500 Miles to Memphis
| 500 Miles to Memphis | |
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| File:500 Miles to Memphis performing at The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC in 2011.jpg
500 Miles to Memphis performing at The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Genres | Cowpunk |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Deep Elm Records |
| Associated acts | Moth, Cari Clara, Noah Sugarman, David Rhodes Brown, Kelly Thomas, Six Nights Alone |
| Website | www.500mtm.com |
| Members | Ryan Malott Noah Sugarman Kevin Hogle David Rhodes Brown Aaron Whalen |
500 Miles to Memphis is an American Cowpunk band from Cincinnati, Ohio. Previously, the band has received international praise for their ability to satisfy the musical hunger of fans in both country and alternative/punk genres. Right out of the gate, fans will hear dramatic differences from the previous album “Sunshine in a Shot Glass”. 500 Miles To Memphis has re-invented themselves without compromising the blood, sweat, and tears from previous releases, creating an album that’s nothing short of riveting. “We’ve Built Up to NOTHING” has cut after cut of instantly memorable hooks, screaming guitars, Beatles-inspired harmonies, and even a full orchestra. Produced by platinum award-winning producer, Erwin Musper (Scorpions, Van Halen, Def Leppard, David Bowie, Mick Jagger,...), the new cd is being shopped to major record labels, both in the US and internationally... as well as to film/television studios worldwide.
Their previous release, "Sunshine In A Shotglass" (DER-464) on the Deep Elm indie label also produced by Erwin Musper, has already yielded 500 Miles To Memphis tremendous success for the use of their songs in television, from placements on MTV's Nitro Circus [1] and American Movie Classics (AMC)[2] to being featured in countless YouTube "extreme sports" videos by athletes such as Travis Pastrana. Their song "All My Friends Are Crazy" is now available as downloadable content (DLC) for the Rock Band video game series as part of the Rock Band Network.[3] 500 Miles To Memphis has also received the praise of music journalists worldwide. [4]
Contents
History
500's mix of country, punk rock and rock 'n' roll has earned the band accolades and national exposure — you might have heard ""All My Friends Are Crazy"" on the video game Rock Band..[5] Malott's poignant and, at times, painful, lyrics are some of the most honest and introspective words to come out of the Cincinnati music scene. Of course, a man and his guitar are more than enough for a local dive, but touring the nation generally needs a bit more oomph.
Luckily, Malott is backed up several local legends: drummer Kevin Hogle and lap steel player David Rhodes Brown chief among them. You've probably seen Hogle around the city without knowing. He is one of the city's most prolific drummers, and for good reason — his precision and skill are unmatched. David Rhodes Brown rarely tours with 500, but his contribution to the band is vital. A Cincinnati staple himself, DRB's lap steel playing is a big part of 500's country roots.
Rounding out the lineup is Noah Sugarman, who recently moved to bass, and new guitarist Aaron Whalen stepping up for one of his first performances with the band. Sugarman heads his own band in his free time, so chances are high that you'll hear some originals from him in addition to 500's set.[6]
"Although both albums were recorded with Erwin Musper, producer of the Scorpions and many others, there are a lot of differences between this album and the last. The songs on "We've Built Up to Nothing" are much more intricate and deep than the last. We experimented with different time signatures and rhythms. There are a lot more vocal harmonies, which is always fun. The guitars are huge too. Aside from that we used a lot of different instruments. We basically went back to our highschool concert band roots and brought out a whole orchestra. Our keyboard player, Elaina, is a band director at a school here in Cincinnati, OH. Kevin, the drummer, has a bachelors in music education from Morehead State University where performed with the nationally recognized marching percussion ensemble. He toured the world over at a very young age. I played first chair trombone all throughout highschool. It was a lot of fun composing all of the auxiliary instruments. The songwriting on this album is also different. I went at it in a different frame of mind. I pretty much wrote what I wanted to say and hear. Basically I wrote with reckless abandon without worrying whether or not these songs would be on a top forty list. Ironically they ended up turning out very accessible and more catchy than the last." )[7]
Band members
Current members
- Ryan Malott - vocals, guitar (2003–present)
- Noah Sugarman - bass, vocals (2009–present)
- Aaron Whalen - guitar, vocals (2010–present)
- Kevin Hogle - drums (2007–present)
- David Rhodes Brown - lap steel (2007–present)
Past members
- Jeff Snyder - bass (2007–2010)
- Elaina Brown - keyboard, vocals (2009–2010)
- Stephen Kuffner - guitar, vocals (2007–2009)
- Jason Gallagher - guitar
- Wade Owens - bass (2003–2005)
- Lee Steele - drums
- Brett Davis - drums (live/touring)
- Brian Davis - guitar (live/touring)
- Bryan Poindexter - drums
- Wasabi Hansen - guitar, vocals
- Aaron Hostetler - guitar, vocals
- Sean Duley - drums
- Ben Wirsching - drums
Session musicians
- Paul Patterson - fiddle (2007)
- Annalyse McCoy - vocals (2007)
Discography
Studio albums
- (2005) 500 Miles to Memphis
01. Before the Sun Rises
02. Ton of Bricks
03. Fireflies
04. Tired and Weak (6 Years Too Long)
05. Bandit
06. 'Nother Year Down the Toilet
07. The Way of the Buffalo
08. Stars Over Georgia
09. Open
10. 1947
11. I Found
12. Reap
13. Don't Leave
14. D-Town
- (2007) Sunshine in a Shot Glass
01. All My Friends Are Crazy
02. Broken, Busted, Bloody
03. Don't Mislead
04. Darlin'
05. My Time Is Up
06. Keep It Together
07. I'll Miss You (Whatever)
08. Cheers
09. Fireflies
10. Let It Rain
11. Sunshine In a Shotglass
12. The Regret
- (2010) We’ve Built Up to Nothing
01. …
02. It's Alright
03. Let It Go
04. Six Foot Hole
05. Barfly
06. By Accident
07. East Texas Angel
08. Moonlight
09. No Sympathy
10. You Loved Me Once
11. Dejas
12- Shots
13- Lead Me On
14- Everybody Needs an Enemy
15- We've Built Up to Nothing
Live Albums
- (2011) Live at Southgate House
References
- Grever, Nick (February 28, 2010). "Cincinnati’s own 500 Miles to Memphis". The News Record.
- "500 Miles To Memphis - Four Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Nominations!".
