Philip Doucet-Vocals/Guitar
Hans Gutknecht-Guitar/vocals
Bradford Hill-Bass
Mark Levy-Percussion/vocals
Influences
The Replacements, Husker Du, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, The Beatles, Tom Petty, R.E.M. (IRS Years), Everly Brothers, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Hank Williams and Will Oldham
Press for the new You May Already Be A Winner (EP) - Released Oct 2008
Hailing from that y'allternative hotbed known as Brooklyn, Katy Mae has a leg up on most of its peers thanks to the pure, unfettered authenticity that bleeds through the pores of its material. This five-song EP - a stopgap release to keep fans primed for an upcoming full-length; previously were The Sweetheart Deal and The Lightning and the Sun - offers primo examples of the quartet's agile-but-gritty tunesmithery.
Right from the get-go, with the hard-twang careen of "Two Dollars Late," which suggests a bluesier Drive-By Truckers, the band signals its intention to rawk, and singer/guitarist Phil Doucet's yearning yelp, which is a little bit country/a little bit punk, has never sounded more convincing. Elsewhere, the slow-burn sizzle of "Falls Down," sparked by a subtly insistent thrumming riff, builds to an anthemic climax worthy of some of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' classic raveups. And the desolate, reverb-soaked desert rock that populates the title track has a malevolent grandeur no fan of Crazy Horse will be able to resist (if you additionally hear echoes Tucson's legendary Sidewinders slithering around just under the sun-baked sand here, pat yourself on the back - and these musicians too).
Katy Mae's obviously soaked in its collective influences; one detects elements of Ô70s Southern rock, Ô80s power pop (esp. the Replacements) and of course post-Uncle Tupelo '90s alt-country. But don't think the group can be pinned down too easily, Ôcos as noted above, the songs ring true and aim straight for the heart. That they make all the cute young ladies' asses wanna shake in the process is simply icing on the cake.
~ FRED MILLS - Blurt
The latest five-track excursion from NYC’s Katy Mae showcases a beefier output than past releases thanks to the group adding a second guitar, a move that furthers this unit’s reputation of taking its rock ‘n roll seriously. Strengthened by their ability to draw from their vast influences ranging from anthemic heartland rock (”Falls Down”) and upbeat college rock (”Let Me Bring You Down”) to alt-country twang with Smithereens-like wallop (”You May Already Be a Winner”), Katy Mae blends classic rock aura with chunks of modern rock muscle to create stirring tunes with sweeping dynamics (”Dust of My Friends”), reminiscent of a powerful mix of Pearl Jam and The Who. Multi-faceted and always ready to rock, Katy Mae’s balancing act is worthy of repeated spins for anyone that can appreciate genuine rock ‘n roll that knows its roots.
~ Mike SOS - http://gearsofrock.com/
Some rock bands imitate their muses, while others fuse their influences to create their own sound. Then others seem to sprout out of the earth. That is Katie Mae in a nutshell. Even though their new six track EP, You May Already Be a Winner is a wide-ranging, synthesis of sounds that is not pure rock, pop, or alt-country. And while the band hails from upstate New York, this is not a 'cowpunk' band.
From the bluesy opening number "Two Dollars Late" to the hard-charging closer "Let Me Bring You Down" the album is a mixture of Southern rock and early alternative, garnished with a dash of punk. There are notes of Lynard Skynard, The Heartbreakers, Crash Test Dummies and even the Gin Blossoms. But none of it seems derivative or even descended from any of these artists in any major way. The best description of it would be if Steve Earle and Doug Hopkins were thrown in a blender and mixed with essences of Joe Strummer. Philip Doucet’s aching vocals give the album a forlorn edge. Gutknecht’s rhythmic guitar and Mark Levy’s intense, driving drum add a special urgency to the record. It is as though the band is pleading with the audience to listen to them one last time, making it difficult to put the record down
~ John Winn - Racket Magazine
A stopgap meant to tide fans over while the band put the finishing touches on the follow up to their 2007 debut, Katy Mae's new E.P. finds the Brooklyn outfit sounding stronger than ever. Armed with the punch and twang of Uncle Tupelo and the post-punk howl of The Replacements, You May Already Be a Winner is made up of five scruffy blasts of American rock and roll. "Two Dollars Late" glows with cowpunk glory; "Falls Down" and "Dust Of Friends" bring to mind the power and crunch of Crazy Horse and the title track is a dense and wildly appealing rocker. Singer Phil Doucet is in full command here, his Westerbergian delivery as ragged and appealing as ever. With a full-length on the horizon it's safe to say there's no sophomore slump in sight.
~ Alex Green - http://www.caughtinthecarousel.com/
Its band’s like Katy Mae that make the task of writing album reviews so much more enjoyable and being able to discover something new along the way while being able to give praise in hopes of turning others onto truly fantastic music. You May Already Be A Winner is a remarkable little six song E.P. from Brooklyn’s Katy Mae. The songs are upbeat and foot tapping, that screams “Let the good times roll!” Good old fashioned rock n’ roll is the only way of describing the sound Katy Mae has carefully and cleverly crafty. Take everything you may like about bands such as Seven Mary Three, Neil Young, Counting Crows and Wilco; blend them together and you may come pretty close to the formula that makes up this rocking sound. If you are one of those people who’s contently searching for new music, Katy Mae is hands down some of the best rock n’ roll to surface since the ’70’s, urgently add this band and this album to your list of music discovery or recommendations.
~ http://www.soundcollectivezine.com/
Katy Mae wastes no time in belting out a heady fusion of boogie rock, '70s west coast country rock and Allman Brothers stomp. Opening track "Two Dollars Late" would go over spectacularly in a corner bar on a lonely Thursday night, bottle of cheap beer in hand. "Falls Down" defiantly follows it up with a foot-tapping riff fest that might make you want to ask the bartender for a shot of whiskey to raise the stakes. Strains of Counting Crows' Adam Duritz continuously and invitingly surface in Philip Doucet‘s voice, dive back beneath the riffs, then reemerge on the other side
Final track "Let Me Bring You Down" hits harder than anything else on the disc, ending on its most powerful, immediate note. It's infused with a speedy urgency and is far more visceral than the fatiguing, mid-tempo "best of Southern rock" vibe that permeates the disc's midsection. It's the one song here that might beg you to roll down the car windows on a night drive, sing along at the top of your lungs, and accidentally end up going 20 miles over the speed limit.
~ Playback - SEE THE LIGHT
Every now and then a band comes along that blurs the lines of genres and just simply creates great music that all comers can fall in love with. Katy Mae is that band. Hard to classify? Absolutely. The country genre has fused together with rock, rock has fused together with country, then of course the little sub-genre of alt. Country now exists for those that don't want to fit either category, and the list goes on. Katy Mae walks the line between them all and has put out what has quickly become one of my favorite EP's in my collection. Though they are hard to classify, the comparisons to the likes of The Replacements, The Byrds and Wilco are easy to spot, but Katy Mae also finds a way to stand out on their own two feet. With great, relatable, story telling in their lyrics, mixed together with an outstanding vocal delivery from Phil Doucet, and catchy though simple guitar riffs this band can fill up a Lower Broadway honky-tonk in Nashville and have the place packed and they will quickly have the patrons raising their drinks to the ceiling. But, put them on stage in front of a great rock-n-roll crowd and they are going to have the same thing happening. By stretching the lines of genres and what is and what isn't acceptable amongst music today, Katy Mae has created an amazing EP with a sound unlike a lot of the other bands out there right now. For the first time in a long time, I am really excited about some new music and can't wait to hear more from Katy Mae.
~ guest list magazine
Past Press
Katy Mae is an NYC trio who sound like everything you loved about Crazy Horse, Gram Parsons, the Replacements, etc... The songs on their debut LP, The Sweetheart Deal, produced by veteran John Agnello (Chavez, Dino Jr, Jay Farrar) are remarkably memorable classic rock fare. The band are on tour as we write this, but they'll be back in NYC in no time. Please check em out. - The Deli
"Successful bands form their sound by forging their influences into their own sharp weapon. Katy Mae's distinctive alt-country sound blends Reckoning-era REM with the rock sensibilities of the Replacements and the Who into a friggin' chainsaw." -Ryan Humm | Splendid
Following up last years, critically praised, “The Lightning and the Sun –EP”, Katy Mae return with their debut Full Length album, “The Sweetheart Deal”. Recorded by the illustrious John Agnello (Hold Steady, Walkmen, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth) at Water Music Studios in NJ, with engineering assistance from Scott Norton (Son Volt) and a brief cameo from TJ Doherty (Wilco).
This 11 track barnburner finds an upbeat Katy Mae, building upon the sprawling edifice of American rock music, with a sonically rich and diverse selection of songs, sure to rekindle a time and place when bands created albums to be listened to from start to finish.
Playing like a sonic travelogue through a landscape of heartache and visceral joy, the band has created songs that seem to revel in the simplistic stomp of traditional rock n roll; Trouble Is, Sister Mercy, Ballad of Villainy , Turn Down the Lights, and yet unravel to reveal a very literate, and rugged cinematic arc; The Cigarette Song, Great American Incognitum
The road trip continues with the usual bewilderment of newness and displaced familiarity that comes with each glance out the window. Stopgaps of plaintive beauty, Someday and Painkillers, juxtaposed with exhilaration and uncertainty, Sweetheart Deal and Nowhere to Go, and the enveloping restlessness of arrival, Pigtails and Ponyrides.
From the passenger seat you can see as far as the sun will take you. If you close your eyes you can see farther still, wrapped in the immediacy of the moment.
The subtle textures of piano, Hammond organ, banjo, and vocal harmonies, highlight each bend in the road and color the sky. “If we waited for the light, then we’d never be alive…”
This marriage of traditional songwriting and dramatic sensibility is that indefinable element that is the charm of Katy Mae’s music and it is this “charm” that places “The Sweetheart Deal” along the likes of Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes, Counting Crows, August and Everything After ,The Replacements’ Tim, My Morning Jacket’s It Still Moves or R.E.M.’s Reckoning,
The imagination and diversity of Katy Mae truly come to fruition on stage, where their mixed bag of musicality has lent itself to a wide range of artists as diverse as Jesse Malin, The Heartless Bastards, The Drams, Bottle Rockets, Buddy Miller, Marshall Crenshaw, and Traci Bonham.
Call it alt-country, roots rock, songwriter centered, or whatever the most convenient term of the day is, but don’t pigeonhole Katy Mae exclusively to any one. Borrowing their name from the Lightnin’ Hopkins song “Katie Mae Blues”, Katy Mae encompasses all the elements and diversity essential to any great band. As such, it is difficult to reduce this band to a verbal sales pitch when the whole is grounded in fearlessness and honesty, and a singular desire to create and perform their own brand of powerful music.
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Harkening back a few years to the alt. country era when the Bottle Rockets and 6-String Drag reigned supreme, Katy Mae make electric-twanging bar rock for failed lovers. The Brooklyn, NY trio rip through opening tracks "The Brightest Star" and "Whirlwind" with the blue-collar fury of West Coast rootsters Radio Nationals while "Safe and Sound" employs some Still Feel Gone-style rhythm changes and "Foghorn" borrows early REM strumming. Every song equal parts beer-guzzler and tear-jerker.
BRIAN J. BARR | Harp
I remember when I got my first taste of "alternative music" back in the late eighties. Turned onto tapes by R.E.M., The Pixies and Hoodoo Gurus. I loved the feeling of something completely different. That feeling returned when I received "The Lightning & The Sun" by Brooklyn's Katy Mae. Honest and hard working with songwriting from a place deep within the heart. Each track barrels through a whirlwind of rhythms and a wall of guitar that may just open a few minds to a new experience in this sometimes-uneventful world of music. Often with a western feel, Katy Mae may very well be your new favorite band! R.I.Y.L.: old R.E.M., Hoodoo Gurus, Pavement - Monk
Katy Mae is beginning where many bands peak. It'll be interesting to see where they will go from here. A very solid debut. - www.itsnotthebandihateitstheirfans.com
Saludos, Mississippi Queens estará presentándose en concierto este domingo 30 de Agosto a las 8:30 pm, en el Aula Magna del Colegio Civil Centro Cultural Universitario, esperamos contar con tu asistencia. Visita nuestro myspace para más información.
Will Scott's new album, GNAWBONE is here!!! The CD is available at CDBaby and other online retailers.
Over three years in the making, GNAWBONE is Scott's fully-produced studio debut and features a crack team of hand-picked musicians as well as guest performances by Jan Bell, Jolie Holland, Samantha Parton, and Preacher Boy (the album's producer).
Hi Katy Mae We wanna thank you for your very important support in those sad days.
This thanx are in our name, in the name of Enrico's wife Paola and in the name of his sons.
Enrico Micheletti's ashes are flyin' throughout the universe and we hope his soul is finally arrived at a beautiful destination.
What about his music and the music we had recorded toghether?
We finally decide to get it out. We wanna remeber Enrico in this way. In the first quarter of 2009 we will publish all our and Enrico Micheletti' s materials on Itunes and many other stores on the web.
We'll send you a message when it's all ready.
God bless you!!! Have a wonderful 2009!!!
KEEP THE BLUES ALIVEEEE!!!!!!!
Ciao Katy Mae ti volevamo ringraziare per le tue parole e per il tuo sostegno in periodo così difficile per noi.
Questi ringraziamenti non sono formali, sono veramente sinceri a nome nostro, della moglie di Enrico Paola e a nome dei suoi figli.
Le ceneri di Enrico Micheletti sono disperse nel mar Tirreno e stanno viaggiando nell' universo. Noi speriamo che anche la sua anima abbia raggiunto finalmente il miglior approdo possibile.
Cosa fare del suo materiale in nostro possesso e del materiale che abbiamo registrato insieme?
Dopo aver pensato a lungo sul da farsi abbiamo deciso di pubblicarlo. Lo pubblicheremo su Itunes ed altri siti così tutti potranno trovarlo se lo cercano. Glielo dobbiamo. Glielo deve chi lo ha conosciuto.
Cercheremo di pubblicare tutto ciò che è in nostro possesso nei primi mesi del 2009.
Appena sarà tutto pronto ti faremo sapere.
Felice Anno Nuovo. Dio ti benedica ancora, grazie. Suonate il blues più che potete!
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