I gotta brag: my band got some accolades

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/bestof/2009/award/best-country-band-traditional--854766/

This is not something I expected when I rolled out of bed this morning: my band, Trigger 5, was named Best Traditional Country Band by our local 'independent' (owned by the Village Voice, or some such) culture rag's annual Best of St. Louis issue. This is cool for a number of reasons.

One, it's always great to see your name in print. And I still can't get over the fact that we're played on the local radio station - 88.1 FM, KDHX the best in the country, no E36 M3 - pretty regularly. I giggle like a schoolgirl.

Mainly, though, I see this as a win for vintage country in general. These days, especially around here, all you have to do is play a basic I-IV-V chord structure with a distorted Les Paul and sing about being broke or on meth, and WHAM, you're an independent country star. Alt.country is still big around here. It's an effect I refer to as the Tweedy-Farrar Crater. See, those two dudes are from around here, and they basically created the whole genre with Uncle Tupelo, and their post-breakup projects, Son Volt and Wilco. That was 15+ years ago, and still we can't find a band to share a bill with that has any idea of what country is supposed to sound like. Granted, I'd rather play with these local guys than some over-groomed, produced-to-death pop-country pap. Maybe.

I guess what I'm getting at is that this market is a tough nut to crack for a country band.

Anyway, rant aside, there it is. I'm over the moon. We've been working our asses off for the past few years, and it's great that we're finally getting some local recognition.

If you go to my Facebook page and click the 'My Band' link, you'll be able to hear all the songs from our first album, released just last month. And if you like it, you can buy it on Amazon or iTunes.

Oh, and according to this blurb, I'm the 'unassailably twangy' one.

OK, shameless self-promotion time is over. Thanks for playing.

Congrats! I was wondering when you would have an album out, I'll have to order one.

I do admit I enjoy Wilco though, mostly just their first album.

Have you heard of The Revival Tour? It's more folk but there are some good artists, Chuck Ragan, Tim Barry, Austin Lucas and his dad Bob.

Congrats!!! My two sons have a band, play a good number of local gigs and enjoy the hell out of it, make a few extra bucks doing it. They are both successful business guys, so the money is just extra goodness. However, their cousin (my sister's son) is a real rock star. Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters. They go to his shows all the time. Lot's of stories there.

That's really cool. I used to read the RFT pretty much evvery week, and the Best Of was always my favorite issue. So when are you going on tour?

Also, I miss KDHX.

Evan: I thoroughly enjoy Wilco, and I think Being There and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot are true American masterpieces. However, I can't seem to get into their newest album (Wilco: The Album). I feel like they've lost their teeth without Jay Bennett, or for that matter any co-writer for Tweedy to work with. After all, A Ghost Is Born is a great album, and he had Jim O'Rourke for most of that session. Tweedy seems to work extremely well as a collaborator, but maybe less so as a solo writer.

And yeah, by all means, buy early and often! Thanks!

cwh: One of my old bartenders lived in Charlotte, and used to chauffeur Dave Grohl around when he came to play. He said he's a very cool guy, totally down to earth. Respect.

Josh: Tour? Hell, I'd do it at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, most of the band is like, gainfully employed and has kids n E36 M3. Not very rock n roll. However, a few weekend stints around the midwest are not out of the question. And yes, KDHX still kicks all ass. Hey, stream it online: kdhx.org It's everywhere you want to be, or something.

Awesome!

Love the music too

Your guitar makes me feel funny.

And that Waylon link you posted is awesome too.

Big fan of Uncle Tupelo, though I prefer the Son Volt side of the split. That said, I can hear what you're saying about an area getting a sound and being stuck with it.

My band was 1999's best metal band in Atlanta in Creative Loafing - our local indy newspaper. It was cool. Congrats on semi-fame and the total lack of money that comes with it. :)

Just listened to some of your stuff. I like. I wasn't sure what to expect with the label "Vintage Country".

Congrats on the big mention in the paper. That kind of publicity goes a long way locally. I keep an eye on local papers for just that kind of hot tip about who to see at the small clubs.

Alt-country has come a long way since Uncle Tupelo hasn't it? Some favorites of mine are The Gourds, was Slobberbone until they broke up, and I see Dale Watson anytime he comes out. Evidently I'm musically from Austin.

Some bands who I'm listening to now that aren't alt-country per se but are interesting are:

• The Avett Brothers

• Old Crow Medicine Show

• The Black Keys

• Lucero

(CRAP! Just saw on your myspace that you have Dale as an influence! COOL!)

You guys definitely have a classic country sound. Listening to that I can see where rockabilly and surf guitar came from.

We opened for Dale when he came through town last. Man, he puts on a good show. He's just so damn effortlessly slick, he's a real pleasure to watch.

DILYSI Dave wrote: Just listened to some of your stuff. I like. I wasn't sure what to expect with the label "Vintage Country".

We've always struggled with terms to describe ourselves. Half the response we get after shows is 'you guys are good, I didn't think I liked country music.' Well, that's because you probably haven't heard country in 30 years.

I think a lot of bands face our descriptive dilemma, since the good name of country music has been so deeply sullied for so long. Hell, Dale Watson got so pissed when Nashville rejected him that he stopped associating with country at all. He calls his stuff Ameripolitan.

'Classic country' kinda sounds like a bar-country cover band that ends every set with Folsom Prison Blues. Nothing wrong with that - we do plenty of covers, but we try to go a little deeper into an artist's catalog, instead of playing what you'd find on a Time/Life infomercial collection. And it leaves aside the fact that we're trying to add new material to the pantheon of classics. 'Traditional country' kinda sounds like early Carter Family stuff. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not our sound.

So, we settled on 'vintage country,' for the most part. I feel like it gets the point across. And, you know, vintage is so in nowadays...

Xceler8x wrote: * The Avett Brothers * Old Crow Medicine Show * The Black Keys * Lucero

I'm in love with OCMS, and have seen them play a few times. They are really fun to listen to, and I have learned so much about cocaine from them.

Good deal!

Let me know next time you play over toward the middle coast of MO and I'll come see you.

I'm not plugged into the local (COMO) country scene, but we've got some good rockabilly types that might be able to partner up with you for a show at Mojo's or such.

Clem

MitchellC wrote:

Xceler8x wrote: * The Avett Brothers * Old Crow Medicine Show * The Black Keys * Lucero

I'm in love with OCMS, and have seen them play a few times. They are really fun to listen to, and I have learned so much about cocaine from them.

That's so freakin' weird. I was just turned on to them this weekend, and have had "I hear them all" stuck in my head for the last 24 hours.

Congrats- that's way cool.

When I think vintage country, I think BR5-49- but maybe that's more "nostalgia country" or "antique contry."

I'd put BR549 in there, for sure. They and Wayne Hancock are doing very similar things, keeping it very close to the old school recordings. Nostalgia is about right.

Clem: Rattle off a few of those rockabilly bands, wouldja? We could get out that way, maybe as a stop on the way to KC. We honestly have an easier time finding rockabilly bands to play with than similar country acts.

Alex - Does your band have a website? No facebook access for me.

I am not a fan of country music but I certainly congradulate you on your success.

Well, I've got Honky Tonk blues on iTunes right this very moment, so I may as well chime in.

I figure you should definitely do Mo' Honky Tonky Tour and make your way over here to KC via Columbia. I could see you getting a good response around here, especially if you can get a bill with Rex Hobart and/or hook up with the Rockabilly Mood Swing radio folks. They're very open to vintage/trad/whatever country. If you do, throw out "Satisfied Mind" for me. Love that song.

Also, if you can get your hands on 'em, check out the Suicide Kings/Revenants out of Phoenix. Not the death-metal bands (these guys had REALLY bad luck with names). Good stuff there that not many folks got to hear.

Oh yeah. Sorry, I didn't think about that.

www.Trigger5.com

There are a few songs up there, but I honestly don't know if they were updated after the album got back from mastering. Amazon and iTunes will have finished versions to sample, too.

If you can access this site, you should be able to get full songs at www.reverbnation.com/trigger5

Hank Sr., J. Cash, Flatt & Scruggs.

Like cars. some of the best are some of the oldies.

You go, dude!

Thanks for the heads up on those, Baxter. Just what I'm looking for.

The Wildcat Daddies are the current incarnation of folks playing rockabilly that I know of. I'll hook you up via facebook soon. Remind me if I don't.

I can't remember the other group I liked (nor do I know if they're still around)...but Steve or Tim of the Wildcat Daddies could probably put something together.

I don't know how bluegrass jives with traditional country, but we've got a very talented bluegrass group in town. My daughter and many others are taking string lessons from members of IronWeed.

We've got some neat venues and a good local music scene around here, so I'm sure something could work out if you want. An example of neat stuff that goes on is the annual The Lupus, MO, Chili Festival is this weekend. I think it'll be more folk and bluegrass than anything else. There's always music at Cooper's Landing (campground/marina/bait/ThaiFood) down on the Missouri River.

Clem

Get some Trigger 5 hot off the presses...er...Amazon!

Heartbreak and Regret via Amazon mp3.

You can preview them all there if you guys want to get a taste. "Remember, the first hit is always free!" sez the Pusher Man.