ccr, the feelies, low, tears for fears, gene "jug" ammons, john barry, henry mancini, willie nelson, emitt rhodes, donovan, fried okra, johnny cash, june carter cash, the isley brothers, the beatles, george jones, merle haggard, john lennon, picket fences, r.e.m. , lionel hampton, star wars, american history, kris kristofferson, california, U2, pink floyd, wire, the police, daniel lanois, david crosby, 78rpm records, jimmy cliff's the harder they come, new orleans, speed the plough, kraftwerk, air, coffee, tom petty and the heartbreakers, stacks of old books, water, lakes and streams, maps, cast-iron skillets, morrissey / the smiths, miles davis, versus, bob dylan's pat garrett and billy the kid, bob dylan's chronicles + bob dylan period, furry lewis, little boats and blue jeans, catfish, white lightnin', 437 angell road, james bond, roy orbison, the byrds, fishing and camping out, the replacements, barns and fields, robert ruark's the old man and the boy, hemmingway's the old man and the sea, the rolling stones, clean towels, the bats, minor league baseball, edward gorey, ac/dc, old fender amps, the ocean, led zeppelin, the who, gram parsons / flying burrito brothers, echo & the bunnymen, dancing outlaw, pylon, tom waits, neil young / crosby, stills, nash + young, the velvet underground, camper van beethoven, x and the knitters, the cars, the cocteau twins, al green, bob wills, lucinda williams, gillian welch, metallica, lightning bolt, loretta lynn, 629 second avenue, crickets, frank sinatra, cats, dean martin, wes' rib house, tortilla flats, new york city, issac hayes, south carolina, virginia, canada, oregon hill, my 1980's, good tires, louis armstrong, skeeter davis, howard finster, memphis, savannah, charlottesville, abba, bee gees, sammy davis jr., miracle legion, rhode island, apples, grapes and taxicabs, the godfather trilogy, the waterboys, dave chapelle, richard pryor + western mass, dave brubeck, ray charles, andy bey and the bey sisters, elvis presley, what cheer, roger williams, what-not, bill clinton, sherlock holmes, tom jones, art blakey, patsy cline, gerry mulligan, the graduate, marty austin, my old 3-speed bicycle, simon and garfunkel, baritone saxophones, los lobos, the latin playboys, the clash, the cure, bruce springsteen, the salt lick, the lord of the rings, the flat duo jets, tobasco sauce, wild turkey, pabst blue ribbon beer, beck, electricity, mr. show, old school, hotels, motels and white t-shirts, black leather shoes, lp records, road trips, travel books, the dukes of hazzard, mash, tomato plants and acoustic guitars, confederacy of dunces, long beach, nc, traffic the band not on the highway, mongo santamaria, jennifer daltry, rushmore, carson mcCullers, tomato plants, electric fans, the sun and the moon, shady valley, bob marley, jeff buckley, sammy davis jr. , small factory, horses, simple minds and good conversations, crabs, piers, tall pine trees, skeeter davis, mountains, fatlip, foo-fighters, black and white photos in 8 x10 black wooden frames, chocolate chips, a good martini - but i still don't know what i think of those glasses they come in, let's active, the band, throwing muses, paris, parks, shelves, cincinnati chili, pete rose, tug mcGraw, peace and love, julie london, block island, boof bonser, eartha kitt, pee dee, nc, the piggly wiggly, stonewalls, reservoirs and air . . .
"it’s quiet music you want to crank..." says bob gulla of the providence phoenix
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-from the slow settling dust of PURPLE IVY SHADOWS comes THE 'MERICANS, a rhode island band based around the songs of CHRIS DALTRY. our first record 'MERICAN RECORDINGS was released in late 2006. we have a new record out now - WHERE ALL DEAD LEAVES GO . . .
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-'MERICAN RECORDINGS was recorded at home on borrowed recording equipment, with advice and tips from THOM MONAHAN. at the time "home" was at 135 carpenter street, on the west side of providence. the stark acoustic arrangements were influenced by the first RICK RUBIN produced JOHNNY CASH record AMERICAN RECORDINGS
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-after recording the basic guitar and vocal tracks, i brought in a few friends to add textural parts. JOEL THIBODEAU of DEATH VESSEL and STRING BUILDER plays mandolin, harmonica and sings harmony vocals on most of the songs. former purple ivy shadows bassist WILL RICE played banjo on "to find favor" - and MARGIE WIENK [once of THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE the eyesores and of FERN KNIGHT of philadelphia] played upright bass on a song
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-this year's follow up to 'MERICAN RECORDINGS is much fuller with more sonic and textural elements, not far removed from a PURPLE IVY SHADOWS record. the new 'MERICANS record was also recorded at home, and was mixed by PETE DONNELLY of THE FIGGS down at his studio in WESTMONT new jersey. this record is titled WHERE ALL DEAD LEAVES GO and was released in july 2007 and is available from us. just write us and we'll tell you how to get a copy.
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the 'MERICANS are an Experimental Roots Rock band from Rhode Island led by former Purple Ivy Shadows singer & guitarist Chris Daltry who has been called a "visionary (local) founding father of the rootsy rockers" by the Providence Phoenix. The group has released two full length records called 'Merican Recordings (2006), and Where All Dead Leaves Go (2007) that have met with critical praise : "Where All Dead Leaves Go is one magical listen and one of the year’s best discs" with the band's "southern-fried roots shine across warm with tremolo, hooks, and harmonies akin to retro gems from bands like Galaxie 500" and "It’s quiet music you want to crank"
the group has also the honor of being voted "Best Roots Act" in the 2008 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll by their fans and their 2007 album Where All Dead Leaves Go was named as a Top Local Album release by the Phoenix and THE 'MERICANS were also asked to contribute music to the soundtrack for the 2008 film "You Must Be This Tall : The Story of Rocky Point" which is about the long-defunct Rhode Island amusement park Rocky Point.
fans and critics have compared the sound of THE 'MERICANS to groups like The Feelies, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Television, Wilco, the Jayhawks, the Byrds, Pernice Brothers, Son Volt, the Rolling Stones and THE 'MERICANS have performed live with with many diverse acts including Mark Olson of The Jayhawks, Lightning Bolt, Anders Parker of Varnaline, Death Vessel, Ida, The Figgs, Jennifer O'Connor, Mascott, Sleepyhead, New Radiant Storm King, Poem Rocket, KaiserCartel, Audrey Ryan, Deer Tick, Rich Gilbert (Frank Black and The Catholics) and Blackstone Valley Sinners and many others. THE 'MERICANS have also appeared at several large festivals including Terrastock 6, Providence IndieArts Fest, Foo Fest, Liberty Fest & the Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale, which the Phoenix describes as speaking "volumes to the band's accessible sound."
the band is currently recording a new album at press time, and have also just finished a track for an upcoming tribute to the great band Miracle Legion & their singer Mark Mulcahy featuring artists such as Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Thom Yorke of Radiohead and J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and Juliana Hatfield as well as Josh Rouse, Elf Power, Syd Straw, Ted Leo, AC Newman of the New Pornographers, Frank Black of the Pixies, Elvis Perkins, Ween, Mercury Rev, Hayden and many other artists. This benefit tribute compilation is to come out at some point in 2009.
in addition to their own records, THE 'MERICANS appeared on compilations, including a Wishing Tree Records Amos House Benefit compilation along with Wilco, Elf Power, Wheat, the Aluminum Group, Azure Ray, Archer Prewitt, Her Space Holiday, Califone, Super Furry Animals and others. Another benefit record the 'mericans have appeared on is a D.C. comp called "Wellspring: A Benefit for Bread for the City" which featured Bettie Serveert, Barbara Manning and The GoLuckys, Cinerama, Saturnine & others.
HONORS & AWARDS
2007 PROVIDENCE PHOENIX TOP LOCAL ALBUM LIST
the Providence Phoenix chose the band's 2007 album "Where All Dead Leaves Go" as one of the year's top local releases, saying "Chris Daltry and the band fuse their material with elements of intrigue in every nook of their stellar acoustic sound, the mark of true craftsmen. Like all great discs, Leaves leaves us wanting for more"
2008 PROVIDENCE PHOENIX BEST MUSIC POLL WINNERS
the group was nominated for & won the "Best Roots Act" category
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I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4 I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Awesome set at the Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale yesterday! It's always good to see you folks play "So Easy" and all those 'Mericans faves. If I read the set list correctly (upside down and from 15 feet away and over the head of the kid who recently started drum lessons and was fascinated with Pete), those two terrific new songs just might be called "Surprise" and "Badlands." LOVE 'EM.
Narrows Center for the Arts last night = perfect! Something about kicking back in a church pew with a beer to the 'Mericans (and the sound guy was great, too). I think you even won over some of those die-hard surfer-dude Los Straitjacket fans, even without wearing Mexican wrestling masks. Hmm, it'd be funny to see what 'Merican wrestling masks would look like...
Great work getting these big gigs lately. Missed Lupo's. May make it to Narrows. Los Straitjackets sound like a ton of fun (and, of course, you all are music for the heart).
You lads rocked Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel last night! Nice to see you on the big stage, and nice to hear your new Miracle Legion cover. Great job! I hope they love it as much as I do : )
Thanks for a lovin' spoonful of 'mericans music at IndieArts Fest '09! You played all our faves plus a zany new version of "Ring of Fire." Eric and Pete were missed, but it was great to see ex-'merican (exican?) Mike Savage on drums and newcomer Pete handling bass. You're always so adaptable...Like coyotes.
Maybe my mind was just blown from great sets last night, but I had a dream this morning that the 'mericans recorded a cover of Nirvana's "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam." And yes, it sounded reeeeeeally good.
The set at Nick-a-Nee’s sounded so good the other night, even Linc Chaffee was checking you out during prime schmoozing time. Nice and smooth, pretty much low-key stuff, and then you effin' rocked out at the end of “To Find Favor". Way to keep us on our toes, cowboys.
Yesterday was the 4th time my mom has seen the 'mericans and the first time she asked to borrow your CDs. Guess those sweet acoustic sets come in handy for that elusive sexagenarian demographic!
So many 'mericans favorites in last night's Blackstone set! I'm really digging the new songs, even if I generally fail to catch the titles ("Badland," one might be?). Best of luck on recording them!
33 songs! (-ish?) Yikes! Looks like you covered it all, too: fightin’, fishin’, feelin’, drinkin’, lovin’, leavin’. CCR, the Feelies, the Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Cash, Petty and both Hanks would have been proud, but that beat Bruce was just fantastic. You folks might have been the best thing I heard all week! (Before you take that too lightly, other things I’d heard all week included Low Anthem, Deer Tick, and the defense committee approving my thesis. )
So nice to see you again at AS220! Beautiful harmonies by Ben Pilgrim and Mary Bee were a perfect setup for funky 'mericans folk rock. Love the new songs, and THANK YOU for playing "So Easy." So overdue.
