These are the current artists on UpSouth Recordings:
The Roues Brothers,
Finn & the Sharks,
UpSouth Twisters (formerly Lucky 7),
Big Jim Wheeler & Wheels of Fire
Influences
Chess Records, Stax-Volt, Motown Records, Sun Records, Alladin Records, Checker Records, Starday Records, Ace Records, Norton Records, Excello Records, Fat Possum Records, Bloodshot Records, Rolling Rock Records, Vocalion, Fury Records,
Sounds Like
This Hall Of Fame wrestler is using UpSouth Recording Artist Big Jim Wheeler and Wheels of Fire's "Ride Stallion Ride" (written by Billy Roues, Steven Roues and Gary Solomon) as his theme song. The same song was also used in a Sponge Bob Square Pants episode.
Billy and Steven “Muddy” Roues have been making music together since they were kids. They are journeymen in the music business, having crossed paths with some of the greats of Blues, Rockabilly, Rock’n’Roll, Country, Soul, and Rhythm and Blues. The experience of working with those artists and creative people that were and still are mentors and idols to them, whether onstage, in the studio, in films and television or in the songwriting process, has left an indelible mark on the music the Roues Brothers are making today.
Their first CD under the name, The Roues Brothers, is also the first release on their own fledgling label, UpSouth Recordings, and is a mix of all those influences and more. Muddy’s wailing blues harp kicks off the album on Behind The Dixie Sun, an ode to the brother’s enthusiasm for collecting old 78 rpm’s of great roots music. The driving Texas boogie beat, raw electric guitar and stark vocal treatment sets the stage for a 15-song assault that never lets up. It’s very bluesy though not necessarily a blues album. It’s not Rock but it rocks! This CD is more like a real Rock’n’Roll record recorded in the 50’s and 60’s. The boys tip their hats to many of their heroes while forging an original sound and style underscored by the great writing of Billy, Muddy and long time associate, Gary Solomon. The title track, Undaunted, is a fitting anthem whose chorus will tell you a lot about what makes The Roues Brothers tick and keep on ticking;
“I don’t care at all if the next big thing has come
I’ll still feel it in my heart pounding like the beat of a drum
And I won’t change my song ‘cause by it’s spell I’m haunted
And I will carry on … Undaunted”
Several of the songs on this offering are in movie soundtracks such as the rockabilly rave-up, Adam’s Rib, which is featured in the film, “Grownups,” that is scheduled for release this year. The duet harmony of Daydreaming, with it’s nod to the Everly’s, is in two movies; the Italian made, Fuori Dal Mondo, recently released in the USA as Not Of This World, and, along with Just Like Humpty Dumpty, the film, In His Life; The John Lennon Story.
Primarily a quartet featuring Billy on Guitars, mandolin and vocals, Muddy on stand-up bass, harp, guitar and vocals, Gary Solomon ..board, electric bass, accordion and guitar and Joe Geary on drums, the Roues Brothers bring to their live shows the same excitement found on this disc.
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Finn & the Sharks have been hailed as one of the greatest of the neo-rockabilly bands to emerge out of the early 80’s revival of the genre but they never did and still do not fit neatly into the 'rockabilly' category. Their influences are broad and deep as a listen to this 4 song CD Sneak Preview of the new album the band is currently recording will attest.
“Shark Therapy,”, also available at CDBaby, was released last year (2005) and includes many of their previously unreleased recordings. It has garnered raves from around the world, including the following, which describe the diversity Finn & the Sharks have to offer.
“What strikes me when listening to this CD is the variation! Here you find everything from new wave and ska to straight rockabilly... all songs are of high quality, regardless of musical style!.” Arilde Rones Rockaround (Swedish webzine).
“The members have long traversed with naturalness, the disparate boulevards and backroads of American popular culture. Rockabilly,Country, Blues,unadorned Rock’n’Roll ... Finn and the Sharks are fluent in all of them.” DC Larson, Rockabilly Magazine, Texas.
The band members, individually and collectively, are longtime music industry journeymen whose list of credits include having worked with B.B. King, Dave Edmunds, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, Robert Gordon, Sleepy LaBeefe, Commander Cody, Asleep At The Wheel, The Psychedelic Furs, Joe Ely, David Bromberg, Lenny Kaye, Wayne Kramer, The Sun Rhythm Section w/ Sonny Burgess & DJ Fontana, Luther Allison and many others. Steven and Eddie backed up Carl Perkins in the feature film, "The Other Side Of Nashville," while Jimmy played bass on a single called, "Let's Put The Fun Back In Rock'n'roll," that featured Bo Diddley, Freddy Cannon and members of Dion's Belmonts. Billy and Muddy Roues have written and/or recorded with Vassar Clements, Johnny Johnson, Robert Junior Lockwood, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Bo Diddley, rapper DMC and Muscle Shoals greats Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. Billy has also written songs with Danny Flowers ("Livin' On Tulsa Time") who co-wrote "Don't Get Me Started which is featured on this CD. He has also written with Lonnie Mack and Jo El Sonnier. Brother Steven "Muddy" Roues played blues harp behind John Lee Hooker. Drummer, Eddie, plays a short segue on Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” All are songwriters of some note and their songs have been covered by other artists and have also appeared in the soundtracks of movie and television productions throughout the world.
Their live shows are legendary for being high energy, heart pumping and roof shaking affairs leaving audiences breathless yet begging for more. They are not to be missed!
As the title of one of the songs on their upcoming release says, Finn & the Sharks are, “Rip Roarin’ Ready and Rarin’ To Go!”
Finn & the Sharks are:
James "the Finn" Finnen (lead vocals, standup bass, guitar and baritone sax),
Billy Roues (lead guitar and vocals)
Steven "Muddy" Roues (stand up bass, acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals)
Ed "The Hammerhead" Steinberg (drums and vocals)
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Music critics have had a field day trying to describe Lucky 7's music, dubbing it Cajun rockabilly, a Zydeco Rockpile, The Blasters with a squeezebox, and a New York mix of Zydeco and roadhouse rock with a Latino flavor. Just about the only certainty is that no two-or three-word label fully encompasses the range of the band's musical gumbo. By drawing from Elvis-era Rock’n’Roll, Cajun, Zydeco, delta blues, classic country, and even Latino salsa plus Tex-Mex, this New York based quintet has challenged the descriptive talents of the music press, while at the same time earning its praise.
Although Lucky 7 are Big Apple based, their music wins listeners across the heartland, as Austin American-Statesman critic Michael Point observed at a Texas show, “The group's seamless set was solid and substantial, full of prime party-time dance music underpinned by a resilient rhythmic thrust that pushed and pulled the music in consistently interesting directions."
Lucky 7's founder and leader is accordionist-keyboard player-singer- songwriter Kenny Margolis, www.kennymargolis.com, an ex-member of Mink Deville, who's also toured with and appeared on albums by Cracker, The Smithereens, Freedy Johnston, and The Silos among others. The Roues brothers, Billy (guitar/mandolin/vocals) and Steven (standup bass/harmonica) have brought their songwriting and experience producing, writing, playing and recording with roots artists as diverse as Jo-El Sonnier, John Lee Hooker, Carl Perkins, Lonnie Mack, Lenny Kaye, Wayne Kramer and Stax & Muscle Shoals soul greats Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. Percussionist, Boris Kinberg has played with Mink DeVille and Robert Gordon. Rounding out the band is drummer Bill Rankin.
After honing its style in sweaty New York clubs, Lucky 7 won favor on a series of European and Canadian tours earning praise as "a heavenly party band" (Sweden's Expressen) and "pure fun!" (Germany's Musick Szene). Toronto's Now said, "No doubt about it, New York's Lucky 7 is among the most fun, freewheeling live acts going." An awesome show at the Montreal International Jazz Festival won over thousands of new fans.
Several songs from the band's repertoire have landed in feature films and also on compilation albums including the Margolis/Roues instrumental, "Holiday Depression” which was in the soundtrack to one of James Gandolfini's first movies, "Italian Movie". It was also released as part of a Swedish compilation called "Rockin' At The Barn" on Dusty Records (1999). Most recently their cover versions of Dave Alvin’s “So Long Baby Goodbye” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Valentine’s Day” were included on highly acclaimed tribute CD’s to their authors. (Blastered: A Tribute to The Blasters on Runwild Records and Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen on Schoolhouse Records).
Lucky 7 have just begun working on their next CD release for UpSouth Recordings due out in 2007.
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Big Jim Wheeler has been called ‘a throwback to the future’ and is arguably the best-kept secret in American music. He hails from both the Adirondacks of upstate New York and the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina. Through his many travels he has pleased audiences with his deep voice and dramatic singing style from Illinois to Istanbul and from Maine to Madagascar, while serving his country in the U.S. Navy.
His many friends, fans and admirers include top performers such as the late Roscoe Gordon, Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, bluesman James Cotton, and many others, several of whom he has shared the stage with.
In 1994 he combined forces with longtime friends and associates, Billy and Steven “Muddy” Roues, who shared his interest in developing an original sound and style of music based on their mutual love of Western music, movies, T.V. and vintage Americana. To that end, they assembled a repertoire that included Robert Mitchum's BALLAD OF THUNDER ROAD, Johnny Western's PALADIN, Jimmy Dean’s BIG BAD JOHN, and Roy Roger's GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY. They didn't stop there. They started covering their favorite classic country from Hank Williams to Hank Snow, Johnny Horton to Johnny Cash and crossing the spectrum from Earnest Tubb to Tennessee Ernie Ford. With the addition of original songs penned by the Roues Brothers and Big Jim himself they captured the spirit of their heroes and predecessors and the picture was almost complete. All that was missing was the rest of the band.
To compliment Big Jim's deep baritone, Billy's twangy electric guitar and mandolin and Muddy’s stand up bass and rack-held harmonica, and after several line-up changes, they decided to add long time collaborator and friend, Gary Solomon on acoustic guitar and Bill Rankin on drums. WHEELS OF FIRE was born!
With the enthusiastic support of legendary fiddler, Vassar Clements, the band entered the studio and emerged with a recording of a number of original songs along with a selection of some of the above mentioned cover tunes. Besides Vassar’s fiddle, long time pedal steel journeyman, Bucky Baxter, lent his skills to several tracks as well. The result is the band’s debut CD, “Goin’ Back”.
Myspace Backgrounds
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Saturday - Beauty Bar Brooklyn - Djs Twig, Brenda + Co. + LIVE! SHINGOMANIA! 1 drummmaniac in 3 bands! THE RATS - BACK CC's Dual Record Release + Bon Voyage party for BABY SHAKES Euro Tour 09!!!
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My boyfriend says he wants to wear overalls and spin like a chubby tornardo when he listens to your music. HMMM. Anyway, I see that your playing at the Riverspace after the Halloween parade. It would be cool to see you perform there. Robin
