RLS-Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Harmonica, Keys,
DICK ROSS (Drums), JAY EWELL (Bass), MIKE MORGAN (Bass), ANDY MARKOFF (Drums), sometimes JOE MIER (Bass), PETER MAZETTI (Guitar), HAROLD BOYD (Guitar) and many more ..........................................................................................................
BOOKINGS -- RLS or Rick Spencer, Rickashay Productions (myspace.com/rickashayproductions).
PUBLICITY -- Curtis Smith, Maelstrom Music PR, Los Angeles.
Influences
Beatles, Dylan, Marley, Hendrix, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Clash, Clapton, Stones, Tom Petty, Peter Gabriel, U2, Talking Heads, Neil Young, Grateful Dead, George Harrison, John Fogerty, Springsteen, Steve Earle, Warren Zevon, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, John Prine, Little Feat, Sinatra, Bill Graham, Bob Geldof, Cat Stevens, Bono, Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Hunter S., Monty Python, David Gray, Mozart, Art Bell, Maui, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Miles Davis, the Rocky Mountains, clean air, good beer.
Sounds Like
Dylan, Petty, Wilco, Wallflowers, Warren Zevon, Steve Forbert, Fastball, Kermit the frog on qualudes, Grateful Zeppelin, you tell me.
Roger Len Smith released his fourth album, the spritely-titled NEW DARK AGES, on 4/20/07 and performs around the country and especially in his home of Austin, Texas. The CD debuted at the 2007 Old Settlers Music Festival in Driftwood, TX, with Raj joining his friends Flounders Without Eyes for a set on the main stage. After 15 years in Southern California, mostly in LA, playing music, writing for magazines and growing tomatoes, RLS picked up and headed to Austin, truly the live music capitol of the world with endless venues and fantastic musicians to boot. Reared in Cincinnati, Raj fondly recalls going to a 1975 World Series game between the Reds and Red Sox. Heading to the proverbial west only made sense, what with the snow and all. Raj settled in Santa Barbara, played in The Acoustic Chameleons, which sometimes went electric and Twelve Stories, jamming and hamming it up with Jim Mason, Smitty, Tina Sicre, Mike Pearl, Strange Brew, Tao Jonz, Spencer the Gardener, The Gathering and many more. Opened for Toad, Dish, and then there was that chili cook-off in Pahrump, NV. In early 90s LA, Raj re-joined longtime Cincy railroad buddy Phil Cody to record and tour as Phil's bassist/road manager. Raj also played bass, sang and wrote songs with the prodigious Shawn Amos in his band Uncle Tom for three years, while simultaneously playing bass for photog legend Mark Seliger and his band, Rusty Truck, while also jamming with Angela McCluskey & Danny Keough's Water Bunnies and others. It's nice not being in 8 bands at once. Two of Raj and Shawn Amos' songs appear on CD--"Now You're The Enemy" on Raj's MY BEST FRIEND and "Right On Time" on Shawn's IN BETWEEN ................. Raj has toured the U.S. and Europe with his and other groups, opening for many great acts. The RLS band has opened for Little Feat, Todd Rundgren & The New Cars, Barenaked Ladies, John Hammond, Carla Olsen, The Ocean Blue, Patrice Pike and many others. In Phil's band, Raj toured with Warren Zevon, The Violent Femmes, Linda Perry, Pete Droge, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Low & Sweet Orchestra and also opened for Tracy Chapman, Steve Earle, Dave Alvin, Bob Geldof and others ................. Raj has also worked with many fine artists like Rami Jaffee, Jordan Zevon, Flounders Without Eyes, The Adobe, Five Easy Pieces, Patti Spadaro, Andy If, Pippi Bernstein, Mark Lane, Garrison Starr, Janet Robin, Malford Milligan, & BOTS. In 2006, Raj joined Dave Cowan's college band, The Safarians, for reunion shows in Ohio .................. Since the late 80s, Raj has been very active with benefit concerts for a variety of important causes--Amnesty Int'l, Coalition Against Aparthied, Rainforest Action Network, Special Olympics, Oxford Welfare Agency and in 2005, Raj and Jon Ramsey organized a Tsunami relief benefit in downtown Austin ................ Raj's 2007 CD, NEW DARK AGES, features great performances from Austin and LA musicians like Jennifer Stills, Bryan Head, Warren Hood, Chelle Murrey, Steve McCormick, Phil Cody, Scott Martin, Smitty, Mike Morgan, Sam Hendricks, Dick Ross, Eric Heywood & more.
****************************************************************************************
“NEW DARK AGES is Smith’s best yet. Smith’s ability to balance humor and angst, cogent analysis and populist slogans, gravity and fun has only sharpened over the years, and his melodies grow more engaging with every disc. These times may be New Dark Ages, but Smith’s talent finds light in the darkness." --HIGH BIAS
****************************************************************************************
"It's no surprise Smith is making waves with his fourth album. NEW DARK AGES delves headlong into the political and philosophical issues of the day without sounding heavy-handed." --SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT
****************************************************************************************
“Crafty, knowing lyrics and sturdy tunes. A cross between Dylan, Petty and Zevon.”
--MUSIC CONNECTION
****************************************************************************************
"An articulate wordsmith with a knack for alluring melodies." --RELIX MAGAZINE
****************************************************************************************
"An artist of great talent, definite crossover appeal, MY BEST FRIEND is a gem."
--NEW MUSIC WEEKLY
****************************************************************************************
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Let's hope there's not a weird Manson thing going on because someone set the world of Santa Barbara on fire two days ago. Goleta is like a war zone and the air support strike units are very Apocolypse Now-ish. Hope you're well and dedicate a song tonight for your brothers and sisters out here on the left coast.
It´s so cold here (+ 3 Celsius) that last night we got even little snow.Fortunately I found my old "winter hat" that I got when I was just 4 years old so I hope my head will not get frozen.And the GOOD side about this weather is that we seems to look younger everyday here in JOENSUU east-Finland :)
Wish I could make your gigs in SoCal,...but duty calls. You may be the only guy I personally know that has more gigs booked than me. Nice job bro,...keep workin' it!
crazy, wierd... I was just on your site playing your tunes... saw you on Jordans site... came back to my site and saw your add request, thats funny. Great sound RAJ. ;-) xo, funny bunny love and laughter, Julie
Raaaaaj, bummed I won't be able to see you in Topanga... already committed to moe.'s Summercamp on the same weekend. Come out here again soon! The west craves your "modern roots-based rock." :) J
Thanks for joining the nondenominational MySpace Community Prayer/Meditation Circle.
Please stop by occasionally to say a quick prayer or meditation or leave a prayer request of your own. I believe that even just visiting the site with kind intent will direct healing energy to those in need of it...
And a lot of us are in need of it...
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. May All Beings in the Universe be Peaceful and Happy.
