Quinton Owens a.k.a "Q" has been playing in bands for 8 years. After a falling out among his last band who were together almost 3 years he went searching for another band. In 2002 he was like: "hey Jamie (who was Drew's friend...you don't know drew...he's not in the band) you wanna go play?" So after that, they spent countless hours of free-form jamming as well as ping-pong in Ryan's (Q's cousin and everyone's bitch...just kidding dude) attic. Man cannot live on Ping-pong, beer and simple Jammage alone, he must have a cohesive unit or at least a three piece. So anyway, Moss came along and yadayadayada we're a band! *Just for the record Q is a genius songwriter despite the fact he's a goob! ;) my comments appear in asterisks (mOss)*
Jamie has been beating the skins forever! He was captain of the CHS drumline which won so many damn awards it's crazy. I swear the guy was born with a Vic-Firth drumstick in one hand and a Marlboro Menthol in the other. The guy is an incredible drummer despite getting his first drum kit 3 years ago. The freakin hours of technical training and technique he gained let him easily make the switch from snare and other percussion to the set. "Wrist speed" thats all you can say about this kid! *but hopefully not in the same breath that you talk about him beating the skins* Armed with a white t-shirt, a chipped pair of sticks, and unbelievable speed Jamie lays down the solid foundation on which > b rests. Now if only we could capture him on film...he's tougher to shoot than bigfoot.
A picture is worth a thousand words.*This one says "Gimme a frikken McBreak over the sweatiness... it's hotter than Hades here at Ground Level :)"* mOss plays bass...wears funny clothes...makes faces in the mirror when he thinks that nobody is looking and he absolutely hates long walks on the beach . He is old-er than Jamie and Q, how much older remains a mystery. He does assert that he is the oldest teacher to be playing in a poppunk band in THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!! (We're still contacting Guiness) We think he may be between 30 and 52 but it's hard to say. *All that Mountain Dew in my system keeps me well presevered. LONG LIVE FD&C Yellow dye number 5* Partly because he is believed to be an undocumented worker without any form of I.D. *How many times do I have to tell you, I was abducted by Aliens....they have my I.D....they've been using it to try and buy beer.* He's been playing since he got back from Nam *De Nang!!! man and I'm not THAT frikken old*.... The point is, he's freakin awesome and he's been playing forever, he is the heart and soul of Greater than b, and if it weren't for him Q would've cut every song and nothing would ever get done because he and Jamie would be on a permanent smoke break. *awwww makes me wanna get tears in my eyes and go all sappy on yas*
Influences
Although I can't speak for everyone definitively I can say that these are some of our collective influences-Q-The Pixies, Bob Marley, Weezer, The Ataris (the old stuff), Mest, MXPX, Goldfinger, Ozma, Riddlin Kids, Rod Stwart (that ones mine -Q-), U2, All of those 80's bands that have recognizable songs but very forgettable names, Allister, Homegrown, NoFx, Audio Karate, The get Up Kids, All those metal bands Q was into in the 90's, Midtown, The Beach boys, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly...
Sounds Like
power pop/rock...with a definite punk flavor... We sound a bit like the Atari's with a dash of the Starting line and mayhaps even a smidgen of MxPx and Mest (hmm sounds like I'm baking cookies)... Give a listen for yourself... and then proclaim that it's the coolest crap you ever heard.... We'll even take the 2nd coolest! :)
(("Songs for Therapy" was listed as an editor's pick on CDbaby.com for Skatepunk.... Frikken McWoOt!!!!))
***QUICK DISCLAIMER*** Because mOss IS actually a teacher and would like to keep his job...We have to filter our comments... meaning ****comments with excessive or heavy profanity will not be posted**** It's not that we don't appreciate the spirit of a comment that says: "You guys ****'in rock!!!!!" It's all about the love....BUT mOss still likes his job and doesn't want to give anybody a reason to rid him of it. :) ***THANKS*** With that said.... I give you.... THE GREATER THAN B BIO!!!!
Formerly known as Plan b (This should scroll like a Star Wars intro)....
From the quiet pastoral scenes of the foothills of North Carolina emerged a band that defied all traditional views of what a pop punk/powerpop band should be.
GREATER THAN b....
Don't call them the usual
Don't call them boring
and whatever you do....
Do NOT call them pretty.
Take a longwinded, overly lazy, Genius Songwriter "Q" (lead vocals/guitar), add the unassuming, dressed in a Food Lion shirt, sticks like lightning, Jamie (drums/backing vocals) and top it off with.... Their high school English teacher?!!? Yes...their high school English teacher... bald, older than dirt, monster on the bass, "mOss" (bass) and you get what we affectionantly refer to as.... Greater than b.
The combination of the three leads to high octane pop punk reminiscent of The Ataris, and the Starting line, with strains of Mest and MxPx thrown in for good measure.
For the past 3 years Greater than b's special aromatic blend of fast lines, hook filled lyrics, and their wild yet humorous antics have left the crowds wanting more and humming the choruses on the way home.
If you're tired of bands that are lifeless on stage, If you want to come away from a show with that "not-so-fresh" feeling because you've jumped and moshed to your heart's content, or if you just want to see a big bald man bouncing like a frikken mad man then SEE THIS BAND LIVE!!!
SONGS FOR THERAPY IS OFFICIALLY "RELEASED"!!!!!
****HERE'S THE REVIEW OF "SONGS FOR THERAPY AS LISTED ON INDIE-MUSIC.COM****
Artist: Greater Than B
CD: Songs For Therapy
Home: Rutherford, North Carolina
Style: Punk / Pop Punk / Alternative
Quote: "With Songs for Therapy, Greater Than B has managed to create a stellar album that you can listen to all the way through and never feel the need to hit the skip button."
By Thomas D. Szewc
Greater than B strikes me as a group that’s engaging on multiple levels; not only does their album Songs for Therapy offer some intense rock mixed with extremely catchy choruses, but there’s also a healthy dose of musical satire. When you look at a track listing and see a song titled “We Suck at Naming Songs,” you know you’re about to listen to a band who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. I tend to find that as a welcome breath of fresh air.
If you were to take the sound of current alternative rock and put it in a blender with the quick-paced pop-punk style, you’d come out with Greater than B. I honestly don’t think one track goes by that won’t have you nodding your head to the rhythm or singing along. There’s just something about these songs that makes them quite fun to sing along with. Quinton Owens (otherwise known as “Q”) has the perfect kind of vocal range for this type of music. He can go from quiet, melodic lilting to load, exuberant “Whoooooaaaaaa-ooooohhhhh’s” at the drop of a hat without it ever sounding too forced. “Sunburn” and “Where is my Mind” are especially nice examples of just how well tuned Q is to the music.
Let’s not forget Greater Than B’s well timed rhythm and furious rock beats. Each instrument is played to the highest potential here without letting one overpower another. To get that perfect rock sound, you need to have the balance just right and Greater Than B certainly has that. Being the guitar fan that I am, however, I would like to note that I love what Q manages to pull off on this album. He has a wonderful sound that pulls your right in but still blends in just right with the bass and drums. Listen to tracks like “All the Ways” and “S.O.S.” and you’ll see exactly what I mean. That’s not to take anything away from the other members of the band who have their own stand out moments as well. Both keep the beat so nicely and add their own flare to the songs. “Sunburn” has some excellent bass work from mOss and I love Jamie’s drumming on “Desperate Measures.” Honestly though, it gets very hard to single any one member out on these songs because they really do come together so well.
What really draws me to Great Than B is the occasional humor they seem to throw into their music. You have to appreciate it when a band names their twelfth track “Track 13.” Plus I can’t think of a more appropriate song to cover than the Pixies 1987 classic “Where is my Mind?” when your own album is titled Songs for Therapy. What I love best is the end of “We Suck at Naming Songs,” or the proper lack there of I should say. This is one of those songs that keeps making you think it’s going to end but then tricks you into another quick verse. The song finally closes with the line “but now I’m out of breath,” which ties up the song’s narrative nicely but also adds a sort of satirical twist to it all.
Greater Than B is one of those rare bands that are just genuinely entertaining. With Songs for Therapy, they’ve managed to create a stellar album that you can listen to all the way through and never feel the need to hit the skip button. Bravo boys.*******
Don't forget to represent... with your favorite coolie new shirts
OUR NEW FAVORITE QUOTE: "And Those Guys have got some DIE HARD FANS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN BUGGING THE CRAP OUTTA ME ,.." -Twisted Todd (DJ for Upstate Unsigned... 93.3 fm WTPT The Planet)
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We are proud to announce that we are a member of the R.A.G.E. Records family!!! Check out all of the bands on this awesomely sweet label!!!
.. CDBABY LINK for GREATER THAN B: Songs For Therapy -->
Check it... we're also on iTUNES!!! ;)
I adverted for >B today! So I'm at the Beta Club convention in Myrtle Beach, SC. And there was this guy selling CD's and stuff to help Ethiopia. And he had a singles CD from this one guy who lives in Charlotte. So I told him, because he knows the artist personally, that I would buy the CD if he told him about Greater than B. Soo I wrote the name of the band and the MySpace down on a piece of paper and gave it to him and he promised to tell the guy all about ya'll.
He seemed interested in the fact that one of the band members was my English teacher. :P
mOss: (since apparently his room is always locked since he's always in the auditorium) for your board: greatest teacher ever. and awesome-est band ever. I want another Spindale House!
Hey My Favorite Band in the whole wide World" I just love you guys and i miss you too Its been a while for sure hopefully will see eachother again Love Kristin
mOss, i had a dream that you died. and then stephen died. my dad was graduating from appalachian. and the world was ruled by gigantic dinosaurs that could walk on water. and it was the ice age.
i totalllllly think you should sue wally world.. you guys would be my hero.
i haven't commented in over a month (maybe longer) im a horrible fan =[
but i love you guys soooooooo much
and i wore one of my >b shirts.. and it made me feel >beeee ee haha dear gosh i need sleep but it was nice people in charlotte were asking i told.. THAT YOU GUYS ROCK MY SOCKS heheh...
Hmm. Could it be possible if >B sued Wal*Mart for music pirating (or the like), and >B ended up on CNN, would that boost the sales of Songs for Therapy?
o: Ooh-la-la. Talk about CD sales and the wonderful feeling of suing a multi-million dollar company.
I just happen to stumble on over to this site, and I just noticed you guys are now affiliated with a label. Thats awesome! Keep on rockin and I'm sure I'll be seeing you guys on the grammys, grammies,soon. How do you spell that awards show? Anyways, its really awesome to see you guys doing so well. Best of luck.
hey When is yalls next show i miss all you guys sorry i missed your show in dec, but i heared yall kicked ass so im glad to hear that but yall always kick ass anyway.
moss.. did you realize that abraham maslow isn't a bad looking guy... i mean given he was jewish and a left out child who was left to learn things on his own
he played with monkeys
i really do believe we would have been perfect for each other.
M0ss: b/c I didn't have a fourth exam, " you are the GREATEST teacher ever! and somehow I cannot stress it enough." See you in "logic". don't kill me...^_^
Quinton Owens a.k.a "Q" has been playing in bands for 8 years. After a falling out among his last band who were together almost 3 years he went searching for another band. In 2002 he was like: "hey Jamie (who was Drew's friend...you don't know drew...he's not in the band) you wanna go play?" So after that, they spent countless hours of free-form jamming as well as ping-pong in Ryan's (Q's cousin and everyone's bitch...just kidding dude) attic. Man cannot live on Ping-pong, beer and simple Jammage alone, he must have a cohesive unit or at least a three piece. So anyway, Moss came along and yadayadayada we're a band! *Just for the record Q is a genius songwriter despite the fact he's a goob! ;) my comments appear in asterisks (mOss)*
Jamie has been beating the skins forever! He was captain of the CHS drumline which won so many damn awards it's crazy. I swear the guy was born with a Vic-Firth drumstick in one hand and a Marlboro Menthol in the other. The guy is an incredible drummer despite getting his first drum kit 3 years ago. The freakin hours of technical training and technique he gained let him easily make the switch from snare and other percussion to the set. "Wrist speed" thats all you can say about this kid! *but hopefully not in the same breath that you talk about him beating the skins* Armed with a white t-shirt, a chipped pair of sticks, and unbelievable speed Jamie lays down the solid foundation on which > b rests. Now if only we could capture him on film...he's tougher to shoot than bigfoot.
A picture is worth a thousand words.*This one says "Gimme a frikken McBreak over the sweatiness... it's hotter than Hades here at Ground Level :)"* mOss plays bass...wears funny clothes...makes faces in the mirror when he thinks that nobody is looking and he absolutely hates long walks on the beach . He is old-er than Jamie and Q, how much older remains a mystery. He does assert that he is the oldest teacher to be playing in a poppunk band in THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!! (We're still contacting Guiness) We think he may be between 30 and 52 but it's hard to say. *All that Mountain Dew in my system keeps me well presevered. LONG LIVE FD&C Yellow dye number 5* Partly because he is believed to be an undocumented worker without any form of I.D. *How many times do I have to tell you, I was abducted by Aliens....they have my I.D....they've been using it to try and buy beer.* He's been playing since he got back from Nam *De Nang!!! man and I'm not THAT frikken old*.... The point is, he's freakin awesome and he's been playing forever, he is the heart and soul of Greater than b, and if it weren't for him Q would've cut every song and nothing would ever get done because he and Jamie would be on a permanent smoke break. *awwww makes me wanna get tears in my eyes and go all sappy on yas*
OUR NEW FAVORITE QUOTE: "And Those Guys have got some DIE HARD FANS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN BUGGING THE CRAP OUTTA ME ,.." -Twisted Todd (DJ for Upstate Unsigned... 93.3 fm WTPT The Planet)
