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Let’s get something out of the way. Macon Greyson, despite what the uninitiated might expect, is the name of a band, not an individual. And there is no one in Macon Greyson named Macon Greyson. 20th Century Accidents is actually the Texas band’s third full-length album, and it’s as fine a piece of down home, Southern-styled rock as you will come across this side of the 1970s. With a sound falling somewhere between early Son Volt and classic Lynyrd Skynyrd, 20th Century Accidents excels at dirty, working class rock and roll with an ear toward the barroom riff and an eye toward the everyday Joe. There are the broken dreams of “Born Again,” the sorrowful resignation of “Naïve Melody,” and the pissed-off rant at perceived cultural progress that is “Minnesota Weather Map.” And who hasn’t at one time (or every day) felt like the poor nine-to-five working stiff in “John Q Blues,” mindlessly shuffling papers and needing new shoes to boot? 20th Century Accidents is the kind of album that will make people stop asking, “Who is Macon Greyson?” and start recognizing the truth of a band that is unquestionably on the rise.

-- Frank Valish, AMPLIFIER Magazine

AUSTIN SxSW 2008 (Friday March 14) -- I took a long walk west towards Waterloo Records, hoping to get in to Sara Bareilles' in-store. No chance. Got there too late. Stopped in too many places doing free shows. Did the same thing on the way back. It's all way too hit-and-miss but I bumped into a couple bands/acts that were worth a look:

Macon Greyson: They're a Dallas band, not a guy, but the guy (Buddy Huffman) sounds like a mix of the angry Steve Earle and Tom Petty.

-- Tim Finn, Pop Music Critic for The Kansas City Starr

This band really shines on the rockers, where they take the no-frills ethos of the best bar bands and kick it right into the back alley. The bluesy Stones swagger of “Black Light” may offer the best Keith Richards guitar lick since “Brown Sugar,” and the sturdy power chords of the title track and “Minnesota Weather Map” will have the air guitarists pumping their fists. It’s straightforward rock ‘n roll for the millionth time, and, as is the case with all such miracles, it sounds utterly fresh and vital.

-- Andy Whitman, Senior Editor, PASTE Magazine


DATELINE JAN 3, 2008.....This just in.......

20TH CENTURY ACCIDENTS VOTED ONE OF 2007's BEST ALBUMS BY THE HOUSTON PRESS!!

Macon Greyson, 20th Century Accidents: Members of this Dallas guitar-beating quartet exorcise their "John Q Blues" with more than a few belts from Uncle Tupelo's whiskey bottle, proving, for the approximately 1,835th time, that turning your amps up as loud as they can go is still foolproof, if temporary, therapy.
See Also: Lil Cap'n Travis, Twilight on Sometimes Island; Intodown, Intodown; Mandible, (Here Comes the) Mandible

-- Chris Gray, Music Editor, Houston Press

Its no 'Accident': There's a heft and durability to Macon Greyson's music that makes it feel instantly familiar. 20th Century Accidents, the Dallas quartet's third full-length album, is a rugged, rocking effort pulled forward by lead singer Buddy Huffman's raw barroom yelp. Produced by Dallas' mixmaster general Salim Nourallah and the band at Nourallah's Pleasantry Lane Studio, these 11 tracks hit like cinderblocks and linger like the kisses of a long-gone love. The highlights are numerous, but stand-out cut Naive Melody is the record's apex; shot through with emotion, it might just be the soundtrack to your next lonely, beer-soaked night.

-– Preston Jones, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Ft. Worth, TX.)

Dallas-based Macon Greyson, a quartet not a guy, has a firm handle on Southern plains garage rock with a message. Just listen to "Naive Melody" or the title track and you'll see what I mean. "John Q Blues" is an energetic, indie-punk rocker while the powerful-get-their comeuppance track "Time" could be something The Shins might have recorded. And then a song like "Black Light" will have a Stones-y riff and plenty o' cowbell. The MG's know their stuff. Look to hear more about these Texans in the near future.

- The Norman Transcript (Norman, OK.)

Macon Greyson has long been defined by their alt-country proclivities, which makes 20th Century Accidents an even more pleasant surprise that is also, for my money, their most promising effort. The latest from these rowdy-sounding Dallas gents has a sheen that’s more Big Star than Uncle Tupelo, and the band has never sounded more invigorating.

Balance is the key: a steady, rolling groove is always there to prop up the towering guitars, and their very serious playing never overwhelms Buddy Huffman’s stout songwriting. Even the less impressive tracks (“John Q Blues,” “Time”) are only less impressive in the sense that they don’t quite measure up to the high standard set by gut-punches like “Born Again,” “Black Light,” the slash-and-burn “Minnesota Weather Map” and the sublime “Beams,” a track that would be a truly astonishing accomplishment for any band.

A current of restlessness permeates these songs (“Standing in the crosshairs of a memory you meant to kill, you say you can, but you never will” from the title track; “Presumption’s and pretention’s a disease without a cure, am I fighting right or wrong? I’m never really sure,” from “I’m Still Here”), but the band never seems to take itself seriously in a way that alienates the listener. It’s smart music that can still rock the hell out of a barroom.

Cry in your beer, take off on a philosophical tangent or lean back and let Macon Greyson take you for a trip through their world. This is an album – and live act – not to be missed.

-- Chris Henderson, The Houston Press (Houston, TX.)

Macon Greyson alternates between southern rock and more of a country sound. Macon Greyson alternates between southern rock, in the style of the Drive By Truckers…. The group’s energy stays high throughout, as on “John Q.,” a song about the corporate grind with a pseudo-punk delivery mixed with a little Tom Petty for the hook. One of my favorites is “Run for Cover,” something about it stands out. By using the Lydian mode (almost unheard of in a country number) Greyson’s guitarist Harley Husbands manges to evoke some really unique sounds during the quiet, low-key verse. Said song also starts out very Moe-esque. This just goes to show you that these guys do a little bit of everything. It’s safe to say that Macon Greyson is worth seeing if you’re in the mood for a little twang with your rock and some meaningful words to boot.

-- Jesse White, The Corner News (Auburn, AL.)

For Dallas-based band Macon Greyson, its fourth time around has never felt more right. The album, "20th Century Accidents" will be released on Oct. 9 from Fat Caddy Records, and will showcase Macon Greyson’s unique mixture of rock and country that the band is well known for. If you're into gritty southern rock and alt-country, you need to stop in at Exit 6C on Thursday night as Dallas band Macon Greyson holds its Tulsa CD release party for 20th Century Accidents at Exit 6C.

-- Tulsa World (Tulsa, OK.)

Don’t discard the past, while crossing into the future. That’s the message I got from this recording and it’s that kind of thinking that makes 20th Century Accidents, the fourth studio venture from the band Macon Greyson, a very tasty slab of roots rock proficiency. Drawing influence from the legendary rock music of the ages, they themselves have created a tour de force, that sounds like a battle cry shouted out to all the repetitive, sound- alike bands that try to pass themselves off as rock musicians these days. Hey, just because there’s a guitar in there somewhere, that don’t make it rock and roll! This, however, is the real stuff. Songs like, “Black Light” and “Born Again” sound fresh and the loose but confident vocals, infused with a bit of bar band swagger, gives the entire album a groovy continuity. Lyrically, 20th Century Accidents is sharp and unapologetic. Harley Husbands (lead guitar) explains, “ The songs are about watching destruction and knowing that it happens, but not trying to fix it. Individuality should not be an isolationist stance”. This band definitely relates to when rock was an actual art form with many different facets, not just a way for corporations to make money by finding one thing that sells and then beating it to death. In a year that has been somewhat lackluster for music releases, 20th Century Accidents is as solid as it gets, making it one of this years finest recordings.

-- Glenn Taylor, Hill Country Happenings

Dallas' Macon Greyson is well-schooled in the kind of guitar-centric seventies roots rock that inclines liquor drinkers to order beer and put their fists in the air. On their October 2007 release, "20th Century Accidents", the band ranges from bar rock a la The Hold Steady to the countrified stylings of Son Volt, yet while the sound is familiar it manages to avoid sounding stale or derivative.

-- Lawrence.com (Lawrence, KS.)


Album Title: 20th Century Accidents
Producer: Salim Nourallah
Recorded at Pleasantry Lanes (Dallas, Texas)


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