The Badass Chickenbones' music ranges from thoughtful ballads
to up-tempo, toe-stompin' energetic rock 'n' roll tempered
with country and bluegrass influences - sort of Counting Crows meets
the Black Crowes, with a dash of Paul Westerberg and a pinch
of Johnny Cash thrown in.
It's not quite alt-country, but it's not all-out Southern Rock, either,
falling instead somewhere in the fertile middle ground pioneered by
Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Tom Petty and the like and more recently
expanded by bands like the Old 97s, Son Volt and Wilco into this makeshift
category we call "Americana."*
Singer-songwriter Lane Murchison delivers clever, original lyrics
about life, love and freeways, backed up by the stellar performances
of guitarist James Nash, bassist Mike Anderson, drummer Kevin Woodhouse and
fiddler Marisa Martinez.
*Parenthetical trivia: Ever since Gram Parsons first crooned like a country
star and partied like a rock star, people have been searching for an appropriate
label for this marriage of musical styles. Parsons himself despised most of the labels the industry
slapped on his music ("Country Rock", etc.) and tried to popularize the name
"Cosmic American Music." It didn't exactly catch on, but it does make us feel better
about our inability to peg our style with a single catchy phrase.
Thanks to the Gram Parsons FAQ for the tidbit.
Click on the album covers at right for additional details, including sample MP3s and purchasing information. »
BONUS MATERIAL: Click here for sneak peaks, acoustic versions, unreleased tracks and other
goodies you won't find on any album.
GIGS
