The Band of Heathens by The Band of Heathens @ ARTISTdirect.com

When a band calls itself the Band of Heathens, one might assume that its focus is death metal or black metal. But these Austin, TX residents don't sound anything like that; their focus is bluesy, country-tinged Americana, roots rock, Southern rock, and rock & roll. That focus certainly lends itself to being based in Austin -- a city that has a lot of credibility when it comes to Americana and roots rock -- and it serves them well on this self-titled CD. Although this is the Band of Heathens' first studio album, it isn't their first album period; their first two releases, the 2006 CD Live from Momo's

and the 2007 CD/DVD Live at Antone's, were both live recordings. How many bands wait until their third release to provide a studio album? Not many. Given the fact that so many artists never record a live album at all, it is refreshing, albeit unorthodox, that the Band of Heathens did things the way they did. And thankfully, the studio environment doesn't deprive them of their bluesy grit. Drawing on influences that include the Black Crowes, the Rolling Stones, the Band, the Allman Brothers, and John Cougar Mellencamp, the Band of Heathens keep things nice and gritty on well-crafted tracks like "Cornbread," "Jackson Station," "Unsleeping Eye," and "Heart on My Sleeve." This memorable, if derivative, CD not only benefits from the fact that the Band of Heathens has an attractive sound -- it also benefits from the fact that the writing is consistently solid. The Band of Heathens make the transition from live recordings to the studio pleasingly well on this 2008 release. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

MP3 Downloads

What's Hot from ARTISTdirect

All Music Guide Review

The Band of Heathens User Reviews

Red Tunic Troll

posted on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:38:29

Country, rock, blues and folk from Austin, TX

Having gravitated to one another’s live sets at Momo’s in Austin, Texas, songwriters Colin Brooks, Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi (together with bassist Seth Whitney and drummer John Chipman) formed The Band of Heathens and released their 2006 debut as, unsurprisingly, “Live at Momo’s.” More unusually, their follow-up was also a live disc, and it wasn’t until this 2008 release that the quintet settled down to record in a proper studio. Their combination of country, rock and blues has a distinctly southern flavor, venturing towards Southern Rock and stadium-sized energy of John Mellancamp’s heartland singalongs, but remaining rootsy throughout. There are numerous antecedents here, including the bluesy melting pot of Little Feat, the 1970s rock-goes-country Rolling Stones, the eclecticism of Commander Cody and NRBQ, and the rustic sentiments of The Band.

Produced by the legendary Ray Wylie Hubbard, the disc’s eleven songs cover a lot of ground, from multi-part harmony-laden country to electric blues rock. The Southern fried gospel blues of “Unsleeping Eye” nods vigorously to Little Feat, and the mandolin and pump organ (courtesy of Stephen Bruton and Gurf Morlix, respectively) of “Second Line” add a lazy New Orleans drawl. Patty Griffin adds her voice to “Maple Tears” sad story of cross-border broken hearts, and the oil-rigger’s tale, “Nine Steps Down” has an irresistible radio-ready melody. Among the most successful productions are the album’s simplest, such as the gentle arrangement of Ed Jurdi’s love song, “40 Days,” and the salacious backporch blues “Cornbread,” featuring producer Hubbard on slide guitar.

The Band of Heathens mix of blues, rock, country and folk brings to mind the ground-breaking experiments of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, as well as the more commercially-oriented efforts of acts like The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Eagles. The results neatly provide country music fans a respite from the pop productions of Nashville’s mainstream without resorting to the archness of alt.country opposition. [©2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

The Band of Heathens

Browse Artists