bang out.” – Sal Christ / 303 MAGAZINE: DENVER

“This Detroit-based band is dedicated to reviving rowdy garage rock.” – KANSAS CITY STAR

“Earth shaking & electrifying. Left Over Right is more cohesive and focused than their last record. And after this summer’s tour supporting Tenacious D, you can expect that The Sights will return to the studio with even greater tenacity than ever before. Not only has Eddie become a better songwriter over the years, but his band has consistently stepped up to the plate – elevating his vision of what rock n’ roll is really about.” – DAVE CHMIL MUSIC REVIEWS

“The Detroit-based band The Sights made the most of its brief opening set for Tenacious D, playing a half hour of glorious ’60s-style garage rock including “How Do You Sleep” and “Fool (I Can’t Stop Making Out with You).” – ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH

“The Sights’ sound callbacks to the MC5 and Exile On Main Street-era Stones… satisfying. ” – DALLAS OBSERVER

“The Sights’ garage sound swaggers with influences ranging from punk to glam, blues to the Kinks to Queen.” – TULSA WORLD

“Left Over Right is a winning, layered mix of garage, pop and soul that gets better with each listen and boasts enough studio flourishes and solid craftsmanship to have plenty of appeal to the audience that pushed the latest from The Black Keys and the recent Jack White release to the top of the charts.” – LOS GRILLOS

“The Sights, led by ebullient frontman Eddie Baranek, blasted out catchy ’60s pop tracks to a warm reception. The gang seemed to have all the characteristics that Tenacious D’s Jack Black & Kyle Gass champion: energy, good humor, and a sincere desire to rock.” – SAN FRANCISCO WEEKLY

“Detroit’s former boy wonders, The Sights are back with a new one. And all’s just a little more right with the power pop world. Well, it’s not entirely, or only, power pop – the band has a strong soul influence, with a bit of hard rock to it as well. In any case, Left Over Right is a five-man life force, it’s so full of irresistible hooks, ‘60s-inspired songwriting, and passionate rock ‘n’ roll affection. Doesn’t look like Baranek & Co. are likely to run out of ideas any time soon.” – Mary Leary / DAGGER

“On The Sights’ Left Over Right the sound creeps forward to visit late ’60s/early ’70s classic rock, decorative bits of psychedelia, and even folk rock. There are so many whispered influences (The Animals, Badfinger, Bowie, The Band) that it’s not so much a tribute as a long comfortable soak in a bygone era. A great album.” – JESTER JAY MUSIC

“This album is their best yet.” – Yuliya Harris / AFTER 5 DETROIT

“These Motor City soul/garage/blues rockers just wrapped up the recording sessions for Left Over Right, which could fit just as comfortably alongside The Band, Solomon Burke or Bob Seger, packing plenty of pop sensibility at every turn.” – Andy Argyrakis / CONCERTLIVEWIRE

“If this doesn’t sound like a rock & roll party, we don’t know what does.” – Mike Newman / EAST VILLAGE RADIO’S BEYOND BEYOND IS BEYOND

“About midway through the opening set by Detroit’s The Sights you could close your eyes and just about be at the Fillmore in 1971 watching Humble Pie. In fact, if you squinted at the stage at diminutive frontman Eddie Baranek’s direction as he leaped about the stage, attacking his hollowbody Gibson, you might’ve just thought the ghost of Steve Marriott was in the house… and that’s no mean trick.” – NYC EXAMINER

“The Sights are a band out of the Motor City that delivers pop heavy tunes infused with the right amount of fuzz and soul. Longtime critical darlings, their 14 year career has yielded multiple albums full of musical nuggets that scream DETROIT! Their latest album, Left Over Right, is a whole lot more of the same. From start to finish the music employs the soulfulness of Motown, the frantic energy of the MC5 and catchy lyrics to create a musical environment for the listener to enjoy.” – ATLANTA EXAMINER

“Left Over Right is the perfect album to give the person in your life who complains that they don’t make bands like they used to anymore.” – MIDNIGHT TO SIX

“This album is a solid offering and showcases that what The Sights do, they do very well.” – CULTURE BRATS

“Left Over Right deftly mixes churning guitars with left-of-center, Beatlesque power-pop melody. – Steve Forstneger / ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER

“These songs show the band growing into a true R&B machine, mixing southern horns into guitars that continue to roar with a Motor City ferocity. Baranek delivers his vocals with the abandon of a preacher about to slip into tongues as he channels his spirited tales to lay along the walls of organ-flecked pandemonium underneath. The Sights have always been a great live band. And their albums always showed they were capable of delivering solid studio work. But Left Over Right shows that the band has finally wrassled that live fervor and captured it down to tape to reveal their full potential. And a more potent result we couldn’t have asked for.” – CHICAGOIST

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
https://pavementpr.com

THE SIGHTS’ DAYTROTTER SESSION!

The Sights put the R.O.C.K. in Rock Island, IL for their recent Daytrotter session. This is how Detroit does it… http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/the-sights/20056000-13200

UNCUT MAGAZINE PRAISES JOHNNY HICKMAN’S NEW “TILTING” LP

One of favorite music magazines on the planet, UNCUT in the UK, just reviewed Johnny Hickman’s new album Tilting, where they stated it’s a “solid second solo trip from longtime Cracker man. Hickman is a fine if unheralded singer/songwriter, with a mile-wide working class streak. Tilting is a thoughtful roots/rock blend of the poetic and the philosophical, the funny and the forthright.”

LISTEN TO BUFFALO KILLERS’ NEW LP “DIG. SOW. LOVE. GROW.” IN ITS ENTIRETY ON SPINNER!

Spinner’s Listening Party is featuring the full-album audio stream of Buffalo Killers’ new LP Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (out now on Alive Records). Check out the whole album at Spinner.com here!

HOT DAMN! MORE LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES INTERVIEWS & FEATURES!

SAVING COUNTRY MUSIC (online music site)– Positive album review.
Review – Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires “There’s A Bomb in Gilead”
July 17, 2012 – By The Triggerman

If you’re looking for what is hip, what is hot right now in the confluence of American roots and rock music, you could make a strong case for the young, energetic roots rock bands emerging from the deep South as the epicenter of enthusiasm and influence. With the Alabama Shakes blowing up, the freedom to boldly mix blues, rock, country, and a large measure of soul has been endowed to bands with ample amounts of hunger, talent, and skill.

After years of nerdcore shoegazers being the most hip part of the scene, with their ukes and theremins and some pink haired girl in Sally Jessy Raphael glasses banging away at a Fisher-Price xylophone toy with a spatula, balls and back beat have re-emerged, including in the Birmingham, Alabama-based Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires whose debut album There’s a Bomb in Gilead was released on Alive-Naturalsound Records in May.

This is an explosively-energetic album with influences and styles pulling from a wide range of American music. Lee Bains is well-versed in Southern modes from both sides of the tracks, and shows tremendous versatility in being able to conjure up the smoky mood of a blues singer, and the sweaty twang of a Southern rocker in the space of a breath, with The Glory Fires right on his heels with their authentic, spot-on sonic interpretations.

There’s A Bomb in Gilead has some great tracks, anchored by the rocking “Centreville” which boasts some sick and stirring lyrical lines. Then Lee Bains and the boys show off how quick they can switch gears with the slow, country-feeling “Reba”. “Righteous, Ragged Songs” and “Red, Red Dirt of Home” hearken back to the golden-era of Allman-style Southern rock, while “Opelika” takes it over to the poor, dark side of town on a front porch, with good distance captured in the recording.

Overall the album conveys that “sweaty” sound The Rolling Stones perfected back in their Exile-Sticky Finger needle & spoon days that so many bands yearn for but few realize. There’s a Bomb also has some some very deep soulful moments that I hear in a lot of these Southern roots rock bands; Motown stuff that they call upon with the same frequency and confidence as the country and blues vibes.

Not to carry out The Alabama Shakes comparisons too far, but a similar concern I had with them I hear with Lee Bains too. With the wild variety in styles between songs, there is no one universal or unique style that defines the band, and it necessitates the listener shifting listening gears between songs. This also happens to keep the album spicy and your ears alert, but I would like to see Lee Bains & The Glory Fires do more to define their own sound, not just master the sounds of others.

Still this album passes the listening test, meaning you find yourself coming back and listening to it over and over. If you come to this album as a die hard country fan, you will come to it from the outside looking in, but with the song “Reba” and a strong Southern rock influence, there will be enough familiarity with it to allow you to warm up to the rest of the material.

This is a good first album with some great songs and great energy, and I look forward to hearing what Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires offer up in the future.

1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/review-lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-theres-a-bomb-in-gilead

WMSE RADIO (Milwaukee, WI college radio) – Live in-studio session (full-band electric performance) on Wed June 27th at 2pm (12:30 pm arrival)

HUGH SHOWS (Pittsburgh-based online music blog)– First/Last feature interview.
First/Last-Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires

“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.”

The band’s debut is really kicking my ass this summer and I just had to extend an invitation to Lee to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
The first tape I bought with my own money was Muddy Waters’ ‘The Real Folk Blues,’ and the first CD I bought with my own money was Jimi Hendrix, ‘Live at Woodstock.’ Shortly after that, I bought my first LP at a garage sale, just because I liked the cover art. Joe Cocker’s ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen.’

Your last album bought?
My last trip to the record store resulted in The Police’s self-titled album, and Charlie Daniels’ first album (prior to “Charlie Daniels Band”). I’d never been crazy about The Police, but I heard that first album in its entirety recently and was blown away. It has some pretty amazing writing, and that scrappy sound that only a killer three-piece can pull off. My daddy and I listened to Charlie Daniels a lot growing up, but this first record is really weird, without a hit on it. Billy Cox from Band of Gypsys plays bass on it, and there was clearly some strong acid being passed around.

Favorite album of all time?
Whew. Big Star’s three albums regularly overtake one another as my favorite. ‘Eat a Peach’ by the Allman Brothers. ‘Hey Jude’ by Wilson Pickett. ‘Bealtitude’ by Staple Singers. ‘Let It Be’ by The Replacements. ‘Exile on Main Street’ by the Stones. ‘Raw Power’ by the Stooges. ‘Flyin’ Shoes’ by Townes Van Zandt. ‘Velvet Underground and Nico.’ ‘Aquemini’ by Outkast. ‘No Division’ by Hot Water Music. ‘Reinventing Axl Rose’ by Against Me! ‘Rocket to Russia’ by the Ramones. Crooked Fingers S/T. ‘Super Tight’ by UGK. The Dexateens’ ‘Red Dust Rising.’ ‘Leon Russell and the Shelter People.’ The Old 97’s ‘Wreck Your Life.’ (I just saw Rhett Miller did an interview.) Drive-By Truckers’ ‘Dirty South.’ Jack Oblivian’s ‘Saturday Night, Part 2.’

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
I’m sure the worst is yet to come.

First concert attended?
My daddy and I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers within two days of one another when I was 12. The day in between the two shows was July 4th. I don’t remember which show was first, but I do remember that I felt pretty dadgum American by the end of it.

Last concert?
I think the last show I saw that we weren’t playing ourselves was to see the Drive-By Truckers in Atlanta. It was my first time seeing my buddy Matt play bass with them.

Favorite concert ever?
There are several shows I list as my all-time favorites, but seeing Against Me! on tour for their first album in Birmingham’s all-ages venue with 50 other sweaty, hollering kids was way up there.

Least favorite concert?
When that first Sun Kil Moon album came out, ‘Ghosts of the Great Highway,’ I listened to it all the time. My current girlfriend and I made out for the first time listening to it. It was, at the time, my favorite album, and I had a pretty intense connection to those songs. But then I went to see the show in New York, and this really private, delicate music was being played quietly to a big, loud room packed with a bunch of drunk, yammering yuppies. It was like the Mona Lisa was being displayed in the infield at Talladega, or something. I just left halfway through.

Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
Well, I’ve never been to Pittsburgh, I’m sad to say, but Birmingham used to be called the Pittsburgh of the South, and I love Birmingham. So, if Pittsburgh is like the Birmingham of the North, then I think I’d probably like it a lot, too. Our guitar player Matt actually lived up there for a little while, and regularly mentions the Italian neighborhood he lived near and y’all’s tendency to say “n’at.” Shamefully, that’s about all I can say about Pittsburgh. I also did a book report one time on Roberto Clemente.

Thanks so much, Lee. Really loving the album and looking forward to a Pittsburgh gig in the hopefully near future.
http://hughshowsredux.blogspot.com/2012/06/firstlast-lee-bains-iii-glory-fires.html

RIVER CITIES READER (Quad Cities weekly)– Brief show mention.
Sunday, June 24 – Lee Bains III & the Glory Files. Alabama-based independent musicians in an all-ages concert. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7:30 p.m. $5. For information, e-mail info@rozztox.com or visit RozzTox.com.
http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/whats-happenin-june-21-2012/

TWANGVILLE (online music site)– Positive post with Centreville stream with related links.
Centerville, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires (from the Alive Records release There Is a Bomb in Gilead)
Southern rock, well certainly the Alabama variety, is on a roll of late. The latest Alabama artist to emerge is Birmingham native Lee Bains III and his band the Glory Fire. Whether pounding through a full-on rocker or an Allman Brothers-style jam, the boys pack their songs with the proper amount of Southern swagger.

Special bonus: Bains and crew are offering a free download of their show from the Bama Theater in Tuscaloosa, AL on 23 March 2012, a benefit to raise funds for the recovery from the devastating tornados that hit the area. Get it here.
http://twangville.com/11133/mayers-playlist-for-spring-2012-part-3/?doing_wp_cron=1339799155.8430190086364746093750

ATLANTA EXAMINER (Atlanta online A&E site)– Positive 4/5 album review with album art and related links
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires rip it up with There Is A Bomb In Gilead
Chris Martin
Equal parts southern swagger and punk rock Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires have arrived on the scene with their debut album There Is A Bomb In Gilead. The first record from the southern quartet is loud, rowdy and full of kick-ass rock tunes. They have been able to harness the power of a live show taking place in a dark dirty hole in the wall and implant it onto a record.

The album goes from 0-60 at the start as Bains and crew offer up the blistering guitar heavy “Ain’t No Stranger” to kick off the album, and things just get better from there. “Red Red Dirt Of Home” delivers more of the killer guitars and the tune “Centreville” sounds like the bastard love child of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the MC5. They are not a one trick pony and are able to infuse blues (“Choctaw Summer”), a little soul (“Everything You Took”) and slow things down (“Righteous, Ragged Songs”). One tune that stands out is “Roebuck Parkway”, an acoustic number driven by sharp lyrics and Bains’ vocals it reminds me a lot of Jason Isbell, and that is a good thing.
http://www.examiner.com/review/lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-rip-it-up-with-there-is-a-bomb-gilead

LOUDER THAN WAR (music blog)– Positive album review with album art and related links
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – There is a Bomb in Gilead – album review
by Stu Gibson

Sample some of the sweet soul sounds of the deep south with this album of acoustic and americana from Lee Bains III and Glory Fires.

Well, I never in a November of nine pound hammers if, yet again, one of the greatest labels in the world has unearthed an absolute sweet seething treasure for you to burn your tits, toes n’ teeter off to over the summer strummin’ months.

Mix the facets of an Alabama-based band recording in Mississippi then heading north to mix it up in Michigan with the label’s very name and you may garner some sense of the boogie-strewn Southern soul-encrusted stench fuelling up along miles of highways and ‘awww shucks’ heartaches on this debut.

Sure, first album in – despite past band histories – but already lifers, garrulously swigging generations of eternal gospel groove from way before their time, already shrouded in the slovenly / strident shimmy The Stones and The Faces occasionally got so right, jamming out the big city blues for pastures familiar and fret-worn but also un-faked and unaffected, if not fresh-faced.

So no mere upstart saps sumptuously furnished with a miss-spent grandiosity that fell out of Neil Young’s gurn sometime in the late seventies (or at anytime aside from Crazy Horse’s second, but anyway, that’s another song), absolutely no west-coast blandity is found among the cracked humour and literate asides.

Instead they gloriously condense into their crevices of Creedence chooglin’, nay shoehorn – let’s get with the scenery – almost the greatest bits of what The Black Crowes excelled at for five minutes before they descended into too-comfortable slack-jawed interminable bilge.

Between the back-porch balladry – perhaps best summed up in aptly titled Righteous, Ragged Songs but not bypassing the achingly steel-guitar addled Reba, deservingly redolent of Gram Parsons – that spread out from majestic psych-tinged opener Ain’t No Stranger, there’s equally ragged and so so right bar-brawlers like the raucous Scorchers’ blast of Centreville, each n’ every equally ladled with some subtle lyrical flourishes and guitar weavery.

No slouches by Grand Canyon stretches but the way they effortlessly shrug these songs off like an old jacket just adds to its immense status as a sweltering’ slab of natural soul sound.
http://louderthanwar.com/lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-there-is-a-bomb-in-gilead-album-review/

PASTARUN MUSIC – [Interview] Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
After sharing Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires’ rootsy southern rock with you guys last week, I got the awesome opportunity to ask Lee Bains III a few questions. His responses are better than any intro I could give so I’ll let you guys have at it. If you didn’t check out our Artist Introduction for these guys, listen to “Centreville” to get a feel for their sound.

PRM: What got you into playing music? Was your family influential, or did you have a musician who you looked up to as a child? When did you make the decision to pursue music as a career?

Lee Bains III: I grew up in somewhat of a church music family. My grandmama was a Methodist choir director for 70 years, believe it or not, and my granddaddy was a tenor soloist at the church. So, I started singing with them, and in choirs from the time I was four, probably. My mama plays the piano really well, and had me taking piano lessons. Running concurrently with all that, my two older brothers and my daddy were really into rock n’roll, so that s what we listened to all the time. My daddy was, and is, really into the Allman Brothers, Skynyrd,  60s soul, early  70s R&B, Outlaw country, the Stones. And my brothers got me into Sabbath, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Public Enemy and NWA, and later Black Flag, the Replacements, the Ramones, Blue Mountain, the Old 97 2s, etc. You know, I m not sure if I m meant to play music as a career, per se, or not. When I was about 21, I decided to make playing in bands my priority. I guess what that has meant for me is that I work jobs that will let me off to play shows, and I try to be frugal. Mostly it means that, when it comes to music, I don t make creative or ethical decisions with a financial goal anywhere in mind. I would rather work random jobs and make the music I fully believe in than make a living playing music I don t.

PRM: Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires takes on some of the same southern rock sounds that the Dexateens did. What led you to start your own band, and what are some new influences and sounds unique to your work with the Glory Fires?

Lee Bains III: Well, I d had my own band, called Arkadelphia, prior to joining the Dexateens in 2008. I kept the two going at the same time for a while, but the Dexateens wound up playing so much that I couldn t play with Arkadelphia very often. Then, Arkadelphia s bass player Justin moved to Huntsville, Alabama, and that was the nail in the coffin. But, anyway, when the Dexateens pretty much quit playing in 2010, I immediately started putting another band together around a batch of songs I d written. Justin had moved back from Huntsville at that point, and we got Blake and Matt onboard shortly after that. I mean, I was really into the Dexateens when they asked me to jump in on third guitar. They were my favorite band, really.

PRM: Both Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires and the Alabama Shakes bring some Southern roots rock, and have been recipients of very high praise. Did their recent explosion onto the music scene help you guys or did you guys learn anything from their rise to fame? And what was it like touring with them?

Lee Bains III: Well, you re kind to say we ve been recipients of high praise! The Shakes definitely helped us a lot by asking us to go on that tour with them. On that tour, we played in cities we d played before, but to crowds many times the size we d ever seen. I mean, I ve gotten pretty accustomed to playing New York in front of 15 or maybe 30 people. But with the Shakes, we got to play in front of hundreds. It was the most fun tour I ve ever been on, for sure. The Shakes are really great people, and the folks at the shows got there early enough to see us and were curious to see what we were about. That s absolutely as much as you can ask for as an opening band.

PRM: Your personality really comes through in your music and performance. I ve been impressed that on your first album you were able to create an identity, and convince fans of your earnestness with your performance. With the larger crowds you saw with the Alabama Shakes were you intimated at all? (a few hundred people would shake me a bit compared to 30).

Lee Bains III: Man, even though this is this band s first album, I ve been writing and performing music for quite a while with different people, and have played a lot of shows in different places and venues. I ve worked really hard, and right now am pretty confident in who I am as a writer. Granted, I hope that understanding and confidence continues to deepen and evolve over my lifetime, but I m pretty comfortable with myself as a songwriter and musician. And it s funny you mention playing to big crowds, but playing to a small crowd is far more intimidating to me than a big one. When there are a ton of people watching a band, the folks in the crowd tend to be less self-conscious and have more fun. But it s pretty awkward playing a show when the people on the stage outnumber the people on the floor. It s times like those that I have to remember why I play music: because I ve always loved playing music with other people, whether it s on my porch, or in a garage, or on a stage.

PRM: Being featured on Rolling Stone is one thing, but you also were compared to a second coming of Creedence. Is CCR a big influence in your music? How did you react to the comparison?

Lee Bains III: To be honest, CCR isn t an influence at all, so that was kind of funny to read. But, I love a lot of the music that I m sure those guys listened to. They strike me as a take-off on a lot of the  60s Southern soul and swamp pop stuff that was happening at the time, as well as Buddy Holly, etc. And I love most all of that stuff.

PRM: PastaRun Music has a lot of followers in the Northeast, can we expect some shows in our neck of the woods anytime soon?

Lee Bains III: Hell yeah! We ll be up there in late summer/early fall.
http://pastarunmusic.com/category/folk/country/

THE FIRE NOTE (online music site)– Positive album review with album art and related links
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires: There Is A Bomb In Gilead
Alive Natural Sound Records [2012]
Fire Note Says: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires rekindle a classic Southern style of rock on their solid debut There Is A Bomb In Gilead.

Album Review:
Right from the monstrous Southern flare in opening track “Ain’t No Stranger” you get an excellent sample of what the debut from Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires is going to bring. The group hails from Alabama and their debut There Is A Bomb In Gilead is a nice mix of roots rock, R&B, garage and a tiny bit of punk attitude that gives it swagger.

The band offers up big rousing rockers like “Centreville”, Southern anthem sing alongs such as the chanting “Magic City Stomp!” and even a cool R&B flavor on the grooved “Everything You Took”. All of these tracks benefit from the quality song writing of Lee Bains III, as his New York college studies of literature seemed to pay off while his likable small country twang to his vocals make you feel right at home. This Southern charm runs through the entire record right up the swaying closing title track.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires present a very confident debut with There Is A Bomb In Gilead that does not really break any new ground but rekindles a Southern style of rock for a new generation that has been popularized in the past to the masses by likes of The Allman Brothers and The Black Crowes. What makes Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires stand out is that this record comes off with such ease that it is an easy listen which gets more addictive upon repeat listens and is a possible template for a bright future.

Key Tracks: “Ain’t No Stranger”, “Magic City Stomp!”, “There Is A Bomb In Gilead”

Bands With Similar Fire:
Alabama Shakes
The Allman Brothers
The Dexateens
http://thefirenote.blogspot.com/2012/06/lee-bains-iii-glory-fires-there-is-bomb.html

LONDON MUSIC BLOG– Positive album review with album art and related links
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – There is a Bomb in Gilead (Alive Records)

Before listening to  Lee Bains III and Glory Fires’ debut album, There Is A Bomb In Gilead, I was informed that they hail from the Deep South of the good ol’ USA and their sound was southern rock. This was all I needed to know to intrigue and excite me. A cornerstone of my musical education growing up was a number of long family car journeys listening to a classic southern rock and blues albums. I’ll never forget early encounters with artists such as The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Canned Heat and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The southern iconography and vivid imagery these bands lyrics conjure combined with the bluesy/country rock certainly typify the sound of the deep south to me.

Having some knowledge and appreciation of the musical heritage of the south and southern rock I excitedly pressed play for my first listen of There Is A Bomb In Gilead….but it just didn’t really grab me by the balls. It wasn’t what I’d expected from a Deep South rock band. If you read any of the blurb that I did, it is easy to be bombarded in to mistakenly pigeon holing Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires as old fashion southern rock.  All of the members have roots in the south, and the band is based in Birmingham, Alabama. The album was recorded in Water Valley, Mississippi and even the name of the record owes to the colloquialism of the south; as a child Bains mistakenly heard some elders refer to an old gospel hymn There Is A Balm In Gilead. Due to their southern accents it sounded like ‘There is a bomb’ and the line clearly stuck with Bains.

Shedding my expectations, the second listen was far more enjoyable. Southern rock centric this may be, but this is southern rock in a different time and with a different perspective to the forefathers who defined the genre. It is an album of more than just southern rock; blues, country, soul, gospel and punk are all audible here.

Ain’t No Stranger kicks the album off with a genuine rock and roll bang. The pulsating and catchy Centreville follows with nuances of The Strokes and The Hives about it without straying from The Glory Fires’ own distinctive sound. Being a huge Rolling Stones fan I can’t help but tip my hat to them for Magic City Stomp and their use of ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’. Although there is rock ‘n’ roll energy throughout, the ballads of Reba and Righteous, Ragged Songs certainly aren’t weak links. Opelika is country and bluesy jaunt that comes as close to Creedence as anything on the album while the stripped back title track and Roebuck Parkway will both have you reaching for the repeat button. Production does feel a little rough in places but this is surely intentional as it helps give an honesty to the record that many bands strive and fail to manufacture.

Bands and music from the south have always been prominent in popular music. Modern day greats such as REM and Kings of Leon are testament to this and Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires certainly have potential. This is a genuine album that demonstrates song writing craft of intelligence and humour. Only time will tell where they settle among the pantheon of deep-south greats, but this is definitely an accomplished start.
http://www.thelondonmusicblog.co.uk/lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-album

REVERBERATIONS– Positive album review with album art and related links
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – There is a Bomb in Gilead (Alive Records)

Lee Bains III is the prodigal son, raised on the Good Book Jesus, corrupted by punk-rock and working out his own adult reconciliations between the two. It’s the blessing and curse of being Southern. From Jerry Lee Lewis to Tyler Keith (Preacher’s Kids), and all the way back to Robert Johnson, artists, black and white alike, have been torn between Saturday night and Sunday morning; ever since moonshine and lusty women first presented a challenge to the Christian life. Crap – that was probably in the fifth Century; in southern … France, or somewhere.  Hell, I’d have to get out my History books. Like I say, it’s nothing’ new. Bains and his Alabama boys, the Glory Fires, aren’t reinventing the wheel, just grinding the sucker. And it yields a great ride.

Even if there’s nothing new under the sun, each generation and every new artist has the opportunity to put its and his or her own spin on the eternal conflicts. On There is a Bomb in Gilead, the Glory Fires debut, Bains brings the sensibilities of a literary education to his talks with Jesus and his hallelujahs to Joey Ramone. I don’t say this just because he makes literary references, like the one to Walker Percy (“go ahead take my Walker Percy, go ahead and take the t-shirt by brother got when he saw the Ramones”), but because his melancholy and moral musings are offspring of Faulkner and O’Connor’s world. “Everything You Took,” the ditty with the Percy/Ramones lyric, establishes the artist’s lifestyle essentials: rock ‘n’ roll t-shirts and books. And essential they may as well be since he’s losing his gal. He’s clearly hanging on to a thread, clinging to “every little hope that you give me.” But the lady sounds to me like she’s moved on.

The singer’s wrestling with virtue resounds in “Ain’t No Stranger,” rhyming contrition and perdition, by God – and reminding the almighty that he may be prodigal, but he’ s “no stranger.” Bains and lead guitarist Matt Wurtele slash through the Willie Mitchell groove with guitars that are more Keith Richards and Ron Asheton than anything Memphis or Muscle Shoals. “Centreville” sustains the rocking pace. It’s Skynyrd after the Pistols (and Some Girls), Bains spitting out lyrics about guys who are “over educated and under-employed.” Perfect, it captures the new Birmingham, or hell – Boston, as the United States becomes the new Spain. Imagine Tony Joe White amped up and all pissed off. That’s what Bains sounds like on “Centreville.”
Bains works his connection to the lords of the garage in “Righteous, Ragged Songs” (‘say a prayer for punk rock, and say a prayer for me’) like a man who  believes that there just might be some soul saving potential in the  devil’s music, music, like gospel, that can surely be righteous and ragged. The Dixie-punk of “Red, Red Dirt of Home” neatly paraphrases country classic (you know, “Green, Green Grass of Home, the Curly Putnam Jr. warhorse recorded by Porter Wagoner, Bobby Bare, Tom Jones and your cousin Daryl); akin to a digital age version of “The  Letter,” Bains reflects on having his “momma and daddy on speed dial.” Wurtele’s “Honky Tonk Women” guitar carries him home. Here, Bains effortlessly strikes the Southern grit and groove that John Hiatt labors to achieve.

Simmering laments like “Reba” and “Choctaw Summer” rock country like country rocked before it became the fucking Eagles with fiddles. I hear the ghost of real, honest to God country singers like John Anderson in these tunes. But I also hear a band that sounds like they just might have listened to a Richard Thompson record or two. “Roebuck Parkway,” waxes nostalgic for a childhood idyll, and features some flat lovely acoustic picking. Wurtele breaks out some Wayne Perkins style licks for “Opelika,” Bains slyly referencing Johnny and June’s “Jackson” as he locates the boys position (‘3,000 miles east of L.A., 1,000 miles south of N.Y.C.’).

“Magic City Stomp” is probably more fun live. It’s a chant wrapped in an instrumental workout that’s as much MC5 as it is M.G.’s. In the context of the album it sounds like filler, or a fun b-side.

The title cut references a youthful malapropism of Bains’ (he heard the gospel soother “Balm in Gilead” as “Bomb in Gilead” as a churchgoing kid). The Glory Fires strip things down to simplicity and soul. Bains stretches out phrases, wringing out nuance like the great soul stirring singers. There are some fine singers operating in the Southern (garage) rock idiom (the twin sons of the Oblivians, Jack Yarber and Greg Cartwright come to mind – Patterson Hood, too), but few make you think – damn, I could listen to this son of a gun sing James Carr and O.V. Wright songs.

Produced by Bains and Lynn Bridges in Water Valley, Mississippi, Gilead was mixed by the Jim Dickinson of Detroit garage-rock, Jim Diamond, at his Ghetto Recorders. In this instance, the locales speak volumes. This is rock ‘n’ roll from the South, dirty and distinguished, polished (but not too much) to a Motor City shine. Fresh, soulful, assured, There is a Bomb in Gilead is a damn fine debut from Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires.

Oh, I didn’t work in references to bassist Justin Colburn and drummer Blake Williamson in graceful rock critic style. They kick ass.
Reverberating: 8.6
http://stevemahoot.blogspot.com/2012/05/lee-bains-iii-glory-fires-there-is-bomb.html

AL.COM– Positive Tuscaloosa show preview with band photo and related links.
Rip-roaring Lee Bains & Glory Fires to rock Tuscaloosa
You better catch Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires while you can at venues like Green Bar and Egan’s.
By Ben Flanagan, al.com
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — While the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Bama Theatre and other venues in town occasionally bring in marquee acts, the Druid City still serves as a ground where you must catch up-and-comers before it’s too late.

Not that you won’t get other opportunities to see these musicians live in the future, Tuscaloosa venues let you see them in intimate, closer-knit settings that make the experience all the more special (and face-melting).

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires got a nice shoutout in the latest issue of the pre-eminent rock magazine Rolling Stone, which made note of their song “Opelika.” A reviewer said the song “choogles like the second coming of Creedence.” That’s high praise.

Bains and his band have toured with The Alabama Shakes and continue to dig their boot heels into the rest of the region. Tonight, they plan to rock Green Bar in downtown Tuscaloosa, along with 13ghosts. Don’t miss it. [Learn more about The Glory Fires’ new album, “There is a Bomb in Gilead]
http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/05/rip-roaring_lee_bains_glory_fi.html

ROLLO & GRADY (Los Angeles-based music site) – “Everything You Took” download with band photo and related links.
http://www.rollogrady.com/lee-bains-iii-there-is-a-bomb-in-gilead/

MOD MOBILIAN (Mobile, AL A&E site) – Show preview with photo and Centreville audio stream.
Alabama Music Box & Mod Mobilian Present
Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires (Birmingham)
with Nightmare Boyzzz (Muscle Shoals)

Mod Mobilian Presents is a music concert series presented in conjuction with Alabama Music Boxwith the goal of exposing Mobile audiences to new Southern bands – from Austin to Nashville to the Carolinas to Jacksonville.

Just off tour with Alabama Shakes, former Dexateen and Arkadelphia member Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires bring the Southern Rock along with Muscle Shoals’ powerpop punk Nightmare Boyzzzz.

Video is from Birmingham’s recent Secret Stages with the Glory Fires and Nightmare Boyzzz playing at Rogue Tavern
http://modmobilian.com/2012/05/23/ambmm-presents-lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-nightmare-boyzzz-at-amb-524-secret-stages-vid

MOD MOBILIAN (Mobile, AL A&E site) – Positive review.
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
by Wess Floyd

I first heard the name Lee Bains was back in the days of MYSPACE – remember, if you wanted someone to hear your music or book a show you just directed them there. I can’t remember who “friended” who – BUT at some point I started trading emails with a guy named Lee in a band from Birmingham called Arkadelphia.

After the long struggle to get my first full length released, the time came to play some shows. And my own foothold in the old home state meant I wanted to play shows in B’ham…and you need get bands in the area to trade shows with and work together.  A lot of life long friendships were born on the road.  One that I truly cherish is my friendship with Lee Bains III.

The first show the Daisycutters and I played with Arkadelphia was at Speakeasy in downtown Birmingham (a stones throw from the Alabama Theater). This little 3 piece Rock and Soul band got up and ripped my 5 to 6 piece band, everyone in the crowd, and the venue itself a new exit. Lee sang a song called “Walker County Loathing” and I literally had to pick my jaw up off the ground…it was equal parts Al Green, Alabama, and Black Flag.

As the months past I went to hear the Tuscaloosa legends The Dexateens at the Basement here in Nashville. As an Auburn grad, the sight of hounds-tooth makes me un-easy, but for some reason it looked a lot more “Bad-Ass” as the grill cloth on a Fender Twin than it ever did sitting on top of a drunk frat-boy/sorority-girl’s head. There was a familiar face (and old school-70’s Auburn belt-buckle) on the other guitar player – it was Lee Bains III. Completely free of having to hold it down in a 3 piece, Lee unleashed a sonic assault of lead guitar lick that recalled Dwayne Allman & Johnny Thunders all at the same time. If my respect for the man could have gone more – it did that night.

Time, miles, money, and age is not easy on struggling Rock and Roll bands. It was not kind to the Dexateens, Arkadelphia, or my “Blood Sworn Enemies” era Dasiycutter line up. But I started to hear rumbling of Lee’s new project “The Glory Fires” – and I began to get excited. I had worn out the unreleased “White Whale” recordings by Arkadelphia…and anything Lee touches pretty much turns to Rock and Roll.

As the tracks began to leak out on ALIVE Records’ Soundcloud page, and I caught a couple of shows – I only got MORE excited. Surely, the actual record could not live up to my own expectations. There is a Bomb in Gilead is a spiritual, carnal explosion of Punk, Rock & Roll, Soul, and Gospel that grabs you by the throat and forces you to convert at the tip of the sword.

Lee and the Glory Fire boys have manage to transcend even the long shadow The Dexateens cast. This is not a record by a former member of a great southern rock and roll band. This is a record BY a Great Southern Rock and Roll Band! Each track takes the best parts of growing up inAlabama and pours it into an unrelentingly joyous record. It is dripping with sweat, and it’s hands covered with the “Red, Red Dirt of Home.” It’s the musical equivalent to a greasy Barbeque sandwich at Byron’s on Opelika Rd. It’s a rural A.M.E. church service you attend with both William Faulkner and Ronnie Van Zant.

Wess Floyd originated in Dothan and, after a spell in Auburn, now plays in Nashville.  He and his bands have recorded 3 albums and an EP – the most recent being Foxhole Confessions. He played at Mobile’s SouthSounds Music Festival (see the video here). Read more by Wess on his blog.
http://modmobilian.com/2012/05/23/wess-floyd-on-lee-bains-the-glory-fires/

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Syndey, AU daily) –Brief positive review… in their Sports section!
IF YOU’RE NOT PLAYING SPORT YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO …
There is a Bomb in Gilead: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. Drag The Stooges through some deep-south barbecued-pork spare ribs, a gospel church and put a ten-gallon hat on its head, and this is what you get.- Ears McEvoy

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES DAYTROTTER SESSION!

Head on over… no, get your running shoes on and high-tail it over to Daytrotter to check out Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires‘ smoking session where they performed four live in-the-studio tracks from their remarkable new LP There Is A Bomb In Gilead! You can listen to the full session for free here by just signing up for their free 14-day trial.

BRIAN OLIVE KICKS-OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 8/22 IN SUPPORT OF HIS LP “TWO OF EVERYTHING”

Following his 2009 self-titled debut, which was praised for skillfully blending soulful R&B with raunchy garage and psychedelia, Brian Olive (ex-Greenhornes guitarist & Soledad Brothers multi instrumentalist) takes us further on his latest full length Two Of Everything. Listeners will recognize a number of musical touchstones here (Night Tripper era Dr. John, Exuma, early Funkadelic, Canned Heat, West Coast psych, etc) but the end result is completely Olive’s own – an insanely dynamic, soulful, psychedelically-rich summer album perfect for intergalactic flight, night visions or voodoo rituals.  Two Of Everything was recorded and produced by both Olive and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys at The Diamonds in Cincinnati and Easy Eye Sound in Nashville, and features a revolving cast of talent, including long time right hand man Mike Weinel, Detroit psychedelic caveman David Shettler (SSM, The Sights), Daniel Allaire (Darker My Love), Jared McKinney (Greenhornes), and with Courtney Jaye, Leisa Han, Kari Kragness, and Sarah Benn on backing vocals. The hauntingly beautiful artwork is by Laura Dolan. More recently, Olive, along with Auerbach, also co-wrote and performed on Dr. John’s latest acclaimed album Locked Down.

Brian Olive’s  Two Of Everything is in stores now and available in the following formats: CD, Digital and Limited Editions of both Red & 180 gram vinyl.

BRIAN OLIVE’S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:

8/22 Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog

8/23 Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar Room

8/24 Montreal, QC – La Divan Orange

8/25 Quebec City, QC – Le Circle

8/26 New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine

8/27 Brooklyn, NY – Union Hall

8/28 Boston, MA – O’Brien’s

8/29 Pittsburgh, PA – Gooski’s Bar

8/31 Louisville, KY – Zazoo’s

[September West Coast Tour dates to be announced soon]

FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD & POST BRIAN OLIVE’S SONG “LEFT SIDE ROCK” FROM TWO OF EVERYTHING:
http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/brian-olive-left-side-rock

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH THE MAKING OF DR. JOHN’S LOCKED DOWN WITH BRIAN OLIVE AND DAN AUERBACH:

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT BRIAN OLIVE’S TWO OF EVERYTHING:

Two Of Everything is a smorgasbord of delights and unexpected touches, mixing gauzy psych-pop with blue-eyed soul. – Q MAGAZINE ****

A moody, punchy, swaggering amalgam of ’70s rock, funk and blue-eyed soul. – UNCUT ****

An album you don’t just listen to, you feel it. – HYPERBOLIUM

The retro beauty of the instruments throughout is spellbinding. – ARTROCKER UK ****

Olive creates atmospheric layers of sound dappled in splashes of dreamy psych-pop sunshine. – POPMATTERS

Olive has captured the flavor of 1960s Brit-blues on the cusp of spreading into more exploratory areas. – THE INDEPENDENT UK ****

Combines ’70s classic rock with a little rhythm, psychedelic fuzz, garage groove and memorable harmonies. – THE FIRE NOTE

Olive’s second solo offering lends a pleasingly spacey, psychedelic edge to vintage sounds. – THE OBSERVER/ THE GUARDIAN UK ***

Highly recommended. – VINYL HOUNDS

The album’s peaks land as its tempo dips on the irresistible flute-driven “Go On Easy” and swirling sax on “Traveling.” – MOJO ***

Two of Everything should be played over the loud-speakers at pool parties, cookouts, and—here’s hoping—a summer celebratory crawfish boil. – A-LINE MAGAZINE

[The song] “Left Side Rock” has neat boogie-woogie riffs and a slinky beat reminiscent of Primal Scream’s “Rocks,” while“Go On Easy” is airy flute-driven psychedelia and “Strange Attractor” is a hypnotic blend of R&B horns, far-out solos and metronomic dronerock. – FINANCIAL TIMES ****

Think high cooing vocals and airy harmonies above bluesy, gum-smacking grooves that simmer and shimmer, augmented on phenomenal cuts like “Back Sliding Soul” by arrangements full of ear candy — underwater boogie piano, rump-rocking percussion, shrapnel blasts of rubbery guitar and greasy sax and Esquivel-like electro-doinkage. – THE NASHVILLE SCENE

With Two of Everything, Brian Olive is two for two in making smart, distinctive albums that push his blues and R&B influences in unexpected, compelling directions, matching and building on the strength of his debut. – ALL MUSIC

FOR MORE INFO ON BRIAN OLIVE:
http://www.brianolive.net
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Olive-Band/123473291014237

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

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: tony@pavementpr.com
https://pavementpr.com

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES LAND THE COVER STORY IN PERFORMER MAGAZINE!

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires: August 2012 Cover Story
BY ANDREW LAPHAM FERSCH
Forging a Connection Between Punk and Southern Rock

Although the South isn’t likely to rise again in any discernible militaristic fashion, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires might just be the band to help Southern rock find its bearings in a respectable manner. Bains, who cut his teeth in the Dexateens, is now trying to take the anti-establishment attitude he sees in both Southern music and punk rock and channel it through his new project. There aren’t going to be any costume changes, and there’s a good chance the audience will have to suffer through at least one fool shouting “Free Bird,” but if that doesn’t put you off, you’re in for a real Southern treat.

You cite punk and Southern rock as influences, both styles that have had their own (and very different) political and personal messages. Do you have a message? Where does it fit in here?

I guess I don’t think that the social messages of late-’70s punk rock and mid-’70s Southern rock were all that different from one another, when viewed in their own contexts. They both aimed at being somewhat humble forms of rock and roll, I think, relatively simple and straightforward. I mean, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Oak Arkansas were pretty bare bones, unpretentious rock and roll outfits compared to Yes or T. Rex or Pink Floyd or whatever other rock bands might have been internationally famous at the time. They didn’t have laser lights or drum solos or costume changes.

There was a certain anti-materialistic slant to a lot of the Southern rock bands’ songs, I think, just as there was in punk rock. And I think both forms of music appealed to outsiders, in some way.

For people of my dad’s generation, the Allman Brothers meant something very different than they mean to a lot of people now. For a lot of white Southerners who were born and came of age during segregation, the Allman Brothers represented a new South, where black and white kids could be friends, and be against the Vietnam War, and shake off the burden of bigotry and closed-mindedness. In 1969, you would get your ass kicked for wearing long hair in Mississippi, and it was for the same reason that, in 1977, you would get your ass kicked for dying it green in New York City. Each form was challenging the status quo in its own distinct, particular place and time.

Lyrically, there are some pretty common themes here. How do you make sure that what you write is unique and original?

Well, I guess folks have been writing about the same things forever. Homer and Shakespeare were talking about God and love and mortality and family and place, and Hank Williams and Louis Armstrong were, too. I guess I just try and stay faithful to my own experience and my own place – my own personal way of engaging those really universal ideas and concepts.

How did your time in the Dexateens influence you or help you evolve, musically?

Playing with the Dexateens definitely helped me in the sense that it gave me an opportunity to get intimately acquainted with the work of two great, distinctive songwriters in Elliott McPherson and John Smith. Both of those guys wrote killer songs from very different perspectives, and, getting the chance to play them every night, I felt like an apprentice in a way. I mean, I’d been writing my own songs for years at the point of joining the Dexateens, but I wasn’t nearly as developed as either Elliott or John. My favorite thing about those two guys’ songs is that they sound like they could be written by nobody but them. Outside of that, I definitely learned the logistics of being in a band: how to book shows,

how to get merch together, how to operate on the road, how to work a record contract. It was really invaluable in that regard, too.

You chose to record this album with someone who has done more work with punk bands than classic Southern rock; what led you to that decision? Why did it seem like the right choice?

Well, Lynn [Bridges, engineer] has made some great, idiosyncratic records that pretty well defy genre [classifications]. He’s worked on everything from the ramped-up Dixie-punk of the Quadrajets to some really amazingly eerie and minimal Devendra Banhart records. But, to me, there’s a sense of honesty and intimacy to all of his records. They all sound like real people making real music. Lynn is one of the few engineers I know who can reference Don Williams and Lush and The Oblivians in the same breath, and we all really appreciated that.

The same could be asked about instruments. Do you find yourself picking up certain instruments because of their sound/style/history and sticking with them?

You know, I just think rock and roll is played best with loud guitars, bass and drums. Maybe keys at times. It keeps things in your face. I play the guitar and bass, and mess around with banjo, mandolin and the piano. I just started playing the banjo within the last year or so, and I really just aspire to playing the part in Jerry Reed’s ‘Eastbound and Down.’

What sort of guitar are you using? Do you have a favorite?

I play a Gibson SG. I’ve had it since I was 16, and it’s been my guitar ever since. It’s pretty much covered with all the gunk – sweat, beer, blood and dirt – that you get from playing night after night. It kind of feels like another appendage at this point. I recently fixed up a backup guitar (an Epiphone SG model), in case I break a string on stage.

What did the recording process look like for you?

We went in to cut the record after having played these songs on the road for at least a year, so we knew them pretty well at that point. The challenge we made to ourselves, though, was to re-imagine the songs – to, rather than play them out of muscle memory – rethink the songs and have fun with them. Because he’s so enthusiastic and energetic, Lynn really helped with that. We worked really hard on the record – 16 to 20-hour days – getting the right vibe or the right arrangement or the right sounds.

You talked about how long you spent in the studio, how did this positively affect or impact the record?

Man, I think it was good to have a defined and relatively short period of time to cut the record.

On recording: These days, a lot of bands use their home studios, or friends’ local studios, and wind up spending hundreds of hours making a record. While I think that can result in amazing work, I think it can also result in a recording that’s overwrought and scrubbed clean of what made it special or real. I’m a fairly obsessive and perfectionist person, so keeping a recording session brief is necessary to making a true document, glitches and all.

Best place you’ve ever played a show?

Man, that’s a good question. My favorite shows would probably either be at The Nick in Birmingham, or Egan’s in Tuscaloosa. On a good rowdy night, it’s hard to beat either of those places. As far as places to play, I like the Bottletree in Birmingham a ton. They’ve done a lot of good for the city, and treat bands better than we deserve to be. I also love the Whitewater Tavern in Little Rock, Arkansas. It’s probably a good thing I live several hours away, because otherwise I’d be in there every night.

What does your touring schedule look like?

We’ll be playing a lot in the South over the next few months, taking a trip to the Midwest in [the summer], and the East Coast in August/September.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires: There is a Bomb in Gilead – Out Now!
Standout Track: “Everything You Took”
www.thegloryfires.com
photos by Brett Falcon and David A. Smith
http://performermag.com/2012/08/01/lee-bains-iii-the-glory-fires-august-2012-cover-story/

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