KRISS SANTALA CROWDER - sings
BOB ELLIOTT - plays bass & sings
CHRIS MERK - plays acoustic guitar & sings
TOM SMITH - drums and sings when they make him
JAMES MONTEZ - plays all kinds of guitars, mostly electric
DISTINGUISHED PALS:
MIKE ROTH - numero uno expert guitarslinger
BILL HOLLOMAN - plays horns on the album
TOM HEARN of BIG FAT COMBO - kindly let us record "Tag Sale"
Influences
Wanda Jackson, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Billy Joe Shaver, NRBQ, Al Caiola, Lefty Frizzell, Earl Palmer, Lucinda Williams, Thumper Jones, Emmylou Harris, Ernie Elly, The Band, Doug Sahm, The Fairports, DM, Los Lobos, The Beatles, Flaco & Valerio Longoria & los reyes del Valle, Neil Young, Ruth Brown, Gram Parsons, Lyle Lovett, the Department of Correction, and the oyster shuckers, cigar wrappers, and pizza makers of New Haven County.
What's more fun than good musicians enjoying each others' company and songs? Not a heck of a lot, say these folks, as long as the guitars tune up alright, the drums thump, and the beer's cold.
The Hickups are a rocking offshoot of the popular New Haven country swing sextet The Honeydews, whose ranks originally included singer Kriss Santala, singer/bassist Bob Elliott, drummer Tom Smith, renowned picker Stacy Phillips, mandolinist Clark Huckaby, and guitarist Don Phee, whose spot was eventually filled by James Montez before the band's demise in 2003. The Hickups began as a C&W partnership between Santala and The Bandidos, the eclectic roots rock trio Elliott, Smith, and Montez have gigged and recorded as since 1992. Their admiration for Chris Merk, a Toronto singer / guitarist / songwriter transplanted to New Haven, inspired the move to make The Hickups a quintet.
Like most musicians these days, the individual members' calendars are crazy. Santala Crowder, a longtime member of the vocal group The Who Whos, plays bass with The Danglers and released her first solo disc Lost Souls Road in June 2007. The Sawbucks, Merk's Americana trio with ex-Motel Preachers Chuck Roscoe and Wayne Kenyon, will release their debut cd, Maybe Even Everything, in August. Elliott stays busy with engineering and production work, while Montez occasionally gigs in NY with Eugene Chrysler & the Hillbilly Shakespeares. Smith is on call for half a dozen bands in the northeast, ranging from New Orleans r&b and Stax soul groups to psychedelic pop with The Alex Butter Field.
The Hickups will light up everyone's 8-track player with I-95 lovin' ("Hey Big Trucker"), wacky duets ("Darlin'," "All I Want"), gospel backbeats ("Heaven"), bar floor grit ("Devils Jukebox"), and a little maximum security ("Guest of the State"). The sole cover, Big Fat Combo's hilarious "Tag Sale," shines with flamante mariachi horns by former Danny Gatton/Gatlin Brothers music director Bill Holloman. Produced, engineered, and recorded in the finest garages and empty auction houses the old silver town of Wallingford CT has to offer.
You can check out The Hickups at www.CDBABY.com.
For info on The Bandidos, see Hans Settler's Insurgent Country Homepage profile at http://insurgentcountry.net and find their "mischief" cd at cdbaby.
Check back here soon for more info on The Sawbucks and meanwhile have a look at Big Fat Combo's myspace site!
Taking Notes bleeds Americana, with an intoxicating blend of uptempo blues and soulful bluegrass....Segals sound is evocative of late Springsteen. Guest include Jeff Pevar (Crosby Stills & Nash, Phil Lesh) Collin Tilton (Van Morrison) Phil Rosenthal (Seldom Scene) and grammy winning Dobro player Stacy Phillips. Garry Segal's "Taking Notes" is a surprisingly great solo debut." Trevor D. music critic jambands.com
Hey Hickups! Greetings from Austin, TX! Thanks for cruising by, we hope to see you at a show soon and we'll knock one back together! xoxox, Your friends, The Mother Truckers
Buenas noticias, THE WILD GONERS en el 14º Rockin Race Jamboree!!! y con esta son ya 13 salvajes bandas rockin!!! Great news, THE WILD GONERS in the 14th Rockin Race Jamboree!!! 13 Wild Rockin Bands!!
Just to let you and your friends know that you’re on the current Podcast from AmericanaOK @ LeithFM broadcasting out of Edinburgh, Scotland. And on Radio Six International going out to 147 countries worldwide.
The show can be downloaded from iTunes, A’OK Podcasts and other podcast directories.
Details of music played and links to artists web sites from AmericanaOK . Comments to americanaok@btinternet.com
Listen on line, download, subscribe (it’s free) and stayed tuned to AmericanaOK for the best in Americana and Alt-Country.
Thanks for the CD - if you get a chance check out the show.
Podcasting out of Edinburgh, Scotland. AmericanaOK @ LeithFM show No.79 is available for download now.
The show can be downloaded from iTunes, A’OK Podcasts and other podcast directories.
Details of music played and links to artists web sites from AmericanaOK . Note that artists and or record companies have given written permission for all music played.
Listen on line, download, subscribe (it’s free) and stayed tuned to AmericanaOK @ LeithFM for the best in Americana and Alt-Country. Also available in New Zealand on Radio GoldRush 1440.
Tom (AmericanaOK) Fahey
