The Copperheads
Country & Blues Revue
© 2002 Narnian Records (041871020322)
Downright addictive blend of swampy R&B, country-soul, and honky-tonk---like a C.C.R. for the new milennium.
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The Copperheads do roots-rock. Ray Barnard, Otis Oachs, Bill Davis, and Marc Johnson, and Thomas Larson use Country, Blues, Soul, Gospel, and Rock-n-Roll to whip up their own tasty concoction.
In July '02, The Copperheads released their first CD, "Country & Blues Revue," on the Cold Wind/Narnian label.
About the recording, Americana On Line's reviewer J. S. Hawkins writes, "...surprisingly, a really solid record from a little known indie band... they sound like a CCR for the new millennium-with a little less bite, but a lot more polish and a broader scope to their sound. They can pull off original honky-tonk, country-soul and swampy R & B with equal aplomb."
Richard Thomas, editor of the Reader Weekly, says, "...we listened to it and got addicted... this is deep south blues: smooth with an infectious beat, restrained in such a way that the music sneaks up on you and then drives you wild."
This year, they've played with national recording artists Rosie Flores, Wayne Hancock, The Iguanas, Wanda Jackson, The Lamont Cranston Band, and Junior Brown. Each time, they did an excellent job complementing the main act, while winning many new fans outright. "With their combination of great playing, singing, and writing, The Copperheads should soon be national headliners themselves," say Joe Robert Luke
of KBAM, 96.7 FM, Olivia, AL.
P.S. We'll soon have another CD available that gets deeper into the country/R&B miscegenation thing. Thanks very much to all who've supported our efforts so far.
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spot on
author: alan thomsonIf I was playing in this band,I`d be well pleased,they`ve really got it nailed,up there with Los Lobos.Excellent cd.
A sweet blend of Mempis country-soul and Southern blues.
author: Scott Homewood of Freight Train BoogieWhoever decided the title for the Copperheads new CD sure got it right. The band specializes in a sweet blend of Memphis country soul and Southern blues that, amazingly, results in a pure roots sound sure to please country fans as well. This album recalls the works of artists like Tony Joe White, Charlie Rich, current Nick Lowe, Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham, and The Band. Remember the song He Stopped Loving Her Today? How meaningful, down to earth and dead-on it was in its message without overdoing it and clogging up the song with extra verbiage? It is the same way with the songs on this album. The songs are deceptively simple, with basic lyrics and sparse, catchy melodies coming straight from the heart and telling their stories without any excess fat. Thanks to Lowe and a few other artists, the heart-rending sounds of the blending of soul and country are starting to make a comeback as more people are remembering the music of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and deep soul from the ‘60s. The Copperheads are following the lead and doing it as good as any one else out there right now. The band does have it's rocky side, but it is a restrained power, somewhat like what The Band managed to do on their first two albums. Singer Ray Barnard has mastered the nuances of great country soul and the rest of the band locks in, from the sweet and stinging lead guitar to the Memphis soul-rooted rythym section. This album is a wonderful treat sure to be appreciated by fans of country and old-fashioned Southern soul music.