Mean Old Way (2009)




Shotgun Party Self-Titled (2007)

"Shotgun Party's self-titled release steps into the swing-trio wake, as if the Hot Club of Cowtown rear-ended the Damnations. Slap-bass man Christopher Crepps most recently thumped for the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, but it's the divine teaming of fiddler Katy Rose Cox (ex-Uncle Fucker) and singer/guitarist/composer Jenny Parrott that makes this roots-rock outfit crackle. Parrott reveals a marvelous feel for back-porch poetry in her lyrics; with good-humor titles like "Haunted House Bear," "Devil Town," and "Pickled Eggs," they'll appeal to Southern Culture on the Skids fans." -Margaret Moser AUSTIN CHRONICLE 7/31/08

Sure, they've got hot fiddle , cool harmony and a take-no-prisoners approach to rhythm like all nice post-modern rockabillies should. ( If Johnny Ramone had played swing, he would have sounded like Jenny Parrot.) But it's not a vintage banner that these troops are flying when they play from their highly original songbook; it's a freak flag. Hey! Is that thing loaded? -Steve James

Shotgun Party puts on a truly American music show. They swing early jazz right on into dance hall country… with rapturous results. The majority of songs are original, with melodies and lyrics that share stories: urban, bucolic, lively and lonesome. Christopher Crepps (formerly of the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, and Thelonious Monk disciple) keeps it real, hot and low on the upright bass; Katy Rose Cox (formerly of Uncle F*cker, Brooklyn Brown Grass, & the Maybelles) roars delightful on the fiddle; and introducing Jenny Parrott who sings and plays guitar as one who grew up seaside. From all three coasts (New England, California, and Texas) this trio scours through and plays with all the rhythms, modes and melodies this continent has to offer, with a twinge of bizarreness that accommodates any wide-open journey.

"Best songs I've heard since Christ was a cowboy. An old rugged cross between Leonard Cohen & Tom Waits. Jenny Parrott has the purest most un-decaffeinated voice this side of Loretta Lynn." -Kinky Friedman (the next Governor of the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS)

" Unheralded opening trio Shotgun Party blew the house away with a set of Texas swing that had one foot among the tumbleweeds and the other in outer space. Singer Jenny Parrot has an arresting, brassy voice with a permanent, fluttering vibrato, and a stage presence that was just art-school enough to let you know somebody up there’s a-thinkin’. Kind of like a two-step Björk, without the annoyance factor. Fiddler Kay Rose Cox gets virtuoso honors for the night; her solos were hair-raising, heroic statements. Shotgun Party will be back, and when they are, go." -Paul Rapp, Club Helsinki Show Review at Metroland Online

"Melding swinging, sultry jazz with dancehall sensibility, Shotgun Party falls somewhere between the White Ghost Shivers and Hot Club of Cowtown. Jenny Parrott's distinctively pitched whine kicks against the thudding upright rhythm of Christopher Crepps and the versatile fiddle fireworks of Katy Rose Cox." Doug Freeman, Austin Chronicle

"Their music lives in an area somewhere between honky-tonk or the classic blues of folks like Memphis Minnie, and modern alternative music. The instrumentation is completely traditional -- fiddle, bass and a gorgeous old archtop acoustic -- but the songs (all originals) go places you don't expect. Katy plays wicked fiddle, sometimes like horn lines, sometimes like keyboards, sometimes very dissonant, and Christopher Crepps on bass was right there with all the weird changes and unexpected turns, playing masterfully in the classic style. And Jenny Parrott is one of the quirkiest and most engaging singers I've seen in a bluegrass setting in some time, and a great songwriter. Her voice ranges from little-girlish to gutbucket blues, sometimes in a single line, and a stage presence that's hard to describe and harder to capture on camera in very low lighting. (I was using a 50mm/1.4 without autofocus, not that I'd use it anyway since the focusing light is very distracting, and with the lens opened all the way up so the depth-of-field was very narrow; as a result I have many great out-of-focus shots.) Check the link above; they're playing several more times in the area over the next few weeks and are well worth catching." -SteelBrassnWood "Riffs and Licks" Review of Shotgun Party at the Sheriff Sessions 11/07

"What happens in Memphis stays in Memphis!-Jimmy Lafave"

"Shotgun Party - Shotgun Party (country?): I’m ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Shotgun Party before Google errantly delivered Shotgun Party’s lead singer, Jenny Parrott, to the front door of this site, but I can’t thank Google enough. Shotgun party is a Texas three piece (Upright bass, guitar, fiddle) whose style seems to sit somewhere between the old-time fun of 1930’s jazz revival bands like the Squirrel Nut Zippers and the sad, sweet, dance hall country feel of Patsy Cline. It’s rare for me to fawn over an indy debut, but the band’s simple melodies like “Gladiola” are home-baked, auditory comfort food that stick in my ears long after the disc is over. I have almost the same love for this album that I have for the Old97’s debut, Hitchhike to Rhome, which has spent so much time in my CD player in the last decade that I’ve had to replace it at least once. Let’s hope I’m a little more careful with this disc. A-" -Jon Dyers of Shotgun Reviews

"Two females and one bass slappin man comprise the old time pickin band Shotgun Party! Fantastic musicians that pull you in with their old time style and damm sexy vocals!" -Smooth and Demented at KAOS Radio

"Now that's what I like to hear!" - Wayne Hancock

"Invite me to the party! Enthusiastic debut featuring hayride sounding violin and standup bass supporting jubilant vocals. 8 shots." -Daisy Riprock of Austin Daze

"I learned a new musical term from Shotgun Party: Western swing. With guitar, fiddle, and upright bass—please note that Katy Rose Cox is the Slash of fiddle solos—the trio creates a sound that probably showed up a lot 75 years ago, but is fresh and original now. They continue the Austin tradition of cool twists on traditional American music. As I write this, I am sad that I will miss the bill they're sharing tomorrow night with The Lonesome Heroes." - Meredith

"For a healthy dose of dance hall country mixed with early jazz, turn to the melodic sounds of Shotgun Party. Guitar, stand up bass and fiddle, plus great vocals, are all they need to get the crowd going. This Austin trio provides the music to dance to!" - Laurie Gallardo of KUT's "Austin Music Minute"

"so good that I was in continuous state of body prickles and it wasn’t only because of the horror of the previous band, one of the most charming and engaging bands I have seen in a long time, in large part due to the charismatic lead singer – a pug girl with a shock of blonde hair and a puppy dog enthusiasm and energy, she sang in an old-timey cutesy voice – kind of playful but high high quality, she verged on insane – jaw bracing, eyes darting – and I kept waiting to see a dark side but she maintained this tremendous aura of joy and quirkiness before, during and after her set, she also played guitar, the violinist was fantastic – a wispy near-severe former gothic woman in a red satin dress and ripped arms – purportedly one of the best in town, the positive interaction between the lead singer and the upright bass player when leaning in to share the microphone also built the appeal of a band that enjoys each other and enjoys what they’re doing, mostly old-timey swinging jazz and country songs, cute lyrics, one Spanish guitar song, one more modern-sounding song that reminded me of CocoRosie, the girl has it is my point" Anonymous Valentine's Day Show Review

Booking- Beatrice Arbour shotgunparty@gmail.com

Please See our Sonicbids EPK! View Shotgun Party's EPK

DEBUT ALBUM AVAILABLE @ http://cdbaby.com/cd/shotgunparty

See us on youtube! Thank you Adres and Babette! We heart Sam's in San Antonio! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhRjjx9eJXM

We are so proud to have participated in the commerical for the indispensible service SIMS provides for Austin musicians. View the commercial here: http://www.simsfoundation.org/

Listen to our live PIRATE radio performance! holla at yer mama! http://www.archive.org/details/ShotgunParty-liveOnKaos Thanks to the folks at KAOS radio!

Beautiful background photo by Jon Bolden Find him at www.jonbolden.com