Ryan Blake - banjo, trumpet, mandolin, keyboards, singing
Devin Sullivan - keyboards, electric guitar, banjo, pedal steel, singing
Joel Degner - acoustic guitar, mandolin, singing
Jamen Blake - bass, percussion
Peter Nyberg - drums, percussion
Influences
The Arcade Fire
Red House Painters
Mark Kozelek
Whiskeytown
Ryan Adams
Sufjan Stevens
The Innocence Mission
Wilco
Patty Griffin
Radiohead
Eels
Smashing Pumpkins
U2
Tom Waits
Bob Dylan
The Band
Ida
Jackson Browne
Denison Witmer
Great Lake Swimmers
The Postal Service
Death Cab For Cutie
The Flaming Lips
The Cure
Gillian Welch
Peter Gabriel
Neil Young
The Byrds
Gram Parsons
The Jayhawks
Sounds Like
The Arcade Fire
Sufjan Stevens
Red House Painters
Ryan Adams
The Innocence Mission
The Flaming Lips
Wilco
Broken Social Scene
Stars
The Postal Service
Low
Mark Kozelek
Whiskeytown
The National
Band of Horses
Eels
My Morning Jacket
Great Lake Swimmers
Denison Witmer
Yo La Tengo
My Bloody Valentine
Death Cab For Cutie
Sigur Ros
Gram Parsons
Peter Gabriel
Neil Young
The Jayhawks
Fred Eaglesmith
We might have known this was coming. Around the time Josh Caress was born, his father, Jay, wrote one of the first definitive biographies of Hank Williams, Country Music’s Tragic King. So Josh had an early education in country music. He may have heard the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo while still in diapers, but it wasn’t until the Alt-country/Americana scene was born in the 1990’s that Josh took a professional interest. In 1999, he collaborated with Palomino frontman Chris Madin on a four-track project under the name of Rusty Couch, exploring the genre with a convert’s enthusiasm. Since then, Josh has never returned to Americana music on his records, instead forging an identity as an indie singer-songwriter on records like 2007’s The Rockford Files.
Now Josh releases a true Americana record called Wild Wild Love. From the opening title track’s fiddle and pedal steel guitar, it is obvious that we are in new territory. The album moves on, incorporating the influence of contemporaries like Ryan Adams, The Jayhawks and Wilco, as well as their forbearers like The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. While the influences are inescapable on a record like this, Josh brings a new voice to the tradition that is undeniable.
Wild Wild Love is Josh’s fifth self-released record since 2005. He has played all over the United States, from Boston’s Club Passim to Chicago’s Uncommon Ground. He also recently opened for Rosie Thomas in Grand Rapids, MI, where he was named a finalist in at the FFM festival at Calvin College in 2007. His music has been heard in the film Still On Her Keel by Halfway Rock Media, and has earned consistently positive reviews at independentclauses.com. Josh and his band, The Knoxville Fuzz have been touring and playing locally over the last year and are currently getting ready to take Wild Wild Love on the road. Josh lives in Michigan with his wife and their son, Noah.
*To read a review of "Josh Caress Goes On An Adventure!", click here.*
*To read a review of "Letting Go Of A Dream," click here.*
Other accolades for Josh Caress:
-"The Rockford Files" named one of the Top Ten Albums of the Year (2007) by independentclauses.com
-named a top 5 finalist in the "bandspotting" competition at the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Music 2007 by Andy Whitman (Paste Magazine) and Michael Kaufman (Athsmatic Kitty Records)
-"Adventure!" named one of the Top Ten Albums of the Year (2006) by independentclauses.com
To BUY a copy of "Wild Wild Love," (November 2008) Josh's brand new album, click below!
To BUY a copy of "The Rockford Files," (November 2007) Josh's exciting record about growing up in Rockford, IL, click below!
To BUY a copy of "Josh Caress Goes On An Adventure!" (August 2006) click below!
To BUY a copy of "Letting Go Of A Dream" (fall, 2005) click below!
To BUY a copy of "Summer Friend" (spring, 2005) click below!
Come down to Michigan City's Washington park and hang out with us on
the beach while we go live on wbew on the vocolo.org beach
party...bikinis optional...we start @ 4PM but will be there to hang at
3PM (central time btw)...
My debut single ROLLIN' IN THE HEY just broke into the top 75 on the Music Row Breakout Chart WITH A BULLET!!!. Also I was just featured in the "Listen Up" section of COUNTRY WEEKLY!!! Visit my page and click on the Country Weekly free download button to get your copy of the debut single.
My debut single ROLLIN' IN THE HEY is currently #84 on the Music Row Breakout Chart and is poised to move into the top 75. Request it at your local radio station today. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE CD AT DIGSTATION THIS WEEK ONLY FOR $4.99.
Help us play this year's Bamboozle music fest!!! vote for us! this week, we are on online contest and if we win we get to play this year's bamboozle music festivel, if you could vote for us that would be great! just click on this: http://showpopr. com/thebreak/current and click on "pops" you have to register but its free like myspace and takes only a few seconds!
Hey Josh...happy new year! we are playing an Obama inaugural night party at the Livery on 1/20 & need 2 more musicians that have Obama inspired songs 2 play...wanna join in & do a song?
i don't even know what that means. but hey, can you take those lessons for me in January? i have thursday mornings, and jamen has tue-wed afternoons, if you're up for it..? give me a call
Josh Caress, Just stopping by to say we are not dead! Our Hiatus is over due to securing our new front man Jonny O'Brien. Look for some new tunes in early 09'
I hadn't noticed 'Mike Post' in your 'Sounds Like' category until just now - perfect! Though I'm not sure how Pete Carpenter is going to feel about being left out...
Hey man! Two things. 1) I need a new Adventures disc because the one I got skips. :( No big deal; I just really want to listen to it. 2) Rockford Files is so f-ing good and I would like you to know that Anna and I listened to it while driving through the Badlands. It was fun to shout "summer" a lot while on a hot and beautiful summer day in such a spectacular place. I also listened to it alone while driving past the Clock Tower AND Rock Cut State Park. So Cool. Thanks again for everything. It was great to see you.
It's up to you guys. We've got all of the 8th open as well. we'd love to stay. Maybe swim in the lake-hear some new songs. What's your work schedule like? We're also planning on being in Chicago for two days after. Is there any way possible to get into a Cubs game? Would love to all go to a game. Let me know. Can't wait to hang.
