Sky O'Banion: Harp/Vocals
Derek Irving: Guitar
Dave Burke: Guitar/Vocals
Mike Gutsch: Drums
Influences
R.L. Burnside, T-Model Ford, Jerry McCain, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Frankie Lee Sims, Little Son Jackson, Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Red Devils, Howlin' Wolf
Due to fan demand, The Aces release their self titled EP!
“Formed in 2000, The Aces have attitude and a different idea of how to
play Blues. They reduce the Blues to pounding riffs and a distorted
wall of sound topped by wailing harp. They were among the first to
absorb and recast the drone riff-based Hill Country Blues style, and
The Aces do that their own way. They write their own songs (they do
very few covers). They have their own slicked back greased hair in a
wind tunnel look attached to a permanent sneer and a pushy stage
presence. Those that might think of punk trance blues as something
endlessly repeating a melodic line are in for a rhythmic pounding when
the Aces get on stage.
The Aces start with Mike "Junk Johnson" Gutsch on drums with a unique
style of simple drumming. His drums are arranged differently than
other drummers. The cymbals are way low. The result with the Aces is a
relentless pounding style that very much works right on the basic riff
being played--and right into your skull.
David Burke is the rhythm guitarist who really plays bass for the Aces
--sort of like Brewer Phillips used to do for Hound Dog Taylor. He
uses a low toned Telecaster for this like Brewer did. Derek Irving had
and has that slick guitar-star-on-stage-with-a-sharp-suit persona and
a passel of custom guitars. Girls smile at Derek. Derek smiles back.
Derek has the stage front of the guitar hero down pat. He actually
plays a lot of very old time traditional blues licks in a slick lead
guitar manner. He pounds you while looking like it’s sparkle show time.
Fronting all this is six foot two Sky O’Bannion, with his out thrust
jaw and slick blonde pompadour. Sky dares you not to like it. His
tall massive stage presence is almost patented “chip on the shoulder”
stuff. Sky writes or maybe improvises all the song lyrics. It’s hard
to tell, as he more than most harp players prefers to sing a lot
through his harp mic. Sometimes he’ll sing through both the harp mic
and the house mic at the same time.
When you do catch the words it’s a stream of consciousness about very
bluesy topics like growing up poor and living out on farm roads and
how bad women are and other fine stuff. Sometimes it seems to be Jack
Kerouac poetry. It’s really good to see The Aces in control of their
own destiny. Nobody sounds like them, and nobody has their whole
conception of the blues. It’s blues all the way; it just has an edge
and focus that isn’t like bar bands. They aren’t generic.” -Rolf
Olmsted, Sonoma Tunes
So I got my Myspace Layout from pYzam, but they also have some awesome comment graphics.
