Laurence Scott -- vocals, guitar Victor Barclay -- guitar, vocals G.D. Hensley-- bass Chris Fruhauf -- drums
Influences
The Pixies, X, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., Rev. Horton Heat, Junior Brown, Frank Black, Social Distortion, AC/DC, Merle Haggard, Blues Explosion, Chet Atkins, Southern Culture on the Skids, Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, Cowboy Junkies, Jim Campilongo, Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant, Van Halen, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Skynyrd, ZZ Top, The Swinging Utters, Tiger Army, Drag the River, James Brown, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, and the list goes on...
Sounds Like
Sounds Like:
Two-fisted, whiskey-soaked rock with a post-punk edge, '50s country dipped in battery acid and broken-hearted tears.
Reminiscent of:
Pixies, X, Rev. Horton Heat, Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash, Iggy Pop, Rolling Stones, Buck Owens, Old 97s, Ryan Adams, Son Volt...
Formed late 2003 in San Francisco, The Famous are an indie-rock/americana act whose moods range from squalling and raucous to heartfelt and sparse -- all bound by a common thread of emotional intensity and arresting showmanship.
Some songs are sad and pretty, while others have a powerful, spooky feel. The melodies trick you into singing along with tales of paranoia, county fairs, revenge and renewed belief. Girded by the raw sounds of '50s-era country, but imbued with the spirit of
The Pixies and other post-punk pioneers, The Famous forge powerful tunes that combine the intense desperation of X, the sincere melancholy of Hank Williams Sr. and the interstellar psychobilly of the Reverend Horton Heat.
Part carnival barker, part honky-tonk crooner, vocalist Laurence Scott demands your attention with an unmistakable smoky growl straight from the heart of his native Texas. With notebooks full of abstract expressionism and wordplay, given life through an inspired and unbridled stage presence, Laurence thinks in lyrics and lives for performance.
While Van Halen and Led Zeppelin boiled in his teenage blood, guitarist Victor Barclay spit and swore an eternal hatred for country music – that is until a good buddy turned him onto Johnny Cash'sLive at Folsom Prison. Soon after, Vic spent years in the woodshed soaking up the roots of country and rockabilly giants such as Chet Atkins, Jimmy Bryant and Roy Buchanan. On stage, Vic's deadpan one-liners provide the perfect foil for Laurence's manic No Depression.
Backed by longtime friend and collaborator Chris Fruhauf on the drums and Texas-raised punk rocker G.D. Hensley (Diesel Boy / Overdrive A.D.) on the bass, the Famous are spreading the gospel with their incendiary live show to music lovers across the Bay Area and beyond. Their debut album Light, Sweet Crude, is an unapologetically diverse collection of 13 songs recorded at their own studio and mixed by Aaron Prellwitz (Death Cab For Cutie, Red House Painters) at Tiny Telephone. It is available around the Bay Area at Amoeba, Rasputin's and Streetlight Records, and online at www.thefamous.net and CD Baby.
Introducing "Light, Sweet Crude" - the acclaimed debut album by The Famous.
"The Famous are an American original" -- All Music Guide
"The Famous arrange a standoff between the Pixies in a cowboy hat and Hank Williams on speed, six-shooters loaded with punk and rockabilly, and whaddya know - that bastard alt-country genre gets shot square in the forehead, with a stray bullet no less." --West Coast Performer read more »
"9 out of 10 stars -- The Famous deliver the goods straight up with no filler" --Whisperin' and Hollerin' read more »
"...reveals more about American life than any of Bruce Springsteen's last few albums" --Shotgun Reviews read more »
"The Famous successfully combine the transcendent roar of punk with the brutal honesty and black wit of traditional country on Light, Sweet Crude" --Trouser Press read more »
"Distilled from the grains of traditional country but infused with power chords and scorching lead guitar, this audacious album is both out of control and expertly crafted." --The Owl Mag read more »
"Whiskey soaked American Music that's tight and varied" --Culture Bunker read more »
"If you're any kind of roots rock fan, you'd be a eejit to miss this album!" --CD Baby read more »
"...combines the trueness of country music with the attitude of southern rock" --Impact Press read more »
New Billy Don Burns album THE BERLIN TAPES out now! Outlaw-Country at its finest, a must for fans of Waylon, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, David Allan Coe, etc.
See The Godfathers live at The Islington Academy, London on Friday October 24th 2008 - supported by The Jim Jones Revue, The Jooks Of Kent and a rock and roll DJ set from Andrew Weatherall. Tickets available NOW from www. ticketweb. co. uk
Formed late 2003 in San Francisco, The Famous are an indie-rock/americana act whose moods range from squalling and raucous to heartfelt and sparse -- all bound by a common thread of emotional intensity and arresting showmanship. 
