New Music- Devil Grass

 

For those of you who follow me on various forms of social-media, this might seem like old news... but it's time to finally officially announce my new band- Devil Grass.

Devil Grass came together in early September of this year, thanks to the hard work, vision, and determination of our bandleader/ frontman, Michael Roberts. Somehow, within mere months of relocating to Phoenix from the New Jersey/ Philly-area, Michael had assembled a four-piece lineup of players who had all recently relocated from the East Coast. (If you understand the nod to that irony in our name, you win a prize. Message me.)

Devil Grass is a Phoenix-based desert-rock/ dark alt-country act. 

We are-

Michael Roberts- Vocals and guitar (New Jersey)

Joshua Motley- Keys and vocals (Kentucky)

Bernard LeVautour- Bass and backing-vocals (New Hampshire)

Craig Codrington- Drums and percussion (Vermont)

We played a series of three low-key, but super-fun, testing-the-water sort of live-shows over the last couple weeks... Look for information about a more elaborate and larger-scale "official" live-debut soon. It'll be fun, I promise.

As for "sound" and "content," we're going into the studio in mid-January to record our first single (peel your eyes), but in the meantime, check out this teaser-video we put together from some press-kit demos we tracked recently... This one's a cover of a Misfits song.

Follow us on social-media for full and regular updates, and fun behind-the-scenes content...

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Enjoy, and let us know what you think! 

Hope we see you at a show soon!

ISO- Musicians- New Phoenix-based Doom-Country act "Here Lies."

Ok, Phoenix... I have a new act in the works, and I'm looking for players.

The band is called "Here Lies."

This is a live-show focussed, conceptually-driven project. The goal is mostly original-music (as opposed to covers), aimed at performing in music-venues (rather than primarily as bar-entertainment.) 

The concept? In simplest terms, maybe call this "Doom-Country." In a more specific sense, think old-school Country & Western (most specifically from the Murder-Ballad and Outlaw-Folk traditions) played in a slower, doomier, louder, darker, stompier, dustier, scarier, heavier, high-lonesomer high-lonesome, sense... The darker end of old-school country mixed with big-beat and doom-punk, if you will? 

I have recorded a demo-track to capture the sound in my head for this one... As an original-music, venue-focused concept-act, I'm aiming to keep cover songs limited to a maximum of two per set, but, in the name of demonstrating an example of what my sonic intentions are here, I decided to start by recording a cover-song. This is a 1965 C&W classic by Dick Curless, called "Tombstone Every Mile." (For other covers that might fit into future sets- think Cash- "Long Black Veil," Robbins- "Big Iron," Cave- "Where the Wild Roses Grow"... etc. Important additional influences, in terms of sound, include The Cramps, Bauhaus, Decemberists, Misfits, Joy Division, Soilent Green, Clutch, My Dying Bride... etc.) Check out the demo... and keep in mind that I recorded absolutely every instrument on this recording by myself (with the exception of some backing-vocals by my lovely-and-talented girlfriend Catherine Klabouch), so the sound will undoubtably become further fleshed-out by the influence of additional hands and ear-bulbs.

I intend to play bass (starting on electric, hopefully switching to stand-up once we get going) and vocals. I'm searching for a guitarist, a drummer, and "something else" (a dedicated lap-steel, fiddle, banjo, accordion, honky-tonk-piano, organist, etc. would be ideal... but a versatile multi-instrumentalist who understands the concept and desired sound would also be a good fit.) 

Please email me if interested... or feel free to share with friends if you think you might know people, or know people who know people.