THE INDY-BASED BAND ON TOUR NOW WITH HOMETOWN RECORD RELEASE SHOW SLATED FOR NOV. 3RD AT RADIO RADIO

Following the critical success of their debut album, There Is A Bomb In Gilead, and lighting up music venues across the nation for the better part of the year with their incendiary live shows, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires will be releasing their brand new single “Total Destruction To Your Mind”later this month.

On the A-side The Glory Fires, featuring Matt Wurtele (guitar), Justin Colburn (bass), Blake Williamson (drums) and Bains (vocals/guitar), turn in a spirited and scrappy cover of ’70s psych-soul legend Swamp Dogg’s number “Total Destruction To Your Mind.” The B-side finds the Birmingham, AL foursome revisiting the title track from There Is A Bomb In Gilead for a new studio version with even more impassioned fervor than the original. Produced by The Glory Fires and renowned producer/musician Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit, “Total Destruction To Your Mind”/”There Is A Bomb In Gilead” will be available digitally on October 30th through Alive Naturalsound Records.

 

Earlier this summer Chris Johnson (owner of Bayport BBQ in the Twin Cities’ suburb of Bayport, MN) resurrected his popular Deep Blues Festival for three glorious (sold-out) days of great music, Southern-style BBQ and camaraderie between musicians, fans and friends alike. Far from the corporate sterility of many larger modern music fests, Johnson’s Deep Blues Fest instead successfully revived the communal spirit of late ’60s and early ’70s music gatherings, evoking the vibe of a large summer picnic with family, friends, good food and great music.

The 2012 Deep Blues Fest featured 26 bands from four countries & 16 states. Out of these acts there were seven phenomenal performances from the current Alive roster. Alive At The Deep Blues Fest is the document of these incendiary and unforgettable performances. All 13 tracks were mixed by famed Detroit producer/musician Jim Diamond, who managed to capture the loose and spontaneous feel of live albums produced in the Golden Age of rock’n’roll. Buffalo Killers and Radio Moscow turned in super heavy sets soaked in psychedelia and reverb, while Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires fiercely ripped through their show with a blistering set of songs steeped in Southern rock, R&B, soul, gospel and punk from their critically acclaimed debut LP There Is A Bomb In Gilead – an album that has been helping to define the sounds of The New South. Brian Olive and his backing band melded soulful R&B with technicolor garage-pop for their early daytime set, while the Welsh duo Henry’s Funeral Shoe, Left Lane Cruiser and newcomers John The Conqueror perhaps kept closest to the Deep Blues curriculum with their respectively raunchy and heavily amplified modern interpretations of rural gutbucket Delta Blues.

To get a sense of this intimate yet electrifying festival, grab a copy of Alive At The Deep Blues Fest, invite a bunch of good friends over for some food & drink, and PLAY IT LOUD.

Alive at the Deep Blues Fest will be released November 27th through Alive Naturalsound Records in the following formats: CD, Digital and Black Vinyl with mp3 download card & poster, as well as Limited Edition “BBQ SAUCE RED” Colored Vinyl exclusive to the Bomp mail-order.

Chris Johnson and Alive Naturalsound Records will be throwing a special Alive At The Deep Blues Fest Record Release Show featuring Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires on Sat. Dec. 1st at 8:00pm at Bayport BBQ, 328 5th Ave. N., Bayport, MN

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD & SHARE BUFFALO KILLERS’ LIVE TRACK “IT’S A SHAME” FROM ALIVE AT THE DEEP BLUES FEST

ALIVE AT THE DEEP BLUES FEST TRACK LISTING
01 River Water – Buffalo Killers
02 It’s a Shame – Buffalo Killers
03 There is a Bomb in Gilead – Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
04 The Red, Red Dirt of Home – Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
05 Traveling – Brian Olive
06 Bonelle – Brian Olive
07 Hold On Me – Radio Moscow
08 Little Eyes – Radio Moscow
09 24 Hour Blues – Left Lane Cruiser
10 Rambling on My Mind – Left Lane Cruiser
11 Three More – John The Conqueror
12 Be your own Invention/Stranger Dig – Henry’s Funeral Shoe
13 Henry’s Funeral Shoe – Henry’s Funeral Shoe

BUFFALO KILLERS TOUR DATES
Oct. 04 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH w/ The Sheepdogs
Oct.05 The Shelter – Detroit, MI w/ The Sheepdogs
Oct. 06 Double Door – Chicago, IL w/ The Sheepdogs
Oct. 07 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN w/ The Sheepdogs
Nov. 02 Mercury Lounge – NY w/ Hollis Brown
Nov. 03 Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge – Annapolis, MD w/ Hollis Brown
Nov. 04 Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA w/ Hollis Brown
Nov. 08 Musica – Akron, OH w/ Hollis Brown
Nov. 15 Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN  w/ Hollis Brown
Nov. 17 Zanzabar, Louisville, KY w/ Hollis Brown

LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES TOUR DATES
Oct. 4 The Bottletree Cafe, Birmingham, AL (w/ Pujol)
Oct. 19 White Water Tavern. Little Rock, AR
Oct. 20 Bryan Street, Dallas, TX
Oct. 22 Texas Rose, Beaumont, TX
Oct. 23 Stubb’s BBQ, Austin, TX
Oct. 25 Old No. 2, Laredo, TX
Oct. 26 Voodoo Music Experience, New Orleans, LA
Nov. 2 The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Nov. 16 AlleyBar, Montgomery, AL
Dec. 1 Bayport BBQ, Bayport, MN (Alive At The Deep Blues Fest Record Release Show)

LEFT LANE CRUISER TOUR DATES
European dates
Oct 4  Le Tremplin – Beaumont, France
Oct 5  La Citrouille – St Brieuc, France
Oct 6  4AD – Diskmuid, Belgium
Oct 7  DB’s – Utrecht, Netherlands
Oct 8  Mac Daid’s – Le Havre, France
Oct 9  L’Usine – Geneve, Switzerland
Oct 10  Peniche Sonic – Lyon, France
Back in the USA
Nov 8  Broadway’s – Asheville, NC w/ John The Conqueror
Nov 9  The Bohemian Cafe – Greenville, SC
Nov 10  The North River Tavern – Atlanta, GA
Nov 11  JJ’s Bohemia – Chattanooga, TN
Nov 29  Founders – Grand Rapids, MI
Nov 30  Cricket’s Pub – Muskegon, MI

JOHN THE CONQUEROR TOUR DATES
Oct 5  MilkBoy Philly – Philadelphia, PA w/ Willis Earl Beal
Nov 3  The Legendary Dobbs – Philadelphia, PA (Record Release Show)
Nov 7  Clementine Cafe – Harrisonburg, VA
Nov 8  Broadway’s – Asheville, NC w/ Left Lane Cruiser
Nov 9  Jack of Hearts – Weaverville, NC
Nov 16  Joe Squared Station North – Baltimore, MD
Nov 19  Slim’s Downtown – Raleigh, NC

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

FOR MORE INFO ON BAYPORT BBQ AND DEEP BLUES FEST:
http://bayportbbq.com/

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

“Folks, like I said before and it’s STILL true, James Hand is the real deal!” – Willie Nelson

Texas music legend, James “Slim” Hand‘s Mighty Lonesome Man contains timeless music that will please the yearning ear of today, while transporting you back to the days of hayrides, drive-in movies and huddling around the radio listening to the Grand Ole Opry. Said to be one of the best kept secrets in Country music, James Hand is one of the most authentic singer/songwriters heralded by his peers of today, with a gift for prose that transcends time. Returning with another fistful of enduring heart breakers, as well as a couple of fun ditties for sipping and dancing, while backed by an all-star cast of Texas musicians like Grammy award winner Cindy Cashdollar, Bobby Flores, Alvin Crow, Speedy Sparks (of Doug Sahm’s Texas Tornadoes) & Earle Poole Ball (Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, Merle Haggard & others), just to name a few…. this James Hand album is sure to please.

USA TODAY
(national daily) – Positive review of Time To Go and album in Steve Jones’ The Playlist column.

Time to Go, John the Conqueror
This raw, bluesy old-school soul track is just one of many gems on Philadelphia trio self-titled debut album.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2012/10/15/playlist-rolling-stones-doom-and-gloom/1635195/

JAMBANDS
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art.

John The Conqueror – John The Conqueror
Alive Naturalsound Records
by Brian Robbins

Give me a classic power trio line-up with their shit together any day of the week. For what the format might possibly lack in terms of depth of sound, you can’t beat the sonic synchronicity of a triple-brained single-mindset. There’s no room for anyone to drop a groove or miss a change; there’s no place to hide. But when it’s good, it’s really good. And John The Conqueror would be a prime example.

On the Philly-based trio’s self-titled debut, they waste no time in getting down to business. The opener “I Just Wanna” manages to take you from up on the altar in a cappella gospel glory to ‘round back in the alley behind the church with a 40-ouncer, banging back the blues – all in 3 minutes and 29 seconds. Once the opening handclaps give way to Michael Gardner’s drums, there’s no looking back – Gardner slams out a relentless, tension-filled foundation with bassist Ryan Lynn stepping in and out of the groove like a prizefighter, belting it home with killer precision. The Gardner/Lynn rhythm monster allows guitarist/vocalist Pierre Moore to do his thing – soulful testifying coupled with a guitar that vacillates between barking/chugging rhythm and all-out howl. Have mercy!

The trio shows the depth of their sound and moods over the course of the album’s ten cuts. If Gary Clark Jr.’s “Bright Lights” tweaked your ears, you’re going to dig the gritty thump and wail of “All Alone”. “Come Home With Me” will lure you close to the speaker with some gently-fingered tones before walloping you over the head with a churning vibe that goes from Free to funky before it’s all over. The title of “Passing Time” hints that it was simply a let-the-tape-roll jam (complete with off-mike verbal assail by a disgruntled neighbor) – regardless, it’s a fine, fine little dollop of grittiness. “Letter Of Intervention” addresses a hard situation with frank words and a look-you-in-the-eye seriousness. “Say What You Want” combines a classic Mick Jones-style stop-and-go main riff with some down-in-the-cellar R&B. And if you had to make a choice of some John The Conqueror to place in a time capsule, “Time To Go” would be a good one: shimmery arpeggioed chords and a street-corner chorus give way to some slam-crash garageness and dangling-cigarette soul.

Moore – who wrote all the album’s tunes – produced John The Conqueror, proving he has a solid grip on the trio’s sound. The overall vibe is dry and immediate with just enough separation to provide depth. There are no fancy tricks to clutter things up or purify the life out of them: a snare head sizzles; some feedback begins to skwark between riffs; the bass amp breathes with a low, mean-assed rumble – and the mix puts you right in the middle of it. (Don’t touch those tubes. They’re hot.)

The result sounds like the work of a supergroup power trio made up of three vets who just wanted to get together and lay it down, making gutsy, raw, bluesy music for the sheer joy of it. The fact that this is the first time in a studio for the members of this band is mind-blowing.

All hail John The Conqueror: three young men with old souls and a fresh, powerful sound.

Pass the brown paper bag.
http://www.jambands.com/reviews/cds/2012/10/11/john-the-conqueror-john-the-conqueror

HAPPENING! MAGAZINE
(Shindig Magazine’s online UK music site) – Positive album review with album art

Record Review
JOHN THE CONQUEROR
John The Conqueror
Alive Natural Sound CD

First album by scuzz-rock trio who are based in Philadelphia but have their roots in Mississippi.

They sound so much like The Black Keys that they could be mistaken for a BKs tribute band. They’re far from the first act whose influences are transparent on their early recordings, though. And, taken at face value apart from any comparison to the omnipresent Keys, this is just a fine punk-blues rock record that sounds like The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion if JSBX were from the Mississippi delta.

It’s all smokestacks, greasy ball bearings, mudslides, and corn liquor swilled from mason jars; raggedly scorching guitar riffs, a thunderous rhythm section, and howled vocals. ‘Say What You Want’ rockets me off my rear every time. I’d like to see them establish more of an individualized identity on their next outing, but this is a hell of an impressive debut.
_ Brian Greene
http://happeningmagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Record%20Reviews

LOCAL PLAYLIST
(Milwaukee online music site) – Positive album review.

NEW MUSIC: JOHN THE CONQUEROR’S DEBUT ALBUM
by Holly Topel Neubert

There is nothing quite like the first time I hear new music.  With my headphones in place, I hit “play” and the anticipation of what’s to come is an experience like no other.  John the Conqueror’s self-titled debut album grabbed me from the get go and held my attention straight through to the end.  Released today, this gritty, sexy, blues-infused rock album is not to be missed.

This three piece is made up of cousins Pierre Moore (vocals, guitar) and Michael Gardner (drums) who hail from Jackson, MS, and bassist Ryan Lynn, a native of Philadelphia, PA, and where the entire band now resides.  Their east coast  tour kicks off with an album release party at the Legendary Dobbs in Philly on November 3.  There aren’t any Milwaukee dates listed (yet), but I know we at Local Playlist would love to see them rock Brew City.

Check out their website for tour dates and more information on how to get your hands on this album.  Believe me, your ears will thank you.  In the meantime, here is a link to their single, “Say What You Want” to tie you over.
http://localplaylist.com/new-music-john-the-conquerors-debut-album/

KNUCKLE RUMBLER
(online music site) – Positive 5/5 star album review.

Review: John The Conqueror – John The Conqueror

The sounds of the Mississippi South are back. John The Conqueror have released their self-titled debut album today, and it does not disappoint. The sound of John The Conqueror feel as though three well-worn blues veterans have taken to the studio for shits and giggles, when in reality it’s the first time the trio has ever recorded together. Soul music is not dead. Chuck Berry lives on. The days of slicked-back pompadours and sleeves with cigarette packs rolled up in them are back. John The Conqueror is an amalgamation of Muddy Waters and the Black Keys with a hint of metal. This power trio has brought life back into the carnal sound that has been buried under the inane chart hits produced in record label factories.

John the Conqueror fades in with unplugged, studio sounds of the trio clapping and front man Pierre Moore, leading with “I just want to be your man”. It’s raw; and an accurate opening for their full length debut. The rest of the trio, Michael Gardner and Ryan Lynn, soon follow suit and “I Just Wanna” launches into in a full groove, introducing the listener to their new addiction. Songs like “Southern Boy” and “All Alone” build the body of the album with reverbed guitars that draw from past Mississippi influence with a kind of stained luster. “Lucille”, the stand out track of the album, reaches even further into the past to bring back story-telling seeded in religion and the wicked ways of women. The track gets a fresh yet unpolished finished that sounds like Chuck Berry came back from the grave.  “Come Home With Me” is the best pick up line I’ve heard from whiskey drinkin’ boys from the South with lines like “I don’t need to know your name, but I’ll tell you mine. It’s Mr. Damn You Lookin Good And I Ain’t Lyin”. The beat is hard pressed and quick and it incites an involuntary snaking about. The album’s only misstep comes in “Letter of Intervention”, the eighth track of the album. The boys take this song’s sound to a Metallica level with the guitar sound and at three and a half minutes, it wastes precious album space.

John The Conqueror have released a fantastic break-out album that’s laced with whiskey dreams, the Mississippi Delta, and nostalgia for some of soul music’s greatest.
Rating: 5.0
http://knucklerumbler.com/2012/10/review-john-the-conqueror-john-the-conqueror/

WXPN’s THE KEY
(Philadelphia AAA Radio / online music site) – “Lucille (live in the studio)” featured as ‘This Week’s Best MP3 Downloads with band photo of Pierre in the studio.

The Week’s Best MP3 Downloads, incl. John the Conqueror, Young Gliss, and How to Dress Well

This week’s Key Studio Session featured Atlanta-born trio John the Conqueror, a powerful blues rock outfit that relocated to Philadelphia last year.  The band will be releasing its debut record on October 16th through Alive Naturalsound Records (you can already download a free studio version of the track “Time to Go” on their Bandcamp).  Below, listen to John the Conqueror’s Key Studio Session take of “Lucille” and then head over here to download all three tracks.
http://thekey.xpn.org/2012/10/07/the-weeks-best-mp3-downloads-incl-john-the-conqueror-young-gliss-and-how-to-dress-well/

THE BIG TAKEOVER  
(national quarterly music magazine) – Positive album review in Michael Toland’s Top Ten for Oct.

John the Conqueror – s/t (Alive)
Every time I think, “Grungy blues rock, again? C’mon, people!” a band like this Philly power trio comes along and makes me think twice. Leader Pierre Moore has a matter-of-fact singing voice, tasteful six-string skills and a tuneful writing style that balances licks and melody and avoids classic rock overload. Picks to click: “Time to Go,” “All Alone”
http://www.bigtakeover.com/top-ten/Michael-Toland-121007

JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT
(online music blog) – Positive album review

John The Conqueror – John The Conqueror (Alive)

Given how downright street smart funky the rest of the album is, I’m amused at how the first song incongruously sounds like some kinda wonky “I Love Rock And Roll” musical rewrite. But after seeing how downright surly these three tough guys look, I sure ain’t gonna tell ’em that—especially since they’ve got such a primitive scuzz-tone going for them.
http://www.jeffreymorgan.info/

THE DELI  PHILLY
(Philly weekly) – Positive Milkboy show preview

John The Conqueror and Daniel Ryan Belski will be opening for the infamous Willis Earl Beal (don’t heckle this guy tonight or you might get a kick in the teeth ;o). The Philly by way of Mississippi blues rockin’ trio John The Conqueror are warming up in preparation for November tour dates in support of their upcoming self-titled debut LP, which will be available via Alive Naturalsound Records on October 16. Local guitarist/singer-songwriter Daniel Ryan Belski continues step out from behind his work with Arrah and the Ferns and his The Divine Lorraine moniker. Belski released his impressive debut album, They Always Haunt at Night, at the end of June. The EP is a beautiful combination of folk-tinged indie-pop songs mixed with dreamy atmospheric sounds. It’s a sweet lineup this evening where you won’t want to miss any of the acts. Milkboy Philly, 1100 Chestnut St., 9:30 pm, $10, 21+ – Dan Brightcliffe
http://philadelphia.thedelimagazine.com/11344/john-conqueror-daniel-ryan-belski-opening-for-willis-earl-beal-milkboy-philly-oct-5

KAOS BLAC LIFESTYLE
(online music blog) – Feature/interview with Pierre Moore with photos and tour dates.

The myth making and magic of John the Conqueror

Down N’ dirty blues blues man Pierre Moore of John the Conqueror is a man of luck and he’s here to bring you his magical bag of tricks n’ licks. I interviewed the voice behind the band about his path towards creating the band, life and of course music.

Kaos Blac: So Pierre your originally from Jackson, MI when I first met you you where in another band, the now defunct Slack Republic, based in Atlanta, Ga and now your doing John the Conqueror based on your travels I can assume your ascribe to the rolling stone gathers no moss lifestyle in regards to your music. Would that be a clear assumption?

Pierre Moore: Yea I do….when I was growing up, my mama always told me that she was raising me so that when I turned 18, I’d get the hell out of her house….so I got about a thousand miles away!

Kaos Blac: Well that is a jump and a leap from home. Also it sounds like a as if you were set upon a path to a down homespun blues man from the get go, although that wasn’t what you were playing with your previous band. What lead you to from the break up of that last project to what your doing now with John the Conqueror.

Pierre Moore: It was 4 years since the breakup of the last band till I hopped on stage again…..I’d given up playing music because I’d missed a couple opportunities to sign with small indie lables (going back to my college days) due mostly to my own stupidity ….basically I was broken! But it turns out that no matter how I felt when I put down the guitar, I felt even worse the longer I didn’t play!

I don’t really know if that answered your question but doesn’t it feel good to share! hahah

Kaos Blac: No good answer, good answer! LOL.

So eventually you got back up off your ass picked up your guitar and poof instant music or what? I want to know how you got from the post-punk/alt that was The Slack Republic as the lead guitarist to being the Blues tinged front man of your current project it’s a drastically different approach to musical story telling.

Pierre Moore: Probably the most anticlimactic part of my whole life: December 2010 I decided to start a band. I couldn’t find a singer that I liked in the WHOLEEE MONTHHH I tried (you can tell I tried soooo hard) so I said I’d give it a go.
Last week of december we got a bassist (Merry Christmas!). 3 months later we played our first show at a ROCKERS event (I know you’re familiar with those folks and that scene)…1 month later we recorded a 6 song EP. 5 months later we recorded another EP.

4 days before our 1 year anniversary of finding our bassist and officially becoming a band, Alive NaturalSound Records contacted us about signing (Merry Christmas again!)….

That was December 21st …but in true Pierre fashion, I fucked shit up (sorta) …I didn’t see the fuckin email somehow! So I didn’t respond till New Years day! I damn near pissed my pants when I realized that I’d (almost) fucked up an indie label offer AGAIN!

Apparently Patrick, the head of the label, thought he should get back at me for being so bad at emailing because it took him two weeks to get back to me…

John the Conqueror/Robert Johnson tat
design courtesy of Katrina Tapper
Anyway, fastforwarding …we signed, recorded an album…
comes out october 16th…the whole band got John the Conqueror tattoos (mike, the drummer and I are cousins and he was the bassist in slack…..when we started this band, it was for fun, but we jokingly said if we got signed this time, we’d get band tattoos)

Kaos Blac: Well thankfully you answered that email and didn’t fuck up. One thing I been dying to know is why the name John the Conqueror?

Pierre Moore: Mannyyy reasons ….

1) The John the Conqueror root is a staple in the lyrical tradition of blues and if we’re gonna try to honor our roots then…. (bad pun!)

2) High john the conqueror root is traditionally used in a mojo hand and can be applied for many purposes but usually its for a gambling type of luck …the first year of this band, I carried my mojo hand almost everyday cause lord knows I needed some luck.

3) The character of John the Conqueror is as old as our peoples in America…. He was an african prince, stolen from his kingdom and brought here to be a slave. But he was smart….he constantly was outwitting his master at every turn ….thats how I feel about the proverbial hand I’ve been dealt in life…. Thats also why I have a highway 61 north tattoo on my shoulder. Thats known as the blues highway….thats the road all the great blues musicians had to take to leave the mississippi plantations and find a happier life….It took em to memphis, chicago and (if i recall) detroit …and from the 30’s till the 50’s, these were like the promise land to black folk! I need a constant reminder that I love my home and I miss it …but I had to leave to actually DO something! And hopefully I’ll do something!

Kaos Blac: Which you are as seen below.

You have the self titled album coming out October 16th, are you and the band amped about it’s debut?

Pierre Moore:  lol yea.

Kaos Blac: No big pressures eh or pre-jitters?

Pierre Moore:  We were told that we should already be writing our next album so I suppose thats a little pressure. The album isn’t even out yet, we haven’t started touring yet and im already writing MORE songs!

Kaos Blac: lol. Hey your in the big times now, now is the time of John the Conqueror. From what I heard of the current album I think you have something with legs especially with acts like Alabama Shakes. Speaking of touring what are your plans to travel out with the album.

Pierre Moore: In november we’re doing some dates on the east coast. We’ll be full fledged touring at the beginning of the new year.

Kaos Blac: Well folks will have something to look forward to coming up in the new year. Any closing words about the band?

Pierre Moore:  Umm..nope

Kaos Blac: LOL. Well Blac-out!

You ca get the self title debut John the Conqueror, out October 16th via Alive NaturalSound Records , and on tour this fall starting tonight at Milk boy Philly.
http://kaosblac.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-myth-making-and-magic-of-john.html

TWISTED SOUTH RADIO
(national quarterly music magazine Twisted South’s internet rado show) – Phone interview with Pierre on Wed. Oct. 17 at 9:15 pm eastern.

ALAN CROSS – A JOURNAL OF MUSICAL THINGS
(online music site) – Positive post with “Time To Go” mp3 and album art

Artist: John the Conqueror, “Time To Go”
Album: John the Conqueror
This song is pretty damn badass. Classic bluesy based guitars and real rock’n almost back-up singeresque harmonies.
Sounds like: Blues – Pop
http://www.alancross.ca/a-journal-of-musical-things/2012/9/10/more-music-from-the-inbox-10-september-2012.html

WXPN’s THE KEY
(Philadelphia AAA Radio / online music site) – Positive news feature with band photo and two videos.

Watch John the Conqueror’s home movies from the recording studio (playing MilkBoy in October)

Philly rock three-piece John the Conqueror is gearing up to release its self-titled debut record trough Alive Naturalsound Records on October 16. You can get a taste of what the album might sound like in a behind-the-scenes clip the band posted on YouTube this week. Along with footage of the band clowining around in Germantown’s Retrocity Studios, we get to hear a raging new track called “Say What You Want.” Check it out below, and catch the band in concert October 5 when they open for Willis Earl Beal at MilkBoy. Tickets and information can be found here.
http://thekey.xpn.org/2012/09/12/watch-john-the-conquerors-home-movies-from-the-recording-studio-playing-milkboy-in-october/

MADD CHICAGO
(Chicago online music site) – New videos featured with positive post and band photo

John The Conqueror Release Behind The Scenes Videos
Last month we posted “Time To Go” the first single off Philly based trio John The Conqueror’s forthcoming self titled debut album.  This week, the band released two videos; the first takes the viewer on a behind the scenes look into the band’s recording process backed by the track “Say What You Want,” while the second is very shaky shot of the band performing “I Just Wanna” in studio.  The videos accompany the announcement of fall tour dates the band will play behind the album.  No Chicago date has been announced as yet.
http://maddchicago.com/john-the-conqueror-release-behind-the-scenes-videos/

THE DELI  MAGAZINE
(NYC weekly)

TheDeliMagazine New Video: “I Just Wanna” – John The Conqueror
Check out an in-studio performance by John The Conqueror of their song “I Just Wanna” below. The band’s self-titled debut album will be available on October 16 via Alive Naturalsound Records. You can also watch some behind-the-scenes footage for their song “Say What You Want” HERE. They’ll be performing live next in Philly on October 5 at MilkBoy Philly with Willis Earl Beal.
http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/11073/new-video-i-just-wanna-john-conqueror

WXPN’s THE KEY
(Philadelphia AAA Radio / online music site) – Positive news post and  with band photo in their “Digital Digest: This Week’s Best free music” column

Here at The Key, we toss a fair heaping of free downloads your way, so it’s completely understandable if you miss a few. Here are our top five bits of digital music from the past week:

Power trio John the Conqueror has made a splash in Philly scene over the past year, dishing out a moving blend of blues, soul and rock n’ roll. This week the band announced that its debut full-length is coming out on Alive Naturalsound Records this October, and released the lead single, “Time to Leave.”
http://thekey.xpn.org/2012/08/12/download-digest-this-weeks-best-free-music-incl-john-the-conqueror-jerry-garcia-lauryn-peacock/

KNUCKLE RUMBLER
(online music blog ) – Positive post with Time To Go mp3, album art and related links.

Listen: John The Conqueror – “Time To Go”
I m gonna go ahead and blame John The Conqueror s   Time To Go  for my renewed obsession with Southern Soul (and the Alabama Shakes, a little). The trio from Mississippi, now based in Philly, have the smoothness of classic 50 2s soul mixed with a southern twang. The sound is honest, simple, and even lacks experience which only showcases the band s old souls and allows the music to connect with many generations. Named after an African-American mythological folk legend, of whom the likes of Dr. John, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon have sung, the band possesses a magical power that empowers emotion. Check the track below and play a part in the revival of soul.
http://knucklerumbler.com/2012/08/listen-john-the-conqueror-time-to-go/

MADD CHICAGO
(Chicago online music site) – Positive post with Time To Go mp3, album art and related links

The best new blues band may hail from Philadelphia, in a trio called John The Conqueror.  The band consists of cousins Pierre Moore and Michael Gardner originally of Jackson, MS and Philly native Ryan Lynn.  Together, the threesome concoct up some gritty deep blues rock  channeling both The Black Keys and Black Joe Lewis on their self-titled debut album, due out October 10th vie Alive Naturalsound Records.  The hot sticky sound of their southern roots is never more apparent than on the bands first single ‘Time To Go.” The track will bring you from the church to the juke joint in four quick minutes.  Have a listen below and keep it here for more from John The Conqueror.
http://maddchicago.com/introducing-john-the-conqueror/

DEAD JOURNALIST
(online music blog)– News posting with band photo and “Time To Go” mp3.

John The Conqueror has released “Time To Go” from their self-titled debut album, out on October 16, 2012. The band mixes blues, rock and soul in the track that can be heard in this post.
The band, formed in Oxford, MS by cousins Pierre Moore and Michael Gardner, includes Philadelphia-native Ryan Lynn
http://www.deadjournalist.com/DJdc/2012/08/08/john-the-conqueror-time-to-go/

THE DELI  MAGAZINE
(national weekly) – Positive news posting with album art and “Time To Go” mp3.

Free Download: “Time To Go” – John The Conqueror
Below is a new track, which you can download for free, called “Time To Go” from local garage-blues trio John The Conqueror, who is made up of cousins/transplants from Jackson, MS Pierre Moore (vocals/guitar) and Michael Gardner (drums) and Philly-bred Ryan Lynn (bass). We’ve been digging their vibe for a while now, and were happy to hear that they’ll be releasing a full-length album on October 16 via Alive Naturalsounds Records, who has put out records from The Black Keys, Two Gallants and many others.
http://national.thedelimagazine.com/category/bands/john-conqueror

MUSIC EMISSIONS
(online music site)– News posting from press release with band photo and “Time To Go” mp3.
http://www.musicemissions.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/08/on-the-verge-john-the-conqueror/

WXPN’s THE KEY
(Philadelphia AAA Radio / online music site) – Positive news post with “Time To Go” mp3 and band photo.

When John the Conqueror made it to the final round of World Cafe Live’s Beta Hi-Fi competition last summer, we were duly impressed. Helen Leicht said the swaggery trio might be Philly’s answer to Gary Clark Jr, and the band put the spoils of the competition towards its debut full-length album, which is coming out on October 16 through Alive Naturalsound Records. Yesterday, the album’s first single was released as a free download; check out “Time to Leave” below.
http://thekey.xpn.org/2012/08/09/download-john-the-conquerors-new-single-time-to-leave-playing-dobbs-tonight/

FARONHEIT
(Chicago-based music blog) – “Time To Go” featured on their “Pick Your Poison” weekly download feature on Aug. 10th.
http://faronheit.com/2012/08/pick-your-poison-friday-8-10-12/

PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Buffalo Killers – Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
BY WARREN MCQUISTON
“Ohio band waves their freak-flag high while keeping things concise”

This is a band that’s bound to have some killer vinyl at home. Started by a pair of brothers and a keyboardist-turned-drummer from their old band, Thee Shams, Buffalo Killers sit nicely on the calmer side of the Howlin’ Rain/Aquarium Drunkard crop of bands, groups for whom the ’80s never happened and Dinosaur Jr. were the Stones of the ’90s.

On Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. the band has made an album that sounds like it came out 40 years ago but for one big difference: it’s concise.  The longest song is 4:44, and most are around the three minute mark. Opener “Get It” (which made me holler “Oh, Shit!” the first time I listened to it) could’ve been twice as long and would still be worth every second.  Despite writing heavy riffs that can turn mountains into volcanoes, they don’t pummel you the way most power trios tend to (we’re looking at you Mountain, Blue Cheer, Gov’t Mule).   Songs like “Blood on Your Hands” and “I Am Always Here” show a gift for creating memorable, hooky songs that recall the best of Steven Stills (dude was a beast before the coke took hold, seriously), only louder.

Produced by Buffalo Killers & Mike Montgomery
Recorded & Mastered by Mike Montgomery at Candyland
www.buffalokillers.com
http://performermag.com/2012/09/27/buffalo-killers/

ALL MUSIC
(online music site) – Positive review with album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers
Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.

The Buffalo Killers are still comfortably riding the Way Back Machine that has taken them into some alternate version of the early 1970s (an aural Twilight Zone that has been their home since brothers Andy and Zachary Gabbard broke up Thee Shams), but their fourth album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., makes it clear that the mellower tone that dominated their 2011 release 3 was, for the most part, just a passing phase. Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (which in true period fashion was released a bit less than a year after 3) sounds genuinely amiable as the Buffalo Killers kick out some midtempo jams, but the band hits noticeably harder this time out, and these ten songs sound less like the work of a bunch of Laurel Canyon refugees and more like the proud Midwesterners they really are. Despite its title, DSLG thankfully doesn’t generate much of a hippie vibe; instead, this is the work of a power trio that knows how to cut a deep groove, and Joey Sebaali’s drumming (which is fittingly high in the mix) can be counted on to give this music the swift kick it often needs, even on slower and sunnier numbers like “Farewell.” Andy Gabbard’s guitar work is thick and satisfying throughout, his brother Zachary’s bass work is a solid intermediary between the melodies and the grooves, and if the vocals sometimes sound like the work of someone who won a Joe Walsh soundalike contest, at least the James Gang Rides Again vibe fits this music just right. 3 sounded as if the Buffalo Killers were reaching for something bigger and grander than they’d attempted on their first two albums; Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., on the other hand, is a simpler and more organic effort that suggests these guys just want to rock, but it succeeds well enough to be as satisfying as its predecessor.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/dig-sow-love-grow-mw0002396898

THE BIG TAKEOVER  
(national quarterly music magazine) – Positive album review in Michael Toland’s Top Ten for Oct.

Michael Toland’s Top Ten — October
Buffalo Killers – Dig.Sow.Love.Grow. (Alive)
The Gabbard brothers continue their odyssey through the guitar rock of the early 70s on their latest LP. As the band matures it’s arguably become more comfortable with the harmony-driven folk rock side of its personality, rather than the boogie, but Buffalo Killers deliver reliable pleasures either way. Picks to click: “Hey Girl,” “Graffiti Eggplant”
http://www.bigtakeover.com/top-ten/Michael-Toland-121007

CLEVELAND SCENE
(Cleveland weekly) – Feature interview to preview local show.

Working-Class Heroes
Buffalo Killers channel their classic rock past
by Jeff Niesel

Sociologists will tell you that upbringing often determines personality. Of course, they’re usually interested in looking at issues like class, race, and gender. But that notion of naturalism certainly applies to brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard, who head up Cincinnati retro-rockers the Buffalo Killers. Steeped in ’70s classic rock, their terrific new album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. features harmonies clearly culled from their past.

The Gabbards’ father was a musician who taught Andrew to play guitar when the boy was eight; he taught Zachary the bass when he was 10. The siblings have been in bands together ever since.

“I wanted to play guitar, and my dad told me guitar players are a dime a dozen,” recalls Zachary. “So he went and bought me a bass. I don’t know how he decided he’d teach my brother to play guitar and me to play bass. I think he just needed a bass player in his own band.”

Gabbard started playing with his father’s group, which he says wasn’t a “real band” but just “working-class guys who would get together on the weekends.

“He and some guys from work would get together and play Neil Young songs and stuff like that,” says Gabbard, who grew up in Lebanon, between Cincinnati and Dayton. “All I ever wanted to do after that was put my own band together.”

The brothers started the ramshackle garage-rock group Thee Shams in 1999. They picked up a pretty sizable following among fans of that kind of music. In fact, one of their first out-of-town gigs was at the Beachland Tavern. But by 2005, the group started to disintegrate, and they soon called it quits.

“I’m proud of what we did,” says Gabbard. “There just came a time when it was time to put the nail in the coffin and start something new.”

So the Gabbards recruited drummer Joseph Sebaali and started the Buffalo Killers in 2006.

“We just wanted to be more of a group with three people who really care about each other and care about doing it,” says Zachary. “Not that we didn’t care about it before. But let’s trim the fat and get down to business. We’re more serious about the songwriting. With Thee Shams, it was more about getting drunk.”

Buffalo Killers’ self-titled debut caught the attention of the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, who recruited the group to open for the Crowes on their 2007 tour. The Black Keys were also fans, and singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach ended up producing their 2008 album Let It Ride at his Akron studio.

“We would hang out and get hyped on coffee and do it,” recalls Gabbard. “We didn’t do much production. It was more about him capturing the sound. It was us going in and him liking it.”

You can trace the Neil Young influence on the Buffalo Killers’ albums going all the way back to their debut. But that influence is even more prominent on Dig. Sow. Love. Grow, which sounds like the classic rowdy albums Young recorded with Crazy Horse in the ’70s. The band took a looser approach this time, compared to last year’s more mellow 3.

“For half of this record, we didn’t rehearse before going in the studio,” says Gabbard. “We just went in and worked out the songs right there. We had never done that before, so this album is more in your face.”

Gabbard says the band, which has pumped out two albums in the course of 24 months, is now in a good place.

“We just want to keep making records, because that’s what we’ve always wanted to do,” he says. “We want to keep touring and doing what we love doing.

“That’s what it’s all about.”
http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/working-class-heroes/Content?oid=3032527

RIOT FEST (Music fest’s online music site) – New piece with ” Baptized ” download featured

Buffalo Killers release two new songs, are on tour

Ohio psych rockers Buffalo Killers put out a new full length earlier this year but apparently had enough material left over to put up two new stand alone singles. You can check out the tracks “Baptized” and “Nothing Can Bring Me Down” below along with some tour dates with Hollis Brown that start up tonight. The band’s full length Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is available now via Alive Naturalsound Records.

Nov 2 @ Mercury Lounge – New York, NY w/Hollis Brown

Nov 3 @ Metro Kitchen – Annapolis MD w/Hollis Brown

Nov 4 @ Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA w/Hollis Brown

Nov 8 @ Musica – Akron, OH w/Hollis Brown

Nov 9 @ Ace Bar – Chicago, IL w/Hollis Brown

Nov 10 @ 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN w/Hollis Brown

Nov 15 @ Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN w/Hollis Brown

Nov 16 @ Taft Ballroom – Cincinnati, OH w/Hollis Brown

Nov 17 @ Zanzabar – Louisville, KY w/Hollis Brown

http://www.riotfest.org/buffalo-killers-release-two-new-songs-are-on-tour/

 THE MAD MACKEREL (UK music blog) – ” Baptized ” download featured in their “Mad Mackerel’s Best of the Month: October 2012”

A new non-album track from psych-blues rockers The Buffalo Killers, Baptized is a down-and-dirty rocker that somehow melds heavy psych with gospel!

http://madmackerel.org/2012/11/02/mad-mackerels-best-of-the-month-october-2012/

THE ACTIVE LISTENER (online music site) – Download New Buffalo Killers Song “Baptized” For Free

Buffalo Killers’ Zachary and Andrew Gabbard along with Joseph Sebaali have just emerged from the studio with two newly recorded non-LP sonic gems that they’re offering through their website as pay-what-you’d-like singles (one of which you can download as a free mp3 below to share). While the beautiful organic nature of their new song “Nothing Can Bring Me Down” hints towards some of the intoxicating strengths of both Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. and their previous effort 3, the other new track “Baptized” is a down-and-dirty rocker that weds hedonistic hard rock and heavy psych with the righteous and redemptive qualities of gospel music.

http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2012/11/download-new-buffalo-killers-song.html

HARMONIC DISTORTION  (online music site) – Positive album review and album art. Buffalo Killers – Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. It’s less than a year ago since I reviewed Buffalo Killers’ previous album 3 for Subba Cultcha, (I’ll put a link here soon when the relaunched site is back up and running), it’s great to see that the band’s creativity shows no signs of letting up. Their recently released fourth album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is an extension of where the band were at on their last album – earthy country rock, dripping with Zachary and Andrew Gabbard’s vocal harmonies. This time round there are some heavier moments creeping in, as on album opener Get It with its 70s guitar riffage and one-note Stooges style piano. While not quite into metallic zones it does represent the heavier end of the blues rock spectrum.

For the most part though the clue is in the album’s title – earthy, organic, hippy love vibes are in the area. The album sounds like Harvest would have had Neil Young decided to record said record with an electric band. It’s electric, and rock ‘n’ roll, but shot through with some down home warmth. While it lacks a killer track on a par with 3’s Zuma Bird, there’s still rich pickings here. Their take on southern rock ticks all the right boxes – grooves, songs and great harmony singing all present and correct. And man, as for those guitar tones and solos! Dig it indeed!   http://harmonicdistort.blogspot.com/2012/10/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow.html

THE SODA SHOP (online music blog) – News posting from press release with link to Baptized mp3, album art, band photo, tour dates, and related links.

http://www.thesodashop.us/2012/11/03/buffalo-killers-fall-tour-starts-tomorrow-offer-free-mp3/

FUZZY HEADPHONES  (online music blog) – Brief positive post with Baptized mp3. “Baptized” Buffalo Killers kicked off their Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. tour this past weekend in New York. As a special offering to fans, they’re offering a non-LP track as a free download on Soundcloud, or right below these very words.

http://fuzzyheadphones.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/monday-music-mashup-110512-new-music-from-rhcp-school-of-seven-bells-stereophonics-and-more/

FARONHEIT (Chicago-based music blog) –  ” Baptized ” download featured in their “Pick Your Poison 11.01.12” mp3 feature.

http://faronheit.com/2012/11/pick-your-poison-thursday-11-1-12/

MV REMIX (online music site) – “Baptized” mp3 featured with news post on tour (from press announcement.

http://mvremix.com/rock_blogs/2012/11/buffalokillers-kick-off-fall-tour-tomorrow-in-nyc-in-support-of-dig-sow-love-grow/

TWISTED SOUTH RADIO (national quarterly music magazine Twisted South’s internet rado show) – Phone interview with Zach on Wed. Oct. at 9:15 pm eastern.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/twistedsouthradio/2012/10/25/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow

CINCY GROOVE
(Cincinnati music blog) – 11/16 Taft Theatre show preview with announcement and live band photo and video.
http://www.cincygroove.com/?p=10192

ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER  
(Chicagoland music monthly magazine) – Positive show preview.

The Buffalo Killers grew up on Cincinnati chili, but somewhere along the line, the swamplands of New Orleans burrowed into the DNA of this Ohio threesome. Hope these shaggy dudes hold a soft spot for the Allman Brothers because there’s no escaping the comparisons on August’s Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (Alive Natural Sound). “Farewell” is more sneer than parting gift while “Hey Girl” deserves a spot on a Time Life infomercial celebrating the titans of the 70s. If Grand Funk Railroad and The Band hooked up on a beer-soaked futon in a college dorm room, “Blood On Your Hands” would pop out nine months later. (Saturday@Double Door with The Sheepdogs.)
http://illinoisentertainer.com/2012/10/the-plain-of-misfits/

INNOCENT WORDS MAGAZINE  
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art

Buffalo Killers
Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
(Alive Records)
By: John Castino

All’s tasty and alive with garage groove on the latest from Cincinnati’s Buffalo Killers.  Proficiently picking up where 2008’s Let it Ride left off, Buffalo Killers yield their finest, most honest effort to date with their fourth full-length release, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.

This collection of atmospheric psychedelia is laced with the swamp blues of the Killers’ first three outings, coupled with a mature, melodic folk nuance sure to have you reaching for your lava lamp.  Although echoes of the James Gang’s soul, along with the Ohio three-piece’s time spent with the Black Crowes on the road and the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach in the studio permeate the ethos of this album, make no mistake; this is a band with a voice and vision all its own.   Andrew and Zachary (the brothers Gabbard) blend with a sound made only possible through family harmony, guided by a Joseph Sebaali-led rhythm section that would make Jim Fox proud.

Brilliantly sequenced, organically produced, and genuinely executed, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. cements Buffalo Killers’ reputation for ’70s-infused tunes in a postmodern package and plants the seeds for growth on new musical horizons.
http://www.innocentwords.com/tabId/807/itemId/4773/Buffalo-Killers-Dig-Sow-Love-Grow.aspx

X92.9 CFEX FM  / THE SHOW
(Calgary Canada Rock Station) – Positive post with album art, Hey Girl audio and related links.

Fraser`s One Album You Gotta Buy This Week
Buffalo Killers Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
Sweet ass 70’s style psych rock from a couple former members of Thee Shams. It ‘s their 4th full length album and I m thinking it might just be their best
http://www.x929.ca/shows/theshow/?cat=113

ULTRA SESSIONS  
(Online music site featuring live studio sessions) – Positive feature with “Get It” studio session video

BUFFALO KILLERS
Buffalo Killers are simply one of the best bands to come out of Cincinnati ever, and on August 23rd, 2012 the band released their newest album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. at Ultrasuede Studio performing and recording that material in front of a live studio audience.  The band was just coming off the road from a short handful of regional release shows, so they were totally on it.  We tracked 10 songs and will be releasing 5 of them in the coming months.  This is one of our favorites called, “Get It”.

Buffalo Killers are an American rock band comprising brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard with Joseph Sebaali. Quickly signed to Alive Records after sending a burnt CD with just their telephone number and name on it, their self-titled debut album was released in October of 2006.

Buffalo Killers drew the attention of Chris Robinson, who invited the band to open a string of dates for The Black Crowes. That road trip spawned the songs for the band’s second long player, Let It Ride, produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach.

Most recently, the Buffalo Killers completed their fourth full length, “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” out on Alive Records summer 2012. The summer will also see a 45 RPM release of a couple Eddie Hinton tunes recorded and produced by Dan Auerbach, out on Shake It Records as part of their “Dangerous Highway: A Tribute to the Music of Eddie Hinton” series.
http://ultrasessions.com/home/buffalo-killers/

KDHX RADIO
(St. Louis Community radio) – “Moon Daisy” aired 9/21.
““Moon Daisy” from Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (Alive 2012) -Slow and sludgy and downright beautiful.”
http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=kdhx&plid=9222

WMSE / “ZERO HOUR”
(Milwaukee, WI college radio) – “Hey Girl” aired on 09.21.
http://zerohourradio.blogspot.com/2012/09/playlist-for-92112-too-dumb-to-think-of.html

WEKX RADIO
(Williamsburg, KY Rock Radio) – Phoner with Zach on Friday Sep 7 at 10 am  with Kip Jervis.

BERKELEY PLACE
(online music blog) – Positive album review with album art, videos, tour dates and related links.

Buffalo Killers – Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. album review
The name of the latest album by the Buffalo Killers is “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.”  So, yes, it is very influenced by the 1960s.  And that’s not a bad thing, particularly in a musical environment dominated by 1980s pop knockoffs and indie rockers who sound like something between David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen.

They look like hippies, too:
But they play like Allmans. Alright, maybe it’s not quite that ground up, but there’s a lot of rootsy, bluesy, muscular guitar work underneath the rootsy, bluesy, muscular vocals and just above the rootsy, bluesy, muscular bass and drums. At least, on the songs that aren’t quite so … Psychedelic. This is a great album if you love the sounds of the sixties, Led Zep, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Sabbath, The Rasberries, Moby Grape…Fuck it, it’s just a great album period.

I’d love to see these guys tour, but they’re staying off the coast for the rest of the year…
Sept. 9 @ Downtown Dayton Revival Fest – Dayton, OH
Oct. 2 @ 20th Century Theatre – Cincinnati, OH w/The Sheepdogs
Oct. 4 @ Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH w/The Sheepdogs
Oct. 5 @ The Shelter – Detroit, M w/The SheepdogsI
Oct. 7 @ 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN w/The Sheepdogs
Oct. 10 @ The Doubledoor – Chicago, IL w/The Sheepdogs
http://berkeleyplaceblog.com/2012/08/31/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow/

OHIO/NYC
(Ohio-centric Guide to New York City) – Glasslands show preview with band photo and Get It audio.

Buffalo Killers at Glasslands Tonight
Since evolving out of the remains of Thee Shams earlier this century, the Buffalo Killers have taken on a sound perhaps more akin to Laurel Canyon or Zuma Beach than their Cincinnati hometown. (Not that I have a solid idea of what sound I equate to the Queen City.) With last year’s superb 3, the band hit a perfect balance of mellowed, golden rock tones and vaguely psychedelic folk. That yin and yang is still at play on Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. the band’s fourth album released last week. The trio of brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard and Joseph Sebaali is in town to promote the new record tonight, playing with the Velcro Lewis Group and Prince Rupert’s Drops at Glasslands.
http://www.ohionyc.com/2012/08/16/buffalo-killers-at-glasslands-tonight/

SOUND ADVICE
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers – ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ (Alive Naturalsound Records)

‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ is the fourth album from Cincinnati 3-piece, Buffalo Killers. Here, the trio continue to seamlessly string together and perfect 60’s and 70’s classic rock, 70’s psychedeliA, blues and garage rock. Think ‘Cream’, ‘The Alman Brothers’ and at times, even ‘Black Sabbath’.

Thanks to modern contemporaries such as ‘The Black Keys’ (who Buffalo Killers share some similarity to) and ‘Jack White’, ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ sounds remarkably fresh. However, where the aforementioned acts have taken their 70’s influence and bought it into modern day, Buffalo Killers appear to have carefully hand-selected their melodies, riffs and arrangements to perfectly sit in the 1970’s.

Opening track ‘Get It’ kicks like a mule and has ‘Black Sabbath’ written all over it. With muddy guitars, tinkering piano hits, bass-heavy stoner-rock grooves and a vintage dual-vocal technique, ‘Get It’ oozes with attitude.

After such a riff-heavy opener, ‘Hey Girl’ changes mood immediately. This track, along with ‘Blood On Your Hands’, which follows, sound like they’ve been lifted off the ’Almost Famous’ soundtrack.

”Rollin Wheel’ changes things up again, this time Buffalo Killers flex their blues and Americana muscle and meld it with hippie-like vibes (just take a look at the album cover for further evidence). And on that note, yes  ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ might just be the perfect soundtrack to smoke to.

While each of the 10 songs give nod to an array of influences from the 60’s and 70’s, but unlike so many other bands today, Buffalo Killers are no “throwback” act; they’ve taken elements of their influences and completely made it their own. Alternating between vocalists Andrew Gabbard (guitarist/singer) and Zachary Gabbard (bass player/singer) for each song – one more gruff than the other but both as strong –  adds yet  more variation to Buffalo Killers’ already impressive sonic palate.

‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ is a master class display of the band’s solid ability to write decent tunes that never conform to formulaic writing or clichés.

‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ is available today, August 7, and also available to stream in its entirety via RELIX magazine now.
http://soundadvicemusic.net/2012/08/07/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow-alive-naturalsound-records/

MV REMIX
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers – Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. album review
written by Christine Keeler

Cincinnati’s Buffalo Killers hail psychedelic blues rock in their fourth labor of love, “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” The trio of bearded rockers pump out some fantastic midwestern swagger in this release, drawing on rock legends but never coming close to a copycat band. Their sound is authentic, raw, unashamed, and at times gritty.

At first listen, I instantly thought of the Black Keys, and likes of The Dead Weather or Band of Skulls. The first song on the album, “Get it,” is pure grunge-y goodness at its finest; it’s powerful, raucous, and commanding. Next up is “Hey Girl,” which sounds like it’s rolling off of a record player in some southern lounge in the 70’s. It’s the most authentic sounding song on the album, which as a whole is organic in moody splendor.

Buffalo Killers seem to have found themselves a time machine, because “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” is a rocker’s gem from the hippie days of old.
http://mvremix.com/rock_blogs/2012/08/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow-album-review/

MOST METRO
(Dayton, OH online music site) – Positive show preview with album art, video and related links.

Buffalo Killers Celebrating Dig Sow Love Grow, Looking Ahead to the Fall
Fri Aug 10,2012 By Juliet Fromholt

A little over a year ago the Buffalo Killers were celebrating the release of their third full-length album, simply titled “3.” But the three piece band hasn’t let the last 12 months go by quietly. In addition to a steady schedule of touring, the Buffalo Killers spent some time at Candyland Studios in Cincinnati working with engineer Mike Montgomery on what would become their fourth full-length.

Dig Sow Love Grow was released nationally on Tuesday via Alive Records and is available at local record stores and digitally. The Buffalo Killers will celebrate the release locally with a show this Saturday (August 11th) at Canal Street Tavern. Joining them onstage is Goodbye, a new band featuring M Ross Perkins, Ian Kaplan, Nick Eddy and Chris Green.

Following Saturday’s show, the Buffalo Killers will begin touring in the support of the album. Your next local opportunity to see them live will be at the Downtown Dayton Revival Music Festival in September. The festival is two days and features 3 stages with over 30 bands including Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Rusted Root, Burnt Sugar and many more. The Buffalo Killers are scheduled to perform on Sunday, September 9th at 4:45pm on the Monster Stage.
http://mostmetro.com/music/buffalo-killers-celebrating-dig-sow-love-grow-looking-ahead-to-the-fall.html

RECORD DEPT.
(online music site) – Positive music review with album art.

BUFFALO KILLERS | DIG. SOW. LOVE. GROW
ALIVE
Cincinnati-based rock band Buffalo Killers released their fourth album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. The trio, which is comprised of brothers Zach (bass, vocals) and Andrew Gabbard (guitar, vocals) as well as Joey Sebaali (percussion), ventures further away from their early 70’s Laurel Canyon sound. Like on 3, they are pursuing more rock than psychedelia, folding in bolder lines of blues and garage rock. Standouts among the ten tracks include opener “Get It” and “Farewell.” – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | Howlin Rain, Left Lane Cruiser, The Little Killers, Radio Moscow, Soledad Brothers
http://www.recorddept.com/

ARTVOICE
(Buffalo, NY weekly) – Positive show preview

Buffalo Killers

Don’t let those Beatles-esque album covers and Jim Morrison-inspired beards fool you. The Buffalo Killers are, in fact, from this side of the new millennium, though their music, apparel, and general Gestalt make it clear that, spiritually, they’re from the era of lava lamps and free love. The Cincinnati trio are contemporary progenitors of exactly the sort of rough-edged semi-psychedelic 1960s-era feel-good rock-pop (think the Black Keys, but with decidedly more groove) that has been conspicuously absent of late and, incidentally, is more than ripe for a resurgence, and in a big way. On Friday (Aug 17), the Buffalo Killers will find themselves in—well, Buffalo—on the stage of Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar as part of their summer tour of the country promoting their latest effort, DIG. SOW. LOVE. GROW., their fourth LP to date. Snag tickets while you can—the Buffalo show is the last in reasonable driving distance before the group returns to Ohio for a multi-week five-show homecoming. Given that time travel isn’t yet possible, Friday’s show is probably the closest thing you’re going to get to turning back the clock to the 1960s in the foreseeable future. —edward a. benoit

8pm Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar, 253 Allen St. (240-9359 / dukesbohemiangrovebar.com) $7, 21+
http://artvoice.com/issues/v11n33/see_you_there

THE RECORD CHANGER
(online music site)– Positive album review with band photo.

OUT NOW: Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. – Buffalo Killers (Alive-Natural Sound) The fourth album by Ohio’s own Buffalo Killers is another stellar collection of retro rock, heavy on the guitars, with lots of hooks, and a classic rock vibe that could  only be stronger if the incense were burning and you were sitting with your girlfriend in the back of a ’68 Dodge listening to it on 8 track while the two of you shared a bottle of Boone’s Farm. For my money, the best rock band to emerge in the 21st century thus far. I’ve been listening to this kind of music my whole life. That’s why they call it classic. Available from bomp.com on vinyl or CD.
http://therecordchanger.blogspot.com/2012/08/dig-sow-love-grow.html

CAMPUS CIRCLE
(Los Angeles college paper)– Positive album review with band photo

Buffalo Killers: Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
(Alive Natural Sound)
By Kevin Wierzbicki

This Ohio-based trio has gotten quite a bit of exposure from their affiliation with the Black Keys; that band’s Dan Auerbach is a big fan, and he produced the first two Buffalo Killers albums. But these guys don’t ride anyone’s coattails –and they don’t need to.

Lots of the songs here have a southern feel to them; “Rolling Wheel” is powered by ringing acoustic guitar and a few slide guitar riffs, while “Blood on Your Hands,” with its literate yet simply-put lyrics and understated hook, conjures a Kings of Leon/Drive-By Truckers mash-up. “I am Always Here” sounds like classic southern rock act the Outlaws, and (as you might expect from its title) “Graffiti Eggplant” is ’60s-style psychedelic pop.

The variations in style and influence come very subtly though, and are made cohesive by the vocal work of Zachary and Andrew Gabbard, the burly bearded brothers who are this unit’s creative forces. Buffalo Killers are hardly a new act, but they might as well be since they have not yet gotten the acclaim that their music deserves. Maybe good things are coming soon though –maybe the album title, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., will turn out to be quite prescient.
Grade: A
Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is available now.
http://www.campuscircle.com/review.cfm?r=16003&h=Buffalo-Killers-i-Dig-Sow-Love-Grow-i

RHAPSODY
Honorable mention in Top 15 Albums of August with positive LP review.

Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
Buffalo Killers
Released: Aug 2012
Label: Alive Naturalsound

Ohio power trio Buffalo Killers is forever hiking the rolling foothills between James Gang’s hick-funk and Pure Prairie League’s wispy country-pop. Compared to the fairly muted 3, its predecessor, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. sports more Mountain Dew good times: riff-riding sing-alongs and high-flying choruses (those harmonies are just excellent) that sound swell while tubing down the Hocking River with a case of cheap suds in tow. The hardest of all the rockers present is opener “Get It.” Another standout is “Graffiti Eggplant,” anchored as it is by a Dead-like guitar lick that seesaws all about.- Justin Farrar
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/buffalo-killers/album/dig-sow-love-grow

DAYTON DAILY NEWS / ACTIVE DAYTON
(Dayton Daily) – Feature interview to preview Dayton record release show.

Buffalo Killers return quickly with another batch of tunes
By Donald Thrasher

It’s only been a year since the last Buffalo Killers album was released by Alive Records, but fans of this retro-rock outfit will be pleased to learn new music is here.

The Ohio band with members based in Middletown and Dayton is celebrating the release of the new album, “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” at Canal Street Tavern on Saturday. Zach Gabbard (vocal, bass) says that he and bandmates Andy Gabbard (vocals, guitar) and Joseph Sebaali (drums) didn’t want three years to slip by like the gap between “Let It Ride” (2008) and “3” (2011).

“We really wanted to make it happen faster this time,” Gabbard said. “If all of the rest of the process wasn’t so long, we’d have it out even sooner. It always seems like knocking it out is easy.”

Like its predecessor, the new album was recorded at Candyland Studios in Cincinnati with Mike Montgomery of Ampline and Kelley Deal’s band R.Ring.

“Recording with Mike is so easy,” Gabbard said. “I love him. I love recording there. For us, it’s a really comfortable atmosphere. With this record, it’s the same process as always. Me and Andy both write the songs apart, and then we bring everything together. I think everything meshes well, like always.”

The songs do mesh well. Like the trio has done since its 2006 self-titled debut, Buffalo Killers continue to traffic in rock anthems heavily infused with influences from the late 1960s and early ’70s. There are snatches of psychedelic rock, riff-rock flourishes and plenty of extended guitar solos, which are all buoyed by the Gabbard brothers’ gloriously laconic vocals and indelible melodies.

“When we’re together in the studio everyone does their thing,” Gabbard said. “When we come back and do overdubs, everyone’s got their thing. Everyone’s in it to do it. Sometimes with groups it’s not like that. We’re a team. We’re ready to roll. I’ve been doing this for a little while now, and it’s always been great to do, but it’s so much better when everyone is there.

That’s something the three musicians experienced in previous band Thee Shams.

“You’ve got to believe in it or it ain’t real,” he said. “When everyone’s not in it, it’s awful. When we became this group we were like, ‘We’re the only ones that care about this, so let’s just do this ourselves.’ I love playing and recording with Andy and Joey. It’s great. Playing music with people you really love is a big deal. Every show can be a serious moment.”

HOW TO GO
Who: Buffalo Killers
Where: Canal Street Tavern, 308 E. First St., Dayton
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Cost: $5
More info: (937) 461-9343 or www.canalstreettavern.com
Artist info: www.buffalokillers.com
http://www.activedayton.com/news/entertainment/music/buffalo-killers-return-quickly-with-another-batch-/nP9kw/

BEACON AUDIO
(online music site as part of their speaker/headphone site) – Positive album with band photo and link to album stream on Relix

New Music Release: Buffalo Killers “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.”

With rave reviews regarding their first three albums, and having been compared to The Rolling Stones, Buffalo Killers most recent project had a lot of hype to live up to. And the wait is over. Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is, as of today, within our reach.

The Gabbard twins and drummer Sebaali have consistently been producing a tightened sound as time’s gone on, and their latest album will undoubtedly remain highly acclaimed. However, there is just one nagging question at the back of mind. Although the boys have stuck with their traditional, much-loved psychedelic sound, is it getting old?

Some may say yes and interpret the familiar noise as lacking, but I am sure that many others will fight back, never disappointed with the 70s rock vibe and underlying stoner tones. An eclectic mix of garage rock, blues and country are still all audible throughout Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. So how could it be boring?

Track 6, “I Am Always Here,” is one of my preferred and seems to act as a turning point for the album. As I delved farther into it, the more I found to like. The slower tempo’s created the mellow ambiance necessary for it to be easy on the ears, and the tones began to encompass a more honest portrait of what suits the vocalist’s best.

Mysun proved to be worth the wait with the short riff introduction enticing me to crank up the volume and lay back. But enough of my favorites, discover your own. Lucky for you, relix.com is offering a full album stream, so check it out here: http://www.relix.com/audio/artist-exclusives/2012/07/31/album-premiere-buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow.
http://cincinnati.metromix.com/music/standard_photo_gallery/ear-candy-songs-we/2624235/photo/3152740

CINCINNATI METROMIX
(Cincy online A&E site) – Get It featured in “Ear Candy: songs we like” with album art and positive write-up

Get It
Artist: Buffalo Killers
Album: Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
What we’re saying: It’s psychedelic and groovy. Boy, you can always count on the Buffalo Killers to bring you out of your 2012 what-is-this-world-coming-to funk and transport your musical-lovin’ ear canals to an inspiring time in history where people chilled out to music, talked to their friends and had no social networks to get them down. Get your peace signs ready, and join the band at the release of its fourth album, Tuesday, Aug. 7 at Shake It Records.– Daniele Cusentino
http://cincinnati.metromix.com/music/standard_photo_gallery/ear-candy-songs-we/2624235/photo/3152740

MUSIC EMISSONS
(online music site)– News posting with album art and tour dates.
http://www.musicemissions.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/07/on-the-verge-buffalo-killers/

ALT SOUNDS (online music site)– News posting  with album art, tour dates and tour dates.
http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/151179-buffalo-killers-album-today.html

WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music site) – Positive LP review with album art, video, tour dates and related links.

REVIEW: Buffalo Killers – Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
Blues-rock purveyors Alive/Naturalsound Records have done it again – they’ve brought you another act that, while hitting all kinds of pleasurable retro touchpoints, is playing its own take on all that old stuff. Cincinnati’s Buffalo Killers combine influences like the organic guitar work of Crazy Horse and the earthy rock rhythm work of The James Gang into a whole that, if not greater, certainly honors the sum of its parts.

Lead track “Get It” (available for free download here, from relix.com) is a straight-ahead heavy blues rocker, well-played, with a heavy guitar base over some rocking piano work and some twangy, psychedelic vocals. It’s a very engaging combination, but it’s far from the only trick in their bag. Next one, “Hey Girl”, is more melodic and slower-paced, building over an extremely simple vocal line with some engaging guitar effects (and a couple of well-placed solos). The third song, “Blood On Your Hands”, and especially “Those Days”, bring back wonderful memories of James Gang Rides Again, but again, they’re their own band. The slide guitar in “Rollin Wheel” – well, I’m channelling Duane Allman. Not sure if that’s what they intended, but it’s a good thing either way, especially when paired up with some of those psychedelic vocals. Brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard share vocal duties and play the guitar and bass.

Here’s a good video of them performing “I Am Always Here”, a good example of their style and evidence that they can deliver in a live setting:

And special mention is warranted by the excellent drummer Joseph Sebaali. At every turn, while the vocals, guitars and piano are moving here and there, he forms a rock-solid and rocking base. Songs like “Those Days” especially benefit from his skill. There are quick changes and hairpin turns, and it all comes together organically, in large part to Sebaali’s work on the bottom.

We first heard these guys on the wonderful Alive/Naturalsound compilation Where Is Parker Griggs?, and while that means we are perhaps late to the game on Buffalo Killers, we are happily working our way through the back catalog. For me, this stands as their apex.

This is a terrific, and very welcome, record. You can listen, for now, at Relix.

It’s available to buy at Alive/Naturalsound and Bomp!

They’ll be on tour, too (with more dates promised soon):

08.10 Louisville Glassworks – Louisville, KY
08.11 Canal Street Tavern – Dayton, OH (Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. Record Release Show!)
08.16 The Glasslands – Brooklyn, NY
08.17 Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar – Buffalo, NY
08.18 Happy Dog – Cleveland, OH
08.23 UltraSession – Cincinnati, OH
10.02 20th Century Theatre – Cincinnati, OH w/ The Sheepdogs
10.04 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH w/ The Sheepdogs
10.05 The Shelter – Detroit, MI w/ The Sheepdogs
10.07 7th St. Entry – Minneapolis, MN w/ The Sheepdogs
Posted by John Hyland at 8/08/2012
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2012/08/review-buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow.html

INNOCENT WORDS
(online music site) – News posting from press release with band photo.
http://www.innocentwords.com/tabId/807/itemId/4459/Buffalo-Killers-New-Album-Dig-Sow-Love-Grow-Rele.aspx

LARGEHEARTED BOY
(online music blog) – Album art and link to Spinner album stream in their “Try It Before You Buy It”  feature
http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2012/08/try_it_before_y_244.html

FEARLESS RADIO
(Chicago internet radio station) – News posting from press release with band photo, tour dates and related links.
http://www.fearlessradio.com/component/content/article/36-press-releases/6386-buffalo-killers-new-album-qdig-sow-love-growq-out-today-spinner-featuring-the-full-audio-stream

THE SODA SHOP
(online music blog) – News posting from press release with album art, band photo, tour dates, link to Spinner album stream and related links.
http://www.thesodashop.us/2012/08/07/buffalo-killers-new-album-dig-sow-love-grow-out-today-through-alive-naturalsound-records/

JESTER JAY MUSIC
(online music blog) – Positive album review.

Recording review – Buffalo Killers, Dig Sow, Love, Grow (2012)
Unselfconsciously retro, it’s a rich throwback to the early ’70s
The early ’70s were a fertile hot zone. All the disparate musical shards of the hippie ’60s — folk, pop psychedelia, acid rock, and blues — were starting to slide together into interesting combinations. Bands like Bad Company, the Band, and the James Gang created sounds that were anchored in rock yet soared into cool directions.

Buffalo Killers are throwbacks to that time. Dig, Sow, Love, Grow could have dropped in 1972 or ’73 and it would have fit in just fine. Rather than reproducing the retro vibe of the era, Buffalo Killers seem utterly unselfconscious about their sound. The album has a melange of almost familiar sounds: the Led Zeppelin opening to Get It that slides into a bluesy rock jam, the 13th Floor Elevators garage psychedelia of Hey Girl, the lazy folky groove of The Band on Blood On Your Hands, or heavy Joe Walsh punch of Those Days. Lazy tempos give the heady guitar riffs plenty of room to meander.

Joe Walsh seems to be the strongest influence, pulling bits of James Gang funky jams and Barnstorm era rock to permeate several of the tracks. Buffalo Killers capture his rhythm guitar sound and even a bit of his voice. Brothers Andrew and Zachary Gabbard voices find their home base somewhere between Walsh’s tone and Ozzie Osbourne’s yowl.

Despite all the comfortable musical elements, Dig, Sow, Love, Grow feels more like cross-pollination than a derivative exercise. Each listen turns up a new favorite track. Early on, I was caught up by Get It. The simple staccato keyboard part offsets the warm overdriven guitar tone. The bluesy solo had a wicked tone that perfectly wrapped up the whole package.

Later, Farewell stood out. It starts with a beautiful descending line that balances the bass and guitar. This develops into a rich sound that drifts between delicate psychedelia and a thicker handed folk rock. It’s a thoughtful song right up until the more discordant finish that signals a kind of emotional surrender.

Right now, I’ve dropped deeper into the garage psych with Mysun. The folky rhythm reminds me a little of Pink Floyd’s Free Four. It’s got a sunny, open feeling.

Buffalo Killers may have spent some time buried in their parent’s music collections, but it was clearly time well spent.
http://jesterjaymusic.blogspot.com/2012/08/recording-review-buffalo-killers-dig.html

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
(Milwaukee, WI daily) – Brief album posting in their “New CDs this Week” column.
Buffalo Killers, “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” (Alive Naturalsound). Ohio trio with a classic-rock bent gets into sounds from the late ’60s and early ’70s on its fourth album.
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/new-cds-new-cds-2c6aog2-165192756.html

CITY BEAT
(Cincinnati Weekly) – Positive feature to preview local show with band photo and related links.

LISTEN: Buffalo Killers’ New ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.’
Local Psych/Roots/Swamp Rock trio celebrates release today at Shake It
Cincinnati-spawned Psych/Rock/Pop trio Buffalo Killers’ new album, the rockin’ Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., is available at retailers (online or otherwise) today nationwide.

The album — released on Alive NaturalSound Records — has already scored some great press praise. Magnet says the album “will no doubt beg the comparison to a handful of contemporary blues-rock bands like former tourmates the Black Keys and the North Mississippi Allstars,” while Marquee Magazine’s Brian Johnson gave the LP five out of five stars and wrote, “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. Sow. Love. Grow. sees the band absolutely stampeding back to their raucous rock sound, but it also goes the extra step by showcasing both the majestic side of the Buffalo Killers, while managing to convey the overwhelming and unbridled power of the group.”

Spinner has the full album streaming today on its site. Click here to give it a taste, then head to Northside’s Shake It Records at 7 p.m. tonight to pick up a copy and listen to a few tunes performed live by the band in-store. The appearance is the official local “release party” for the record and kicks off the band’s touring duties behind the release.

Below, listen to the album’s second track, “Hey Girl.”
http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-3795-listen_buffalo_killers_new_dig_sow_love_grow.html

DAYTON CITY PAPER
(Dayton Weekly) – Positive feature/interview to preview local show with band photo and related links.

Soundboard August 7, 2012
Get It
Buffalo Killers return with new album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
By Kyle Melton

In a climate that seems to reward anything new and shiny the moment it arrives, it’s refreshing to see a band like Buffalo Killers continue to demonstrate the value of building roots. With their latest album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (out August 7 on Alive Records), brothers Andy and Zachary Gabbard and Joseph Sebaali return with a no-frills production that sounds instantly familiar and is infused with a depth and honesty conspicuously absent on many modern releases. We spoke with bassist/vocalist Zachary Gabbard about the new album and how Buffalo Killers continue to draw from the deep roots of American music.

Dayton City Paper: How have things been over the past year for Buffalo Killers? What has been going on with the band members’ individual lives? I know Andy and Joseph relocated to Dayton, so how has that affected things?

The past year has treated us all pretty well; With good women, beautiful children and plentiful gardens you can’t complain.  My family and I sold our home in the city and moved into a 200-year-old farmhouse in the country, so we all live much closer than before.  The band has moved into the barn at my house, so we have a space to create.  Now that we live in-between Cincinnati and Dayton, we feel like Dayton is our home, too, and she welcomed us with open arms.  -Zachary Gabbard

DCP:  Tell me about the writing/recording process for the new album. How did you come up with the new material? Do you and Andy write together or just bring songs individually to the group?

We recorded Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. with our good friend Mike Montgomery, at his Candyland Studios.  With this record, the process was different because we built the album in the studio.  Andy and I brought our songs in, but we wanted to start with the skeleton of the songs and build the meat on them in the studio.  As far as the writing process goes, Andy and I write our songs separately, but we always seem to share common themes.  It’s nice to have a writing partner, even though we really don’t write together.  We are cosmic writing partners. -ZG

DCP: In terms of songwriting, you and Andy seem to have very different styles that compliment each well throughout the album. Is this is conscious move or just a natural evolution of your individual songwriting styles?

Thank you.  Of course no two songwriters sound the same, as each person draws from their own experiences, so it really is a natural evolution of our songwriting styles.  We are thankful that our styles of writing harmonize with each other and is most likely a reflection of growing up under the same roof. -ZG

DCP: Where did the title Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. come from?  How do you feel the new album compares to last year’s 3, which received very high marks from critics?

Good, bad or ugly, we don’t ever have any grand scheme in mind when it comes to albums.  It is a very natural process that leads us in different directions and is a reflection of where we are in our lives.  Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is a little more rockin’ than 3, but it still maintains the melodic vibrations of that effort.  As far as the name is concerned, it came to me in a recurring dream.  It just wouldn’t leave my head, so after telling the guys about it, we decided to name the album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.  I’m sure it had everything to do with where I’m at in my life. -ZG

DCP: While many reviews seem to compare your work to ’60s and ’70s artists, do you feel you are anachronistic in the modern musical landscape?

What’s that saying about opinions…?

We are plagued by comparisons of the ’60s and ’70s because those are the last decades where popular music was composed of artists that played their own instruments, voices without the help of auto tune and music that was generally made for adults with subject matter that could get heavy.  The fact of the matter is, we don’t make music for critics, if we did, we would sound a lot different.  We make music for our fans and ourselves.  There is no better compliment than the ones we get from our fans.  If we can reach those people, the people that get us, and they like it, we are happy.  When did it become not modern to play your own instruments and sing your heart out? -ZG

DCP: What does the remainder of 2012 have in store for Buffalo Killers? Any touring plans? Any side projects in the works? Working on new material for the next album?

We were lucky enough to be invited to play the Dayton Revival Music Festival and we are really looking forward to that.  It is a really great event for the city.  Other than that, road warriors, new babies, holidays and start working on the new album. -ZG

Buffalo Killers will celebrate the release of Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. with a show on Saturday, August 11 at Canal Street Tavern, 308 E. First St. Also on the bill are Goodbye. Doors at 8 pm. Admission is $7 for 18 & up. For more information visit buffalokillers.com.
http://www.daytoncitypaper.com/get-it/

CINCY MUSIC
(Cincinnati music site) – Positive news posting with album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers Release CD Today
By Ian Bolender

Cincinnati’s own Buffalo Killers are releasing their 4th full length album today via Alive Records. “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” is streaming in it’s entirety here on Relix’s website. The band signed to Alive Records in 2006 after simply sending a burnt CD with their phone number and name on it.. Proof that music is truly all that really matters at the end of the day. The Buffalo Killers caught the attention of Chris Robinson, who took the band on the road with The Black Crowes very early on. Their second full length album was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. It’s no surprise that the band keeps impressing industry insiders. It’s tough to see how far they have really come because of the old saying that you are never really famous in your hometown. If you take a step back and look at what they have accomplished it’s easy to see that they are easily one of Cincinnati’s most succesful bands.

Buffalo Killers will celebrate their new release with a special performance tonight at Shake-It Records (where you can also pick up a copy) at 7:00pm.

They will be back as an opener for The Sheepdogs at The 20th Century Theatre on October 2.
http://cincymusic.com/news/2012/08/buffalo-killers-release-cd-today

MY SOUND ADVICE
(online music blog) – Positive review with album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers – ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ (Alive Naturalsound Records)
‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ is the fourth album from Cincinnati 3-piece, Buffalo Killers. Here the trio continue to seamlessly string together and perfect 60’s and 70’s classic rock, 70’s psychadelia, blues and garage rock. Think ‘Cream’, ‘The Alman Brothers’ and at times, even ‘Black Sabbath’.

Thanks to modern contemporaries such as ‘The Black Keys’ (who Buffalo Killers share some similarity to) and ‘Jack White’, ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ sounds remarkably fresh. However, where the aforementioned acts have taken their 70’s influence and bought it into modern day, Buffalo Killers appear to have carefully hand-selected their melodies, riffs and arrangements to perfectly sit in the 1970’s.

Opening track ‘Get It’ kicks like a mule and has ‘Black Sabbath’ written all over it. With muddy guitars, tinkering piano hits, bass-heavy stoner-rock grooves and a cool dual-vocal technique, ‘Get It’ oozes with attitude.

After such a riff-heavy opener, ‘Hey Girl’ changes mood immediately. This track, along with ‘Blood On Your Hands’, which follows, sound like they’ve been lifted off the ’Almost Famous’ soundtrack.

”Rollin Wheel’ changes things up again, this time Buffalo Killers flex their blues and Americana muscles and meld it with hippie-like vibes (just take a look at the album cover). And yes, ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ might just be the perfect soundtrack to smoke to.

While each of the 10 songs give nod to an array of influences from the 60’s and 70’s, unlike so many other bands today, Buffalo Killers are no “throwback” act; they’ve taken elements of their influences and completely made it their own. Alternating between vocalists Andrew Gabbard (guitarist/singer) and Zachary Gabbard (bass player/singer) for each song – one more gruff than the other but both as strong as one another –  adds yet  more variation to Buffalo Killers’ already impressive sonic palate.

‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ is a master class display of the band’s solid ability to write a decent tune, which never conforms to formulaic writing or clichés.

‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow’ is available today, August 7, and also available to stream in its entirety via RELIX magazine now.
http://mysoundadvice.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow-alive-naturalsound-records/

THE FIRE NOTE
(online music blog) – Positive 4/5 album review.

Buffalo Killers: Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
Alive Natural Sound Records [2012]

Fire Note Says: A warm 70’s rock sound has never felt so modern on the excellent fourth long player from the Buffalo Killers!

Album Review:
Right from the opening heavy blues rock on first track “Get It” you know that Cincinnati’s Buffalo Killers are back in full force on their fourth long player Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. The trio have quickly returned as this new record launches almost exactly a year from their last release titled 3 [2011]. Fans will not need to worry as the band once again brings their warm 70’s vibe to the forefront on Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. with their incredibly catchy dual vocals from brothers Andy and Zachary Gabbard.

So far this may sound very similar to the effort they released last year on 3 but the Buffalo Killers bring a bit more confidence, a bit more structure and a bit more groove to Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. This increased comfort in what they do emerges here track after track. The biggest rocker on the record “Get It” politely lets off the line “I don’t need yo bitchin’ anymore” while the slower “Farewell” in no way can be considered a ballad as the band adds in a heavy muscular guitar as the song progresses that is intermittently interrupted with a more quiet strumming which plays out perfectly and creates a unique and sophisticated dynamic within the track.

Then there is the second track on the record “Hey Girl” which is easily one of the best songs the band has released to date as it flows flawlessly just below a mid-tempo pace. Lyrically as Gabbard sings “Hey girl, whatcha say? I’m with you all the way” the song quickly engages the listener as everyone in the audience can identify with the message and its seamless instrumentation makes it an album favorite. Vocally the song has the same smooth vibe of Stephen Stills or even Matthew Sweet which wins you over in seconds and I guarantee will have you singing along before its 4 minutes are over.

The rest of Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. follows a very consistent and solid path while it keeps the tempo balanced with swelling hooks, foot tapping moments, strong basslines and memorable vocal interludes. If you are new to the band the Buffalo Killers may not grab you with an initial listen here but make sure you give Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. a proper chance and spin because the record will just sink in. If you are already a fan Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. represents one of the Buffalo Killers best efforts yet and should be the record that gives them the exposure they most certainly deserve!

Key Tracks: “Get It”, “Hey Girl”, “Farewell”
Bands With Similar Fire:
CSN&Y
My Morning Jacket
The Band
http://thefirenote.blogspot.com/2012/08/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow.html

PLUG-IN MUSIC
(online music site) – News piece (from press announcement) with band photo, tour dates, link to Relix premiere and related links.
http://www.pluginmusic.com/news/article/buffalo-killers-ready-dig-sow-love-grow-for-release

SPINNER
(online music magazine) – Listening Party  full-album audio stream with album art and related link
http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/spinner#/6

KDHX RADIO
(St. Louis Radio) – Hear and Now full-album audio stream with positive write-up,  band photo and related links.

Hear and Now: Stream the new album ‘Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.’ by Buffalo Killers
Written by Roy Kasten
Listen to “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” by Buffalo Killers

Whether it’s chemically, electrically or organically produced — or induced for that matter — the heavy rock of Buffalo Killers’ “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” packs a wallop.

It’s only been a year since Buffalo Killers — brothers Zachary (bass and vocals) and Andrew (guitar and vocals) Gabbard, and drummer Joseph Sebaali — released “3” (yes, that would be their third album), and what have they learned in the interim? From the pile-driving sound of opening track “Get It,” not much, save that turning up and tuning out virtually every contemporary trend — don’t even think about calling this garage rock — is one way to make an impression.

On “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” the Cincinnati band storms, pounds, sludges and, surprisingly enough, grooves through the ’60s and ’70s blues and psychedelic rock landscape, saluting the Allman Brothers, Cream and Cheap Trick, and even giving a nod to Guns N’ Roses on songs like “I Am Always,” a sweeping power ballad that would have fit right in on “Appetite for Destruction.” On “Hey Girl” the band lays on its sweetest harmonies and hooks for a dreamy respite from the riffage, though that always returns, usually with the vengeance of the unreconstructed rock ‘n’ rollers Buffalo Killers are at heart.

“Dig. Sow. Love. Grow” will be released on August 7, 2012 on Alive Naturalsound.
http://kdhx.org/music/news/hear-and-now-stream-the-new-album-dig-sow-love-grow-by-buffalo-killers

RELIX MAGAZINE
(national music magazine) – Premiere of full-album audio stream with positive write-up,  album art and related links.

Relix.com Premieres New Buffalo Killers Album Dig. Sow. Love.
The fourth album from Buffalo Killers is set for an August 7 release via Alive Naturalsound Records. Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. presents 10 songs that once again reflect “the many unique styles of music cultivated on American soil over the last five decades: from late ’60s psychedelia, blues, Americana, garage rock and the folk-rock sounds that rolled out of Laurel Canyon in the early ’70s like a sweet cloud of Acapulco Gold.” Buffalo Killers have shared dates with North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes and The Black Keys over recent years (The Keys’ Dan Auerbach produced their 2008 album Let It Ride) and will begin their upcoming tour in support of the album on August 10. Click here for the premiere stream of Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.Grow.

http://www.relix.com/news/2012/07/31/relix-com-premieres-new-buffalo-killers-album-dig-sow-love-grow

CINCINNATI METROMIX
(Cincy online A&E site) – Feature interview with Zach with band photo.

Catching up with: Buffalo Killers
New album from Zach Gabbard and friends has more rock but leaves plenty of time for family
By Garin Pirnia
Special to Metromix
When guitarist-vocalist Zach Gabbard split from his group Thee Shams and started Buffalo Killers with fellow Shams, his brother Andy and drummer Joey Sebaali, he didn’t think it’d amount to much.

But then Alive Records signed the trio and released their self-titled debut in 2006 and have since released their three other records including last year’s aptly named “3” and next week’s “Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.” that’s already acquired a lot of pre-release buzz.

Once again, the guys recorded “Dig” at Candyland Recording Studio under the tutelage of Mike Montgomery. Whereas “3” was tightly planned out and orchestrated, “Dig” saw the band doing things they hadn’t done before: recording parts of the record without rehearsing, learning the songs on-spot and recording on the first take.

“It seems like every record surpasses the last record,” Gabbard said. “I’m super-proud of it [“Dig”]. I’m very proud of us as a whole, the band and the three of us are a really good team and everyone cares about each other. And to play and have those moments onstage and look over and it’s my brother and Joey, it tickles me to death.”

Critics label the band as classic rock or psychedelic rock, but they will soon discover the new album purposely oozes a fuzzier sound.

“With this record, we just wanted to rock again, to just bite someone’s head off again,” Gabbard said. “And I think we accomplished that. Sometimes you get wrapped into wanting to be super-deep or really try to say something, and sometimes it comes down to let’s just f—ing rock.”

The truth is, Gabbard is quite pensive, saying things like, “When you lie down at the end of the night, and you cuddle up with your kids and you go to bed, that’s all that matters.”

A couple of years ago he escaped the city and moved to a farm between Cincinnati and Dayton with his wife and kids. Since he plays a lot of shows in both cities, he basically has two hometowns.

Gabbard credits working with Ohio music royalty as one reason why the band’s been so successful. He’s taken guidance from Black Key Dan Auerbach (who produced their second album “Let It Ride”), John Curley of the Afghan Whigs (they recorded at his Ultrasuede Studio) and Kelley Deal of Breeders fame (she sang on “Could Never Be” on their last album).

“As far as Cincinnati goes, think about all of the bands from Cincinnati that have gone out and done things,” he said. “It’s super-inspiring. It should be for anyone who’s in a band. When I first started out playing music, it was like, oh, we have to start going out on the road and I realized that just by watching what everyone else was doing at the time.”

Over the years the road has become a conflicted medium for him. He loves to tour, but he misses his family and thinks his home life would be greatly affected if he was constantly gone.

Luckily, the band decides when they want to tour. They’ll do a brief tour for the new record and they might finally get around to playing some gigs in Europe, where they have a head-scratching following, even though they only played there once.

“To be able to make records and travel and go places and there’s people there that want to see us play, it still blows my mind,” Gabbard said. “I always expect for there to never be anyone there.”

With Thee Shams imploding and a regular job never panning out, it’s clear Buffalo Killers is what Gabbard was meant to do with his life.

“Everyone’s happy and everyone’s into doing it,” Gabbard said. “I’m in a very good place. I’m very lucky that I have guys that I love that I play with, and my wife supports me in anything I want to do, and I have two beautiful kids. I’m a super-lucky man.”
http://cincinnati.metromix.com/music/article/catching-up-with-buffalo/3149934/content

CINCY GROOVE
(Cincy music blog) – Show preview with announcement. Album art and related links.
http://www.cincygroove.com/?p=9403

FOX45-TV DAYTON
(Dayton, OH Fox affiliate)  – Fox45 In The Morning Live Music Appearance
Watch it here: http://fox45now.com/shared/news/features/morning/stories/wkef_buffalo-killers-drop-cd-tuesday-1099.shtml

MAGNET
(national music magazine) – “Get It”  MP3 AT 3PM feature with positive write-up, album art and related links.

MP3 At 3PM: Buffalo Killers
Buffalo Killers sound just as American as their name. Brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard, plus Joseph Sebaali, bring the full-force blues rock. “Get It,” off Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. (out August 7 via Alive Naturalsound), is gritty, loud and will no doubt beg the comparison to a handful of contemporary blues-rock bands like former tourmates the Black Keys and the North Mississippi Allstars. Download “Get It” below.
“Get It” (download):
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2012/07/17/mp3-at-3pm-buffalo-killers-2/

SONIC MASALA
(online music magazine) – “Hey Girl” audio premiere to be feature 6/21with band photo, album art and related links.

Hey Girl, Buffalo Killers Get It Right
Ohio rockers Buffalo Killers are prepping their fourth full-length effort Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. Last year’s 3 was decent, but it didn’t hit me like previous effort Let It Ride, nor their performance at the Breeders’ ATP in 2009. Yet the two tracks offered thus far, ‘Hey Girl’ and ‘Get It’, sounds more meaty, blues, vintage and altogether Buffalo Killers. The band has always espoused virtues from late ’60s psychedelia, blues, Americana, garage rock and the folk-rock sounds that rolled out of Laurel Canyon in the early ’70s, and especially on ‘Get It’ it sounds like such a concentrated mojo is bound to work for them.

Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is out August 7 through Alive Naturalsound Records. There will be 300 Limited Edition Orange Vinyl LPs exclusive to mailorders through Bomp! – well worth investing in.
http://sonicmasala.blogspot.com/2012/07/hey-girl-buffalo-killers-get-it-right.html

THE DADADA
(Greenville, NC-based music blog) – Posting with album art and “Hey Girl” mp3.

Buffalo Killers – Hey Girl [mp3] (from Dig.Sow.Love.Grow, out August 7th on Naturalsound Records)
Guitarist Andy Gibbard penning what he sees as a Stevie Wonder song – the result is a comfortable psychedlia.
http://thedadada.com/

SPINNER
(online music magazine) – “Hey Girl” audio premiere to be feature 6/21with band photo, album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers, ‘Hey Girl’ — Song Premiere + Free Download
by Cameron Matthews
Buffalo Killers have long hair, beards and a wonderful new tune “Hey Girl” that harkens back to ’60s psychedelia, CSNY hooks and lava-lamp love.

Even though the song possesses a delightfully flowery vibe, “Hey Girl” packs a delicious punch that’s filled with more than your average acid tablets. The Cincinnati band’s new single has a hell of a lot of heart.

“I wrote ‘Hey Girl’ on my way home from rehearsal one night,” guitarist Andy Gabbard tells Spinner. “In my head it was a Stevie Wonder song. The whole thing just came right out. Words and all. I was heavy into Stevie at the time. Zach and Joey took it to the next level. As did the jangly second guitar.”

The band’s previous records 3 and their 2008 Dan Auerbach-produced Let it Ride seem like rock ‘n’ roll stepping stones compared to what’s next.

Buffalo Killers’ new album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is a cool addition to the band’s canon and will hit shelves Aug. 7 via Alive Naturalsound Records.
http://www.spinner.com/2012/06/21/buffalo-killers-hey-girl-download/

RELIX
(national music magazine) – Positive news post with “Get It” audio premiere with positive write-up, album art and related links.

Relix.com Premiere Stream and Download: Buffalo Killers “Get It”

Buffalo Killers’ next album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is set for a August 7 release on Alive Records. Once again the trio draws on a blend of Americana, garage rock, folk and psychedelia for this recording. Relix.com has just posted the premiere stream of “Get It” from Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.. Click here to hear the new song. In addition, “Get It,” may be downloaded from this link.
http://www.relix.com/news/2012/06/15/relix-com-premiere-stream-and-download-buffalo-killers-get-it

RCRD LBL
(online music site) – “Get It” to run as a feature download on Tue. 6.19, with positive write-up, band photo and related links.

DOWNLOAD: Buffalo Killers – Get It
If you are a fan of The Black Keys (and the millions of bands its members now produce on the side) then you will probably be into Buffalo Killers – an Ohio rock band that will release its fourth album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., on August 7 via Alive Naturalsound Records. The album features the band’s raucous blues-rock sound, which harkens back to the classic rock era. “Get It,” a rollicking number complete with twangy electric guitar solos, is loud and wild and will likely make you crave a beer. Preferably from a dive bar in the South.
http://rcrdlbl.com/2012/06/19/download_buffalo_killers_get_it

MUSIC SAVAGE
(online music blog) – (Second) Positive news post with “Hey Girl” download and band photo.

New Music | Buffalo Killers – Hey Girl
by Kyle
Buffalo Killers – Hey Girl
Buffalo Killers are sharing up another track from their forthcoming record, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., a slow burner of a track that lays somewhere between ‘70s rock and a tab of acid. It’s a cool jam and its starting to feel like this new album is gonna be quite a good album. Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. will hit shelves Aug. 7 via Alive Naturalsound Records.
http://www.musicsavage.com/2012/06/new-music-buffalo-killers-hey-girl/

THE WASTER
(online music site) – News posting with band photo, Get It mp3 and related links.

The Buffalo Killers: Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. Out 8/7
The Buffalo Killers will be releasing their new album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. on Alive Naturalsound Records this August 7th. Check out their single ‘Get It’ below, and pre-order the album now!
http://thewaster.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2386:buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow&catid=6:news-wire&Itemid=82

MARQUEE MAGAZINE
(Boulder, CO monthly music magazine) – Very positive 5/5 album review, with album art, related links and Get It download.

Buffalo Killers
Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
Alive Naturalsound Records
5 out of 5 stars

It’s been less than a year since Buffalo Killers released their third full-length LP, 3, and already, these big bearded bastards are releasing their fourth album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
3 saw the Buffalo Killers at their most refined — an almost mellow album for the Cincinnati-based retro-psychedelic power trio — but beautiful nonetheless. In 2011, this critic said of 3: “I love the change of gears for 3 and could listen to it repeatedly [which, by the way, I have done a lot in the last year]. It’s  truly some of the Buffalo Killers finest work, but I hope album number four cranks it back up again.”
Well, I fished my goddamn wish! Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. sees the band absolutely stampeding back to their raucous rock sound, but it also goes the extra step by showcasing both the majestic side of the Buffalo Killers, while managing to convey the overwhelming and unbridled power of the group.
The opening track “Get It” starts with a moment of heavy bass feedback that almost serves as a warning call before the herd begins its mighty gallop.
But track two begins to unveil the real joy of Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., emphasizing that it’s not one big sprint. “Hey Girl” almost sounds like it could have come right after 3’s opening track “Huma Bird.” But the second the final note of “Hey Girl” ends, the strength and rawness of “Blood On Your Hands” comes roaring back to knock listeners off their foundation.
Throughout the album, Buffalo Killers weave in and out of those different moods with grace and power.  This is a band — and an album — that is made for fat tube amplifiers and powerhouse headphones. If you buy this album digitally, spring for the flac recordings (or the highest bitrate you can get) and not just the run-of-the-mill mp3s. That extra quality from those files will show why the band is a perfect fit on the Alive Naturalsound Records label, which boasts artists from The Black Keys (who released their 2003 album The Big Come Up on Alive) to Lee Bains III, and the Glory Fires. In fact, Buffalo Killers’ second album Let It Ride was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
The band, which features brothers Zachary (bass and vocals) and Andrew (guitar and vocals) Gabbard, as well as drumming monster Joseph Sebaali, most certainly draws influence from a wide catalog of rock and roll’s elite. But Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. isn’t just another retro-sounding album that mimics bands of yesteryear. It’s a raw, real and commanding sound forged from grit that is as wide and expansive as the western plains, and is as mighty as it’s namesake. Simply put, it’s fucking awesome.   — BFJ
http://marqueemag.com/2012/07/01/buffalo-killers-2/

FEARLESS RADIO
(Chicago internet radio) – News post (from Relix premeire press release) with band photo, tour dates and related links.
http://www.fearlessradio.com/musicians/press-releases/5849-buffalo-killers-new-album-qdig-sow-love-growq-out-aug-7th-relix-premieres-new-qget-itq-track

CITY BEAT
(Cincinnati weekly) – Positive feature with “Get It”/Relix premiere news, album art and related links.

Buffalo Killers Debut New Track at Relix
Alive Records to release area trio’s new full-length on Aug. 7

Powerhouse area power trio Buffalo Killers will have their fourth album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., released nationally by Alive Naturalsound Records on Aug. 7. The album will be released on CD and digitally, with a limited edition orange vinyl version available through Bomp!

From the press release:
Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is a heady synthesis of not only their own previous efforts, but also the many unique styles of music cultivated on American soil over the last five decades. From late ’60s psychedelia, blues, Americana, garage rock and the folk-rock sounds that rolled out of Laurel Canyon in the early ’70s like a sweet cloud of Acapulco Gold, brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard along with Joseph Sebaali have brought them all together to create an intoxicating album that sounds as timeless as it does remarkably fresh… and quite unlike anything else being released today.
Relix has your first listen to the album, a great heavy track called “Get It.” The tune is available for free download through the site here.
http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-3603-buffalo_killers_debut_new_track_at_relix.html

ROCK GUITAR DAILY
(online music site) – Very positive feature album review with many band photos.

Buffalo Killers – Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. A New American Guitar Hero’s Arrival
First, let’s talk about their rather ironic name. Buffalo Killers sounds a little rough, but you’d be hard pressed to meet a more polite, well behaved bunch, and in the words of singer/bassist Zach Gabbard. “We’re pacifists….lovers, not killers!” However, there is the fact that this band does look like a bunch of buffalo killers – bearded, large in stature, and dressed to not impress, they could easily have just stepped off of a train sliding across the Midwest of America in 1869, after a month of tallying up bison. By the same token, this band would just as easily have fit in on that train crossing Canada in 1970, carrying Janis Joplin, The Band, The Grateful Dead on a trip known as the Festival Express, that saw the hippie elite drinking, smoking, and jamming their way into history. Maybe equally interesting is that sonically, they would have fit right in. Good music knows no age.

Buffalo Killers are a true band – the Gabbard brothers, Andy and Zach, sound as if they’ve been singing together since the cradle. They were groomed for their jobs by their father’s record collection, and his gift of early age guitar instruction. Zach recalls, “…listening to Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, CS&N, and The New riders of the Purple Sage as far back as I can remember.” The apple did not fall far from the tree in the Gabbard household. Drummer Joe Sebaali has played with the brothers since he served as keyboardist in their early days of playing as Thee Shams, days in which the Cincinnati garage rockers released four albums on four labels, and toured extensively. Eventually it became obvious that Thee Shams had come to their logical conclusion, and were laid to rest. The brothers soon reconvened and it resulted in Buffalo Killers being formed in 2006.

Almost immediately they recorded a demo with producer John Curley (Afghan Whigs) that Zach sent out to some record labels, and they were instantly signed to Alive Records – the band quickly recorded five more tunes to round out their eponymous debut. The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson heard the record and invited the Killers out to open some shows on the band’s Warpaint tour in 2007. Then their credibility increased even more when Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys signed on to produce their sophomore effort, Let It Ride. They also toured with the Akron band in 2008. In 2011 Buffalo Killers returned to the recording studio and pumped out the successful 3, an album that Vive Le Rock described as, “Twelve tracks of melancholic psych rock with twists of folk – 3 is perfect summer music.”

Dig. So. Love. Grow. is the record that should catapult Buffalo Killers into a higher realm of rock – hopefully, a realm which will see them quitting day jobs, putting in much more time on the road, and focusing on their music as a full time proposition. The band has just signed with New Frontier Touring, the large agency out of Nashville that books road warriors like The Avett Brothers. Their timing is exquisite, as this record will certainly raise their visibility.

It’s really tough to talk about Buffalo Killers and not compare and contrast them with many of the best bands of the 60s and 70s – while on one hand, the band bristles at the ‘too easy’ attempts to dismiss them as revivalists, or revisionists, they also take being mentioned in the same breath with their heroes as a compliment. The truth is that they should be congratulated on following their collective muse, and damned the torpedoes. This is a band that plays guitar based rock and roll with a heavy heap of vocal harmonies – with an emphasis on songwriting, and dynamic instrumental interplay. They play what they love in the fashion they are able, and what we are given is a soulful stew of excellent songcraft, and quality rock – whether it was recorded this year or in 1969 matters not a bit. The songs are melodic and memorable, the vocals a classic example of what happens when brothers sing together, and they have a drummer who often comes dangerously close to rolling off the rails with a strange, and unpredictable syncopation that makes me smile as I remember Levon Helm.

What I really like is the fact that we may be in the presence of a new and genuine American guitar hero. Andy Gabbard is an encyclopedia of cool guitar tones, chord changes, fills, and solos. He manages to use enough tone modifiers in the way of varied distortion tones, tremolo, and time based effects to keep things interesting, but it’s his staunch rhythm chops and sinuous soloing that has me so giddy. At the risk of offending or oversimplifying, I hear the legacies of a lot of my favorite players and favorite tones in his playing. Occasionally I’ll smile and think of Joe Walsh’s wonderfully funkified staccato right hand picking style and his slightly behind the beat rhythm chops. The legend of Neil Young’s fire breathing Tweed Fender Deluxe shines through, along with his pathos filled chord progressions. Then I hear the Mid-Eastern market open, and the slippery washes of sound that informed the best of Jimmy Page’s Danelectro fueled orchestrations, as on the wonderful strut of Those Days.

The younger Gabbard brother isn’t the flashiest soloist, and his chops aren’t going to send anyone running for the woodshed, but that’s never the point – guitar heroes are not always those with the flashiest fingers, but they are always the most musical, and Andy is one innately musical son of a gun. The hardest job in rock may be that of a guitarist in a three piece – the guys who have done it best were often the guys who could cover the most ground without becoming tiresome, or overly repetitious. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons – these are the unarguable masters of the power trio, fellows who were able to carry bands just not through the night, but through a career without boring their listeners. While the times have changed, and there’s little chance of Buffalo Killers selling tens of millions of records, there is every chance that Andy Gabbard could continue to up his game, and end up with his mug on magazine covers, and his name brandished a few signature models. If you learned every lick on every Buffalo Killers album up to this point, you’d have a hell of a rock and roll vocabulary, and a mess of musicality at your disposal.

The album’s lead off track, Get It, is a battle cry for the disenfranchised – “You say your tired of being pushed around, and everybody’s in your way, sometimes you got to push your weight around,” and boy do they. This joyful freight train of fuzzed out bliss is catapulted by an insistent piano riff that cuts nicely through the muscular marriage of Andy’s guitar and Zach’s heavier than Hell bassline, and the boys drive their message of empowerment home, then Andy cuts loose with an audacious solo that is filled with propulsive pentatonic vitriol. Powerful stuff.

I looked all over the original Woodstock soundtrack, hell, I even looked over the complete setlist for the festival, and I could find neither heads, nor tails of a song titled Hey Girl – I’m joking, but damn, this tune is a fantastic slice of what made the combination of Neil Young and Stephen Stills so enticing. Fact is, the era it’s from doesn’t mean a thing – it is a convenient reference point, and an easy way for me to communicate to you what this thing sounds like. It’s filled with melody, hopeful lyrics, great guitars, and some cool vocal interludes. While, of course, I’d love for CSN&Y to record another great record – this will do just fine. A summertime, top down, driving down the highway with the wind in your hair classic.

Rollin Wheel is a sophisticated slice of syncopation that grooves like mad, largely due to Andy Gabbard’s choppy rhythms and drummer Joe Sebaali’s death defying act of entertainingly waiting until it’s almost too late to decide which fill he wants to play, but always making it work – the slight variance between the guitars insistence and the drums slight hesitance makes this a joy. Zach Gabbard keeps it all glued together with a rock solid bassline that bounces with an appropriate buoyancy as he bops between octaves.

As I mentioned earlier there is no escaping the fact that Those Days trespasses a bit on the houses of the holy, but it does so in a fashion that no one has captured for a very long time, and did you notice the groovy backwards tracked guitar solo? Good music is good music – it transcends era, it matters not when it came to pass, The Beatles would be The Beatles at any point in history. That’s one of the beauties of guitar based rock. Unless you are going for a fashion sound (nu-metal anyone?), you may find yourself sounding as relevant 40 years from now as you do today. Buffalo Killers are a very musical, and unpretentious bunch – they write excellent songs and they play them. My litmus is to take Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. and listen to it next to a record recorded in the 60s – it sounds fine. Then I listen to it next to something recorded last month – it still sounds great. If you listen with the wrong ears, things can get screwy pretty quick. Take music at face value – remember how you approached it when you were fifteen.

I Am Always Here is a muscular mid-tempo rocker on which Andy Gabbard plays casually, but with great command. His rock riffery is in fine form as he punches a few power chords, then arpeggiates some chords in a rather nice, melodic fashion before he wraps up the riff with some world weary bends on the lower strings that convey the emotional content of the tune. Sebaali is again all over the map, and Zach Gabbard carries the day with a confident vocal and another solid bassline.

Buffalo Killers gear it down wonderfully. When they downshift it all becomes rather soporific, and spacey. They take you on a gentle journey, as on the tune Farewell – a loping bassline keeps things melodically interesting as Andy adds chord colors and textures. Sebaali sounds just drunk enough behind the kit to never really let you relax. Going slow isn’t as easy as it sounds and these guys do it masterfully.

Psychedelia figures heavily on this record – there’s a lot of atmospheric information that seems to hang in the clouds above the tunes, whether in the form of the band’s exquisite backing vocals and harmonies, Andy Gabbard’s effects laden forays, or Joseph Sebaali’s occasional lurching as he goes from soft, sympathetic accompaniment to hammer heavy tom and cymbal work. It all stays on the tracks, but there’s always the wondering of just how they are going to pull it off – these guys are the Flying Walendas of rock and roll. Graffiti Eggplant suggests that the band may even have some minor prog-rock leanings, as Andy Gabbard layers some sweet guitar harmonies (more Steve Howe/Yes than Thin Lizzy in terms of guitar harmony, by the way) amidst the power rock.

I’ve been raging about the brilliance of Andy Gabbard, but I still have to say that much of the spirit of it all resides in the heart of Zach Gabbard – his vocals and songwriting are truly unique, in spite of what one hears about all the Joe Walsh/James Gang comparisons. I think that the sound that comes out of this band is about exactly what you’d think. It’s the sound of a group of fellows who have been playing together for quite some time, living out on a farm with lots of land, guitars, amps, drums, and beer, but little in the way of distractions. They couldn’t change it if they tried – this record is a great slice of who and what they are at this moment. A very, very good rock and roll band that will most likely become a very great rock and roll band. Some serious roadwork, and another record like this, and  we’ll see the band much higher up the bills at some big festivals and headlining tours of their own. They have a ways to go, but they will get there, you can bank on it.

Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is an excellent album, and one that should bring Buffalo Killers great success, and position them for even greater things.
Thanks to Tony Bonyata at Pavement PR, Buffalo Killers, and Zach Gabbard!
Posted by Tony Conley
http://rockguitardaily.blogspot.com/2012/07/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-grow-new.html

WUOB RADIO
(Athens, OH public radio) – Positive news feature with band photos, video and related links.

Up-And-Coming Power Trio Returning To Athens
By Elliot Nicolson

Alive Records artists Buffalo Killers return to The Union Bar & Grill on June 22 in support of their upcoming album, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow., due out August 7.
The Cincinnati-based band has been gaining steam since releasing their self-titled debut in 2006, which was followed by a string of dates opening for The Black Crowes in 2007.

During that tour, the group wrote much of the material for their second release, Let It Ride, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
Recently, Auerbach returned to his producer’s chair to work with the band on two Eddie Hinton songs for a 45 rpm single to be released this summer on Shake It Records.

A single from Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. entitled “Get It” was released earlier this month on Alive Records’ Soundcloud page.

Buffalo Killers still find the time to pass through Athens during their tours. However, with four full-length releases under their belt, solid ties with Dan Auerbach, several tours with national acts and almost 3,500 Facebook “likes,” it’s uncertain how much longer the band will be playing intimate venues such as The Union.

The doors open at 9 p.m. on Friday with hometown heroes Hex Net opening the show. Visit The Union’s Facebook event page for details.
http://woub.org/2012/06/18/and-coming-power-trio-returning-athens

ALAN CROSS: A JOURNAL OF MUSICAL THING
(online music blog) – Brief positive post with “Get It” Relix link and album art.

Artist: Buffalo Killers, “Get It”
Album: Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.
This is rough and tumble, dirty south, throwback blues rock done right.
Sounds like: Americanarama
Link/Listen/Watch:  Stream it here.
http://www.musicsavage.com/2012/06/new-music-buffalo-killers-get-it/

MUSIC SAVAGE
(online music blog) – Positive news post with “Get It” download and band photo.

New Music | Buffalo Killers – Get It
Buffalo Killers’ next album Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. is set for a August 7 release on Alive Records. The KY trio released first cut “Get It,” and as evidenced it draws from similar influences as past tunes, a little americana, rock, folk and a little fuzzy psychedelia.  The song is pretty guitar heavy and suuuuuper fuzzy, and definitely feels as though it could have come straight out of an early 70′s rock record.
http://www.musicsavage.com/2012/06/new-music-buffalo-killers-get-it/

FARONHEIT
(Chicago-based music blog) –  “Get It” download featured in their “Pick Your Poison 6.19.12” mp3 feature.
http://faronheit.com/2012/06/pick-your-poison-tuesday-6-19-12/

THE MAD MACKEREL
(UK music blog) – Positive news post with “Get It” download.

New Album From Buffalo Killers
We were big fans of Buffalo Killers album 3 released last year and the follow up, Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. will be released on 7th August and promises to be just as an intoxicating mix of ferocious blues psychedelia and good old fashioned rock and roll as its predecessor.
But there are some nostalgic echoes of Laurel Canyon and 60s hippiedom too, which provide some welcome gear changes and contribute to a record that in places could be submerged beneath a fog of sweet Acapulco Gold.
The Buffalo Killers have a refreshingly uncontrived, feel-good approach to their music that is rowdy, rousing and thoroughly enjoyable. It evokes a time when things were a whole lot less complicated and a whole lot more fun and for that we salute them!
Download Buffalo Killers – Get It mp3 (from Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.)
http://madmackerel.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/new-album-from-buffalo-killers/

THE SODA SHOP
(online music blog) – News post (from press release) with band photo, album art, tour dates and related links.
http://www.thesodashop.us/2012/06/19/buffalo-killers-new-album-dig-sow-love-grow-out-august-7th-through-alive-naturalsound-records/

HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music blog) – News post (from press release) with band photo, album art, tour dates and related links.
http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/06/buffalo-killers-new-album-dig-sow-love.html

BUFFABLOG
(online music blog) – Positive news post with “Get It” stream album cover and video.

Buffalo Killers leak track from upcoming album

One of the best shows I’ve, I think, EVER taken in was Buffalo Killers at Rochester’s Bug Jar back in early ’11. I’d seen the group a handful of times around the Nickel City, sharing bills with locally-celebrated Rust Belt Blues bands (see: Chylde). These shows were great, too, but for some reason, soundmen in our neck of the woods (see: Merlin’s) typically ended up sending them out sounding more polished and swaggery (see: Black Keys, Cream) than the powerful-yet-nuanced, Ohio-based trio would like, I presume, have intended. It wasn’t bad; it would always fall into the B- to A- range, while at Bug Jar, they sounded like Neil Young made it (see: mating) with a fucking Tyrannosaurus Rex – even ending the night with a blaring rendition of “Homegrown.”

The group’s recordings don’t exactly convey this huge-ness, though they certainly suggest it. Past singles, such as “San Martin Des Morelle” and “Huma Bird” are both super-pretty, whiskey-soaked runs, but if you cranked them up all the way, you’d be blown away by their raw omnipotence.

Well, the band has a new record (Dig. Sow. Love. Grow.) set to be released later this summer on Alive Records. And they’ve leaked a track, too: Get into “Get It”: a more laid-back blues offering, with insistent piano bits and plenty of their sweaty guitar swagger.

These guys are good, and they’re embarking some light touring in the Northeast this summer. Here’s hoping they make a stop here and live up to their name. Otherwise, keep an ear out for D.S.L.G. (which should be out in time for harvest), and maybe take a peek at their old video for “SS Nowhere,” one of the best chronicles of bohemian-aesthete life in our economically depressed corner of the country here.
http://www.buffablog.com/2012

KEY AND CHORDS
(Belgium online music blog) – Positive album review (in Dutch) with album art.

Spotty Google Translate:
Buffalo Killers: Dig, Sow, Love, Grow
Peace, Love and Happiness … Hooray, the flower power is back. And how!
Buffalo Killers are a trio of long-haired and bearded musicians from near Cincinnati, Ohio. With guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll grab Andrew Gabbard (guitar, vocals), Zachary Gabbard (bass, vocals) and Joseph Sebaali on drums immediately back to the late 60’s and early 70’s. This sound is already the psychedelic beast loose in our music or how a change in consciousness can bring.
The fourth album by the Buffalo Killers is dotted with 10 tracks that are a mix between swampy Americana, garage rock, rock ‘n’ roll and psychedelic folk. The stampede beaten tracks follow each other at top speed and feed for the fans of The Black Keys and the North Mississippi Allstars. The production was in the hands of Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, and that is not pure coincidence.

Bring the sun back into your house constantly the long winter … here comes the Buffalo Killers. Let the beast go …

Philip Verhaege (4)
http://www.keysandchords.com/6/post/2012/09/buffalo-killers-dig-sow-love-crow.html

NASHVILLE SCENE (Nashville weekly) – Critic’s Pick: The Bohannons are one of Chattanooga’s finest exports, who make heavy rock ’n’ roll that’s equal parts Mötorhead and Neil Young, with lead guitar chops that rival both.

http://nashvillescene.getn2.it/event/detail/1480107

ATLANTA EXAMINER (Atlanta A&E site) – Positive show preview with album art, video and related links.

The Bohannons bring some good old rock music to Atlanta

Tuesday is usually just another day that falls early in the week. It is not as popular as Wednesday or as despised as Monday. No one looks forward to Tuesday, they don’t make plans, the TV shows stink and no one has ever uttered the phrase “Thank God It’s Tuesday”. Well this Tuesday night you can throw all that thinking out the window because it is going to be a day to look forward to, as Chattanooga’s Bohannons are in town for a night of sweet music.

The Bohannons choice of venue for the evening will be Smith’s Olde Bar, and when they get through with it the upper room may never be the same. They are out on the road supporting their latest record Unaka Rising which consists of 10 tracks of raw unbridled emotion. Their music is a conglomeration of personal lyrics, psychedelic bluesy guitar riffs, thunderous rhythms and the right amount of country twang delivered as loud and rowdy as possible. The power of their albums easily transfers to the stage as their vicious guitars rip into the audience’s ears clearing out their heads to make room for nothing but the Bohannons’ music. Sharing the stage is the talented songwriter H.R. Gertner. His folk tinged Americana music is the perfect complement to the Bohannons, punk flavored Southern rock.

Adjust your schedule and fit the Bohannons’ in on Tuesday night. Get to Smith’s early, grab some food and cold beverages then head upstairs for a night of bad ass music. Who knows, maybe tomorrow you will hear some folks uttering the phrase, Thank God It’s Tuesday.

WHO: Bohannons & H.R. Gertner

WHERE: Smith’s Olde Bar

WHEN: Tuesday, November 6th

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-bohannons-bring-some-good-old-rock-music-to-atlanta?cid=rss

THE PULSE (Chattanooga weekly) – Positive Editors Picks  show preview with band photo.

13th Annual All Hallow’s Eve Ball with The Bohannons, Eight Knives, How I Became The Bomb

The 13th Annual All Hallow’s Eve Ball  has shaped up to be one of the best music line-ups yet with The Bohannons, Eight Knives and How I Became The Bomb. The Bohannons will be kicking off their Fall 2012 tour with this show, backing up the release of their newest recording Unaka Rising. The Bohannons have been getting rave reviews in respected music blogs and magazines around the country with Unka and it’s immediately evident why once you hear it. Eight Knives is a relatively new band, and have come on the scene strong this year. Having composed a solid repertoire of original music, taking it to the stages at  JJ’s Bohemia and Track 29, the Knives have proven their live gig chops.

Nashville based How I Became The Bomb, has hit Chattanooga and garnered a local fan base since they formed in 2005. With tours taking them to SXSW, Bonnaroo, Spain and the UK, HIBTB continues to create great, pop-based music, with unexpected and fresh hooks.

Mix in the always entertaining and often elaborate costumes worn by the patrons and you have another great year of a Halloween tradition cherished by so many.

13th Annual All Hallow’s Eve Ball with The Bohannons, Eight Knives, How I Became The Bomb

Saturday, October 27th

8:00 p.m.

The Honest Pint – 35 Patten Parkway

http://www.chattanoogapulse.com/articles/13th-annual-all-hallows-eve-ball

TWISTED SOUTH RADIO (national quarterly music magazine Twisted South’s internet rado show) – Phone interview with Marty  on Wed. Nov. 7th^h at 9:15 pm eastern.

WUTC-FM RADIO –  Marty Bohannon In-Studio w/ Richard Winham Thu Oct. 22 3pm eastern, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN

THE AGIT READER (online music site) – “River Above” added to their hompage Daily Downloads feature on Oct. 25^th http://www.agitreader.com/

HELLHOUND MUSIC (online music blog) – News posting (from press announcement) on tour with band photos, album art, “Goodbye Bill” download and related links. http://www.hellhoundmusic.com/the-bohannons-on-tour-in-support-of-the-recent-album-unaka-rising-free-river-above-mp3/

ARKANSAS ONLINE / TRI-LAKES EDITION (Arkansas daily) – Positive post with album art, band photo and “Goodbye Bill” mp3.

Bohannons Performance

HOT SPRINGS — The Bohannons and Lucero will perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave. The Bohannons, from Chattanooga, Tenn., are touring in support of their full-length album debut. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 if purchased at the door. For more information, call (501) 321-0909.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2012/oct/18/weeks-events-tl/?f=trilakes

SEATTLE POST INTELLEGENCER
(Seattle daily) – Positive album review.

Music Review: The Bohannons – Unaka Rising

Southern rock music is undergoing an interesting revolution these days. It’s adding some punk attitude and a bit of grunge sound to the rock, blues, and country it has always had. The Bohannons, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, are a perfect example of what’s great about this new roots rock sound on their new release, Unaka Rising.

This is not music that invites you to listen passively. This is music that attacks and forces you to engage from the very first notes of “Goodbye Bill” to the last strains of “Ponchartrain.”

The lyrics delve into the rich mines of Southern mythology and are filled with the imagery of their native region. The title of the CD refers, in fact, to the Unaka region of Tennessee. But in The Bohannon’s music, that mythology and imagery is mixed with anger, paranoia, and political unease.

The sound here is anything but predictable. Yes, there are blues licks and high, lonesome, twangy sounds like the best of bluegrass, but there is also violently raucous guitar, emotionally charged vocals,more than a touch of metal, and above all else, rock and roll.

Stylistically, The Bohannons are often compared to Crazy Horse and Drive-By Truckers. But I hear strong similarities to The White Stripes and Drivin’ N Cryin’ as well.

Every song here is strong and it is hard to pick favorites. My favorite is probably “The River Above.” But “Goodbye Bill,” “The Ballad of Christian and Other,” “Cold Dead Hand,” and “Ponchartrain” are also standouts. Other listeners may well choose other favorites, and, indeed, upon further listening each song may well take its turn being my favorite.

Some people may hate this CD. The Bohannons do not make mainstream music, and they make a point of challenging the listener. Others are going to love it. Either way, no one is going to be left undecided. Personally, I love it and am already craving more.

If you like homegrown rock that defies the norm and demands a response, you owe it to yourself to give The Bohannons a listen. You just may find out that it’s exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Article Author: Rhetta Akamatsu
http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Music-Review-The-Bohannons-Unaka-Rising-3894333.php

MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG
(online music blog) – Positive post with album art, band photo and “Goodbye Bill” mp3.

Song : The Bohannons : Goodbye Bill

Tonight The Bohannons’ Unaka Rising jumped out of my speakers: A hard-hitting drum/guitar attack constantly clears a path for the message of “Goodbye Bill.” That passion got me looking at the band’s bio. Which made me realize the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based quintet is still far enough under the radar to be burning up bar stages in the deep South. Shit, there’s a lot of great music coming out of the Southeast these days.

As far as the Bohannons’ general sound goes, reference points include Dead Confederate and – get ready — hair-toss era Status Quo. The Bohannons are a pedal-to-the-metal conflagration of strands including Southern boogie, grunge, classic ‘70s hard rock, punk a la the Clash, the Pogues, and Billy Bragg.

What’s more – as if we needed it, the Bohannons write songs about more than the common love/drinking/loss topics.  “Goodbye Bill,” for instance, is “an ode to martyred labor organizer Joe Hill.” But the music’s what always keeps – or doesn’t keep – me around, and I can’t resist the sort of Celtic riff driving “Tim Tim,” which was written about another relatively unusual subject – a cat. Gotta love it.

Anyone who’s really into rock should check the Bohannons out – the good news being that the band’s been straying further and further from Chattanooga, with at least three tours under its belt so far this year. You can download or get a physical copy of Unaka Rising at This is American Music.
http://www.myoldkentuckyblog.com/?p=35686

WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art, band photos, audio streams, video and related links.

REVIEW: The Bohannons – Unaka Rising

The Bohannons are a Chattanooga band that combines swamp boogie, hard blues, full-on glam rock, and punk — and it’s just as bracing and crazy as that sounds. If you’ve enjoyed some of the proud Southern rock varietals we’ve blogged about this year: The Alabama Shakes, The District Attorneys, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Patterson Hood – this is something you will want to check out.

On Unaka Rising, they’re loud and way up front with shouted vocals, slashing electric guitars and a rhythm section that swings like crazy. The Bohannons consist of  Nick Sterchi, Marty Bohannon, Matt Bohannon and Josh Beaver.

Here’s the lead track “Goodbye Bill”, available for free download:
They’re dipping into the Southern folk tradition, too… listen to Marty Bohannon describe the genesis of “Goodbye Bill”: “It’s an ode to martyred labor organizer Joe Hill approaching the 100th anniversary of his death. The words are from his last will, as well as from Ethel Raim and The Pennywhistlers’ song ‘Joe Hill’.”

And here you can stream “River Above”, a haunting hard rock track with guitars layered on top of guitars:
And here they are playing “Built A World”, a plaintive song of lost love as only the Bohannons can play such a thing – with a little bit of a ragtime feel and of course a scorching electric guitar solo:
The whole record is good, but I think the last two tracks are the highlights: “Ponchatrain”, a call-and-response, foreboding blues song about an oncoming storm and “In The End”, which races along at a punk rock pace and finishes this album by letting me know this band is just starting to shake things up.

Unaka Rising is out now on This Is American Music – produced by David Barbe and Drew Vandenberg
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-bohannons-unaka-rising.html

THE MAD MACKEREL
(UK online music blog) – Second Positive post with “River Above” mp3 and album art.

MM Shorts 241: More From The Bohannons
The Bohannons debut full release Unaka Rising has been one of those unexpected treats that makes having a music blog worthwhile. We called it Southern-fried glam boogie, and the album is a fabulous listen from start to finish. Here is another track from it, River Above.
Enjoy and buy the album here.
http://madmackerel.org/2012/10/14/mm-shorts-241-more-from-the-bohannons/

PLUG-IN MUSIC
(online music site) – Second  news posting with band photo, tour dates and “River Above” download.

The Bohannons Announce Tour Dates In Support Of “Unaka Rising”
The Bohannons inhabit a musical universe that, while certainly drawing influence from all over, is firmly rooted in their Tennessee home. With their full-length debut album Unaka Rising, they are clearly taking their homegrown, handcrafted rock to a new level, and we think they’ve set the bar pretty damn high with this one. The album’s title references the Unaka province of East Tennessee and western North Carolina— “One of the finest areas in all the world,” according to singer/guitarist Marty Bohannon. The region has certainly fueled the Bohannons’ fire, providing endless stories and situations from which these songs draw. With a quiver of new material ready to follow up 2011’s stellar EP, Days of Echo, the Bohannons spent the better part of the last year tearing up the road between Chattanooga and Athens, GA where they recorded Unaka Rising at Chase Park Transduction, first with David Barbe and later Drew Vandenberg.
The Bohannons’ Unaka Rising is out now (through This Is American Music) in CD and Digital formats.

THE BOHANNONS’ 2012 FALL TOUR DATES
Oct. 27 The Honest Pint – Chattanooga, TN
Nov. 2 The 5 Spot – Nashville, TN w/ Shane Tutmarc, Little Bandit
Nov. 3 Maxine’s – Hot Springs National Park, AR  w/ LUCERO
Nov. 6 Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
Nov. 7 New Earth Music Hall – Athens, GA w/ Lord Baltimore
Nov. 8 Radio Room – Greenville, SC
Nov. 9 The Wormhole – Savannah, GA
Nov. 10 Hummingbird Stage & Taproom – Macon, GA
http://www.pluginmusic.com/news/article/the-bohannons-announce-tour-dates-in-support-of-unaka-rising

MOVEMENT MAGAZINE
(online music site) – News post with “River Above” mp3, band photo, tour dates and positive press quotes.
http://movementnews.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-bohannons-on-tour-in-support-of.html

THE DADADA
(online music blog) – Positive posting with River Above download with album art, and related links.

Bohannons – “River Above”
from Unaka Rising
out now on This Is American Music
Dirty southern rock with an independent edge, Unaka Rising references the area of the same name straddling eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. They are currently touring Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Details of the tour found here.
http://thedadada.com/tag/bohannons/

WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music site) – Second posting with River Above download with album art, tour dates and related links.

Free download and tour info – The Bohannons “River Above”
To further entice the undecided, I suppose, Chattanooga’s powerful Southern rockers The Bohannons have a gift for you:

And if you’re in the South, you’re in luck. They’ll be traversing their home state and working their way back via Arkansas and Georgia in November:

Oct. 27 The Honest Pint – Chattanooga, TN
Nov. 2 The 5 Spot – Nashville, TN w/ Shane Tutmarc, Little Bandit
Nov. 3 Maxine’s – Hot Springs National Park, AR  w/ LUCERO
Nov. 6 Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
Nov. 7 New Earth Music Hall – Athens, GA w/ Lord Baltimore
Nov. 8 Radio Room – Greenville, SC
Nov. 9 The Wormhole – Savannah, GA
Nov. 10 Hummingbird Stage & Taproom – Macon, GA

In case you missed it, here’s our rave review. Out now on This Is American Music.
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2012/10/free-download-and-tour-info-bohannons.html

ROCK THOUGHT
(online music site) – “Goodbye Bill” link featured on their site.
http://rockthought.com/twitter-recap-september-2012

THREAT+CONSTANT
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art, and related links.

The Swinging Sounds of the Dying South: The Bohannons’ Dystopian Unaka Rising

Over the last five years, the American South became the setting du jour for serialized television shows about monsters and the end of the world. The inevitability of this marriage should come as no surprise. The ubiquity of vampires, zombies, and serial killers may be traced to a popular obsession with the supernatural and macabre that dates back at least to the late eighteenth century. The haunted American South’s many mysteries and transgressions aligned with this trajectory in the mid-twentieth century to spawn Southern Gothicism, tales of strange, broken, oddly beautiful people trying to keep it together below the Mason-Dixon.

And while not classics on par with To Kill a Mockingbird and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Dexter, True Blood, and The Walking Dead derive from this lineage (or drag it down, if you like). The grotesquery is less nuanced. The characters are obvious monsters as opposed to multidimensional people capable of monstrous acts. The existential and moral questions of high literature bow to the commercial needs of television drama and its viewers. But the dots between Faulkner and Daryl the redneck zombie hunter are, for better or worse, connectable. The common thread runs through the South and its relationship with the unknown, the off-kilter, and the ever-present threat of sweeping change. Strip away the werewolves, walkers, vamps, fangbangers, and freaks and the fact remains: the South is the perfect place to stage an apocalypse.

So it is that Chattanooga’s the Bohannons throw one of their own on their latest album, Unaka Rising. A melange of all our favorite rocks—hard, southern, punk, garage—Unaka Rising is ten stomping tracks that deconstruct and interrogate America through the Bohannons’ loud and cracked prism. Musically, the Bohannons occupy a unique space somewhere between Skynard, The Pixies, and modern southern rockers like Jason Isbell and the Drive-By Truckers. Matt Bohannon’s vocals can evoke Frank Black piped through a PA at a demonstration. Lyrically, Unaka Rising concerns itself with the conflict and paranoia of our contemporary milieu, a hodgepodge of angry ideologues and frightened people tottering on the cusp of collective horror.

“Goodbye Bill” opens the album with a guitar lick that could amply accompany a montage of criminals plotting a dystopian prison break. The narrator of “Two Riders” pleads with his baby to forego a night of getting high and opt instead to stay home and “drink some wine.” His suggestion sounds a little like begging, a little like a threat.

Each track tells a story of people assaulted by their surroundings and, appropriately, the music finds a way to both succumb to and accompany this assault. “Cold Dead Hand” sways back and forth between a blistering celebration of guns and a rumination on a world where everyone needs one. Only “Built a World” slows down the proceedings. And the world of this narrator is crumbling, alien, and loveless. By the end of the song, the world’s officially off its axis and our storyteller is left to wonder “if your heart was ever found” among its ruins.

The track-listing reads like a possible table of contents from an H.P. Lovecraft collection. “River Above.” “The Ballad of Christian and Other.” “The Cradle.” And, of course, “In the End.” In each, our tour-guides are distrustful and wary, issuing warnings and anecdotes. The politics, social structure, and history of the south haunt the background. But “The South” is a convenient construct. Louisiana’s south is different from Georgia’s south, which is different from Tennessee’s south, all of which run on different bandwidth than Florida’s and Texas’s many souths. On “Ponchatrain,” the story and instrumentation evoke a hurricane’s rain and wind. And we are reminded that the Gulf Coast has a distinct set of environmental and cultural conditions that should not be trivialized by fictitious beasts and contrived love triangles.

In the end, Unaka Rising is the ideal musical companion for a world circling the drain. But its monsters are real—doctrines, storms, close-minded neighbors, drugs, and drink. In the Bohannons’ south, the lines are not so clearly drawn between black and white, living and dead, right and wrong. And when the end comes, it ain’t going to be quick and painless. “Baby, it’s a long and winding ride,” sings the protagonist of “Two Riders.” “Try to keep your hands and feet inside.”

Unaka Rising is available for five bucks from our friends at thisisamericanmusic.com. Support independent music and go get yourself a copy.Music – produced by David Barbe and Drew Vandenberg
http://justinthurman.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/the-swinging-sounds-of-the-dying-south-the-bohannons-dystopian-unaka-rising/

C.W.’S PLACE
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art.

The Bohannons Rock It Out On Their Full-Length Debut, ‘Unaka Rising’

Overall Album Vibe:

Although the band has released a previous EP in 2011 titled,  Days of Echo,  this is the first time that I ve had the pleasure of hearing their music. This band based out of Chattanooga, TN., plays a brand of roots / Southern rock with an occasional hard rock vibe added in from time-to-time. If you re like me when I first heard the album s title I thought it had some sort of connection to Japan but instead it s a province located in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina that band singer/ guitarist Marty Bohannon say is,  One of the finest areas in all the world. 

Highlight tracks include the opener,  Goodbye Bill,  that has an interesting The Black Crowes meets Black Sabbath sound, starting out slow and building up as it goes along. Lyrically band member Marty Bohannon explains it as being,  An ode to martyred labor organizer Joe Hill approaching the 100th anniversary of his death. The words are from his last will, as well as from Ethel Raim and The Pennywhistlers  song  Joe Hill .  The up-tempo aptly named alt.-rock gun ownership issue themed track,  Cold Dead Hand,  with twangy vocals that reminded me of Jerry Lee Lewis. I also enjoyed the fast paced, almost totally instrumental track,  The Cradle  that features several nice tempo changes in it.

Review Tagline: You can put whatever label you want on the The Bohannons  music the only one that really matters is,  Damn Good! 

Standout Tracks:  Goodbye Bill ,  Cold Dead Hand ,  The Cradle ,

Review by C.W. Ross
http://cwsplace.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/the-bohannons-rock-it-out-on-their-full-length-debut-unaka-rising/

THE MAD MACKEREL
(UK online music blog) – Positive post with “Goodbye Bill” mp3 and album art.

Southern-fried, glam rock boogie merchants The Bohannons track Goodbye Bill is an ode to martyred labor organizer Joe Hill approaching the 100th anniversary of his death. The words are from his last will, as well as from Ethel Raim and The Pennywhistlers‘ song Joe Hill. You can find it on their forthcoming debut release Unaka Rising, which is as good a set of blues inspired psych-groove as we’ve heard in a very long while.
http://madmackerel.org/2012/09/25/more-new-releases-rounded-up/

ALAN CROSS: A JOURNAL OF MUSICAL THINGS
(online music blog) – Positive post with “Goodbye Bill” mp3 and album art.

Artist: The Bohannons, “Goodbye Bill”
Album: Unaka Rising
The Bohannons’ have this heavy heart that feels like blues, but this almost boarderline Geddy Lee vocal delivery, and then they go and almost sound like 70’s metal. The bottom line is that the Bohannons’ are some good ‘ol kick a little dirt in your face rock and roll.
Sounds like: She’s hot and heavy as hell.
http://www.alancross.ca/a-journal-of-musical-things/2012/9/25/more-music-from-the-inbox-25-september-2012.html

RADIO FREE AMERICANA
(AMA reporting Americana radio station in Verona, VA) – Unaka Rising added to rotation on Sep. 24 (per Cat Catlett)

WILDMAN STEVE RADIO
(AMA reporting Americana radio station in Auburn, AL) – Wildman Steve said he’d making on-air mentions on the Waverly show and “playing the shit out of the new record.”

MOVEMENT MAGAZINE
(online music blog) – News posting (from press announcement) with band photos , album art , streaming audio tracks and related links.
http://movementnews.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-bohannons-unaka-rising.html

PLUG-IN MUSIC
(online music site) – Positive news posting  with band photo and “Goodbye Bill” download.

The Bohannons – “Goodbye Bill”
Taking rock music and embedding it with hints of blues and country, Tennessee-based The Bohannons have created a mixture that has rarely been heard before. Coupled with an unusual subject matter, this track may well spark your curiosity and leave you keen to explore more of this band’s “regionally-inspired” music. Take a listen with our free download.
– Christopher Heppinstall
http://www.pluginmusic.com/freemusic/bohannons

HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music blog) – News posting with band photos, album art, “Goodbye Bill” download and related links.
http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/09/introducing-bohannons-debut-lp-unaka.html

SKOPE MAGAZINE
(online music site) – News posting  with “Goodbye Bill” download and related link.
http://skopemag.com/2012/09/05/the-bohannons-offers-free-mp3

NEW YORK MUSIC NEWS
(online music site) – “Goodbye Bill” download featured.
http://nymn.com/icymi-september-5-2012/

FARONHEIT
(Chicago-based online music blog) – “Goodbye Bill” download featured as part of their “Pick Your Poison 9.6.12” download feature.
http://faronheit.com/2012/09/pick-your-poison-thursday-9-6-12/

REBEL ROD’S “FROM UNDER THE BASEMENT
(online music blog for Rob’s syndicated radio show – KOOK/KERV/WLVR/KXT,WXLV/Marfa Public Radio/KSYM/KNON) – News posting (from press announcement) with band photos, album art, “Goodbye Bill” download and related links.

TOP 40 CHARTS
(online music news site) – News posting (from press announcement) with album art, “Goodbye Bill” download and related links.
http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=81790&string=100%

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS NETWORK
(online music news site) – News posting (from press announcement) with album art, “Goodbye Bill” download and related links.(Also added to their weekly newsletter that goes out to thousands of music industry professionals.
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=157326

BLURT MAGAZINE
(National quarterly music magazine) – News story with audio stream of singles and photo.

Wendy James Meets Stooges & Bad Seeds
Covers both Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and Bob Dylan on new single.

Ex-Transvision Vamp belter Wendy James released a new double-single this week featuring the Stooges’ James Wililamson & The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos. Titled “You’re So Great” / “It’s Alright Ma”, you can listen to it below:

On her last solo album, 2010’s I Came Here To Blow Minds, Wendy James recorded with French indie musicians who shared her passion for NYC punk, Detroit garage and new wave, but now she’s gone straight to the source by working directly with The Stooges’ James Willliamson (guitar & bass) and The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos (drums & percussion) The A-Side is a version of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band’s “You’re So Great,” featuring Williamson’s signature search-and-destroy guitar riffs over a power pop arrangement, while the B-side is a rootsy, seductive take on Dylan. (It’s not the first time James has gone to the Dylan well, either: while with Transvision Vamp in the ‘90s she winningly covered “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window.”) The single is available digitally already and will soon be out as a 10″ vinyl single.

Wendy James on the Sonic track:
“Sonic’s Rendezvous Band are one of my favorites. They wrote song after cool song, like ‘Keep On Hustlin,” “Do It Again,” “City Slang,” “Sweet Nothin” and of course, “You’re So Great.” I got my chops singing hard and fast pop songs with Transvision Vamp, and when I heard “You’re So Great,” it viscerally hit me that Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith had written the complete essence of what I was good at. I stored the song in the back of my mind, and waited for the right moment to record it. When I met James Williamson the dots connected and we decided instantly to go and do this together. For all the reasons above and of course, he is bandmates with Drummer Scott Asheton (Stooges and SRB) and he represents Detroit and Ann Arbor, no-one captures the guitar sound of Michigan like James Willliamson does. It’s obvious. It was just a question of who was going to shout ‘1,2,3,4…..'”
Wendy James on the Dylan track:
“I, like millions of others, begin and end with Bob Dylan. Since I can’t remember when, maybe 12 years old? Bob has been my touchstone. His songs are what I listen to when I need to calm my soul, find my peace, find my strength, affirm my wisdom. Bob Dylan has tracked my soul for all my life so far, and always will. There are of course, so many many perfect moments from him, it’s mind-blowing the simplicity, the complexity, the effortlessness, the timelessness of his words and his melodies. Blood On The Tracks, Bringing It All Back Home, Desire, Slow Train Coming… I mean, I’m just going to list you everything. But… when I was about 13 years old I heard “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” and that was it for me. He knew everything. Job done. Life explained. So, now, 2012, when James and I had decided to do “You’re So Great” as a special Single Release, he asked me what my favorite Dylan number is and always, ultimately I go to “It’s Alright Ma.” Enthusiastically we decided to record both songs, and then… Let me tell you, there’s a big difference between listening to “Its Alright Ma” and singing it. I understand his rhythm, his intention, his breath, his humor, his message, to be clear: I understand his choice of words. It was heaven in the studio, losing myself on the microphone, telling the tale, singing the truth, having my few hours bathing in that High White Noise… and James in the control room watching on proudly…Yes. It was a good day… It was the kind of day that explains exactly, innately, why one does this in life.
http://blurt-online.com/news/view/6818/

PAPER MAGAZINE
(monthly A&E/fashion magazine) – Feature interview with photo.

Wendy James Is Back
The Former Transvision Vamp Front Woman Talks Her New Album
By David Hershkovits

At 16, Wendy James began a musical odyssey that brought her international stardom as the lead singer of Transvision Vamp, a pop-punk band that went on to record several top-10 hits in England in the late ’80s. Sexually charged, rebellious and hot, James became the poster child for the group that included her boyfriend, guitarist Nick Sayer. The band made it onto the music charts with their albums Pop Art and Velveteen in 1988 and 1989, respectively. And, as these things usually go, all went well until it didn’t. The touring, countless appearances and lack of a personal life getting the best of James and her band mates, Transvision Vamp broke up in 1992.

“I pulled the plug on the whole thing,” she says of that period. “I reached tipping point, really. I had my house in London. I had a private life I wanted to invest some time into. I needed to grow up as well, and read books, listen to music, write my own songs and make the transition from being a teenager to being in my twenties. I needed to come up with a revised, updated version of myself.”

Along the way, she teamed up with Elvis Costello on an album, Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears (1992), a misfire that she calls “a big ticket item for me and Geffen Records. Lots of money, flying around, recorded in the South of France, mixed in L.A., everyone having a nice time.” After having only worked with musicians from her band, she was now “working with top-flight musicians from The Attractions or session musicians. But the way the album ended up didn’t live up to what I thought it would be when I embarked on it.”

She knew there was something fundamentally wrong. “When you’re on that merry go round of pop stardom, there’s literally no time to understand how you’re feeling about things. Flights all day long and touring six nights on one night off for a whole year. There was never any more time for me.”

She went back to basics and decided she would learn how to write a song and play her guitar. “My boyfriend at the time [Mick Jones] bought me a Portastudio and I set about reading the manuals. It was time for me to express myself in my own voice. You need to know what you’re about. You need to have your own vision. After about two years, I’d done my Wendy time and came out of my creative shell. I’d gone back to the stage of being a 14-year-old when you first get your guitar and start practicing and write your first song. So I’d done the who cycle of pop stardom and fame and gone back to the bedroom to start learning how to write a song.”

That’s when she realized that to reinvent herself like her idol Bob Dylan, she had to come to New York. “I always wanted to live in New York. I had freedom. No one particularly waiting for a new Wendy James album. I had enough money to make the move and had enough songs in my pocket, so I sold my house and moved in 2002. If I’d been born in America, I’d be one of those kids who took $10 and caught a Greyhound bus to the big city.”

An encounter with Peaches brought her to Cobraside who distributed two albums, Racine and I Came Here to Blow Minds, which were well-reviewed but not big sellers. “The albums raised my profile,” she says, “I wasn’t making tons of money, but I was getting a nice little reputation.”

And now James is back in the news with two singles from a forthcoming album recorded with Stooges guitarist James “Raw Power” Williamson and drummer James Sclavunos of the Bad Seeds. Of those tracks, Williams’ guitar wreaks havoc on her 7-minute cover of Dylan’s “It’s All Right Ma,” and while she’s a bit more restrained perhaps on Fred “Sonic” Smith’s “You’re So Great,” an obvious love for rock ‘n’ roll pushes through nonetheless.

Despite the two covers, James promises 11 original songs for the album when completed by the end of this year.
Photo by Ricardo Gomes
http://www.papermag.com/2012/10/wendy_james.php

UNCUT MAGAZINE
(UK monthly music magazine) –  “You’re So Great” single featured in their “Wild Mercury: The 38th Uncut Playlist of 2012.”
http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/wild-mercury-sound/the-38th-uncut-playlist-of-2012

CULTURE BRATS 
(online music site) – Feature interview with streaming audio tracks, single cover art, Transvision Vamp video and related links.

Seven Question in Heaven with Wendy James
Former Transvision Vamp singer Wendy James recently released a double A-side single consisting of a cover of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band’s “You’re So Great” along with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).” Joining her on the tracks are The Stooges’ James Williamson and The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos. Today, we’re spending Seven Three Questions In Heaven with Wendy James.

Can you ever see yourself getting Transvision Vamp or Racine back together?

I speak now and then with Nick Sayer. At the moment he is very excited about James (Williamson) and I working together; James is his favorite guitarist. Nick, I am happy to say, is very proud of me. We came kind of close to doing something in the middle of last year, getting in the studio together, but it didn’t happen. We both kind of didn’t show up! We dance around the idea sometimes. We get offered a lot of money to reform for live shows and I will not say never, especially as we never officially put out a press release to say we’d split up! So, maybe we’ve just been away for twenty years! But it would require, I think, a whole brand new album and then a tour to support that, rather than just a reformation tour for the money.
As for Racine, that was always my solo thing. I just didn’t call it Wendy James. I grew up in the culture of bands, of gangs, rather than solo players. I like the force of a band of brothers you know. But! My name is known and in the end, just be what you are, right? So… I am Wendy James, this is my band, and this is my music. The musicians I worked with on the Racine albums and I Came Here To Blow Minds are on repeat in my life, especially the two guitarists Henric Strahl and Jeremie Orsel. They both are truly gifted musicians and we speak the same musical language and I trust them implicitly with my music. So… everything is fluid. Whoever feels right, gets the gig.

What was the first album, tape, or CD you purchased with your own money?

Wow. I really am not sure! It could have been Eat To The Beat, Blondie. It could have been Never Mind The Bollocks, The Pistols. It could have been Supertramp, Breakfast In America!

I know the first 7″ I had when I was two years old was Mary Hopkins, “Those Were The Days,” on the Beatles Apple label. My parents put a little record player in my bedroom really, really young and they bought that 7″ for me. I was fascinated with it as it had an Apple for the label and I’d watch it go round and round and gurgle, dance, and giggle to it I suppose!

You’re in charge of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
Ha! The Wrecking Crew and Brian Wilson, Terry Reid at Glastonbury Fayre, James Lavelle/UNKLE doing “Money And Run,” The Ikettes! Definitely the Ikettes! The Band and Bob Dylan and George Harrison and all of the Last Waltz! The Velvets of course, The Stones… Jay-Z doing “99 Problems.” Too many, too many. An impossible question!

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today!
You’re so welcome! Single out on iTunes now! Buy it!
More Wendy James: Facebook | Tumblr | Twitter
http://www.culturebrats.com/2012/10/seven-questions-in-heaven-with-wendy.html

WRAT RADIO “THE ELECTRIC BALLROOM” SHOW
(NJ Rock Radio) – Host Keith Roth to interview Wendy  with spins of the two new tracks and classic Wendy tunes to air Sun. Oct. 14 at 10 pm (est)

MUSIC EYEZ
(UK online music site) – Feature with photo.

You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma by Wendy James (Review)

Review of Wendy James “You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma” Double-Single
Anyone remember the 80′s band Transvision Vamp? Wendy James the sultry lead singer of the band and poster girl of that decade is releasing a double A sided single of two covers ‘You’re So Great’ and ‘Its Alright Ma’.

Review of You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma by Wendy James
Transvision Vamp were one of the ‘designer punk’ bands of the 80′s. A splash of The Ramones, a dab of T’Pau, a sprinkle of Cyndi Lauper (probably taking too far now!) – they were very commercial and had some big hits such as ‘I Want Your Love’ and ‘Baby I Don’t Care’. They were not really for me at the time as I felt that despite some good solid fast guitar work they watered down a lot of the punk essence of their roots.
After the band split in the early 90′s Wendy embarked on a solo career with the help of some song writing support from Elvis Costello. However, the music produced was not commercially successful. In the early naughties Wendy then set up her own band and produced some very middle-of-the- road music. The turnaround for me came in 2010 in her last solo album, 2010′s critically acclaimed ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’, Wendy James recorded with French indie musicians who shared her passion for NYC punk, Detroit garage and new wave. This was music that I can enjoy and much more what I would have liked Transvision to have originally sounded like. Wendy has moved up a notch since then by working directly with The Stooges’ James Williamson (guitar & bass) and The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos (drums & percussion) and has created her new double-single that capture the urgency and spirit of not only early punk but rock’n’roll in general. More edgy and vibrant than before.

Both tracks have great guitar work with pounding fast played riffs reminiscent of The Ramones and you can really see Williamson’s influence throughout.

So let’s look at each in turn:
WENDY JAMES ON ‘YOU’RE SO GREAT’: “Sonic’s Rendezvous Band are one of my favourites. They wrote song after cool song, like ‘Keep On Hustlin,” “Do It Again,” “City Slang,” “Sweet Nothin” and of course, “You’re So Great.” I got my chops singing hard and fast pop songs with Transvision Vamp, and when I heard “You’re So Great,” it viscerally hit me that Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith had written the complete essence of what I was good at. I stored the song in the back of my mind, and waited for the right moment to record it. When I met James Williamson the dots connected and we decided instantly to go and do this together. For all the reasons above and of course, he is bandmates with Drummer Scott Asheton (Stooges and SRB) and he represents Detroit and Ann Arbor, no-one captures the guitar sound of Michigan like James Williamson does. It’s obvious. It was just a question of who was going to shout ’1,2,3,4…..’ “

MUSICEYZ ON ‘YOU’RE SO GREAT’:
Thumping beat and a great listen although the vocals do appear a little dated and stuck in the 80′s.
WENDY ON ‘IT’S ALRIGHT MA’: “I, like millions of others, begin and end with Bob Dylan. Since I can’t remember when, maybe 12 years old? Bob has been my touchstone. His songs are what I listen to when I need to calm my soul, find my peace, find my strength, affirm my wisdom. Bob Dylan has tracked my soul for all my life so far, and always will. There are of course, so many many perfect moments from him, it’s mind- blowing the simplicity, the complexity, the effortlessness, the timelessness of his words and his melodies. Blood On The Tracks,Bringing It All Back Home, Desire, Slow Train Coming… I mean, I’m just going to list you everything. But… when I was about 13 years old I heard “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” and that was it for me. He knew everything. Job done. Life explained.

So, now, 2012, when James and I had decided to do ‘You’re So Great’ as a special Single Release, he asked me what my favorite Dylan number is and always, ultimately I go to ‘It’s Alright Ma’. Enthusiastically we decided to record both songs, and then… Let me tell you, there’s a big difference between listening to ‘Its Alright Ma’ and singing it. I understand his rhythm, his intention, his breath, his humor, his message, to be clear: I understand his choice of words.
It was heaven in the studio, losing myself on the microphone, telling the tale, singing the truth, having my few hours bathing in that High White Noise… and James in the control room watching on proudly…Yes. It was a good day… It was the kind of day that explains exactly, innately, why one does this in life.”
MUSICEYZ ON ‘IT’S ALRIGHT MA’: Wow! Where did this come from? A fantastic cover that beats hands down the Dylan version! Loved it and very much the stronger of the two tracks for me. I also liked the way that James did not skimp on this track by shortening it or trying to make it too commercial. It tells a story and does it really well.

Overall a great return for Wendy James and a double single worth buying and adding to the collection. For me – a much better and likely successful direction for James to be taking.

Wendy‘s new ‘You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma’ Double-Single is out now digitally and available through iTunes, with a special limited edition 10″ vinyl pressing to be released in the near future.
http://musiceyz.co.uk/2012/10/13/youre-so-great-its-alright-ma-by-wendy-james-review/

LONG GONE LOSER MAGAZINE
(online music magazine) – News story with audio stream of singles,  photo and Transvision Vamp video.

TRANSVISION VAMP’s WENDY JAMES covers Dylan and the Sonic’s Rendezvous Band on new single!

Back in 1988, it would be fair to say that if you liked music videos, then the image of Wendy James in that tight little outfit complete with poodle pom pom balls attached to it screaming out the lyrics to I Want Your Love as she fronted the rock band, Transvision Vamp, has no doubt embedded itself firmly in your mind. And why not? In the late 80′s, Transvision Vamp were certainly looking to sit themselves on top of the world. Over the course of their career, they dished out anthemic tunes like Baby I Don’t Care, Revolution Baby and a memorable and a perfect cover of Holly and the Italians classic Tell That Girl To Shut Up. For five years Transvision Vamp were together and then like a flash, nothing.
For years I was always wondering “where are they now?” or more importantly, where was Wendy now? Well, thanks to the wonders of the internet, and more importantly, that old haunt, Myspace, I managed to track Miss James down for an interview which I featured in issue 11 of Long Gone Loser. To say I was most pleased with the results would be an understatement. Wendy was honest and a good sport about the whole thing. Hell, she even got her label to send me some promos of stuff that she had released since her Transvision Vamp days AND she sent me a signed photo. What a gal!

Before I move onto the news though, take this trip down memory lane…

So, now to the exciting stuff… how surprised was I when I woke up to find that she has been busy working on new music with none other than Iggy and the Stooges axeman, James Williamson? That sounded like something I needed to hear… STAT!

The press releases reads:
On her last solo album, 2010′s critically acclaimed I Came Here To Blow Minds, Wendy James recorded with French indie musicians who shared her passion for NYC punk, Detroit garage and new wave, but now she’s going straight to the source. Working directly with The Stooges’ James Williamson (guitar & bass) and The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos (drums & percussion) the former Transvision Vamp lead singer has created two stunning tracks on her new double-single that capture the urgency and spirit of not only early punk but rock’n’roll in general.
The A-Side is a version of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band’s “You’re So Great,” where Wiliamson’s signature search-and-destroy guitar riffs retain the gasoline-soaked essence of Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith’s original, yet the song is transformed into a high-energy slice of modern power-pop with Wendy’s boyant and soaring vocals throughout the track. The B-Side finds the trio digging deep into Bob Dylan’s vast canon with their own snaky and seductive take on “It’s Alright Ma.”
These two tracks are but an early sneak peek at Wendy’s forthcoming solo album.
Release date for Wendy’s new “You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma” Double-Single to be announced imminently.

Excited yet? You should be! You’re So Great, is a garage great turned power pop gem while the flip is a kickass version of It’s Alright Ma. The sound on both of these songs show a great direction for Miss James and her future endeavours cos seriously, that DJ funky stuff she was doing just wasn’t really her style. But after hearing these two new tracks though, even though they’re both covers, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new album.

Now to the exciting stuff cos no doubt you’re just itching to hear it all, right? Well, you can. She has posted both songs from this single on Soundcloud and you can stream them both right here, right now!
http://longgoneloser.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/growing-up-with-wendy-james-and-now-she-has-a-new-single/

SKOPE MAGAZINE
(online music site) – News posting on the new single featured with Wendy photo.
http://www.skopemag.com/2012/10/09/wendy-james-new-double-single-youre-so-great-its-alright-ma

ALAN CROSS – A JOURNAL OF MUSICAL THINGS
(online music site) – Positive post with “It’s Alright Ma” stream and single art

Artist: Wendy James, “It’s Alright Ma”
Album: Single
This is a kick-ass rendition of Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma.” James brings new life to that rockin 60’s guitar sound that will forever endure, and nails Dylan’s talk-sing style.
Sounds like: Lady Dylan.
Link/Listen/Watch:
http://www.alancross.ca/a-journal-of-musical-things/2012/9/10/more-music-from-the-inbox-10-september-2012.html

THE DADADA
(online music blog) – Positive post with “It’s Alright Ma” audio stream.

Wendy James
“It’s All Right Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” (Bob Dylan cover)
from “You’re So Great” b/w “It’s All Right Ma”
out now on Cobraside

I think most folks agree that the best Dylan cover is Hendrix’s All Around the Watchtower. I believeylan is quoted as saying that he unwittingly wrote it for Hendrix or something like that. Anyway, I dig this cover. It tries a little hard to be cool, but it’s got a great groove. It benefits from a very good backing band.
http://thedadada.com/2012/10/09/the-morning-mail-09-oct-12/

CIRCLE KJ’S BLOG
(online music blog) – Wendy James: Re-Vamp!
http://circlekj.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/wendy-james-re-vamp/

KROQ RADIO / “RODNEY ON THE ROQ”
(Los Angeles Rock Radio)- “You’re So Great” and ” It’s Alright Ma” aired on Rodney Bingenheimer’s show Oct. 8th and posted online.
http://kroq.cbslocal.com/2012/10/08/rodney-on-the-roq-playlist-10812-the-black-keys-the-royalty-the-jigsaw-seen-and-more/

PORTABLE INFINITE
(online music blog) – Second news posting with photos and audio streams.
http://portable-infinite.blogspot.com/2012/10/wendy-james-youre-so-great.html

WMSE / “ZERO HOUR”
(Milwaukee, WI college radio) – “You’re So Great” aired on 10.05.
http://zerohourradio.blogspot.com/2012/10/playlist-for-10512-speak-of-devil.html

LOUDER THAN WAR
(online music site) – Feature/interview with Wendy.

The return of Wendy James- new album with help from the Stooges! an interview
by john robb

Wendy James used to front Transvision Vamp who made some great stomping rock n roll pop single and then Racine who made a darker introspective noise.
Now she is back with an album she made with great Jim Sclavunos from the Bad Seeds and James Williamson the legendary guitar player from the Stooges.

You can listen to the upcoming single here. (it’s out on ITUNES WORLDWIDE TUESDAY 9TH.)

The A-Side is a version of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band’s “You’re So Great,” where Williamson’s signature search-and-destroy guitar riffs retain the gasoline-soaked essence of Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith’s original, yet the song is transformed into a high-energy slice of modern power-pop with Wendy’s buoyant and soaring vocals throughout the track. The B-Side finds the trio digging deep into Bob Dylan’s vast canon with their own snaky and seductive take on “It’s Alright Ma.”

These two tracks are but an early sneak peek at Wendy’s forthcoming solo album.
Release date for Wendy’s new “You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma” Double-Single.

Frankly we are rather excited by this…so we interviewed her…

How did you manage to get such a great band together!

Wendy James : I never have a real plan in my head, except to write songs all the time and over the earlier part of this year I had sat down and written 13 more songs or so for my next album and gradually started to think who I might invite to be the band for the recording of it.
I have two great recent experiences now to pull from: The ‘RACINE’ sessions and also the ‘I CAME HERE TO BLOW MINDS’ sessions. On both of these I used guitarists I would use again in a heartbeat. Henric Strahl from ‘Racine 2′ and Jeremie Orsel from ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’. For touring, I would love to have both of them on stage with me!
Always, since TVV, I find my guitarist first and work out from there: Bass, Drums Keyboards and whoever else I might need… So I was noodling this question at the same time as playing, playing, playing at home and really feeling out the new songs. I knew I’d done well with ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ and I felt pretty much in the groove of things. On this new bunch of songs I had also decided to include a cover version of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band cut ‘You’re So Great’. I’d heard this song some time ago and it always was in my head that I should record it and play it live. Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith really turned out some great songs in that band, along side Scott Morgan, Scott Asheton and Gary Rasmussen and ‘You’re So Great’ really spoke to me as an instant Pop Rock n Roll 3.5 minute classic.
As I was going through these stages I had also met James Williamson around the end of 2011. He and I had been talking quite often, sharing links of videos and generally going back and forth about our musical tastes and so on, and I asked him if he’d heard ‘You’re So Great’ and then about two sentences later I just blurted out “Well, you’d be perfect to play this!” You know: Detroit, Ann Arbor etc and especially as Scott (Asheton) was in SRB and of course is the drummer with James in the Stooges.
He took a listen and dug it and then we evolved the conversation a little more, he looked at his gigging schedule with the Stooges and very quickly it became obvious that the original idea for me to make a whole album and him be part of it at that time was not possible from this schedule, a single session was, however, do-able.
So we pinned down some calendar dates and this of course prompted the next question, if we were going to do ‘You’re So Great’ for one side of the single, then what would go on the other side? Well, James and I are both Bob Dylan freaks and he simply asked me “What’s your favorite Dylan song?” And I replied “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” And James said, “Well let’s do that then” And I said “Cool!” So… much like anything else has happened in my life it all kind of just happens spontaneously and then you know, you follow through…
We needed a drummer and Scott Asheton was my choice originally, of course. He’d played the original and he and James are band-mates, so why not?! But he was incapacitated at the time from a back injury, so James said he’d ask Mike Watt, the Bass player in the Stooges who else might be good and available and local to our time frame and location in Berkeley, California, and I said “Hold on! I know someone who might be perfect for this!” Jim Sclavunos from the Bad Seeds…
Jim and I know each other from London and New York socially and we’d gone as far as having quite a few meetings to discuss working together. I liked not only his skills as a drummer, but also his encyclopedic knowledge of music, references and so on, the kind of little details that just make musicians excited. Tech stuff, trivia stuff, you know, we’re all fans!
I knew Jim went back and forth very regularly between West London and Brooklyn and it was hit or miss whether he would even be in NY at the same time, so I rolled the dice and sure enough he was here that exact week or so. That is literally how it happened. James knew the studio in Berkeley: Fantasy Studios, he said the engineer there Jesse Nichols was superb and indeed he was not wrong! So we booked Fantasy, booked out flights, learned our parts. James and I even had a couple of Skype rehearsals upfront! And then… on whatever day it was, we all turned up! Jim and I flew into Berkeley, James drove in, and we met at the motel we had booked to stay in, which was perfect American drive-by motel, and we got to work!

Great to have you back but where have you been for last few years…

Wendy James : I think it’s fair to say I’ve been here! Building my music. I released in 2010 ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’, which got great reviews and sold enough copies to keep me going! I had the best time recording that album, in Paris, with French Indie players, I loved the whole thing.
We had a very limited budget but we worked our arses off and we used every second available to us to come up with music that was perfect for the songs I’d written and it sounds like it! I think between both ‘RACINE 2′ and ‘I Came Here To Blow Minds’ I have a real handful of strong songs to my name now, plus ‘Racine No.1′ which although is very, very Lo-Fi, still contains some of my favorite songs and means a lot to me as it was demo’d when I still lived in London and speaks to me directly with memories of my place in Ladbroke Grove, W.10 and everything that was going on in my life at that time…
So, you know, basically, I’ve made 3 Solo albums and now the 4th and it seems to me I am growing and improving with each one. My trajectory, I gently suggest, is perhaps going in the opposite direction to most artists who decline as the years go by, I seem to be getting better! I have not scored big radio hits or huge front covers but that is no fault of the songs or myself, it is literally the harsh reality of whether anyone can afford to hire large promo campaigns, radio pluggers, the machine. To have hits you need the machine, now more than ever. And whilst I’ve had the music, I have not had the machine.

Q3. Tell us about the new album – what does it sound like? Were you going for a darker sounding record?

Wendy James : I don’t know ever how to answer these questions! Ok… Rock-a-Billy, Rolling Stones in the late 70′s and No-Wave!! I am a ‘guitar girl’… so from one album to the next I indulge myself in different styles that turn me on and influence me continuously. Whether it’s Country, or Blues, or Garage, Heavy New York or German Noise/Disco, New Wave or even sometimes Heavy Rock…
And this time, perhaps a little bit more Slap-Back echo and Rock-a-Billy thing, and deep dark guitar noise too… Honestly, if the Melody is strong, then usually the song can handle a little rough treatment. And I remember always in the back of my head, the limited technology that the majority of my favorite albums and acts were recorded under. You had to layer and bounce and make distortions and percussions and reverbs in a very basic way, basically you had to ‘Play it’, rather than rely on post production.
James Williamson introduced me to the Funk Brothers and also the Wrecking Crew and man, you know the Beach Boys and Phil Spector and Motown sounds are second to none and they were doing this live and all in one morning session… So I always remember that when I’m writing the songs I have the feel and the intention in the songs rather than in the technology.

Q4. What’s going on lyrically?

Wendy James : Urgh… I started off looking at heartache but it felt too heavy, to introverted, not universal, too self-indulgent. So I pulled back out and tried to have a more worldly view of life you know, rather than myopic.
Make it fun sometimes, keep a light heart, not immerse yourself in your own troubles, picking at old wounds. Just like listening to a friend go on repeatedly about heartbreak, at some point you have to say ‘So do something about it’. So, I backed away from 2 dimensional personal indulgences and kept it more poetic, more something I would like to relate to if I were the listener rather than just exploring my own pain or whatever.
In the vain of great observational humorists and historians like Hunter S. Thompson who are able, miraculously to tell the brutal truth but have it be entertaining too. I’m not claiming by any means to have achieved such a feat! But generally I like writers who are dry, merciless, brutal and clear with their intentions. Whether it’s Shakespeare or H.L. Mencken.
Ha! You learn a lot from the the great satirists, the great writers, they had to have a very removed overview of their writing, in order, somehow to then re-claim it as deeply personal. I was in Paris and a girlfriend recommended me the writing of Guy de Maupassant and so….
I really take pleasure in language and it’s ability to convey a message. I like William Faulkner, I like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain. They take you to the place they are describing, it is journalistic in may ways. They are reporting a thing, that may be something you, the reader, have never experienced first hand, but somehow you understand exactly what the subject is going through. So… Blah Blah… or you know, just make sure it rhymes! I learned that from the Stones! Get your phonetics down!
Q5. Are there any plans to tour the album?

Wendy James : Of course… For the first time, in I dare not say how many years, I think a US tour is brewing and if my hand is lucky enough this time and things flow, I will be able to be on the road for 2013 and deliver performances that of course communicate these songs of mine in the first person. Nothing can ever replace the experience of seeing someone perform. That is when it flies or it doesn’t. I’m a good live performer, I should do it more… And in the end: Musicians play. And I have not not gigged a tour properly for a few years now, and it’s time I do. My only reason for not doing it all the time, is simply having not had the money to pay everyone… But, when you get on a roll, then these issues get taken care of! So, my answer is YES.

Q6. Have these songs been piling up for a few years or was there a sudden moment of inspiration?

Wendy James : It seems I am the kind of writer that writes in a huge outpouring in regular increments. So I purge myself every few months, rather than write everyday. Some people have said I should write everyday, like an author sits down and goes through the motion for a few hours every morning, even if only one line gets written. But there is something in my head that clears space and all these songs come out, and I kind of instinctually know when I have to just sit down and do it…
And it comes out, and it’s ferocious and it goes on for a few weeks and I simply cannot do anything else apart from sleep and eat and then it’s done and I am clear again. It’s weird. I can’t make it happen. But I am going to push myself harder, I am going to try sitting down everyday and actually working like an exercise to improve myself and you know, make my ‘song-writing muscle’ fit! Rather than wait for my moments of outpouring… I am going to structure my life more and have discipline!! I think I need to push myself harder, I need to work even harder and it needs to be a discipline rather than an emotional instinct. It could be interesting to see what comes up when you are just exploring ideas and following a train of thought and pushing beyond a comfort zone. Great and unexpected discoveries might be made! I can’t describe it… I’m just going to do it.
http://louderthanwar.com/blogs/return-wendy-james-new-album-help-stooges-interview/

POP JUSTICE  
(online music site) – News post with single art and two audio streams.
http://www.popjustice.com/forum/threads/27181-Wendy-James-new-double-A-single-You-re-So-Great-It-s-Alright-Ma

EXPECTING RAIN
(online Bob Dylan news site) – Link to listen to “It’s Alright Ma” from When You Motor Away site (Mon. Sep. 24 news post).
http://expectingrain.com/archives.shtml

CULTURE BRATS 
(online music blog) – “You’re So Great ” featured SONG OF WEEK.
http://www.culturebrats.com

CULTURE BRATS  
(online music blog) – “You’re So Great ” featured SONG OF THE DAY.
http://www.culturebrats.com

WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music blog) – Positive news post and “You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma” featured with Wendy photo.

New Detroit Hard Rock Discovery: Wendy James with James Williamson and Jim Sclavunos – “You’re So Great/It’s Alright Ma”
Wendy James, former lead singer of Transvision Vamp is now working with The Stooges’ James Williamson (guitar & bass) and The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos (drums & percussion) on an album and in advance of that, has plans to release a double single consisting of covers of The Rendezvous Band’s “You’re So Great” and Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”. I’ll do a little more research on her solo career, which I will admit I was not aware of, but for now, holy cow! Check out these songs:
“You’re So Great”
Here’s the stream of “It’s Alright Ma”, a really provocative take:
Apparently it was Williamson’s idea for Wendy to pick her favorite Dylan song, and she’s done it right. A good Dylan cover is a great thing
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-detroit-hard-rock-discovery-wendy.html

NO ROCK AND ROLL FUN
(online music blog) – Positive news post and “You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma” featured.

Wendy James: Back, back, back

I know that we shouldn’t be surprised at anyone who has ever released a record, ever, returning by now. But who ever foresaw a Wendy James comeback, much less one partnered by a Stooge (James Williamson) and a Bad Seed (Jim Sclavunos)?

Can you even imagine what it’s going to sound like?

Actually, you don’t have to imagine, as both tracks of the single are available to share through Soundcloud.

Here’s one song, then, You’re So Great:
That’s a cover of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, although it carries a none-more-Wendy-James title.

This is the other side of the double-a sided single, It’s Alright, Ma:

Yes, that’s a Dylan cover in there.

You know, back during the pomp of Transvision Vamp I’d probably not have put money on being so pleased to see Wendy James turn up with a couple of covers in 2012.
http://xrrf.blogspot.com/2012/09/wendy-james-back-back-back.html

89.X RADIO “HANG THE DJ
(Detroit 89.X Radio’s Music blog)
Positive news post and “You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma” featured.

Wendy James – You’re So Great/It’s Alright Ma double single

Wendy James, ex-vocalist for Transvision Vamp, has recorded a double single with the Stooges’ James Williamson and the Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos.  The A-side is a cover of “You’re So Great” (originally by Sonic’s Rendezvous Band) and is backed with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma.” The songs are a taste of what’s to come from James’ new solo album, which is currently in the works.

James decided to cover Sonic’s Rendezvous Band because she’s been a big fan of the Stooges and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith for years:

“I got my chops singing hard and fast pop songs with Transvision Vamp, and when I heard “You’re So Great,” it viscerally hit me that Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith had written the complete essence of what I was good at. I stored the song in the back of my mind, and waited for the right moment to record it. When I met James Williamson the dots connected and we decided instantly to go and do this together… he represents Detroit and Ann Arbor, no-one captures the guitar sound of Michigan like James Williamson does. It’s obvious. It was just a question of who was going to shout ‘1,2,3,4…..'”

A release date for the double single will be announced shortly. In the meantime, both songs are available to stream – “You’re So Great” is posted here and “It’s Alright Ma” is streaming here.

The original version of “You’re So Great” by Sonic’s Rendezvous Band is posted below:
http://www.cristinarocks.com/2012/09/wendy-james-youre-so-greatits-alright.html

SOUNDTRACK4LIFE
(online music blog) – Positive news post with audio links and photo.

Once again Wendy James has come up trumps by collaborating with legendary Stooges guitarist James Williamson and Bad Seeds drummer Jim Sclavunos. She has a brand new Double A-Sided single due out called ‘You’re So Great’ and a stunning cover version of Bob Dylan’s ‘It’s All Right Ma’.
http://soundtrack4life-doogemeister.blogspot.com/2012/09/wendy-james-and-james-williamson-new.html

HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music blog) – News posting (from press announcement) with photos and audio streams.
http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/09/wendy-james-to-release-double-single.html

STRANGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING
(UK music site) – Positive news post with photos and audio stream.
WENDY JAMES TEAMS WITH STOOGE AND BAD SEED FOR NEW SINGLE
As anyone who has visited Strange Things HQ can attest, we love Wendy James here and have done for more years that we can to remember, so news of her latest recordings was always going to make us sit up and pay attention. And when that news reveals she’s been working with members of The Stooges and The Bad Seeds… well, that just makes it all the more exciting.

This new single features a couple of cover versions – Sonic’s Rendezvous Band’s You’re So Great and Bob Dylan’s It’s Alright Ma, and both have The Stooges’ James Williamson on guitar and The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos on drums. These are a preview of Wendy’s forthcoming album, the follow-up to the acclaimed I Came Here to Blow Minds.

You wanna know how good they are? You can listen for yourself here:
You’re So Great 
It’s Alright Ma
http://www.strangethingsarehappening.com/news-wendyjames.html

MUSIC OHM
(online music blog) –  News posting on the new single featured.

Wendy James – You’re So Great / It’s Alright Ma

So that’s Wendy James (from Transmission Vamp) working with James Williamson (from The Stooges) and Jim Sclavunos (from The Bad Seeds and Grinderman), to cover tracks by Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and Bob Dylan.

That is quite a lot of information to take in. But we’ll tell you something for nothing: Dylan has never sounded snottier. There’s something life affirming about what they do to It’s Alright Ma. It’s like someone scrawling a great big moustache on the Mona Lisa.

The change to You’re So Great isn’t quite so enormous, being happy enough in sugar-coating the original to something slightly more poppy without losing the live-fast, die-free, fuck-you sense of nihilistic authenticity.
http://www.musicomh.com/music/features/track-reviews-17-23-sep_0912.htm

ECLECTICBLOGS
(online music blog) –  News posting on the new single featured with Wendy photo.
Wendy James & Street Cred Galore
http://eclectiblogs.webs.com/apps/blog/show/18942574-wendy-james-street-cred-galore

IGGY & THE STOOGES
(official band website) –  News posting on the new single featured.

James Williamson Collaborates With Wendy James On New Double-SingleCheck out James Williamson’s new collaboration with Wendy James — a cover of Sonic’s Rendezvous Band’s “You’re So Great,” where his signature search-and-destroy guitar riffs retain the gasoline-soaked essence of Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith’s original, yet the song is transformed into a high-energy slice of modern power-pop with Wendy’s boyant and soaring vocals throughout the track. The song is Side A of a new double-single. On Side B, both Williamson and James collaborated with The Bad Seeds’ Jim Sclavunos for a version of Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma.”Have a listen, have a look – all here: http://ymlp.com/zkkp2R
http://www.iggyandthestoogesmusic.com/us/news/james-williamson-collaborates-wendy-james-new-double-single

FROM THE BURRO
(weekly podcast show) –  “You’re So Great” single featured in their “Episode 168 – Intentionally, explicitly, and Comprehensively” podcast. Links to Wendy’s Facebook page.
http://www.fromtheburro.com/2012/09/episode-168-intentionally-explicitly.html

UBER ROCK
(UK online music site) – News posting with photo.
http://www.uberrock.co.uk/news-updates/99-september-news-updates/6060-james-williamson-of-the-stooges-to-guest-on-new-wendy-james-single.html

PORTABLE INFINITE
(online music blog) – News posting with photos and audio streams.
http://portable-infinite.blogspot.com/2012/09/wendy-james-youre-so-greatits-alright-ma.html

GOOD READS
(Alexander Laurence’s online music blog) – News posting with photos and audio streams.
http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3010460-wendy-james-you-re-so-great-it-s-alright-ma

MUSIC INDUSTRY NETWORK
(online music industry site) – News posting with photos and audio streams. (ALSO POSTED AS THEIR HOMEPAGE NEWS FEATURE STORY ON 9/22)
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=157671

NASHVILLE SCENE – Critic’s Pick …The Delta Routine & Allie Bencar

Modernizing garage rock is a tricky business. A band that goes for melodicism can fall into the capacious power-pop category, while groups that favor guitar interaction can seem one-dimensional. From Milwaukee, The Delta Routine avoid both extremes on their new full-length, Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares, and the result is exemplary rock ’n’ roll with overtones of Mott the Hoople and The Rolling Stones circa “Downtown Suzie.”  Vocalist Nick Amadeus sings about girls in a hurry who look like they’re from St. Joe, Mo., and other weighty matters, while guitarist Victor Buell IV provides licks that reference everything from country music to Keith Richards-style rhythm-guitar moves.  “Don’t Wanna Let You Down” may be Cigarettes’ catchiest track, but I love “Around Your Neck,” which steals its hook from Louis Jordan’s pre-rock song “Caldonia.” This is a band in control, and all the more rocking for it.—EDD HURT
http://nashvillescene.getn2.it/event/detail/1492201

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL (Milwaukee daily) – “Switchblade” featured Video Of The Day Nov. 9th.
Milwaukee band Delta Routine lands video of the day on AOL’s Spinner
By Piet Levy
A couple weeks back, Milwaukee garage rockers The Delta Routine released a video for its reverb-cutting single “Switchblade” from its new album “Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares,” and on Thursday it made its way to Video of the Day status at AOL’s music site Spinner.com.

“It’s a song about fighting against the man, and not letting him keep you down,” frontman Nick Amadeus told Spinner. “I guess you could say the mood of America kinda dictated this one.”

In honor of this selection, we’ll go ahead and declare the below video for Switchblade Tuned In’s Video of the Day as well. And click here to catch a couple of performances from the band paid a visit to the Tap Milwaukee studios for our Sound Check series.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/178006281.html

BERKELEY PLACE BLOG  (Berkeley, CA based music blog) – Brief positive album review.
DELTA ROUTINE-Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares
Remember Jet?  They had some cool songs, like “Cold Hard Bitch.”  And remember The Black Crowes before they became heavy blues and Train back when they were rock?  Well, if those are happy memories then Delta Routine is for you.

Their third album, Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares, is a collection of hook heavy, hard charging anthems. The fast ones are definitely way better than the slow ones, but the album hangs tightly together.  I’m betting you’ll dig it.
http://berkeleyplaceblog.com/tag/indie-rock/

PLUG IN MUSIC (online music site) – Positive post with Don’t Wanna Let You Down mp3, band photo, tour dates, “Switchblade” mp3 and related link.
The Delta Routine – “Don’t Wanna Let You Down”
Guitar, drums, Hammond organ, and a bluesy vocal: The Delta Routine clearly love their rock n’ roll. Taken from their new album, “Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares,” this track nods appreciatively at the likes of The Rolling Stones, Oasis, and The Strokes whilst ensuring they don’t just sound like copycats. Fun and shamelessly danceable, “Don’t Wanna Let You Down” is a song that begs for a boogie, so why not just give in and take a listen with our free download. – Christopher Heppinstall
http://www.pluginmusic.com/freemusic/delta-routine

FROM THE BURRO (online music podcast show) – “Oh No” added to their “Episode 171” podcast.

ADOBE & TEARDROPS (online music blog) – Positive album review with album art and relatedlinks
The Delta Routine — Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares
The Delta Routine’s third album begins with a bold promise: “I won’t waste your time.”

And the band delivers. Clocking in at 35 minutes, Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares is a kick in the pants of blues rock, garage rock, power pop, and America. Brash and irresistibly fun, The Delta Routine refuses to allow you to be in a bad mood by the time the last notes on “People Like You” ring out.
You don’t want to sleep on this album. The Delta Routine is here to stay. Hopefully it’s only a matter of time before they get the appreciation and following they so richly deserve.

Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares
New York Avenue
Oh, No
http://adobeandteardrops.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-delta-routine-cigarettes-and.html

THE LANTERN (Columbus, OH college weekly) – Feature interview to preview show.
Milwaukee-based band The Delta Routine seeks ‘change-up’ in Columbus
By Alex Casola
The Delta Routine has graced several stages with its rock ‘n’ roll, but the band isn’t so familiar with Columbus — and its about to change that this weekend.

The Milwaukee-based group is scheduled to perform in Columbus 7 p.m. Sunday at Scarlet & Grey Café.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Nick Amadeus said the band is looking forward to the Columbus tour stop and the fresh audience to come with it. He added the band has toured through parts of Ohio before but is excited to tour elsewhere in the state.

“Cleveland was a little bit weird,” Amadeus said, laughing. “We wanted a change-up.”

Amadeus also said The Delta Routine has drawn some of its influences from rock band Hero Jr., an Indianapolis-based band that is touring with The Delta Routine. Columbus-based band Up All Nights is also scheduled to perform with the groups at Scarlet & Grey Sunday.

Comprised of Amadeus, keyboardist and vocalist Al Kraemer, guitarist and vocalist Victor Buell IV, bassist and vocalist Evan Paydon and drummer Kyle Ciske, The Delta Routine has had numerous lineup changes in members and instruments since its formation seven years ago. Amadeus said the band found some of its current members by chance at a fashion show.

Another important part of the group though is its producer Mike Hoffman, who came across the band due to being a family friend of Amadeus. He’s been with the band from the group’s release of its self-titled debut album in 2007 up to its fourth and most recent release “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares” Oct. 9.

“Nick and the guys are very driven, inspired chaps. You know, the only kind I’ll work with,” Hoffman said in an email. “You gotta have rocket fuel in your veins if you’re gonna go anywhere. These guys are tanked up and ready to launch, always.”

Referring to The Delta Routine’s music as rock ‘n’ roll with a bit of a pop element, Amadeus said he normally tries to take the lead on the songwriting aspect of albums by laying down some lyrics, then getting the main beat. He said, however, the band’s last album was a collaborative effort from the group.

Brett Ruland, owner of Spoonful Records located at 116 E. Long St., said the rock scene is still very popular in Columbus and the turnout at The Delta Routine’s show should be pretty large.

“That genre always sells well,” Ruland said. “Indie and rock are the bestsellers here.”

Although Ruland said he has never heard of The Delta Routine, he said he’s open to listening to its music and getting himself and others in the rock ‘n’ roll scene familiar with it.

Scarlet and Grey is located at 2203 N. High St. and will charge a $5 to $10 cover charge at the door for Sunday’s show.
http://www.thelantern.com/a-e/milwaukee-based-band-the-delta-routine-seeks-change-up-in-columbus-1.2943464#.UJPEb4XORFQ

WMSE RADIO / THE SHAPE OF ROCK (WMSE show’s online music site) – Switchblade video featured with brief positive post.
The Delta Routine Release a New Video
Milwaukee’s The Delta Routine have a new album due out on October 9th titled Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares.  Not only can you check out the first single “Switchblade” over at their Bandcamp page but they have release a video for the song as well.
http://theshapeofrock.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-delta-routine-release-new-video.html

FREQUENCY (online music site) – Switchblade video featured
http://theshapeofrock.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-delta-routine-release-new-video.html

THE ONION A.V. CLUB (Milwaukee weekly) – Sweet-n-sour review of new video.
Check your irony at the door with the video for The Delta Routine’s “Switchblade” by Matt Wild October 31, 2012

While the rest of the state continues to get in touch with its inner bearded troubadour (to great acclaim, we might add), Milwaukee’s Delta Routine has been taking the opposite approach. The group’s bawdy, boozy, meat-and-potatoes guitar-rock is miles removed from the flannels-and-fawns set, and has led to a surprisingly strong local following. That unabashed populism may put some listeners off, but the band’s undeniable ear for a hook puts it above the usual bar-band fray, and the new Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares is good, sexy fun.

The band’s latest video continues that tradition of deeply un-ironic rock. “Switchblade” has been given the hallowed “concert-footage” treatment that many will remember as the approach favored by ’80s hair bands looking to crank out a quick second or third video. The clip was shot at The Hotel Foster, and features lead singer Nick Amadeus and company rocking out (dig the light-up mic stand!) amidst countless grainy shots of the mostly female crowd going bananas. And yes, there’s plenty of “goofing around backstage” footage to keep things fun. Eat your heart out, Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive.”
http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/check-your-irony-at-the-door-with-the-video-for-th,83378/

ONMILWAUKEE (Milwaukee online A&E site) – Positive feature story.
Getting into The Delta Routine
The Delta Routine hits the road this week, touring along the East Coast and beyond.
Last year, Milwaukee quintet The Delta Routine won the WAMI for best alternative act. But that’s something of a misnomer. While the band, fronted by singer and guitarist Nick Amadeus, has a sound all its own, its rooted in rock and roll tradition.

Pop in the band’s just-released third disc, “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares,” and you’ll hear the blues-infused rock of the Rolling Stones and the swagger of The Faces, but also the catchy riffs and melodies of The Strokes.

So, rather than letting their influences pin them down as revivalists of a specific era, The Delta Routine instead parses a few decades of rock and roll history into a thoroughly modern sound that is familiar enough to grab listeners.

That style has earned the band a number of honors. We talked to Amadeus about those awards, about the new record and about the band’s upcoming tour through the Midwest and the East Coast …

OnMilwaukee.com: You guys had a really good year in 2011, winning band of the year from 88Nine and the best alternative artist WAMI. Did that change things for the band at all in terms of bookings and how you were seen here at home and beyond?

Nick Amadeus: Definitely! Probably more at home than beyond. Things seem to be getting a little easier in respect to booking. We are currently doing our own booking, but are in talks with a few agents right now about getting on a roster. The awards are definitely a nice little addition to the resume.

OMC: Has it led to interest in terms of labels or management outside of Milwaukee?

NA: As far as the awards are concerned, I think they were more about our rep up here in Wisconsin. With this new record we really didn’t have to jump up and down waving our hands to get the press and industry up here to notice what we were doing, which is nice. Now we’re just jumping up and down waving our hands trying to get the rest of the country to catch on. The big national push just started, in regards to the new record, and I’m very eager to see what pops up after everyone gets a chance to hear it.

OMC: Did it put pressure on you in terms of the third record? Did you ever have a moment of doubt and maybe fear that you wouldn’t be able to meet the new expectations for the band?

NA: Well, at the time we won the 88.9 award, in early march 2012, we were in the process of losing our guitar player, and it really felt like we might be done. It definitely didn’t feel like we were the “Band of the Year” at that moment. And in my head I said, “uh oh, now we gotta really step it up.” But by the time the WAMI’s came in the middle of April we had our new lineup, adding Victor Buell IV on guitar and Al Kraemer on organs, and were already in the process of recording the new album.

Our first show with the new lineup was at the WAMI awards weekend up in Appleton, and after we got done with our set, me and our bass player (Evan Paydon) looked at each other and said, “I finally feel like I’m in the band of the year.” Any pressure that came from the awards was replaced with excitement to get the new album out and get back to work.

OMC: Tell us a bit about making “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares.” It was recorded here and in Illinois, is that correct?

NA: Yeah, half of the album was recorded in our Riverwest studio in Milwaukee, and the other half was recorded at an old factory in Barrington, Ill. Most of the tracks done up here were engineered, produced and mixed by me. The tracks done in Illinois were engineered, produced and mixed by Mike Hoffmann.

The two sessions couldn’t have been more different. Up here in Milwaukee we tracked everything individually, starting with the drums and guitars and so on, until we had the final product. In Illinois, we pretty much got everything we needed doing live takes, only going back to overdub a few back up vocals and a few other little things.

OMC: The response has been good to the record so far, hasn’t it?

NA: Yes, seems to be going pretty well. We released our first single off the record “Switchblade” at the beginning of august and the response was great. All the hype is pretty new for us, and I’m just trying to soak it all in. I’m still waiting for the first bad review, heh, getting myself mentally prepared.

OMC: After your Stonefly show, you hit the road. Tell us about the tour. Is it your first time hitting a lot of these places? What are the expectations?

NA: Well, we can’t wait to hit the road. Our stops include, Minneapolis, Louisville, Nashville, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Philadelphia, New York City, St. Louis. Most of the dates are part of a two week stint out to the east coast with our favorite band in the world, Hero Jr., out of Indianapolis.

We’ve been to most of these cities already, but this is the first time with a real PR campaign set up and also the first time we’re doing a whole tour with another band. Expectations are high, as is moral. After we finish this up we’re going to try and hit the west coast and south this winter/spring, as well as get back in the studio for another album.
http://onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/deltaroutinecigarettes.html?31612

MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG (=online music blog) – Positive review
Song : The Delta Routine : Switchblade
It’s a typical story.

Three clean-cut, well-mannered boys form a band in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They start boozin’, smokin’, and getting their hearts broken. The sounds that emit from their escapades keep getting better; bolstered by frequent shows at Milwaukee’s Up & Under Pub. By the time The Delta Routine put out a third album, Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares, they’re getting more widely known for gritty, blues-based garage rock. And they’ve morphed from the original trio into a five-piece: Nick Amadeus (lead vox/rhythm guitar), Victor Buell (lead guitar), Evan Paydon (bass), Kyle Ciske (drums), and Al Kraemer (keyboards).

All the better to blow your house down.

I like that story. The part about the original trio being clean-cut is just a cliche, based on general experiences of nice Midwesterners who’ve migrated to California. It can be disregarded.

Although my favorite album track is “I Don’t Wanna Let You Down,” the album’s first single is “Switchblade.” Victor Buell’s getting the same tone Keith Richards had circa two of my early Stones faves, “Rock ‘n’ Rolling Stones” and “No Stone Unturned”. Not too shabby.
http://www.myoldkentuckyblog.com/?p=35791

SHEPHERD EXPRESS
(Milwaukee weekly) – Positive feature/interview with band photo to preview Record Release Show.

Delta Routine Ups the Ante
By Joshua Miller

When Milwaukee band Delta Routine received the WAMI Award for Alternative Artist of the Year this spring—on top of being named 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s Band of the Year last year—they had just gone through a lineup change with a new guitarist and the addition of an organ player. While something like that might throw off the dynamics of some bands, the group’s new full-length, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares, shows the band hitting their stride like never before.

Lead singer Nick Amadeus, bass player Evan Paydon and drummer Kyle Ciske were joined by new guitarist Victor Buell IV and organ player Al Kraemer this March, and that lineup was immediately put to the test at their first performance in April, at the aforementioned WAMI Awards Show. Amadeus thinks they passed that test exceptionally well.

“I’m a big believer in fate, and this is one of the cases it really shined because these guys came in and fit so well,” Amadeus says. “Both of the guys are great guys and were a breath of fresh air when they came in the band.”

The addition of organ proved to be a revelation for Amadeus, who had thought adding a fifth member would just “create all this extra noise that we’d have to fight with.” On the contrary, though, Kraemer’s playing has helped open up space in the songs rather than fill it.

“It brings a whole new frequency up high above the rest of the band that opens up space and air, which I think is extremely important in a band’s sound,” Amadeus says.

That new dynamic came out during the recording of the latest album. The band traverses both the rock and pop spectrums. Early ’70s rock, garage rock, pop and even some Americana are just a few of the jumping-off points for the 11 songs on the album, creating a diverse collection of catchy melodies and easily relatable lyrics on topics like love, determination and struggle.

About half of Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares was recorded at the band’s Riverwest studio while the rest took place in an abandoned factory in Barrington, Ill., an opportunity that producer Mike Hoffmann helped to arrange.

The band had recorded a lot of their older material at Hoffmann’s studio in Bay View, but this time they wanted to step a bit out of their comfort zone. Amadeus mixed and engineered the studio half of the album, a stressful but ultimately productive experience.

Recording at the factory and getting Hoffmann to handle more of the technical work was a comparably easier process. The band recorded five songs live, taking advantage of the high ceiling of the factory. After a full day of work, the band let off steam with a fun night in Barrington and spent a rather interesting night sleeping on the factory’s floor (“I think I saw a rat run past me,” Amadeus says). Probably a little hung-over the next morning, the band got coffee and did one more take of the songs.

“It was a crazy experience, and we were only there for a day and a half,” Amadeus says. “We didn’t know those would be the takes we’d use, but when we got back to Milwaukee and listened, we were like, ‘Whoa, those Sunday morning takes sound really good.’”

As opposed to the structured setting of the studio, the factory experience was more in the moment. Amadeus spent the trip south writing the lyrics for the single “Switchblade.”

Though, like their lineup change, the recording sessions for the album were a relatively painless experience, the band understands that not everything comes so easily.

“I’m just trying to stay on two feet,” Amadeus says. “Things are looking a lot better for us, but I’m working a lot harder. There’s a lot of busy work managing the band. With success comes a lot more work, knowing that you have to put in the hours and pay the dues—and that’s really what’s coming up next.”

Delta Routine plays an album release show Thursday, Oct. 11, at Hotel Foster with Hero Jr. and We Are Your Father.
http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-19928-delta-routine-ups-the-ante.html

THE ONION A.V. CLUB
(Milwaukee weekly) – Positive B+ album review with album art and band photo.

The Delta Routine – Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares
by Matt Wild October 9, 2012

It wasn’t all that long ago that poppy, blues-infused garage-rock blared forth from every 30 GB MP3 player in the country. Bands like The Hives, The Vines, and other “The” groups saturated the mainstream music landscape, all of them dutifully worshiping at the temple that The White Stripes and The Strokes built. Milwaukee’s The Delta Routine missed that first round of retro-revival, but it has no qualms about arriving to the party a decade too late. On its third full-length album, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares, the band serves up 11 fat-free slices of hooky, slithery, and perfectly pitched tunes that wouldn’t be out of place in the early ’00s—or the ’70s that inspired those early ’00s. It’s an unabashedly enjoyable collection from one of Milwaukee’s most unabashedly populist bands.

Much of the credit goes to frontman Nick Amadeus, whose Liam Gallagher-esque vocals infuse Cigarettes & Caffeine with an agreeably snotty swagger. Opener “Waste Your Time” is a driving force of bar-band nature, while the chugging “Switchblade” offers up a fist-pumping, “Give ’em fire, give ’em hell” chorus. “Rachael St. Joe” finds the group hewing its closest to the scuffed-up grit of The White Stripes, and winning closer “People Like You” mixes things up with some unexpected glockenspiel. At its best, the album is good, sexy fun, though it does occasionally fall into a Fratellis pit of obnoxiousness. (A little bit of the title track’s insistent sing-along chorus goes a long way.) Those few moments aside, Cigarettes & Caffeine is a big step up from 2011’s More About You, and finds The Delta Routine up to its ears in songs so exceedingly well-crafted that it’s easy to ignore the time warp and simply enjoy the present.

(The Delta Routine celebrates the release of Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares Thursday, Oct. 11 at The Hotel Foster.)
http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/the-delta-routine-cigarettes-caffeine-nightmares,83168/

WUWM RADIO
(Milwaukee public radio) Live in-studio session Wed. Oct. 10at 8:30pm (cst
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/wuwm_at_nite/

KNUCKLER RUMBLER
(online music site) – Positive 4 star album review with album art.

Review: Delta Routine – Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares
Milwaukee’s Delta Routine released Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares today, October 9th, their third full-length album. Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares is packed full with genres; power-pop, punk, classic rock, some type of underwater 50’s distortion rock, and even a little Americana that bleeds into post-punk garage. Delta Routine blends these genres together seamlessly, creating noise like a cross between Spoon and The Stokes.

There is an epileptic-hipster-shakes dance urge applied to the majority of the album. Sure, there is the patent ballad, with “I Wait Alone”, along with the super-short and sexually charged ditty, “Back To Bed”; but the majority of the record is spent in a distorted rock haze. Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares opens with “Waste Your Time” where front-man Nick Amadeus sings, “I don’t want what I had before, baby”, a stellar opening line to preface the listener for the unique sound that is showcased in Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares. “New York Avenue” highlights the Brit Pop sound of the album, neatly tucked into the folds as Track 7. The record ends with Amadeus prophesizing the future of the band, “It’s not like me to be so crazy; people like you, well they don’t phase me” on “People Like You”. The end result is a return to the play button to hear the album all over again. Delta Routine is sure to go far with this ballsy attitude.

Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares is a delightful rock album that holds grunge by the hand yet spanks Brit Pop. Delta Routine have created a wonderful third record that will sure to be a cult favorite amongst the seedy bars of major musical cities. Show Delta Routine a little love and visit their website to find out more info about the newest release and if they’ll be hitting your city on their fall tour.
http://knucklerumbler.com/2012/10/review-delta-routine-cigarettes-caffeine-nightmares/

MILWAUKEE MAGAZINE
(Milwaukee monthly) – Album review with band photo.

Album Review: The Delta Routine – Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares
More of the same in latest from one of area’s most popular acts BY Tyler Maas 10/8/2012
As the reigning Milwaukee Band Of The Year (per an 88Nine listener poll) with a WAMI award to its credit and songs featured in a pair of Brewers and Packers tailgate-themed Miller Lite TV spots, The Delta Routine must have done at least few things right up to this point. So it’s only fitting for the band’s third album, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares, to be nestled in the same comfortable, well-liked niche already occupied by its predecessors.

The Delta Routine’s latest kicks the doors open with boisterous opener “Waste Your Time,” which marks the first of 11 such efforts. Seeming to draw influence from a myriad of rock ‘n’ roll mainstays that range anywhere from Jet to Oasis to The Black Keys to early Rolling Stones (among others), The Delta Routine’s, uh, routine is laid out early and followed to a tee. That pattern is expressed in a clear-cut string of fuzzy, guitar-driven efforts, each lathered in a thick coat of singer Nick Amadeus’ distorted vocals and a steady diet of “bops” and “woos” sprinkled throughout.

Almost every song on Cigarettes could act as a sturdy single (save for sub-two-minute “Back To Bed” and “Around Your Neck”), but with so many similar-sounding tracks vying to bend the listener’s ear, the album begins to blend together at times. The rare departure comes by way of “New York Avenue,” a buried breather from the jangly rock throwbacks. The song shows a subdued side of the band, complete with string accompaniment and a true introduction to new organ player Al Kraemer.

As “Oh, no” brings “New York Avenue” to a dead end, normalcy is restored as smattering of “alrights” and “c’mons” again, get feet stomping toward the album’s conclusion. Really, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares is chock full of reincarnations of retro rock ‘n’ roll greats, as well as functional renditions of modern alt-rock heavy-hitters. The album is fun and would translate exceptionally well to a live setting, but it’s not a particularly bold artistic venture. Fans of The Delta Routine – of which there seem to be many – will find more of the same with the band’s latest effort. Fortunately for them, that seems to be enough.
http://www.milwaukeemag.com/article/1082012-AlbumReviewTheDeltaRoutineCigarettesCaffeineNightmares

FARONHEIT
(online Chicago music blog) – “Don’t Wanna Let You Down” mp3 added to their “10/12/12 Pick Your Poison” feature.
http://faronheit.com/2012/10/pick-your-poison-wednesday-10-10-12/

WIPZ RADIO
(Kenosha, WI college radio) The Delta Routine live unplugged lunchtime session (12:45pm) followed by a 2pm studio visit (interview and spins).

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL
(Milwaukee, WI daily) – Brief positive show preview.

THE DELTA ROUTINE CD Launch Party tonight! A great Milwaukee band at a great Milwaukee bar launching a new cd.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/173513191.html

ROCKSPOSURE
(Milwaukee online music site) – Positive album review.

When I picked the Delta Routine’s “More About You” as one of the ten best records of last year, I worried that I also might be penning a premature obituary for one of my favorite bands. How in the hell were they going to replace co-writer and lead guitarist Kevin Topel, one of the most exciting virtuosos in Milwaukee rock, whose lusty, palpitating riffs played the part of the curvy temptress driving singer-songwriter Nick Amadeus through a boom-bust cycle of sweaty desire and lonely heartbreak? What’s Mick without Keith? Bono without the Edge? Thom without the Greenwoods? Amadeus without Topel?

The title track off new record “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares” is the kind of song I worried the Delta Routine might not be able to pull off any more, and happily, I was wrong: it bop-bops to life with what I take for a sing-a-long wink of serial infidelity, then shuffles itself into a funky, stuttering groove, and finally busts out of its self-destructive lovers’ rut with a classic Delta Routine rush of drums and guitars careening after each other. Yes, like its predecessor, “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares” is a break-up record, although it sounds like the irresistible women torturing Amadeus’s every waking songwriterly moment have more to do with that than the lineup change —  Topel makes a couple cameos and by all accounts departed amicably to focus on his work in the Ragadors. And while I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few extra measures crying out for one of Topel’s frantic gallops up and down the frets, I also can’t say I listened to “Waste Your Time,” “Rachael St. Joe” or “Around Your Neck” and thought they were anything but top shelf Delta Routine blues pop, with Amadeus’ whiskey-throated hound still getting his vulnerable romantic into trouble, and the music navigating the wobbly territory in between.

Instead, to the band’s credit, what makes “Cigarettes” stand out from previous Delta Routine records isn’t who’s missing so much as what’s new: “Switchblade” throbbing with the violent menace of Evan Paydon’s bass line and Kyle Ciske’s drums; Al Kraemer’s keys prancing around “Don’t Wanna Let You Down”; Kraemer’s organ and Peter Thomas’ cello adding Jon Brion pomp to Amadeus’ lonely stroll down “New York Avenue”; Amadeus’ bare vocals on “I Wait Alone,” his bandmates stepping in one-by-one to lift him up.

Call it necessity, call it reinvention, call it evolution — the hows and whys fade from thought when you’re hearing hooks this good, experiments this surprising, and a singer this addicted to pleasures and wary of the pains. Which is to say that “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares” is, to my relief, a real, honest to God Delta Routine record.

Catch the Delta Routine’s album release party at Hotel Foster, Thursday October 11th.
http://www.rocksposure.com/artist-of-the-month.html

THE ROYAL PURPLE
(Whitewater college weekly) – Feature interview with The Delta Routine’s Nick & Hero Jr.’s Evan with band photos to preview Whitewater show.

Two bands unite to perform at local bar

Pumper’s and Mitchell’s, in downtown Whitewater, is a popular spot for UW-Whitewater students hoping to have a good time.

At 9 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 13, the bands The Delta Routine, of Milwaukee, and Hero Jr., of Indianapolis, will travel to Whitewater for a performance at the bar.

Students and community members who are fans of alternative rock and pop will not want to miss out on this show.

The Delta Routine consists of Nick Amadeus on vocals and guitar, Al Kraemer on keyboards and vocals, Victor Buell IV on guitar and vocals, Evan Paydon on bass and vocals and Kyle Ciske on drums.

Members of The Delta Routine have been together for seven years.

Amadeus, The Delta Routine’s front man, said the band formed when he and Ciske decided to put a drum set and a guitar together on an old rug in a basement.

The band just released their third studio album titled “Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares.” Amadeus said fans should expect something different out of this new album.

In this album, the band mixed genres to blend the musical tastes of all members.

Amadeus said he is “expecting nothing but the best” when the band plays at Pumper’s and Mitchell’s.

“I love small bars with too many people, and this should be one of those nights,” Amadeus said.

Amadeus said it gets lonely being on tour, but Hero Jr. is there to help The Delta Routine keep going.

Hero Jr. is comprised of Evan Haughey on lead vocals and guitar, Dave DuBrava on bass and vocals, Ken Rose on guitar and Matthew Haughey on drums and vocals.

The band started three years ago in a studio space in Indianapolis where the Haughey brothers played together.

Evan Houghey said the band came together “when Matthew came in on drums. We wouldn’t let him get a real job after college, and he lost his future and three-piece suits.”

Even though they have been together for three years, the band didn’t officially form an identity until June of this year. This is when Rose came into the picture.

“Ken came over from London, and we hid his return ticket under the sofa, so he is still here. Amazing we can all function together like brothers from different mothers,” Evan Haughey said.

Hero Jr.’s first full-length album called “Backup Plan” will debut on Oct. 23.

Evan Haughey said the band is excited to perform in Whitewater again. He said they are hoping for “good beer and maybe a bag of chips, and the opportunity to explode on the Whitewater scene.”
http://royalpurplenews.com/?p=8414

SHEBOYGAN PRESS
(Sheboygan daily) – Brief show preview with band photo.

Green Room Pub hosts rock bands
Rock bands The Delta Routine and Hero Jr. are touring together and will be performing at The Green Room Pub, 911 Indiana Ave., Sheboygan, at 9 p.m. Oct. 14.

The Delta Routine hails from Milwaukee and is touring in support of its third studio album, “Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares” (which comes out on Tuesday). Indianapolis-based Hero Jr. is playing in support of its full-length debut, “Backup Plan” (which comes out on Oct. 23).
http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20121004/SHE04/310040213/Sheboygan-County-Arts-Entertainment-Update

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
(Milwaukee daily) – Positive album review to preview Record Release Show.

The Delta Routine – Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares
By Piet Levy
“I won’t waste your time now,” Delta Routine frontman Nick Amadeus sings with his Liam Gallagher-esque vocals on the opening track. He’s true to his word. At 32 minutes, the album is mercifully low on fat but thrills all the same with warped organ and guitar reverb snarls on “Switchblade.” Likewise, “Around Your Neck” does its bluesy, White Stripes-like, swagger-soaked thing in less than two minutes’ time. (Album available Tuesday on Amazon and iTunes.)

CD release party: 9 p.m. Thursday, Hotel Foster, 2028 E. North Ave. $10, includes CD. Contact Piet Levy at plevy@journalsentinel.com.
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/local-beat-qe6u8aj-172663161.html

SHOW ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT
(UK music blog) – Positive album review with band photo and album art.

ALBUM REVIEW: The Delta Routine, Cigarettes And Caffeine Nightmares
TITLE: Cigarettes And Caffeine Nightmares
BAND: The Delta Routine
LABEL: Unsigned
RELEASED: October 9th 2012

Ever wondered what an American Oasis would sound like? Look no further than The Delta Routine! Frontman Nick Amadeus’ distinctive vocals could easily be from north-west England, so it’s actually a surprise to learn that he’s from Milwaukee! Of course, the Gallagher comparison is there but there is a lot more to the album and indeed the band than that. They provide a whole scope of musical genres on their third album, Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares, which is released tomorrow.

Kicking things off with Waste Your Time, the Americana starts in the riffs. The Britpop vocals add a roughness to the backing, giving it that dirty edge. The opening track could easily be the theme for a modern sitcom, British or American. Another Britpop track is the title track, Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares, which definitely has a touch of the swinging 60s to it. In fact, a lot of the album is a blast from the past with the retro trend continuing right until the end.

With tracks such as new single Switchblade, Rachael St. Joe and Around Your Neck all giving a nod to the rock ‘n’ roll of the 60s. Switchblade epitomises exactly what the album is about with a perfect blend of retro riffs and Arctic Monkeys-esque rhythms. The drum solo towards the end would no doubt captivate a live audience and even creates an atmosphere through earphones.

Spanning not just decades but also genres, Rachael St. Joe has a country theme that could only come from a true American band. The perfect merging of country with rock ‘n’ roll is something that has been done before but The Delta Routine really show us how it’s done here. Around Your Neck reminds me of The Kinks and with the punk vocals, it’s got a lot of attitude. There are a more than a few air guitar moments too, making it an ideal track to rock out to.

Upbeat and lively appear to be what The Delta Routine do best, as it’s shown again in Oh, No, which is backed up by alternative guitars. With a catchy chorus and get-up-and-dance vibe, it’s one of the happiest tracks on the record. Adding the suave is New York Avenue with its funky synths and echoes of New York, New York over the signature Oasis vocals.

Things slow down a bit on I Wait Alone, a tragic love song about a lover who is waiting around for someone who is already in love with someone else. The croaky vocals aren’t as strong as they are on the other tracks but the song really stands out on the album. Don’t Wanna Let You Down is a more chilled blues number with a pop melody, while Back To Bed has indie vocals and a silent movie piano backing. These tracks are all highlights, due to their originality and the fact they show diversity within the band’s talents.

Closing on a quirky number, People Like You with its tinkling background leaves you with the lasting impression that the five-piece are no ordinary group. They’re by no means taking the obvious route in their songs and their last song incorporates acapella, interesting instrumentals and indie, which is not unlike Dundee band, The View.

If you love a mixture of 60s rock ‘n’ roll, angsty punk and modern day indie, then this is definitely an album you’ll love. The Delta Routine are touring the States with Hero Jr, who I’ve also written extensively about but they should hopefully be coming over to the UK soon.
http://showmesomethingdifferent.com/2012/10/08/album-review-the-delta-routine-cigarettes-and-caffeine-nightmares/

MUSIC EYEZ
(UK music blog) – Positive album review with band photo and tour dates.

Album Review: The Delta Routine Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares

The retro rock band The Delta Routine have released today their third album ‘Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares’.  This precedes their US tour, kicking off in their home town of Milwaukee.
Cigarettes & Caffiene Nightmares by The Delta Routine

If you haven’t heard of this band yet think late 60’s into the 70’s rock n’ roll (Bolan and Stones) and for most tracks you are there.

The 11 track album blasts off with the energetic ‘Waste Your Time’ a number reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones.  Following this is the equally energetic (yet weaker for me) ‘Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares’.  The third track takes you in a different much more contemporary direction ‘I Wait Alone’ –cool and bluesy, I loved this track and the way the old school guitar riffs melded with the singing.  Another great track is ‘Switchblade’.  Then there is a tack that I really enjoyed ‘Don’t Wanna Let You Down’ with some great vocals, keyboards and guitar – the vocals have a spooky Oasis like quality but the rest of the music is twenty years earlier. ‘Back To Bed’ is a simple one minute space filler that could have been built into a full track and feels a little bit of a waste.  Then comes ‘New York Avenue’ my favourite track on the album, nothing dated on this one, just a really nice well put together piece that is really commercial (but listen to the clever guitar work in the background…) – you’ll want to play this one again and again.  Then with ‘Oh No’ you are plunged back into good old rock and roll with organ, guitars and a pretty catchy tune.  Two more good rock tracks then follow ‘Rachael St Joe’ and ‘Around Your Neck’. The final track was the pretty average ‘People Like You’ which to be frank would have been better not on the album and would not have been missed.

The album cover is pretty cool too – I would swear that I had the same carpet back in the 80’s.  ‘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.

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-realised band with their own distant voice in an all too homogenised rock scene. Overall a good third album and worth adding to your collection if you like rock music and your heart is in the early 70’s of that genre.
http://musiceyz.co.uk/2012/10/08/cigarettes-caffiene-nightmares-by-the-delta-routine-album-review/

LOCAL PLAYLIST
(Milwaukee music blog) – Positive album review.

“Anyone can wear the jacket, only they can wear the coat” An Inside Look at The Delta Routine’s Upcoming Album “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares”
Gone are the days when we had to rely solely on the radio to hear our favorite band’s newest song before the album’s release.  In this time of almost instant gratification, the internet allows us immediate access, but it also floods the music industry with a lot of mediocre, one-hit wonders. This is why I’m grateful for talented, hard-working bands like The Delta Routine. Their third full-length record, “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares” is set for release on October 9th (with an official release party on October 11th at the Hotel Foster) , and they continue to maintain their fun, distinctive sound while supplying us with fresh new hits to dance to.

The making of this record was a labor of love, with some tracks incubating since the release of “More About You”.  Mike Hoffmann of Semi Twang once again lent a hand in the mixing and producing, and all of the mastering was done by London based producer and guitarist Ken Rose, whose work has ties to Marianne Faithfull and others.  Front man Nick Amadeus mixed and produced half the album in the band’s Riverwest recording studio, and the band finished recording at a factory in Barrington, Illinois.  In true “Exile on Main Street” fashion, The Delta Routine found themselves in an atmosphere and mindset to make magic.  On a hungover Sunday morning before packing up to leave they channeled their collective mojo into the great live takes that make up the majority of this album, only adding extra backup vocals later as needed.

“Waste Your Time” is first out of the gate and sets the tone for this catchy, upbeat record.  The pounding rhythms from the drums and the influx of guitar provide a solid foundation for Nick’s distinct vocals, and this song gets you up and dancing by the time the chorus hits. The breakdown at the end is not only fun to listen to, but immediately sets the tone for how the band continues to evolve as a whole and as individual musicians.

The party keeps right on going with the title track and a chorus you’ll be singing along with in no time.  Drummer Kyle Ciske provides a solid foundation for the rest of the band to showcase their talents: Evan Paydon’s funky groove compliments Victor Buell IV’s sharp guitar riffs, and Al Kraemer’s organ playing rounds out the band’s sound in a way that we haven’t yet heard with The Delta Routine.  While I never felt that something was missing in their previous songs, hearing that organ now makes so much sense that I couldn’t imagine the band without it.

Nick began performing “I Wait Alone” live as a solo song first, and given it’s nature, I wasn’t sure how much a full band version would change the overall mood.  Nick begins with only a guitar, and his vocals evoke the same vulnerability as the live solo performances. Vic’s guitar subtly joins, and seems to know how to bend in just the right places. Al’s chords flow continuously throughout the song, and pay perfect compliment to Vic’s solo.  With the first two songs grabbing you out of your seat, this one allows you to pause and reflect on that all too familiar feeling of unrequited love.

“Switchblade” is their newly released single (**available for download here***) and it’s simply great, straight forward rock. This is the song on the album that you’ll always end up closing your eyes and bobbing your head to.  The next song, “Don’t Wanna Let You Down” is probably my favorite intro of the entire record, and I can already picture the fans singing along.

A sweet little ditty, “Back to Bed” slips quietly in next. You can almost feel the needle as it scratches the vinyl, bringing Nick’s befitting voice and Al’s piano accompaniment with it.  It gives you just enough and leaves you wanting more, so it’s a good thing we’re only halfway through.

“New York Avenue” was originally released as a Nick Amadeus solo single.  It was featured on 88.9 Radio Milwaukee’s “New Music Wednesday”, and if there is one song on this album that you should listen to on headphones it’s this one.  It begins with vocals and organ, followed with I’m Not a Pilot’s Peter Thomas on cello, and when the rest of the band comes in an entire musical tapestry unfolds before you.

“Oh, No” gives us that classic Delta Routine sound, and your feet will keep on tapping right on through to “Rachael St. Joe.” I was lucky enough to hear this song in it’s infancy, and I knew right away it was going to be great.  Kyle’s drums and Evan’s bass really stand out, and they provide a lively, energetic rhythm from start to finish.

With music, as in any art, inspiration can come from anything.  “Around Your Neck” grabs you from the start, and it’s smart, catchy rock drives straight through the rest of the song.  Nick found inspiration for this song from musician and bandleader Louis Jordan and his 1940’s hit “Caledonia.”  I will admit, I had never heard it before, but listening to it made me love “Around Your Neck” even more.

“People Like You” is a fun song and a very befitting way to conclude the album.  The guitar and harmonies are reminiscent of their previous album, and Al’s organ part is a great compliment to Nick’s lyrics.  A special thanks to Mike Hoffmann (vocals, percussion) and Kevin Topel (guitar) for their contributions to the album as well.

With all of the hard work that’s been put into this album, its no wonder there is already a buzz surrounding it.  JSOnline lists their October 11th album release party at the Hotel Foster as “one of the thirty Milwaukee concerts you won’t want to miss” and they are absolutely right.  Download the single “Switchblade” for free now; it will tide you over until you can get your copy of “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares” in October.
http://www.localplaylist.com/?p=3340

C.W.’S PLACE
(online music site) – News post (from press release) with album art, tour dates.and related links.
http://cwsplace.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/the-delta-routine-to-release-their-third-full-length-album-cigarettes-and-caffeine-nightmares-on-oct-9th/

THE ONION / THE A.V. CLUB
(Milwaukee weekly) – Editor’s Pick Show preview with band photo.

The Delta Routine pick
Also Playing: Hero Jr. and We Are Your Father
Milwaukee’s The Delta Routine emulates the sound and swagger of old-school Rolling Stones, and while its attempts at swaggering blues-rock don’t result in anything new on 2011’s More About You, it is, at the very least, 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.” The group’s new album, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares—which sees its official release at tonight’s show—is a big step up from More About You, and the gritty, rousing, sing-along title track alone should solidify The Delta Routine’s reputation as one of Milwaukee’s top-tier bar bands.
The Hotel Foster
2028 East North Avenue
414-276-2028
http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/events/delta-routine-hero-jr-and-we-are-your-father,310862/

MAXIMUM INK
(WI online music site) – Positive album review.

The Delta Routine – Cigarette and Caffeine Nightmares
Record Label: Self-release
by John Noyd
Harsh, cathartic boogie marinated in loose, blues-rock grooves and swamp-water bop, “Nightmares,” pairs honky-tonk stomps from Roller Derby dervishes and slip and slide jive tied to unflagging swagger. Rambunctious punks fusing rockabilly belligerence to demanding evangelism Delta deals slap-dash splatter sporting ballistic grit, backwoods traction and raucous hep-cat side-steps.TDR hosts a CD release party Oct 11th in Milwaukee’s Hotel Foster
http://www.maximumink.com/index.php/slipped_discs/permalink/..durtonstudio.com

WISCONSIN MUSIC BUZZ
(WI online music site) – Brief show preview with band photo.

The Delta Routine to hold album release show.
The Delta Routine from Milwaukee will host an album release show on Thursday, Oct. 11, with Hero Jr. and We Are Your Father at The Hotel Foster in Milwaukee. The show begins at 9 p.m.
wimusicbuzz.com/dailynews/the-delta-routine-to-hold-album-release-show-news-on-im-not-a-pilot-whitehouse-players-and-video-of-the-ragadors/

THE ONION / THE A.V. CLUB
(Milwaukee weekly) – Positive album preview.

The Delta Routine, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares (Oct. 11 at The Hotel Foster)
“Rock” is an easy attitude to cop—it’s fun, the hours are good, and the ladies seem to love it. On its third full-length album, Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares, Milwaukee’s The Delta Routine once again assume the tired-and-true rock stance by mining the classic, guitar-driven treasures of the past. Singer-songwriter Nick Amadeus injects a bluesy swagger into the proceedings, while his band does its best to summon up the hard-living, pre-gentrified ghosts of a mid-’70s CBGB. The good news is that they pull it off—the album is a big step up from 2011’s More About You, and the gritty, rousing, sing-along title track alone should solidify The Delta Routine’s reputation as one of Milwaukee’s top-tier bar bands.
http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/the-av-clubs-guide-to-milwaukee-fall-album-release%2C83284/

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
(Milwaukee daily) – Positive show preview in the “30 Milwaukee concerts you won’t want to miss” feature

30 Milwaukee concerts you won’t want to miss
The Delta Routine: Don’t expect routine alt-rock from the Milwaukee band’s latest album, “Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares,” which will be celebrated at this Hotel Foster set. (9 p.m. Oct. 11, Hotel Foster, 2028 E. North Ave. $10 includes the album.)
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/multimedia/photos/168182296.html#id_86083256

WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
(online music blog) – “Switchblade” added as a free download, with single cover art, All About # 1 video and a positive blurb.

New Guitar Rock Discovery – The Delta Routine, free download of “Switchblade”
Milwaukee rockers The Delta Routine (lead singer/rhythm guitar player Nick Amadeus, bassist Evan Paydon, lead guitarist Victor Buell IV, keyboardist Al Kraemer and drummer Kyle Ciske) have an album due out in October, and have made an advance track available for free download: “Switchblade”:
The album is Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares. From the album and song titles, you might guess it’s down and dirty barroom blues/rock, and you’d be right. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.
To hold you over, here’s an earlier incarnation of the band playing one of their previous songs:
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2012/08/new-guitar-rock-discovery-delta-routine.html

MAGNET MAGAZINE
(national print and online music magazine) – “Switchblade” and positive post in their MP3 AT 3PM feature.

MP3 At 3PM: The Delta Routine
August 31, 2012
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. Download “Switchblade” below.
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2012/08/31/mp3-at-3pm-the-delta-routine/

MAD MACKEREL
(UK online music bog) – News post (from press release) with album art.

Mad Mackerel Recommends…The Delta Routine
The Delta Routine are set to release their third full-length album Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares this autumn. 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 you can still hear the influences of the likes of The Stones through to The Strokes, but what really stands out are the infectious hooks, strong melodies and indelible riffs upon which whip-smart lyrics set sail with a swagger and a reckless abandon that is most alluring in these days of arena friendly, anodyne rock n roll.

The Delta Routine’s Cigarettes & Caffeine Nightmares will be available 9th October 9th in both CD and Digital formats.
http://madmackerel.org/2012/08/27/mad-mackerel-recommends-the-delta-routine/

88NINE RADIO MILWAUKEE
(Milwaukee Radio) – “Switchblade” added as a free download, with single cover art and a postive blurb.

Listen and Download New Music From Milwaukee’s The Delta Routine & Klassik

So far in 2012, there have been some amazing releases from Milwaukee artists and bands.  So far, two of my favorite releases are from Lorn and Surgeons In Heat.  Now, two artists are about to drop their respective albums within the coming weeks, and I can’t be more excited. The Delta Routine will be releasing their album Cigarettes and Caffeine Nightmares on October 9th.  You can listen and download a taste in the song “Switchblade.” The track sounds like early Oasis, but with a definite Midwest vibe.
http://www.radiomilwaukee.org/music/soundboard/freebie/listen-and-download-new-music-milwaukees-delta-routine-klassik

HELLHOUND MUSIC
(online music site) – News post (from press release) with album art, band photo, tour dates.and related links.
http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-delta-routines-new-lp-cigarettes.html

88NINE RADIO MILWAUKEE
(Milwaukee Radio) – “Switchblade” aired on their “Are You Feeling This?” show on Mon. Aug. 6 and mentioned on their website.
http://www.radiomilwaukee.org/music/programs/are-you-feeling/are-you-feeling-delta-routine-alunageorge-paul-banks-and-waaves

LOUD LOCKER
(online music site) – “Switchblade” mp3 and tour dates.
http://www.loudlocker.com/alternative/delta-routine-tour-dates-and-free-mp3

FROM THE BURRO
(online music podcast show) – “Switchblade” added to their “Episode 166” podcast.
http://www.fromtheburro.com/2012/08/episode-166-chicken.html

FARONHEIT
(online Chicago music blog) – “Switchblade” mp3 added to their “8/7/12 Pick Your Poison” feature.
http://faronheit.com/2012/08/pick-your-poison-tuesday-8-7-12/

PLUG IN MUSIC
(online music site) – News posting from press announcement with band photo, tour dates, “Switchblade” mp3 and related link.
http://www.pluginmusic.com/news/article/the-delta-routine-ready-third-full-length-release-cigarettes-amp-caffeine-nightmares

THE SODA SHOP
(online music blog) – News posting from press release with album & single art, band photos, tour dates, “Switchblade” mp3 and related links.
http://www.thesodashop.us/2012/08/04/the-delta-routine-to-release-their-third-full-length-album-cigarettes-caffeine-nightmares-october-9th/

TOP 40 CHARTS
(online music site) – News posting from press announcement with album art, tour dates and related links.
http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=80908

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS NETWORK
(online music industry site) – News posting from press announcement with album art, tour dates, “Switchblade” mp3 and related links.
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=156417

CINCY GROOVE
(Cincinnati online music blog) – Mainstay Rock Bar  show preview with band photo.
http://www.cincygroove.com/?p=9250

FEARLESS RADIO
(Chicago Internet Radio) – One hour unplugged session with  interview on Fri. June 29th at 5pm (cat)

FLAVORPILL
(national online A&E magazine and daily newsletter) – “Blame It On Obama” included in their “10 MP3s You Need to Download for Free This Week” feature with positive post.

Andre Williams — “Blame It On Obama”
The Guardian ran an interesting piece yesterday about how the hip hop world has started to turn on Barack Obama, which is well worth a read over your morning coffee. Not so legendary lecher Andre Williams, however, whose new single is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the tendency of voters (particularly those of a right-wing persuasion) to blame pretty much anything and everything on the president. It’s really rather great, and it’s available for download here.
http://www.flavorwire.com/321790/10-mp3s-you-need-to-download-for-free-this-week-jens-lekman-the-darkness

BLURT
(national print and online music magazine) – Feature with “Blame It On Obama” mp3,  artist photo, arlbum art and related links.

Andre Williams Sez Blame It On Obama
Just in time for that election stuff…
By Blurt Staff
Our favorite funk-soul brutha Andre Williams is set to release something like, what, his 47th album this year come Oct. 2: that’s when Alive/Naturalsound drops Life, the followup to his recent Night and Day, (cut with the Sadies) and Hoods and Shades. Williams has long been one of the BLURT braintrust’s abiding mentors, having provided Senior Editor Randy Harward with five enduring truths of life way back in 2008 shortly after we launched. Among those nuggets o’ truth: “Keep a song in your heart, and a story in your mind,” “More than one woman is trouble,” and “Drugs is good if you got nothin’ to do.” But of course!
He’s got some fresh advice for you, the huddled masses, during this election season. To wit: “Blame It on Obama.” You can listen to it below.
Some album details, courtesy the label: 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.
http://blurt-online.com/news/view/6659/

BROOKLYN VEGAN / CHICAGO
(Chicago online music blog) – Positive post with album art and full album Spotify stream.

Andre Williams released ‘Life,’ playing the Hideout
Andre Williams welcomed his third LP of 2012, titled Life, on October 2 via Alive Naturalsound Records. Take a listen to his latest offering of bluesy punk in its entirety at the bottom of this post. Williams’ next upcoming show is at the Hideout on December 8 with support from Renaldo Domino and Expo’76. Advance tickets are on sale now, and the Numero Group’s Jon Kirby will be DJing later that night.
Stream Andre Williams’ Life in its entirety below…
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/chicago/2012/10/andre_williams_1.html#more

LEO WEEKLY  
(Louisville, KY weekly) – Positive album review with album art

Life – Andre Williams
ALIVE NATURALSOUND
By Damien McPherson
The gravel and consternation that comes with age is present in spades in Andre Williams’ latest, a combination of Dap soul and garage grit. Recording since the ’50s, the last 15 years have been much kinder to him than his first 60; several excellent albums on Bloodshot lifted him from the streets, where excess had left him. Life is his third record of 2012. The first featured Detroit guitar legend Dennis Coffey, the second The Sadies, but don’t feel we’re getting the short shrift here. The songs have a … vitality that isn’t in high supply on those other workaday records. The centerpiece is the tongue-in-cheek “Blame It On Obama,” a spoken blues detailing woes attributed to this president by his opposition. The kitschy track may have the shelf life of a milk carton, but it’s good fun nonetheless.
http://leoweekly.com/music/reviews/life

TORONTO SUN  
(Toronto daily) – Positive album review in Darrly Sterdan’s Top CD reviews.

Andre Williams – Life
It’s never too late to change. Look at notorious R&B derelict Williams; the 75-year-old reportedly kicked booze and drugs a few years back. With this typically rough ’n’ tumble batch of blues and funk, he’s cleaned up his musical act slightly as well, shelving his gritty tales of coke whores and murder for more mundane fare like love, money and (believe it or not) politics. The quiet life.
Download: Blame it on Obama; Shake a Tail Feather
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
http://m.torontosun.com/2012/10/02/krall-jones-top-cd-reviews?noimage=true

NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNNE
(New Orleans daily) – Positive feature with “Blame It On Obama” video.

As the DNC wraps, some political commentary from R&B veteran Andre Williams
Last night, closing out the 2012 Democratic National Convention, President Obama’s speech tapped into a deep well of American emotion with themes of humility, inclusion, teamwork and collective responsibility that seemed to – as he himself noted – reveal him as both a leader still full of the passion and hope that characterized his 2008 campaign, but also a man sobered and made wiser by the gravity of the office he has occupied for the past four years.

And then, soul veteran Andre “Mr. Rhythm” Williams weighed in.

The 75-year-old R&B singer is more given to gleefully salacious romps than to political commentary. This morning, he varied from type just a bit with a new video for “Blame it on Obama,” a track that seems, on first listen, to both sarcastically address the legions of Obama haters as well as speak in the cautious voice of the undecided voter.

“Blame it on Obama” will appear on Williams’ latest, “Life,” due out October 2. The single will be available for purchase on Tuesday, September 11. Watch the video below:
http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2012/09/as_the_dnc_wraps_some_politica.html

THE BIG TAKEOVER  
(national quarterly music magazine) – Positive album review in Michael Toland’s Top Ten for Oct.

Andre Williams – Life (Alive)
Backed by a Detroit crew led by Matthew Smith of Outrageous Cherry, the 76-year-old R&B reprobate shows no signs of mellowing on his umpteenth LP. The satirical “Blame It On Obama” (“When your wife is on the run/And she won’t give you none/We’ll just blame it on Obama”) will get the most attention, but it’s the tougher, bluesier cuts like “Shake a Tail Feather,” which Williams wrote in the 50s, that stick out. Picks to click: “Stuck in the Middle,” “Shake a Tail Feather”
http://www.bigtakeover.com/top-ten/Michael-Toland-121007

HERALD-TRIBUNE
(Sarasota, FL daily) – Positive A-  brief album review.

NEW CD REVIEWS by Gerry Galipault
ANDRE WILLIAMS – LIFE
He’s the best R&B, blues-punk musician you’ve never heard of. He has a solid backup band and a touch of humor (especially “Blame It On Obama”). He even does a version of “Shake a Tail Feather,” a song he co-wrote in the ’60s. Hear here: http://tw.gs/z5v0b.
GRADE: A-
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121004/ARCHIVES/210041011/-1/todayspaper?Title=NEW-CD-REVIEWS-by-Gerry-Galipault

BOSTON BLUES SOCIETY
Positive album review.

Andre Williams – Life
Alive Naturalsound Records
By Georgetown Fats

By supporting acts and talent who seem solely bent on pushing the boundaries of traditional radio-friendly music, it is tough to resist breaking out into a “happy dance” when a care package from Alive Naturalsound Records arrives in the mail box. The latest Alive Naturalsound Records release I have gotten my hands on, Life by Andre Williams, does very little to disappoint.

With a career dating back to the 1950’s, after a long and drawn-out battle with booze and drugs, Williams is now clean of both. Thankfully, the years of abuse did not rob the musician of his voice.

With his booming bass voice, Williams part sings and part speaks his lyrics throughout the whole release and creates a cool garage soul lounge vibe vocally. With his back-up band providing psychedelic blues backing tracks, Life is a refreshing combination of old-school soul meets lo-fi garage punk blues.

Life kicks off with “Stuck in the Middle,” a trance-inducing psychedelic soul song. “Stuck in the Middle” won’t impress with a complex rhyming scheme covering original themes, but Williams’ well worn-voice combined with the backing band’s trance groove is tough to ignore. Williams’ ability to create a slow and sleazy funk is a wonderful illustration to blues and soul vocalists on pathos. From the opening sounds of Williams heckling someone in the control room and trying to clear his dry mouth to the his falsetto as the song closes out, it is clear Williams has many stories to tell, and one can only hope that he can remember the tales over the decades of abuse.

On “Heels,” he speaks and sings his vocals about one of his apparently favorite predilections. Williams has the sense to skip all double entendres and pretenses, and makes all intentions well-known. The man knows what he likes and isn’t afraid to revel in his sleaze.

About my only complaint from the 10 tracks on Life is the crass marketing of “Blame it on Obama.” While I certainly do respect and appreciate both the musicality on the track, and find Williams’ own political commentary refreshing, releasing “Blame it on Obama” on 9/11 feels unseemly.

Originally written and produced for The Five Du-Tones in 1963, Williams includes a version of his standard “Shake a Tail Feather.” For those only familiar with the tune from Blues Brothers’ movies, be prepared to be amazed and astounded. With his low-fi backing band featuring producer Matthew Smith on guitar, piano, organ, trumpet and synthesizer, Jim Diamond on bass and David Shettler on drums, drum machine and synthesizer. Williams proves that while his liver, brain and lungs may be clean, his intentions on “Shake a Tail Feather” are quite dirty.

Once again kudos to Alive Naturalsound Records for supporting artists who want to challenge the boundaries of corporate contemporary blues. Having released disks by Left Lane Cruiser, T-Model Ford with GravelRoad and now Andre Williams, it is clear Alive Naturalsound Records fashions itself after Fat Possum Records-circa late 1990s.
http://www.bostonblues.com/features.php?key=cdWilliams-Life

FLAVORPILL
(National online A&E magazine and daily newsletter) – “But’n” included in their “10 MP3s You Need to Download for Free This Week” feature with positive post.

Andre Williams — ”But’n”
Frankly, if our libido is anywhere near as healthy at 76 as the evergreen and perma-randy Andre Williams, we’ll be very happy indeed. This is the latest single off his new album Life, and you can grab it via his Soundcloud page.
http://www.flavorwire.com/335025/10-mp3s-you-need-to-download-for-free-this-week-adele-death-grips

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
(Milwaukee daily) – Brief positive album review

Andre Williams, “Life” (Alive Naturalsound). Firmly ensconced in sobriety and in his 70s, Chicago-born R&B legend of the underground (and of indie rockers and rappers alike) is true to his lowdown self with his latest disc. First single: “Blame It on Obama.”
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/new-cds-in-stores-this-week-al71kig-172143591.html

DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE
(online music blog) – Positive news post.

ELECTION THOUGHTS & MUSIC
Andre Williams: “Blame It On Obama”. This is from Andre’s new album “Life”. The Chicago R&B legend is now in his 70s, but still making great music. The album includes his version of the classic “Shake A Tail Feather” which he wrote in the early 60s. Here’s a free download of Blame It On Obama.
http://www.daabar.com/

KSFR RADIO
(Santa Fe, NM public radio) – Andre’s new songs aired on Steve Terrell’s Sound World show in Santa Fe, NM:
Stuck in the Middle – Oct. 14
Money Ain’t Got No Loyalty – Oct. 7
But’n  – Sep. 30
Beep Beep Beep – Sep. 23
Don’t Kick My Dog – Steve’s Sep. 23 Bog Enchilada Podcast
http://steveterrell.blogspot.com/2012/09/terrells-sound-world-playlist_30.html

FARONHEIT
(online music blog) – “But’n” MP3 added to their 10/05/12 Pick Your Poison feature.
http://faronheit.com/2012/10/pick-your-poison-friday-10-5-12/

BMAN’S BLUES REPORT
(online music site) – News post, with album art, and press quotes.

Andre Williams new album ‘Life’ out today

Andre Williams’ new album, Life is absolutely stunning. – Brett Calwood / Detroit Metro Times
Life is packed with funky, old school blues. – Mary Leary / MOKB
Life is a triumph from start to finish, and one of the year’s best records. – The Record Changer
If Williams is sounding a little more grounded than he did on Silky or The Black Godfather, he’s still a tough, funky, jive talker who can draw some potent, guitar-based funk from the band of Detroit indie stalwarts who back him up. Matthew Smith produced Life, co-wrote most of the songs with Williams, and anchors the backing band (along with Jim Diamond on bass and David Shettler on drums), and the results are lean, greasy, early-’70s-style tunes with a subtle but potent psychedelic undercurrent, and they give Williams an effective backdrop as he declaims on his troubles with women, cash, and animal-haters, as well as singing the praises of high heels. – Mark Deming / All Music Guide
http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2012/10/andre-williams-new-album-life-out-today.html

LARGEHEARTED BOY
(online music blog) – “But’n” mp3 featured in Daily Downloads.
http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2012/10/daily_downloads_3158.html

THE RECORD CHANGER  
(online music site) – Positive album review with album art.

In recent years there’ve been a number of reclamation projects like this one where an artist – usually in the Blues or Rhythm & Blues genre – is paired with a contemporary group of musicians and a producer that wants to update the artist’s sound and bring him or her to a new audience. Depending on the artist, and who’s in the band or behind the board, such projects can be very successful or, in some cases, downright embarrassing.

Andre Williams, an R&B singer out of Detroit that’s been in the business for more than 50 years, recorded for countless labels, and managed to make some terrific records without ever becoming a household name, is the subject of one of those reclamation projects. His new LP, Life, has just been released on the Alive Natural Sound label, and it brings Williams’ sound into the 21st century without changing what makes him so unique. Andre Williams’ records have always captured the sound of the city – in this case Detroit – and Life sounds as if it was recorded back in the days of gritty, urban 70’s soul, and blaxploitation film soundtracks, but somehow sounds completely contemporary.

Producer Matthew Smith finds Williams’ comfort zone, and then turns him loose to do what he does best – lay down some “street music”. You can almost imagine a film in your head as the record plays. It’s a landscape of high rise buildings with graffiti scrawled on the bricks, street urchins pitching pennies in alleyways, congested inner city traffic, shady characters on street corners, playgrounds of cracked blacktop guarded by rusted chain-link fence, half-lit neon signs, strip joints, pawn shops and cell phone stores with bars on the windows under an overcast, polluted sky – all set to a funky beat, with Williams’ grizzled voice your guide through it all.

Williams knows these streets. He’s been singing about them his entire life. And he co-wrote every song here. Sometimes on projects like these, the producer brings in the songs and the record becomes more the producer’s idea of who he thinks the artist is. But this is an Andre Williams record from start to finish. And he’s exactly where he belongs – right in the thick of it. And when you drop the needle, you’re right there, too.

Life is a triumph from start to finish, and one of the year’s best records.
Available from Bomp.com and elsewhere on both vinyl and compact disc
http://therecordchanger.blogspot.com/2012/10/andre-williams-life.html

ALL MUSIC  
(online bluesmusic site) – Positive album review with album art and related links.

Andre Williams – Life
Andre Williams may not be the hardest working man in show business, but he could be the most tireless; Life is the third full-length album he’s released in 2012, and the eleventh since he returned to active duty in 1998 with the outrageous comeback set Silky. Williams was just shy of 76 years of age when Life hit the streets, making his prolific studio habits all the more remarkable, and if Williams is sounding a little more grounded than he did on Silky or The Black Godfather, he’s still a tough, funky, jive talker who can draw some potent, guitar-based funk from the band of Detroit indie stalwarts who back him up. Matthew Smith produced Life, co-wrote most of the songs with Williams, and anchors the backing band (along with Jim Diamond on bass and David Shettler on drums), and the results are lean, greasy, early-’70s-style tunes with a subtle but potent psychedelic undercurrent, and they give Williams an effective backdrop as he declaims on his troubles with women, cash, and animal-haters, as well as singing the praises of high heels (Andre sounds like the most lascivious senior citizen alive as he murmurs his way through “Heels”). Williams also reveals he hasn’t forgotten his days as a young R&B shouter on “It’s Only You That I Love” (if he has to cheat some of the high notes, the phrasing is just as it should be), and he leads the band through a hard-charging remake of his classic “Shake a Tail Feather” that rocks with a steady roll. And as America deals with a contentious presidential campaign, Williams delivers a rueful but darkly funny bit of political commentary with “Blame It On Obama,” in which the embattled head of the executive branch is made to take the fall for everything from troubles on the farm to wives who won’t behave. Life is a fair distance from a masterpiece, but from a guy who has been making records for 57 years and will probably be cutting more sessions until the day he dies, it’s a solid and entertaining set of R&B that shows this man has more than his share of tales to tell, and can still hold the audience in his hand when he steps up to the mike. Would that we could all sound as cool this far into retirement age.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/life-mw0002415562

UNDERCOVER  
(online music site) – Positive album review  with album art, Andre photo, Blame It On Obama video and related links.

CHECK OUT ANDRE WILLIAMS VIDEO FOR ” BLAME IT ON OBAMA”
By Sally Bailey

The one and only Andre Williams will release his brand new studio album ” Life” tomorrow October 2nd through Naturalsound Records.

The music legend opens right up with an album that recalls the sound 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.

Williams has fun with this album, he sings about the rudeness of people in “But’n”, as metioned in the article title he tries on some political satire with ” Blame It On Obama” and also includes his very own rocking version of “Shake a Tail Feather”  which he wrote and produced for the Five Du-Tones in 1963.

Williams reminds us that you’re never to old to be cool. “Life” will be released October 2nd through Alive Naturalsound Records in the following formats: CD, Digital and Black Vinyl, as well as grape bubblegum flavoured Purple Vinyl (limited to 100) exclusive to mailorders. (The vinyl is not grape bubblegum flavoured…but I wish it was.)

Checkout “Blame It On Obama” below, it’s available at all good digital retailers now.
http://www.undercover.fm/news/17060-check-out-andre-williams-video-for-blame-it-on-obama

NEUTFUTUR MAGAZINE
(online music site) – News posting with album art, Andre photo and related links.
http://neufutur.com/?p=31069

ROCK STAR JOURNALIST
(online music blog) – Positive album review with Blame It On Obama video, album art and related link.

Andre Williams, “Life” LP
90% of Andre Williams‘ latest, Life, is stone-cold cool. Alive Records put the man with with a team of musicians who know how to rock that back-alley juke joint vibe. This is some after-hours shit. “Stuck In the Middle” and “Heels” groove and sway. Smooth. Not quite silky … more like a black cup of coffee, the way it warms with its heat and bites just enough at the end to let you know it’s working — not unlike a stiff shot of rye.

Yeah, I know Williams is 100% stone cold sober on Life, but these are the tales of a man who knows what it’s like to be blisteringly blasted past all sense. His voice shows its age, but the band knows how to work alongside it, and age brings knowledge and experience in this case, not wear and tear.

Because of that age, though, the album has a misstep when Williams revisits the song he made famous for the Five Du-Tones (and, later, Ray Charles), “Shake A Tail Feather.” Williams’ voice simply isn’t up to the challenge of trying to do upbeat material. Besides, that’s never been his bread and butter. The slowed-down, grindhouse speak-singing is what the man’s always done best.

“The Greasy Chicken” and “Jail Bait” weren’t soul shouters. Andre Williams’ best work has always sounded like the lascivious come-ons of a man on the corner, convincing you that what’s in the alley, behind the curtain, or up in that room is worth the risk. You might get shivved, cold-cocked, or otherwise rolled, but them’s the chances you take when you kowtow to the smooth patter of the man in the sharkskin suit.

It’s also disconcerting to revisit an artist’s past work when they’re this age. Johnny Cash, et al, worked best in their latter years when attacking material with which they weren’t familiar. Why throw an oldie into the mix when the other nine new compositions work so well? It just makes it seem like some sad attempt to attract fans based on the successes of others, rather than building on one’s own reputation.
http://www.nuthousepunks.com/blog/?p=4592

MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG
(online music blog) – Positive feature with Blame It On Obama video, artist photo, album art and related link.

VIDEO: ANDRE WILLIAMS: “BLAME  IT ON OBAMA”
That Andre Williams sure knows how to get attention. The literature accompanying Life, his upcoming album,  reports that 2009 included his first-ever drug/alcohol-free work. Which, for an R&B and “punk blues” vocalist who’s been on the planet since 1936, is saying something.  Williams’ credits include hits for Stevie Wonder and Ike and Tina Turner, writing for Parliament/Funkadelic, and recording for the infamous Chess Records.

If I had to back that kind of history up with new material, I’d crave a few stiff ones, myself.

Williams is known for unabashed, often down-and-dirty song topics (“Pig Snoots,” “Humpin’ Bumpin’ and Thumpin’,” “The Greasy Chicken”). A single release of his wry reflection on public criticism of the 44th U.S. president, “Blame It On Obama,” precedes Life.

Out on October 2nd through Alive Naturalsound Records, Life is packed with funky, old school blues.
Post by Mary Leary
http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/2012/09/city-slang-weekly-music-review-roundup-62/

WMSE / “ZERO HOUR”
(Milwaukee, WI college radio) – “Blame It On Obama” aired on 09.21.
http://zerohourradio.blogspot.com/2012/09/playlist-for-92112-too-dumb-to-think-of.html

METRO TIMES
(Detroit weekly) – Positive album review Brett Callwood’s “City Slang” music column, with album art and related link.

Andre Williams’ new album, Life (Alive) is absolutely stunning. It really doesn’t matter how old this guy gets, he will always sing about the glory of the beautiful woman (“Heels”, “Shake a Tail Feather”), being down on his luck (“Don’t Kick My Dog”, “Money Ain’t Got No Loyalty”) and, best of all on this record, current affairs (“Blame it on Obama”). A backing band featuring Matt Smith, Jim Diamond and Dave Shettler only helps enhance Williams’ dry, witty, deadpan delivery. Just wow.
http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/2012/09/city-slang-weekly-music-review-roundup-62/

SHOW ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT
(online UK music blog) – “Blame It On Obama” video featured with positive post and artist photo

Andre Williams, Blame It On Obama
So, I was contacted with a press release for 60s R&B Alabama artist
Andre Williams’ new single Blame It On Obama and after watching it, I felt I’d gained a unique insight into what’s going on in the States. It has been released to coincide with the Presidential elections over there at the moment and although I know little about American politics, I feel somewhat educated about one man’s view of it all.

After a long battle with drug and alcohol addictions, Andre finally conquered his demons and through himself back into music, recording his new album Life, which will be released on October 2nd. Having worked with Stevie Wonder and Ike and Tina Turner, he has been around the musical block more than a few times and is considered a legendary singer-songwriter. Check out the video for the new single which was released yesterday.
http://showmesomethingdifferent.com/2012/09/12/andre-williams-blame-it-on-obama-the-video/

SKOPE MAGAZINE
(online music site) – “Blame It On Obama” video featured with news post (from announcent).
ANDRE WILLIAMS UNVEILS MITT ROMNEY’S FAVORITE VIDEO “BLAME IT ON OBAMA”
http://skopemag.com/2012/09/07/andre-williams-unveils-mitt-romneys-favorite-video-blame-it-on-obama

METRO TIMES
(Detroit weekly) – Positive post about “Blame It On Obama” video with related link in Brett Callwood’s City Slang.

The legendary Andre Williams has put out a video for the song “Blame it on Obama”, which apparently caused a heap of controversy due to people getting all het up before actually listening to the song, which happens to be pro the President. It’s a slinky little number too. Williams’ tongue is firmly in his cheek when he blames his wife’s aging appearance on Obama. His wit is still as sharp as ever.
http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/2012/09/city-slang-weekly-music-review-roundup-61/

ALAN CROSS – A JOURNAL OF MUSICAL THINGS
(online music site) – Positive feature with “Blame It On Obama” video and album art

Artist: Andrew Williams, “Blame It On Obama”
Album:Life
This is just some good ol’ fashioned 14-bar blues. The already legendary Williams, has one of those deep, sturdy voices that can make even politics sound mellow.
Sounds like: Tongue in cheeks political commentary.
Link/Listen/Watch:
http://www.alancross.ca/a-journal-of-musical-things/2012/9/10/more-music-from-the-inbox-10-september-2012.html

THE PERLICH POST
(Toronto music site) – “Blame It On Obama” video with photo and album news

Andre Williams enters Election 2012 fray with “Blame It On Obama” video
Andre Williams’ Blame It On Obama single will be released digitally on September 11. His new studio album Life is due October 2 via Alive Naturalsound Records on CD as a digital download and black vinyl, as well as limited purple vinyl (l00 copies) as a mailorder exclusive.
http://theperlichpost.blogspot.com/2012/09/andre-williams-enters-election-2012.html

BEARLY RAMBLING
(online music blog) – Positive feature with “Blame It On Obama” video, Andre photo and other various Andre videos.

Andre Williams
Today we get a chance to check out a legend, a legend who is still among us and still breathing fire. A legend who has a new album out, and you are all gonna want to get a Life.

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-s*x-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.

What more can be said? Check out one of the originals, a master blaster, a legend. And the good news he is still going strong.

Now let’s take the wayback machine way way back to 1956

Bacon Fat Prior to “Village of Love,” Fortune’s biggest-selling record was likely “Bacon Fat” (Fortune 831 and Epic 9196, late 1956) by Andre Williams and His New Group, which featured Williams’ proto-rap over a sleazy, bluesy arrangement. “Bacon Fat” (the name of the song refers to a dance) reached No. 9 R&B on the Billboard chart in early 1957 after it was leased to Columbia’s Epic subsidiary for national distribution.

One of his more outrageous tunes.

Jailbait The infamous Mr.Andre Williams & The Hot-Club live on stage at the Gloria, Cologne, 09-16-2006

Another early classic, with a cool video to boot.

Tramp Trail footage from “Still Looking for Morphine” 2001

Now something a bit more recent, an appearance in Toronto.
http://bearlyrambling.blogspot.com/2012/09/andre-williams.html

WMNF RADIO
(Tampa. FL Community Radio) – “Blame It On Obama” aired on Cam Diley’s morning show Aug. 31.
http://www.wmnf.org/playlist/daily?day=31&month=8&year=2012

GAMBIT WEEKLY
(New Orleans weekly) – Brief positive news post with “Blame It On Obama” mp3 in their weekly “Listen: Gambit’s Free Music Friday” feature.

Everyone’s favorite elder statesman of down-and-dirty R&B, newly sober Andre Williams announced he’ll release a new studio album, Life, Oct. 2. Download that album’s first single “Blame It On Obama” here.
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2012/08/24/listen-gambits-free-music-friday

NORTH FORK SOUND / WPKN RADIO
(Howard Thompson’s music blog and Bridgeport, CT public radio station) – “Blame It On Obama” #4 in NFS’s Top 20.
http://northforksound.blogspot.com/

STEVE TERRELL’S  MUSIC BLOG
(Santa Fe New Mexican daily music editor’s music blog) – “Blame It On Obama” mp3 featured.

Andre Blames Obama
ANDRE!It’s been a few months since the last Andre Williams album, but he’s got another on the way.

Alive/NaturalSound will release a new Andre studio album Life on Oct. 2.

The company is offering a free MP3 of a song called “Blame Obama” from the venerable R&B codger.

Listen or  download below.
http://steveterrell.blogspot.com/2012/08/andre-blames-obama.html

LOUD LOCKER
(online music site) – Positive news post with “Blame It On Obama” mp3.

Andre Williams – Blame It On Obama
Great news! The Black Godfather, Andre Williams, has a new record coming out October 2nd called “Life.”

He’s 75 years old, he still busts ass on his live shows. The last time I interviewed him, I asked him about converting to Judaism when he was in his 60s. He did it for the love of a woman.

But, the real reason I asked was to find out about getting circumcised at 60 years old.

Hold up, the REAL reason I asked is because I wanted to know, circumcised or uncircumcised, which one feels better on the weenie for sex: circumcised.

That’s the answer I was looking for and I’d like to thank my parents for making the right decision and Mr. Williams for his years of “bonin'” experience to set the record straight.

Here’s his latest track:
http://www.loudlocker.com/articles/andre-williams-blame-it-obama

BMAN’S BLUES REPORT
(online blues music site) – News posting from press announcement with Andre photo, “Blame It On Obama” video and related links.
http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2012/09/blame-it-on-obama-new-video-single-from.html

PORTLAND MERCURY
(Portland, OR weekly) – Brief news post with “Blame It On Obama” mp3.

Another week, another Mercury music section that includes no mention of the fascinating new Andre Williams tune. It’s called “Blame It on Obama,” and it’s a peach. A rotten, sticky peach, perhaps—but peachy nonetheless. Well worth a listen, and long live Andre.
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2012/08/23/this-weeks-mercury-music-section

FARONHEIT
(online music blog) – “Blame It On Obama” MP3 added to their Aug. 27 Pick Your Poison feature.
http://faronheit.com/2012/08/pick-your-poison-monday-8-27-12/

SKOPE MAGAZINE
(online music site) – News posting from press announcement with Andre photo, “Blame It On Obama” video and related links.
http://skopemag.com/2012/09/07/andre-williams-unveils-mitt-romneys-favorite-video-blame-it-on-obama

THE AGIT READER
(online music blog) – “Blame It On Obama” MP3 added to their Aug. 23 Daily Downloads feature.
http://agitreader.com/

http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/08/andre-williams-new-life-album-out-oct.html
(online music blog) – News posting from press announcement with Andre photo, “Blame It On Obama” download and related links.
http://hhmzine.blogspot.com/2012/08/andre-williams-new-life-album-out-oct.html

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS NETWORK
(online music industry site) – News posting from press announcement with album art, “Blame It On Obama” download and related links.
http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=157023

THE PROVIDENCE PHOENIX – Positive “Editors’ Pick” show preview.
The word “sprawling” certainly applies to We’re From Here, the new album by Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray. The duo spent the year on the road (29 states, 125 shows) and the new songs reflect their experiences and evolution. “We discovered so many wonderful people and places in our travels,” Shevaughn said. “We also discovered that there was a rock band inside of us waiting to come out.” Drummer Ben Tufts will help propel their luminous and lively folky-rock at AS220, 115 Empire St, Providence. VaveBlume and Them Damn Kids open at 9:30 pm | $6 | 401.831.9327 | as220.org
http://providence.thephoenix.com/Events/183766-Miss-Shevaughn-and-Yuma-Wray/

THE VERMONT CYNIC (VT college weekly) – Positive Burlington show preview.
Sunday, Sept. 30,
Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray at Radio Bean, 7:30 p.m.

Based in Chicago, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray have made a habit of stopping in Burlington, much to our town’s delight.

Featuring an eclectic mix of instruments including – but not limited to – guitar, banjo, mandolin, percussion, glockenspiel and lap steel, this duo has a bigger sound than most listeners dare to imagine.

Strength in voice and instrumental ability drives their songwriting excellence.

Catch them in their first Burlington appearance following the release of their new album “We’re From Here,” released earlier this month.
http://www.vermontcynic.com/arts/this-week-in-live-music-1.2769914#.UGRT4RjORFQ

DAILY EASTERN NEWS (Charleston, IL daily) – Positive feature/show preview.
Musical guest duo find common ground at city coffee shop
By Alex Hill/Staff Reporter

Jackson Avenue Coffee will be featuring the duo “Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray” as its weekly musical guest at 7 p.m. Saturday.

It will be the second time the pair has played at the café, and owner Dan Reible said he was happy to invite them back for another show.

He said the two were an entertaining act and their music was upbeat and energetic.

“The guitar work and vocals are superb,” Reible said.

The duo started making music together in 2009 while living in Chicago.

Erin Frisby, also known as Miss Shevaughn, said they were both in bands at the time, but found that it was easier to write and work together.

“In the beginning, we were so excited to be working with each other because we were so much more serious than the other musicians we were working with,” she said.

The two were living in an apartment together and working steady jobs when they decided to make music their main focus, saving up for almost an entire year before quitting their jobs and leaving their old lives behind.

“There’s a lot of swallowing of your pride,” said Chris Stelloh, who goes by Yuma Wray.

He said they realized that it is more important to play music than be comfortable.

Frisby and Stelloh spent most of 2011 touring the country, playing 125 shows in 29 states.

“We’ve played every possible venue you can imagine,” Stelloh said.

Frisby said they both love living on the road, and they would often have to camp.

“It was very liberating,” Frisby said.

They are currently touring in support of their debut album, “We’re From Here,” which was released on Sept. 11.

The album is reminiscent of their eclectic mix of influences and ranges from upbeat punk songs to country ballads.

“The whole idea of songwriting is to do something new, but is also to pay tribute to the stuff that we like,” Stelloh said. “To keep it interesting, we have to jump between styles.”

The two said they have met great musicians and great people along the road and advocate interacting with their audiences.

“You should always be able to go and talk to your musical heroes,” Stelloh said.
http://www.dennews.com/news/musical-guest-duo-find-common-ground-at-city-coffee-shop/article_f23a3940-141b-11e2-91c8-001a4bcf6878.html

AMERICANA UK (UK music site) – Album review with album art
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray “We’re From Here”
An exciting duo lay down the result of a 2011 road trip

‘We’re from Here’ is the debut album of Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, a duo hailing, in their words, from…“Well, Miss Shevaughn was born in Arkansas and grew up in Louisiana, Yuma grew up internationally. We met in D.C. then again in Chicago…” So, after being asked by a multitude of people while on their road trip round the U.S: ‘Where are you from?’, the simple answer became: ‘We’re from Here.’

They’ve both imprinted differing styles onto the songs which can be heard more clearly as they are a duo rather than a band. Miss Shevaughn has a wonderful voice taken from the country tradition; and song writing fitting into the acoustic folk mold. This is juxtaposed alongside Yuma Wray, who plays a lot of distorted guitar bringing to mind 60’s and 70’s blues rock (amongst many other instruments). The combination is an interesting one, and it works well in some songs (‘Go Hang’ is one), and not so well in others. This is, after all, their debut, and this is reflected in the songs; they seem to be finding their sound rather than refining it at this moment.

Other highlights include track two: ‘Mi Burro Esta En Fuego’. It starts with a sparse acoustic guitar part, along with electric guitar feedback and some harmonics provided in the background, a small indication of what is to come. As the song hits 1:11 it explodes with a great riff driving the rest of this catchy instrumental track. Yuma Wray takes the lead vocal on ‘Cloin’s Lament’, a song with a great start thanks to some howling harmonica which re-appears throughout the song. The album has some great songs and an impressive range of instrumentation and styles, but is by no means perfect. Whilst the stories told in the lyrics are interesting, the style is inconsistent and needs some further refining and exploration. It will be interesting to see what more they have to give with coming releases.
http://www.americana-uk.com/reviews-cd-live/latest-cd-reviews/item/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray

YOUNG MANHATTANITE (NYC A&E site) – Positive show preview with and video.
Do not miss Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray at Red Hook Bait and Tackle tonight. Here’s why.the duo’s unique, honest and compelling storytelling.
http://youngmanhattanite.tumblr.com/post/32940651582/do-not-miss-miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-at-red-hook

BROOKLYN  NIGHT OUT (Brooklyn A&E site) – Positive show preview with band photo and video.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray @ Redhook Bait & Tackle
Friday, October 5, 2012 at 9:00pm – 10:00pm
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray play American music. They’ve traveled the country following the threads that tie the American narrative together and they’ve woven those threads into a sound all their own. Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray multi-task on guitars, banjo, mandolin, organ, glockenspiel, lap steel and more to bring to life the urgency of Southern Soul, the earthiness of classic country and the pioneering spirit of 60’s and 70’s Blues Rock. Miss Shevaughn has a truly powerful voice that ignites, roars and flickers and Yuma Wray has at his disposal an arsenal of instrumental talents that underscore the duo’s unique, honest and compelling storytelling.
http://www.brooklynnightout.com/events/294715/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-redhook-bait-tackle

SUN JOURNAL (Lewiston, ME daily) – Feature story with band photo to preview local show.
Duo will celebrate debut CD at The Beat Rust
LEWISTON — The duo Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray will perform Wednesday, Oct. 3, at The Beat Rust, in support of its recently released full-length CD “We’re From Here.”

Written and recorded over a year on the road, the debut album is a classic American road trip story.

“We discovered so many wonderful people and places in our travels. We also discovered that there was a rock band inside of us waiting to come out,” Miss Shevaughn said.

With the addition of a drummer, the duo was able to expand its sound from sparse folk ballad to psychedelic swamp stomp.

From the opening strains of “Go Hang,” the lamentation of a life wasted in a dead-end town, to the final soft note of “Anniversary Song,” the realization that one may have actually been home the entire time, “We’re From Here” serves as a map of sorts. It’s a suggested travel route exploring American music, identity and the concept of home.

“We challenged ourselves in putting this record together, but we also had a lot of fun. We hope that you can find a similar experience in these songs,” Yuma Wray said.

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray will perform at 8 p.m. at  The Beat Rust at 75 Maple St., an intimate performance space for independent musicians and performers. Shows, according to its website, feature artists ranging from “singer-songwriters to Appalachian to noise to rock to punk and to those artists who do not fit into labels.”

The Beat Rust is “an all ages, respectful, open-minded, gender neutral safe space and listening room.” Shows are held at least once a month at either 75 Maple St. or Trinity Church at 247 Bates St. Donations urged to support artists, with a more official charge at the door (though no one is turned away) at Trinity.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/encore/2012/09/26/duo-will-celebrate-debut-cd-beat-rust/1256156

YOU HEAR THIS (Birmingham, AL music blog) – Show preview with older quote featured.
VENUE: Moonlight on the Mountain
TIME: 7:30 pm
BAND: Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray / Motel Ice Machine
COVER: $12
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray
“Picture two musicians, resembling the hippiest versions of Jack and Meg White. They sport wide-brimmed Quaker hats, wear loose dresses, and between the two of them play percussion (stomps and glockenspiel too), guitar, organ, banjo, mandolin, lap steel, and harmonica. Can you even imagine that? Well, that’s Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, an Americana duo that spends their life on the road. Therefore, “Americana” is not a lightly attributed category. They have seen the U.S. and they sing about it with heartfelt soul and just the right amount of indie charisma. There’s nothing stuffy or snobby about their music. It clearly shines through as honest and poetic. ”— John Powell (Angelica Music)
http://youhearthis.com/daily-dose-92212/

SHOW ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT (UK online music blog) – Positive album review with album art, artist photo and related link.

ALBUM REVIEW: Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, We’re From Here
Having spent the last year writing the album and touring the length and breadth of America, they’ve picked up plenty of experience and stories. We’re From Here tells the back-stories of both artists and takes us on a journey into their pasts. Nostalgic and reminiscent, it’s packed full of personality. Talking about the album, Miss Shevaughn says:

“We discovered so many wonderful people and places in our travels. We also discovered that there was a rock band inside of us waiting to come out.”

Most of the tracks on the record have an acoustic blues theme, which is particularly strong on Go Hang, Martha Ann, Anniversary Song and Morning Is Breaking. Accompanied by a simple acoustic guitar and plenty of powerhouse vocals, these tracks do really get to you. A huge amount of emotion is attached to them, making them tearjerkers that you’ll never delete from your playlist.

It’s not short of great duets either. Make It Out Alive and Cloin’s Lament are both backed by electric guitars which give them a tough edge. Make It Out Alive also has an electronic element, which I’m not convinced adds all that much to the track. It certainly stands out from the other songs on the album but I don’t think it really fits with the song. Cloin’s Lament’s acapella first 30 seconds are incredibly powerful and the inclusion of the harmonica gives it a classical Latin feel. The harmonies make it a track that you know would be an amazing live performance.

There are also a couple of tracks, such as Pneumonia and Lost My Way, which have a mystical, ghostly feel to them. Quiet whispery vocals and resonating feedback from the guitars acting as beacons across dark moors make both tracks very haunting. The River Made Me Do It has a similar spooky feel to it, although it’s much more sinister. The ever-present country guitar continues through these tracks, as a kind of comfort and something to fall back on.

Two instrumental tracks feature on the album. Mi Burro Esta En Fuego, translated as My Donkey Is On Fire, is a classic Spanish guitar number, which climaxes in a flamenco-style riff. No Grave To Brush The Dust From is another haunting instrumental, which is the best track on the album for chilling out to. The smooth guitar almost sent me to sleep and it seems to really massage your mind. That sounds pretty strange but it’s true!

A wide range of genres make an appearance on the album. Jazz is evident on The Factory Clock, soul is embedded in the vocals on Keep On Wailin’ and No Surprise is a great pop power ballad. Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray are both masters at merging musical genres and as a result, the album is pretty original and full of songs that aren’t like anything else. Although they manage to experiment, they know that Americana country and blues is their strength and it would be wrong to not class them as that.

For more on Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, visit their website at http://www.missshevaughnyumawray.com
http://showmesomethingdifferent.com/tag/miss-shevaughn/

JESTER JAY MUSIC (online music blog) – Mostly positive album review with album art.
Recording review – Miss Shevaughn & @YumaWray “We’re From Here.” Warm heart and fuzzed out soul come together.
Duos are often more revealing than a full band. In a larger group, one member’s vision can dominate. Or, by contrast, the personalities can smear together into an amalgamation without the rough edges. But a duo often presents a yin yang balance between two equals. If the match is close, it may emphasize the common ground, but magic can happen when two stronger visions come together. If the clash is not destructive, two perspectives can yield a rich sense of depth.

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray don’t always succeed in smoothly merging her folky singer/songwriter sensibility with his harder edged garage guitar, but they do click often enough to create several special moments on We’re From Here. The two clearly come from different worlds, but the long time they’ve spent on the road together has granted them a strong mutual respect and border crossing spirit. Neither musician’s contribution can be summed up simply, but their strengths bolster one another.

Erin Frisby (Miss Shevaughn) has a fine voice that evokes the classic folk sounds of Linda Ronstadt or Emmy Lou Harris. When the tunes are more country, a touch of Patsy Cline comes out in her expressive phrasing. Confident yet vulnerable, she gives the material an emotional core. The opening track shows this off. From the simple folk start of Go Hang, her sweet but weary tone slides into your heart. Frisby carries her weight as a player, too. While her strength seems to be acoustic rhythm work, she has a nice touch at steel guitar and electric fills.

Chris Stelloh (Yuma Wray) balances Frisby’s sentimentality with his electric guitar work. He seems happiest turning up the distortion and reverb to create a rich retro tone. On the subtle end, he can support a lonely melancholia with a Sleep Walk slide fill, like his backing on Go Hang. At the other extreme, he can build that into a richer garage rock, like he eventually does on Mi Burro Está En Fuego.That instrumental evolves a moody acoustic line into a Spanish flavored rock jam. The progression stays interesting, with tight breaks and fuzzy, single-coil accents. Throughout We’re From Here, Stelloh’s electric sound proves to be a strong companion to Frisby’s rich vocals.

The centerpiece of the album shows off both players’ strengths. The River Made Me Do It begins with a heat shimmer of sun-baked harmonica, creating a plaintive, lonely feel. The banjo and fingerstyle guitar lay down a dark, folk blues sound. The threatening undertone of droning bass creates a shadow of the deep woods that can hide a world of secrets. Frisby’s voice is seductive, but a sense of doom clings to her words:

Well, the river made me do it
Waltzed right in
And made himself at home
And when I looked into his eyes
I fell right in
And I’m a thousand miles gone

With the sonic memories of House of the Rising Sun and Brother, Can You Spare a Dime driving the groove, the tune offers up its moral lesson like an old style murder ballad. About halfway through, the band borrows a page from the Doobie Brothers’ Black Water to lay down an interlocking a capella line (“Floatin’ on by a dry county”). This sets up the electric guitar to drive the song forward like Jack White on a tear. Then Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray drop back to the folk blues simplicity and take us around again for the second half. Frisby’s voice moans as the heavy guitar leads her to her fate to close the song.

We’re From Here’s failures aren’t fatal, but those strong tracks make songs like Make It Out Alive or Martha Ann sound weak and flawed. On the straight rocker, Make It Out Alive, Stelloh takes the lead vocal. Like The Replacements trying to write a Springsteen anthem, it feels derivative. Even though Stelloh gives his best, it lacks the chemistry of the duo. Similarly, Martha Ann’s folky epitaph is pretty and Frisby’s in her element, but it’s missing the moody edge that Stelloh’s guitar buzz adds elsewhere.

The closing track, Anniversary Song uses a different technique to show the duo’s complementary nature. The main push of the song stays in the acoustic realm. Frisby’s voice is full of longing and Stelloh’s acoustic fills are tastefully restrained, maintaining the essential Linda Ronstadt vibe. When the song seems to end, there’s a pause. Then we hear a brief sample of the band’s alternate take as a reprise. Stelloh wrenches a low-fi haze from his distorted guitar, which contrasts with the clean single notes of acoustic. This hint at what might have been is just another way for Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray to show off their dualistic nature.
http://jesterjaymusic.blogspot.com/2012/09/recording-review-miss-shevaughn-yuma.html

CONNECT SAVANNAH (weekly) – Feature/interview with band photo to preview Savannah show.
Road warriors: Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray
By Bill DeYoung

The title of Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray’s just-released first album is misleading. We’re From Here weaves influences from all over the place, and the album’s soulful take on traditional and non-traditional acoustic music is the result of a vagabond lifestyle, having spent a year on the road together, just the two of them and their instruments, in a little car.

They’re from everywhere.

“We went to 29 different states, we played 125 shows, and we met a ton of different people,” explains Erin Frisby, whose middle name happens to be Shevaughn. “We noticed that people really responded to our music in a way … it was new music they’d never heard before, but there was something really familiar about it.”

Yuma Wray is Chris Stelloh. Both musicians are proficient on several instruments, and the Wormhole bandstand at this week’s show will be covered with guitars, mandolins, banjos and the like. An a piano. And a guest drummer (his name is Ben Tufts).

Think back on the material Daniel Lanois produced for Emmylou Harris – this music is by turns ethereal, haunting, lonely, ferocious and bluesy, painting American landscapes in pure black and white.

The harmonies are smooth and go places you wouldn’t normally expect. Frisby, born into an Arkansan musical family, started singing the high stuff as a child. She grew up in New Orleans, studied opera and sang with rock ‘n’ roll bands, and the resulting seasoned alto has a world-weary and strongly emotional feel. She is, to be sure, a great singer.

We’re From Here, recorded in the couple’s Chicago basement, would have been a markedly different record had Frisby and Stelloh not embarked on that lengthy Kerouac journey last year. The songs, she explains, changed a lot as they road-tested them in each new town. “It’s a complex feeling, and I think that had a lot to do with the intensity of travel,” Frisby says. “It’s kind of lonely, but it’s exciting at the same time.”

The music, she adds, “also has sort of a long-distance element of mine and Chris’ musical journey, throughout our entire life, tied into it. A lot of the music we grew up with, a lot of the influences that we pull from, are types of American music that are inextricably linked to our identity.”

Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray perform at the Wormhole Wednesday, Sept. 19.
http://www.connectsavannah.com/news/article/107247/

THE DAILY TIMES (Maryville, TN daily)) – Feature/interview with band photo to preview Knoxville show
Happy vagabonds: Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray make the gypsy life work
By Steve Wildsmith
On paper, it seemed like a foolhardy decision for Chris Stelloh: Giving up a lucrative advancement as general manager of a Chicago bar and hitting the road with his fiancé after getting rid of all of their possessions except for what they could pack in their car.

In the end, playing the achingly beautiful folk blues he and Erin Frisby make as the duo Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray won out over stability and a career, he told The Daily Times recently.
“I had to ask myself, ‘Do I want to be a career bartender and bar manager?’” Stelloh said. “While it was a great opportunity, I had to look myself in the mirror and ask, ‘Do I want to be a bartender five or six years from now?’ Because if the answer had been yes, I wouldn’t have had any opportunities to pursue music. She and I both had this conversation, and we realized that if we didn’t try it then, we’d never get the opportunity to do it down the road.

“At first, we had to set a goal: Can we do this for six months? Can we give up all the comforts we’ve got, the stable jobs and nice apartment, and live in a car and play music? And then it became, can we do this for another six months? Can we do this record? Can we then try to show it to the world in a way that people are receptive to and do what’s necessary to make this a self-sustaining music career?

“That’s the point we’re at right now,” he added. “We know we can do it, so the question is, can we get to the point where we do this music thing and continue to do it and exist solely on the money from it?”

It’s not an easy lifestyle, but it’s a liberating one, and that freedom is boxed up and packaged nicely on the duo’s most recent album, “We’re From Here.” It’s an intentional geographical misnomer, because the combination of folk, moaning blues, Latin-tinged stomp-rock and country seems drawn from a patchwork of postcards from far-flung cities and photos from American landmarks. It draws from wherever the couple happens to find themselves at the time, inspired by the simple things in life that so many others take for granted.

“I remember in Savannah, Ga., we showed up four or five hours ahead of time, and since we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on food to keep our budget low, we ended up sitting in this beautiful park, cooking beans and rice on a camp stove,” Stelloh said. “The only people we were sharing it with were a couple of crazy people, and we realized, ‘We’re kind of living like hobos now. And we can do this. We can dispense with comforts, cook out of a camp stove, wash dishes with Handi Wipes and then take a ‘shower’ in a public restroom, using the same Handi Wipes, if necessary.”

It hasn’t been easy, and there’s been a learning curve involved, he added. When they first hit the road, they had everything crammed into their 2003 Honda Element (they drive a van today), and to keep from having to buy a trailer, they built a plywood loft bed in the back. And taking the songs they heard in their heads and presenting them as a two-piece with only the instruments they could carry with them proved challenging as well.

“We had a tall order to fill live with just the two of us — singing and playing percussion with our feet and playing organ with one hand and cowbell with the other,” he said. “There were all sorts of things we did, and at first it looked like the songs were limited, but once we got into those limitations, we were able to figure out all sorts of wacky things we could do with them.

“A lot of what we write about comes from just being exposed to things. At first, we had the feeling like maybe we didn’t belong, but if you get past the idea of feeling out of place because you’re a tourist, you’re getting to take in something new every single day.”
IF YOU GO
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray
PERFORMING WITH: Guy Marshall, Sons
WHEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25
WHERE: The Longbranch Saloon, 1848 Cumberland Ave. (“The Strip”), Knoxville
HOW MUCH: $5
CALL: 546-9914
ALSO: Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray will perform at noon Tuesday on the WDVX-FM “Blue Plate Special,” broadcast live from the Knoxville Visitors Center at 301 S. Gay St., downtown. It’s free to attend as part of the in-studio audience.
Related Links
www.missshevaughnyumawray.com
http://www.thedailytimes.com/Weekend/story/Happy-vagabonds-Miss-Shevaughn–Yuma-Wray-make-the-gypsy-life-work-id-027780

BEACHWOOD REPORTER  (Chicago music site) – Brief show preview.
Show watch: Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray at Quencher’s on Friday, October 12. From the press materials:
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray spent all of last year on the road, and without fail at every show, someone would ask, “So, where are you from?,” which would always lead to a bit of stammering, “Well, Miss Shevaughn was born in Arkansas and grew up in Louisiana, Yuma grew up internationally. We met in D.C. then again in Chicago . . . ” To further complicate matters, Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray had to leave behind their lives and apartment in Chicago in order to be able to afford to be on the road full-time. That left the duo living in their Honda Element for most of 2011.
http://www.beachwoodreporter.com/music/local_music_notebook_lupe_fias.php

ATLANTA EXAMINER  (online music site) – Positive show preview with album art, band photo and related links.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray hit Atlanta on their never ending tour of America
By Chris Martin
On a never ending quest to bring their live music to anyone who wants to listen, Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray have made the road their home. Their travels have taken them on a course through a myriad of classy joints, dark backrooms and dive bars as they offer up the music from their debut record We’re From Here.

A fifteen song collection of Americana music, We’re From Here seamlessly jumps from sparse folk tunes (“Martha Ann”) to fuzzy guitar filled garage rock (“Make It Out Alive”). Miss Shevaughn’s haunting vocals weave through the sonic landscape provided by Yuma Wray, and when it is his time to sing the contrast is powerful. The songs “Pneumonia” and “Anniversary Song” show off the beauty of their music and her vocal abilities and when they switch gears on the tracks “Keep On Waitin’” and “Cloin’s Lament” they dive head first into the world of dirty guitar riffs and angry rhythms. Their music is more than just songs, each tune is a story and as story tellers it is up to Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray to bring these tales to life. After listening to this record, that is exactly what they have done.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray – We’re From Here
Video: Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray – We’re From Here

One stop on their non-stop road trip is right here in Atlanta. As they make their residence here this weekend, they will be sharing the bill at the Peachtree Tavern with Atlanta artists Levi Lowrey & Hawkeye Pierce. On Friday night, Sept. 21st, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray will be in charge of kicking things off and getting the crowd ready for a great night of music, and with the power and emotion of their live shows this should be an easy task.

So go check out their album, then once you are hooked make plans to be at the Peachtree Tavern to experience them live. They are first up so get there early, then stay for the rest of the night of tunes. Sounds like a good Friday night to me.

WHO: Miss Shevaughan & Yuma Wray with Levi Lowrey and Hawkeye Pierce
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 21st, 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Peachtree Tavern
http://www.examiner.com/article/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-hit-atlanta-on-their-never-ending-tour-of-america

HUFFINGTON POST  (online A&E site) – Brief  DC show preview in Sep 10th ‘Top 5 For Monday”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/10/monument-to-the-unelected_n_1870628.html

FEARLESS RADIO  (Chicago internet radio) – News post (from press release) with photo, tour dates and related links.
http://www.fearlessradio.com/component/content/article/36-press-releases/6743-miss-shevaughn-a-yuma-wrays-debut-lp-qwere-from-hereq-out-today#

UNDERCOVER  (online music site) – Positive album review with The River Made Me Do It mp3, album art and related links.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR’E NEXT RECORD PURCHASE?
By Sally Bailey
I know what my next record purchase is going to be, the debut album ” We Are From Here” by Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray. It’s out today and if you love inspiring and talented people, you are gonne love these guys and what they do.

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray spent the whole of 2011 on the road, and without fail at every show, someone would ask, “So, where are you from?,” which would always lead to a bit of stammering, “Well, Miss Shevaughn was born in Arkansas and grew up in Louisiana, Yuma grew up internationally. We met in D.C. then again in Chicago…” To further complicate matters, Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray had to leave behind their lives and apartment in Chicago in order to be able to afford to be on the road full-time. That left the pair living in their Honda for most of last year.

“We’re From Here ” is a simple answer to that complicated question. Written and recorded over a year on the road, this debut album is a classic American road trip story, unfolding both the personal and family histories as well as the musical influences informing both songwriters.

Rock Guitar Daily described the album thus ” We’re From Here is a stunning and audacious debut – this record sounds like they’ve made an Oscar winning movie based on the Great American Novel. Miss
Shevaughn joins Emmylou Harris and KD Lang in the realm of the great female American storytellers. She is a force of nature, and Yuma Wray provides the perfect home in which to raise her stories. Forget about
genres and categories, this is great music.”

This commentary coupled with a listen to the album track “The River Made Me Do It”  have convinced me that I need this record. For all info Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray head to the following site http://www.missshevaughnyumawray.com and make sure you listen to “The River Made Me Do It”. You’ll have dust on shoes at the end of the listening journey as these guys snake a highway around Americana, folk and good old rock & roll. It really is fabulous music making and bursting with talent, imagination and character, I could listen to it all day. http://www.undercover.fm/news/16991-what-will-be-your-e-next-record-purchase

ADOBE & TEARDROPS (online music blog) – Positive album review with The River Made Me Do It mp3, album art and related links.
Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray — We’re From Here
Thanks to The Civil Wars, the alt-Americana scene seems to have seen a resurgence (or at least a renewed interest) in male-female duos: Shovels and Rope and The Parlor Soldiers, to name two, have started to garner critical acclaim. But they should all step aside for Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray.

I earmarked the duo a couple of months ago after watching their video on Couch by Couchwest. I kept pushing them to the back of the queue — fortunately, yesterday’s release of their debut album, We’re From Here, has given me the impetus to tell you all a little more about them.

The crackling intimacy in the above video is expanded a thousandfold on We’re From Here. If I had a million dollars, I would pay Miss Shevaughn to sing me to sleep every night for a year. I’m not picky — she could Skype or phone it in while she’s on tour.

This album is many things: despairing, contemplative, vengeful, loving, personal, political. There is one thing it is not: lazy. There are musicians who have worked all of their lives to produce the perfect album, but Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray have pulled it off in one shot. Though the first track, “Go Hang” is a stunner, once the duo hit the electric guitar crescendo in the middle of the third track, “The River Made Me Do It,” We’re From Here never looks back. Every beat, every note from Yuma Wray’s off-kilter licks, every distinctive moan and tremble delivered by Miss Shevaughn is carefully, beautifully placed. Expect to see We’re From Here again at the end of the year — it’s one of the best albums that’s come my way this year.

Plus, they have a truly amusing Twitter feed. How many people can you say that about?
Go Hang
Cloin’s Lament
Anniversary Song
http://adobeandteardrops.blogspot.com/2012/09/miss-shevaughn-and-yuma-wray-were-from.html

WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY (daily) – Positive album review with band photo, The River Made Me Do It mp3, videos and related links.
REVIEW: Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray – We’re From Here
Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray have put together a debut record that is simply stunning in its scope and in the sheer size of its sound. We’re From Here is a title that apparently grew out of an answer to the question, often asked, “Where are you from?” Shevaughn grew up in Arkansas and Louisiana, and Wray internationally, but their most recent permanent home was Chicago, as good an American music melting pot as you could think of. In working out the songs that comprise We’re From Here, they apparently took up residence in their van and travelled the country. Similarly, they imposed no limits on their music.

On beginning to listen, I am reminded of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, but that’s probably too easy a comparison – after all, anybody can see that the band consists of a female folk/country/rock crooner and an ace guitar player. Although it would appear Shevaughn’s an ace guitarist herself… Another comparison that came to my mind in listening to this record a few times over was “kd lang fronting Uncle Tupelo”. But then, there are those guitars…

“Make It Out Alive” is an amazing song, one that owes as much to Springsteen as to, say, Emmylou and Gram. It’s roots rock with some big-time guitar slinging. Similarly, “Lost My Way” reminds me of Eleventh Dream Day or Sonic Youth, just some tremendous guitar work.

But on songs like “The River Made Me Do It”, Wray provides some fairly restrained picking over the first two or three minutes, which allows Shevaughn’s voice to stay right on top. She’s an excellent country-rock vocalist, seemingly comfortable with any type of song… and Wray’s always ready with some wicked, ragged electric guitar to punctuate things in between choruses.
There’s not a bad song on the record – Wray’s a good vocalist, too, and he takes lead vocals on a few of the songs here: “Make It Out Alive”, “Keep On Wailin'” and “Cloin’s Lament”.

Mostly, though, this record is recommended if you like guitars. Whether plucking and bending the strings, as on the pretty “No Grave To Brush The Dust From”, or shredding, as they do throughout most of the rest of the album, the quality of the fretwork is uniformly excellent… this is a tremendous debut. It’s out today (9/11) and you can learn more at their website, or buy it directly from the band here.
http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-miss-shevaughn-and-yuma-wray.html

SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS (daily) – Positive feature/interview with band photo.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray to promote new album at The Wormhole
By Linda Sickler

It was in Savannah last year that Erin Frisby and Chris Stelloh discovered they could live at a bare minimum to be able to take their indie folk music to America.

The duo, who perform as Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray, are playing The Wormhole on Sept. 19. “Savannah was the place we pulled it together and said, ‘We can do this,’” Frisby says.

“We were in a beautiful park and were cooking beans and rice on a little stove,” she says. “We had such a good time.”

The two, who have been a couple for several years, literally lived on the road for a year, traveling from city to city to perform. “Savannah was the town we realized we were good at living like hobos,” Stelloh says.

“We were pretty lucky,” he says. “We managed to keep our squabbling to a bare minimum, even though we spent so much time with just the two of us for the majority of the year.

“We actually had a lot of people ask us how we did it,” Stelloh says. “People asked if it was the end of our relationship.”

People also ask how they got their quirky stage names.

“Shevaughn is my middle name,” Frisby explains

“We were on Route 76 in Colorado,” Stelloh says. “We had another show booked as a duo, but I didn’t have a band name.

“There’s a highway sign along that road that says if you take this exit, it takes you to Akron, Yuma and Wray,” he says. “Yuma and Wray — that sounds like a country singer’s name.”

The two met in 1999 at a Washington, D.C., hip-hop club where they had friends in common. “We had a brief fling,” Frisby says. “Fast-forward several years when we moved to Chicago independently.

“We ran into each other, and then would see each other every six months or so,” Stelloh says. “Around 2008, we decided to start working on our music together as side projects to other bands we were working with.”

Then the romance began. “It became obvious to us that we both really had a gigantic crush on each other and that we both were really serious about music,” Stelloh says.

“Our writing styles are complementary,” Frisby says. “We spent a lot of time trying to impress each other with our writing.”

The two played their very first show together in July 2009. “We said, ‘Gosh, wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep going?’” Frisby says. “In 2011, we went on the road for a year.”

“We managed 125 shows in 2011,” Stelloh says.

“In 29 different states,” Frisby adds.

They had to give up their apartment in Chicago to undertake the journey, which wasn’t always easy. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of our families,” Stelloh says. “There were times when we were literally sleeping on a couch at our parents’ house.”

The couple lived in their car for a time. “We built a bed in our Honda Element,” Frisby says. “We built it out of plywood. We took the back seats out and pushed the front seats forward. There was very little room to move, but it was cozy and it was home.”

“There’s a certain point where you hit a threshold where you dispense with any notion of comfort,” Stelloh says. “By then, it doesn’t bother you to be waking up in the back seat of a car. “

Currently, the two are touring in support of their new album, “We’re From Here,” which was released Sept. 11. The songs are a result of their year of travel.

“We got a couple of friends to record with us,” Stelloh says. “At least two-thirds of the songs have full rhythm sections. We liked the way it sounded so much, we had to find a drummer.”

“Now we have two drummers,” Frisby says. “There’s one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.

“Our songs grow and change, so we brought a lot of that into recording the album,” she says. “It’s almost a travel journal. It shows where all our influences come from and how we brought them together.”

“That record couldn’t have happened if our parents hadn’t let us take over their basement and turned it into a recording studio,” Stelloh says. “We’ve been lucky so far.

“One of the concerns we had in this day and age of people downloading music is that there’s not much of a market for full albums,” he says. “There are a lot of people out there who write bang-up singles.”

Stelloh says their songs tend to be longer than most singles. “Still, we have gotten a lot of response from people who say they like the entire record.”

“We set out to write a full album that had a beginning, middle and end with a narrative feel to it,” Frisby says. “We even agonized over the order of the songs.”

“We sat down in a bar in Omaha with a notepad,” Stelloh says. “We hadn’t recorded a single note yet.”

Each writes about half of the music they’ve recorded and perform. “At least half of the amazing lead guitar parts — that’s Miss Shevaughn’s doing,” Stelloh says proudly.

The current tour means more hours on the road, but they don’t mind. “We had to get a new vehicle,” Stelloh says. “The Element has been retired.”

“We’re really excited about getting back to Savannah,” Frisby adds. “It’s a beautiful city.”
IF YOU GO
What: Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray
When: 8 p.m. Sept. 19
Where: The Wormhole, 2307 Bull St.
Info: wormholebar.com
http://savannahnow.com/accent/2012-09-14/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-promote-new-album-wormhole

METRONOME CHARLESTON (Charleston music blog) – Brief show preview
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray
When: Back to Calendar September 18, 2012 @ 9:00 pm – 11:45 pm
Where: Home Team BBQ (West Ashley)
Cost:     Free
Chicago-based indie trio led by Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray. Their latest is We’re From Here.
http://metronomecharleston.com/ai1ec_event/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray/?instance_id=

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER (daily) – Positive show preview with (old) photo.
americana | Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray
Tues. Sept. 18
9 p.m.
Free
Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ, West Ashley

We’re From Here, the upcoming album from Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, is a folk-drenched look into questions of contentment, laments over new beginnings, and self-acceptance, with Miss Shevaughn sounding an awful lot like Joni Mitchell as she tells her passionate tales. The disc’s opener, “Hang On,” discusses everything from self-destruction to convincing yourself that you belong in a particular place. After that, the duo gets down to their rock roots on “Mi Burro Esta En Fuego,” channeling Jefferson Airplane at times. But perhaps the most notable track on the album is “The River Made Me Do It” which opens with an intense harmonica/banjo combo and later sports some seriously heavy guitar. Although this particular song is largely instrumental, the harmonizing is beautifully done. As they embark on a 30+ city tour, Yuma and Miss Shevaughn might say, “We’re from here” and point to the Honda Element they’ve been living in for most of the year. Musically however, they’re moving from folk to psychedelic rock. As Miss Shevaughn herself says, “We discovered so many wonderful people and places in our travels. We also discovered that there was a rock band inside of us waiting to come out.” —Katie Kimsey TUESDAY
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/FeedbackFile/archives/2012/09/12/soundchecks-supersuckers-galactic-guttermouth-miss-shevaughn-and-yuma-wray

EAST TENNESEAN (college weekly) – Feature interview to preview Johnson City, TN show (per Adam Morrell – phoner with Chris Wed Aug. 29th at 1pm east)
Band to perform this Thursday
By Adam Morrell
Miss Shevaughn, and Yuma Wray will be playing at the Acoustic Coffee House this Thursday, Sept. 13. Having played here before, they are excited to revisit the Johnson City crowds.

Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray are unusual names, and the band says that’s the point. Their real names are respectively Erin Frisby (Miss Shevaughn) and Chris Stelloh (Yuma Wray).

“We knew a band called ‘The Kills’ once. They had a great turn out for their first show,” says Stelloh, “until everyone got angry and left because they thought they had bought tickets to ‘The Killers,’ (a popular band formed in 2001) and we wanted to avoid that kind of confusion.”

They used Frisby’s middle name “Shevaughn” as her alias.Stelloh’s name was a bit trickier.They saw a highway sign while en route to their first show that said “Yuma Wray” and he used that as his name.

Frisby and Stelloh met in a night club in Washington, D.C., in 1999, but their band wasn’t formed until much later. They were introduced though mutual friends and, “had a brief swing that cooled off pretty quickly,” Stelloh says.

Later, as fate would have it, they both independently moved to Chicago, and were in different music projects.

After seeing one another around town and with their other music projects at a dead end, they decided to reunite both in music and in friendship in 2008.

They worked as a duo, until the past year, when they added a drummer to their band for a bigger sound.

The trio is currently crossing the country, performing their soulful ballads and indie rock songs.

Originally, the band was classic country until they “graduated from that and began to think outside the genre,” Stellow says. Now their music, while still pulling from old school country, has been heavily influenced by blues and 90’s rock.

Stelloh describes their music as, “having all components of popular music from America in 1970s.” They accomplish this by using a variety of instruments from electric guitars to bell sets.

The band wants to meet and connect with the crowd, and at the Acoustic Coffee House this Thursday. They will be selling men’s and women’s T-shirts, as well as their newest album self titled, “Miss Shevaughn, and Yuma Wray.”
http://www.easttennessean.com/the-scene/band-to-perform-this-thursday-1.2895966#.UE83BRjORFQ

A! MAGAZINE (TN arts monthly magazine) –  Show preview w/ photo
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray in Johnson City
Date(s):  September 13, 2012
Venue:     Acoustic Coffeehouse
Johnson City, TN 37604
423.434.9872
www.acousticcoffeehouse.net
JOHNSON CITY, TN — Miss Shevaughn and Yuman Wray will appear at The Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, Tenn., Monday, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. They are on a national tour in support of their recently released debut album “We’re From Here.”

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray spent last year on the road, and at every show, someone would ask, “So, where are you from?,” which would always lead to a bit of stammering, “Well, Miss Shevaughn was born in Arkansas and grew up in Louisiana, Yuma grew up internationally. We met in D.C. then again in Chicago…” To further complicate matters, Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray had to leave behind their lives and apartment in Chicago in order to be able to afford to be on the road full-time. That left the duo living in their Honda Element for most of 2011.

“We’re From Here” is a simple answer to that complicated question. Written and recorded over a year on the road, this debut album is a classic American road trip story, unfolding both the personal and family histories as well as the musical influences informing both songwriters.”We discovered so many wonderful people and places in our travels. We also discovered that there was a rock band inside of us waiting to come out,” says Miss Shevaughn

From the opening strains of “Go Hang,” the lamentation of a life wasted in a dead end town to the final soft note of “Anniversary Song,” the realization that one may have actually been home the entire time, We’re From Here serves as a map of sorts, a suggested travel route exploring American music, identity and the concept of home.
http://artsmagazine.info/calendar.php?view=detail&id=201209092315571883

THE RECORD STACHE (online music site) – Positive review with album art
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray – We’re From Here
Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray met in Washington D.C back in 1999. Fast forward to 2011 and they spend the majority of the year travelling across America soaking up all of the experiences that the country has to offer. The duo took their travels to the studio in January and recorded an album inspired by the journey of the previous year, We’re From Here. Ever since I have gotten my ears on this excellent work of Americana and folk, I haven’t been able to stop listening. A voice that captivates, Miss Shevaughn has to be one of the most passionate vocalists I’ve heard. Add in the mysterious Yuma Wray and his magical guitar skills, these two seem to be the perfect mix for creating music that has the power to make the burliest of men weep. A selection tracks from this meaningful album are below. We’re From Here releases next week on September 11th. For now, check out Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray’s select track off of the album, The River Made Me Do It, and my favorite track, Go Hang. Keep up with Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray’s adventures on Facebook. While you’re there, give us a big thumbs up at The Record Stache.
http://www.therecordstache.com/2012/09/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-were-from-here.html

FEARLESS RADIO (Chicago Internet Radio) – One hour unplugged session with  interview on Tue. Sep. 4th at 2pm.

MUSIC. DEFINED. (online music blog) – Positive review with album art, two live at Double Door mp3s and related links.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray-We’re From Here
A couple weeks ago one of my favorite tweets of the year got posted by Chris Stelloh, who makes up the Yuma Wray half of this duo. He said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Please stop referring to us as a country band. We are a rock band.” I found it funny and accurate, as well as something that needed to be said. By referring to the group as a country act, music writers and twitter enthusiasts are immediately alienating more than half of the audience that may have otherwise given them a chance. It also needed to be said because, at first glance, Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray does kind of sound like a country band.

It’s not like they sound similar to Rascall Flatts or Brooks and Dunn, but they don’t go out of their way to hide that there are country influences. I’d say they’re more like The Refreshments, who were most definitely a rock band but played cowboy songs with a south of the border twist. On the first song off of We’re From Here, “Go Hang,” there’s a potent twang in the vocals of Erin Frisby (the Miss Shevaughn half). It doesn’t mean the music is bad, quite the contrary. It fits the song perfectly and more importantly it is completely sincere-no affectation.
Not too long into the record we get a taste of some of that rock music that was promised to us. There’s a great dynamic at play where most of the rocking comes on tunes that are sung by Yuma Wray while the slower, folk-leaning tunes are sung by Miss Shevaughn.

The most electric song, or at least the one that I dig the most, is the seventh track, “Lost My Way.” It’s introduced with a slow guitar riff and Miss Shevaughn’s wailing voice. Yuma Wray takes over from there and what we get is a six minute masters course in changing tempos, guitar efficacy, and the use of wordless vocals as effective instrumentation. Oddly, this song reminds me of something Foo Fighters would have put out (and it doesn’t get much more rocking than Foo Fighters).

For the first time, maybe ever, I actually agree with the song they chose to make their first single for the record, “The River Made Me Do It.” This one has a little bit of everything that Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray like to do, and it’s a great piece to put on and say “If you like this then you’ll like everything else we do.” It’s also the strongest song on the album lyrically. I’m not sure how their songwriting process works, but Miss Shevaughn sings it with the conviction of its author.

“When I looked into his eyes I fell right in, and I’m a thousand miles gone. A thousand miles gone, a thousand miles gone from where I began. Down in the basin I went and saw the old woman with the idle eye. She gave me a gold coin to keep me from the law and two silver coins to carry me home.”

The thing I like best about Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray is their authenticity. They don’t make any attempts to be something they’re not. When they say they play American music, they’re not just playing to our crazy nationalism. They mean they play music that couldn’t come from anywhere else. After spending a long time traversing the nation in their Honda Element, I think they have a better idea of what America is than most of us. Their blend of country, folk, rock, and blues is a thing of beauty, and I think they should be applauded for making the music they love.
The absolute jewel of We’re From Here comes in the form of a ballad called “Morning Is Breaking.” It’s got Connie Francis written all over it, and that makes it all the better. “Did you ever feel so lonesome you wanna pull the shades? And you pray for the sweet dark night time to carry you away carry you away?” Miss Shevaughn’s voice shows a great range here. Often within the same line she hits something very low and very high. There’s also a great little guitar solo reminiscent of Gary Moore’s more somber tunes.

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray will be here in Chicago on Labor Day, September 3rd at Martyr’s. The album technically comes out a week later at their official release show in Washington, DC at Black Cat, but I hear they may have some advance copies available. I’ll be seeing them for sure, as I’ve missed the last three opportunities to catch them live. They also have shows currently set up for Johnson City, TN and a few shows throughout the Carolinas. Try to make it out and hear what real musicians sound like.
http://music-defined.com/tag/miss-shevaughn/

BEAT SURRENDER (online music blog) –Positive post with The River Made Me Dot It mp3 & video, album art, band photo, live Double Door mp3 and related links.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray – We’re From Here
By Simon, on August 28th, 2012
Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray’s 2011 was spent on the road living out of their Honda Element, searching out their sound and cataloging their experiences and thoughts, distilling them to answer a question posed to them muliple times on thier travels “where are you from”, the answer We’re From Here is released on September 11.

Their time on the road was not wasted as the result is Americana personified – an amalgamation of elemental roots music into songs of real substance a soundtrack for a journey on the rural routes and black tops.
Live album Home Is Where You Park It (live @ Double Door) on a pay what you want basis from Bandcamp.
http://www.beat-surrender.com/2012/08/28/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-were-from-here-2/

ROCK GUITAR DAILY WITH TONY CONLEY (online music blog) – Very positive review with album art, band photos, “We’re From Here video, link to The River Made Me Do It mp3 and related links.
Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray – Between Bakersfield and Outer Space
We’re From Here is one of those debut albums that you hear for the first time, scratch your head, smile, and then listen again. It’s a ‘did I just hear what I thought I heard?’ moment – brilliance is like that. Sometimes it takes you a minute to realize that you’re in its presence.

I came to this record with a bit of trepidation – I’ve generally been less than thrilled by much of the alt-country/indie rock that has crossed my path, as the singing is usually out of tune and the instrumentation is something less than inventive or adventurous. Miss Shevaughn dispels my negative notions immediately with a voice that is powerful, pitch perfect, and filled with passion. Her performance on the opening track, Go Hang, is soulful and sultry as she unfolds the tale of a woeful woman who’s stayed too long in the wrong place. Her phrasing sounds as if she spent a good bit of time with the soul shouters, jazz queens, and country wailers who established the ground rules for how a woman should sing over fifty years ago. She’s not lazy, she doesn’t slide by, she hits it head on, and she hits it hard.

Yuma Wray mystifies me – he provides the musical tapestries over which Miss Shevaughn wails, and he combines smooth country bends and slides with shimmering, tremolo chords, then thinks nothing of firing off salvos of Jimmy Page approved shards of jagged howls and power chords. Mi Burro Esta En Fuego follows Shevaughn’s opener, and it’s an amazing three minutes and forty-six seconds of south of the border guitar bravado that while by no means is technically perfect is perfect none the less. He gets bolder and bolder as the tunes progresses, combining harmonized leads, brutal chord stabs, and melodic statements that suggest, indeed, his burro may just be on fire. OK – take a little Robert Rodriguez soundtrack, add some Neil Young frenzy, throw in a dash of Beck’s Bolero, and serve it up with a frentic drum track, and you’ve got it. Get it?

These two are some kind of empathetic – it’s like there’s one musical being divided between two bodies. Swirls of steely slides chase the melodies as casually as a walk through a wavy field of flowers on a summer morning. Shevaughn has an amazing set of pipes, and her vibrato is strong and true. Reverberated slide guitars are the silk wrapping of this record, and they give some softness to the chaunteuse’s lyrics, which often are less than comforting (much like these times in which we live).

The River Made Me Do It has the marks of an instant classic. It could have been written a hundred and fifty years ago as easily as last year, and the plucked and strummed banjo (just as likely a capo’d guitar) accompaniment is appropriate underpinning until some seriously heavy power chords hijack the proceedings, and announce the tune’s second act. It all kind of makes me wish this album had been released in 1969 – Levon Helm and Robbie could have used the competition. World weariness never sounded so hopeful.

Dynamics figure heavy on this disc, and never so much as on the stop/start action between the electric violence and smooth melody of Lost My Way. This sounds like Jefferson Airplane meets Blue Cheer, but it works. The juxtaposition of dark and light flickers repeatedly, but not so much as be jarring – somehow they make it sound very natural. So much so that I keep finding myself smiling at their clever musicality.

Lyrically, this isn’t the most pleasant street you’re going to find yourself on this summer, but it has the gripping ring of the Truth. Shevaughn is cast in the mold of the classic Southern songcrafters. Her tales sound like she’s listened closely to a lot of sad tales, and maybe shared a few of her own.

Morning Is Breaking is a mournful meditation that is driven by a gospel tinged, modulating organ that hangs over the tune like a thunderstorm, only to be interrupted by a very brief, but very cool lo-tech, lo-fi guitar solo. Mind you, these terms only describe the techniques – musically it is sublime and perfect for the song. Miss Shevaughn sings this one like there might not be another, and she milks it so sweetly.

Yuma takes the microphone on Cloin’s Lament, and he evokes visions of The Band if they had been produced by Jimmy Page – heavy, heavy guitar blues mixed with a “throw me in the river” refrain that develops into a torrent of passionate wailing vocals, crashing cymbals, and careening chords that slam against your ears with charming aplomb. Holy hell this is great stuff.

No Grave To Brush The Dust is another instrumental, and the interludes give a pleasant respite from the dust bowls, and broken city lights as Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray ride the highways and byways of an American Dream gone nightmare. Mind you, for all the darkness and trepidation this album deals with there is never a shortage of hope that shines through musically. That may be this record’s greatest charm – in the face of life’s hardships and tribulations, you get the impression that these are not just the survivors, they are also the victors.

We’re From Here is a stunning and audacious debut – this record sounds like they’ve made an Oscar winning movie based on the Great American Novel. Miss Shevaughn joins Emmylou Harris and KD Lang in the realm of the great female American storytellers. She is a force of nature, and Yuma Wray provides the perfect home in which to raise her stories. Forget about genres and categories, this is great music.

http://soundcloud.com/pavement-pr/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-the

We’re From Here will be released September 11th, and Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray will be tour starting in September.
http://www.missshevaughnyumawray.com/missshevaughnyumawray.cfm
Thanks to Tony Bonyata at Pavement PR.
http://rockguitardaily.blogspot.com/2012/07/miss-shevaughn-yuma-wray-between.html

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS NETWORK (music industry site) – Press announcement posted with album art
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=155338