"...Frontman Stephen Couchs classic-country baritone has a warm, thick resonance, and the melodies he sings rise smoothly to the top like cream in a butter churn. But rural stereotypes be damnedthis band isnt just comprised of tea-sipping crooners down in the holler.
If youre looking for progressive subject matter from traditional musical genres, your craving will be satisfied somewhere amidst Matador Karma's 13 tracks. The Betweeners would fit right in at a local bluegrass festival or even at other festivals where grass of another sort is preferred...."
~Paste Magazine
These folks do it all: Stephen penned twelve of the baker's dozen cuts with one by Owen. The band did a great job producing and arranging the CD as well. The Betweeners don't seem to have found a record label to produce them yet. Michael appears here courtesy of Rounder Records and Rounder might want to give this band a good listen before someone else snatches them up. Very elective, very creative, alot of fun and good enjoyable listening throughout. These folks are just waiting to be discovered."
~Bluegrass Now
These guys are better than most bands in the "damn good" category. Stephen Couch is such a good singer that when you hear him for the first time, you feel like you've been listening to him for years. He's so comfortable in his own skin, there's not a whiff of hesitation or pretension. His voice draws you in immediately, but then he backs it up with the lyrics.
" Karma" is more than a title, it's a theme. So many bands sound good, but have nothing to say. The Betweeners don't have that problem. When's the last time you heard a line as good as "They talk about death like it's alive" from somebody not named Haggard or Dylan. I'm not saying Stephen Couch has an agenda, but the album is spiritual in the sense that he's sharing his spirit with you. Reincarnation, religion, sex, the environment - it's all there. Make a spot for them in your CD changer right between the
Flatlanders and Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
- Michael Young, "Roots and Boots" DJ, 91.9 WKPK
"Blues, bluegrass and everything in between... This simple phrase that graces the opening page of this fine Kentucky trio does as good a job as any of describing the band's sound." (An Honest Tune Magazine)
"Music like this just fills the soul, gets your feet moving, and puts a big old smile on your face -- its totally infectuous, delightfully fun, and absolutely impossible to ignore." (Expose' Magazine)
The Betweeners are an acoustic band who play original tunes covering many hues in the spectrum of American roots music...falling somewhere between bluegrass and blues, while squeezing in plenty of rock and soul. Influenced by artists such as Ry Cooder, Willie Nelson, Mose Allison, and John Prine, they sing honest and intelligent songs in a style that brings together all of the great things about rural Americana.
We are very proud in the Betweeners to play "poor people's" music. We are also very serious about not doing a poor job of it. We are using the same pallet that rural artist from Robert Johnson and Bill Monroe used to paint our own picture of the human condition in the 21st century. We have never had more fun in our lives doing anything that we can mention here and we can only hope that our love of music and desire to be part of the fabric that it weaves through our lives translates to our audience through the static of a very noisy world.
The Betweeners are members of The Kentucky Arts Council Performing Arts Directory, Southern Artistry.org, and are endorsed by Gage Guitars.
