Thursday, May 24, 2012

Memphis Rockers River City Tanlines to Release Coast to Coast on Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum July 31st



“It's rad band from Memphis that features the songwriting, singing, and shred-fest, riff-heavy, tasteful-but-wicked-solos guitar playing of Alicja Trout. I bopped my head and felt elated. After the band finished, I didn't want to see anything else. I wanted to go home with The River City Tanlines' songs ringing in my ears. That's when you know it's been a good night.” – Carrie Brownstein for NPR

Memphis’ River City Tanlines have a new album called Coast to  Coast coming July 31st and it is a doozy, filled with rifftastic guitar-driven rock songs that incorporate 70s punk, proto garage rock and a big dose of southern boogie. Singer Alicja Trout is so prolific, what with running Contaminated Records, her recording studio and bands Alicja-pop, MouseRocket and Black Sunday that a new album from the Tanlines is a rare treat; this is the first since 2006. She is a veteran of Memphis bands Lost Sounds (with Jay Reatard), The Clears and many others, her bandmates Terrrence Bishop and John Bonds have performed with the likes of Jack Oblivian, R.L. Burnside, Jim Dandy & Black Oak Arkansas, and Monsieur Jeffrey Evans. 

Coast to Coast was produced by Bruce Watson (Hasil Adkins, T-Model Ford, John Paul Keith) at his Dial Back Sound Studios – it will be released on his Big Legal Mess Records which is distributed by Fat Possum.  Coast to Coast contains ten tracks of hook-ridden rock n’ roll from Memphis, giving new meaning to the term Dirty South.  From the Ramones-esque “Pretty Please” about begging a neighbor to let them practice to the poppy “Stop My Heart” and the epic, thunderous “Dark Matter” which brings a dose of psyche rock to the proceedings.  “I Don’t Get It” features a galloping rhythm section and distorted guitars – it served as the inspiration for the album cover, painted by Memphis muralist Alex Harrison.

The Tanlines have toured extensively in North American and Europe playing clubs and festivals and critical praise has been consistent, coming in from the likes of David Fricke for Rolling Stone, SPIN and the LA Weekly. In 2009, they appeared in Craig Brewer’s (Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan) Five Dollar Cover web-series (and soundtrack) for MTV. Brewer also directed their roller derby-themed video for “I’m Your Negative”. 


River City Tanlines Shows
7/27/2012      Oxford,           MS      Ajax Diner
7/28/2012      Memphis        TN       Hi Tone
8/2/2012         St. Louis        MO,     El Lenador
8/3/2012         Milwaukee     WI,      Linnerman's Riverwest Inn
8/4/2012         Chicago         IL         Crown Tap Room


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