What Genre Are We?

::::BASSIST:::: · #1 02-22-2007, 09:43 AM

So last night during rehearsal our drummer says, "You know, we are not a Rockabilly band. This music isn't Rockabilly."

The leader agrees.

So what the heck are we?

We play a mix of covers and a few originals. Its a combination of 50s rock, blues and edgy country.

Here's our setlist:

1. I fought the law - Buddy Holly
2. that's alright mama - Elvis
3. 20 flight rock - eddie cochran
4. say mama - gene vincent
5. cocaine blues - Johnny Cash
6. folsom prison - Johnny Cash
7. rumble – Link Wray
8. misrilou – Dick Dale
9. little sister - Elvis
10. James Bond Theme / Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers
11. rock this town - Stray Cats
12. summertime blues - Eddie Cochran
13. love potion #9 - The Searchers
14. pipeline - The Ventures
15. blue suede shoes - carl perkins
16. rubber neckin' - Elvis
17. memphis tennesee - Elvis
18. who do you love - G. Thoroughgood
19. carol - chuck berry
20. laudy miss claudy - Elvis
21. ramblin' man - waylon jennings
22. mystic eyes - them
23. baby, please dont go - them
24. born on the bayou - ccr
25. honey don't – Carl Perkins
26. get rhythm – Johnny Cash
27. The Fool - Elvis
28. Mystery Train – Elvis Presley
29. Fast As You - Dwight Yokam
30. Lucille - Little Richard
31. whole lotta shakin' goin' on - Elvis
31. Built For Speed- Stray Cats
32. Before You Accuse Me - Clapton
33. Be-bop-alu-bop – Gene Vincent
34. Driving Wheel – Robert Gordon
35. Crying, Waiting, Hoping – Buddy Holly
36. Hey, Hey – Clapton
37. Bad, Bad Thing – Chris Isaak
38. Not Fade Away – Buddy Holly
39. I’m On Fire – B. Springsteen
40. Flowers on The Wall
41. Runaway – Stray Cats
42. Lordy Honey – Ryan Hynd
43. Johnny & Lucy - Ryan Hynd
44. How Many Times - Ryan Hynd
45. Mother Earth – Memphis Slim
46. Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
47. Jack The Ripper – Link Wray

We're a three piece (guitar, bass, drums). The vocals are gritty and the guitar usually has a warm distorted tone.
You can check my signature to hear what we sound like, if you want.

What would you say our genre is?

Bayou_Brawler · #2 02-22-2007, 09:51 AM

I would say Rockabilly is fair.

Genres of music are pretty general and never fit perfect. you can always make up your own genre if you're doing something really unique that REALLY doesn't fit into a genre well. but looking at your set list y'all are not doing anything different or cutting ege...so i think saying we're "Rockabilly" or a "blues country rock band" is the way to go...

chaosMK · #3 02-22-2007, 10:13 AM

Just call your style whatever you want to.

Bruce Lindfield · #4 02-22-2007, 10:23 AM

Doesn't it need slapped Double Bass to be Rockabilly...?

::::BASSIST:::: · #5 02-22-2007, 10:27 AM

Here's the thing. When we are promoting our band, (business cards posters etc) we want to give an accurate description of the kind of music we play so the people and venue managers know what to expect. If you call yourself Rockabilly, but aren't (especially to purists who specifically search out bands that play Rockabilly) people are going to get cheesed off.

Mainly I just want to get an idea of what TBers think our genre should be so the band can have a bigger pool of opinions to draw from.

::::BASSIST:::: · #6 02-22-2007, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Doesn't it need slapped Double Bass to be Rockabilly...?

Purists would probably say so.

NKUSigEp · #7 02-22-2007, 10:36 AM

If you're predominantly a cover band, you don't have a genre. Your genre is whatever genre the music you cover is in.

Not that it's a bad thing, there's lots of money to be made doing that! Genre's are just one of the things that only a predominantly original band can claim. Otherwise the crowd dictates your tunes, and your tunes dictate what style you play.

shooter_mi · #8 02-22-2007, 10:47 AM

I'd say it could go either way, and how you dress is going to determine whether people think you're a rockabilly band.

Black T-shirts? Greased hair? Cigs in the sleave? That's rockabilly.

Trashy hats? Sleaveless flannel? belt buckles? You're cow punk.

Sometimes, and especially for cover band booking purposes, what you actually play doesn't matter much. Case in point, there's an awful lot of "country" bands out there right now that sound more like The Coug than Waylon.

Spoiled Grape · #9 02-22-2007, 10:48 AM

You play covers of 50's and early 60's country/rock songs.

::::BASSIST:::: · #10 02-22-2007, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

If you're predominantly a cover band, you don't have a genre. Your genre is whatever genre the music you cover is in.

Not that it's a bad thing, there's lots of money to be made doing that! Genre's are just one of the things that only a predominantly original band can claim. Otherwise the crowd dictates your tunes, and your tunes dictate what style you play.

Dont think I quite agree here. We are bringing a certain flavour of music to the people. Yes, they are covers, but the choice of the covers is very important re the bands "sound" and how the audience relates to them.

You could have many different types of cover bands....

-makeup metal covers
-country covers
-punk covers
-classic rock covers

So I believe the band decides what style of covers your going to play. Now, if your playing metal covers in a decidedly country bar or vice-versa, the band isnt going to go over very well at that venue, IMVHO and all that.

Vandelay · #11 02-22-2007, 11:02 AM

I've heard this style called "roots rock" before. Maybe that's as good a description as any.

Passinwind · #12 02-22-2007, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANBASS

So what the heck are we?

What would you say our genre is?

You said it perfectly yourself: a combination of 50s rock, blues and edgy country.

Kenny Allyn · #13 02-22-2007, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vandelay

I've heard this style called "roots rock" before. Maybe that's as good a description as any.

That description works for me ... You could take that act to Beale St here in Memphis and get work I would think.

... Not all that different than what we do ... we are blues and R&B based with some blues based rock thrown in.

::::BASSIST:::: · #14 02-22-2007, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoiled Grape

You play covers of 50's and early 60's country/rock songs.

That could be it. Bit of a mouthful though, eh?

::::BASSIST:::: · #15 02-22-2007, 11:14 AM

Roots Rock. That's good.

NKUSigEp · #16 02-22-2007, 11:16 AM

I see your point...but when people ask what genre are YOU? If you can only answer "well we cover this genre/band or that genre/band" or even to more suit your needs, "we're a rock cover band or a country cover band or a pop cover band", it's still not YOUR genre. It's the genre of the music you cover.

Spoiled Grape · #17 02-22-2007, 11:39 AM

Roots rock seems good, although it can get easily confused. For example, in the reggae genre, there is a sub-genre called "roots reggae," which in turn is sometimes shortened to just "roots." A lot of groups are calling themselves "Roots Rock" when they combine the oldschool roots reggae sound with some rock stuff. re: not sublime.

Anyways, that's neither here nor there. What I meant to point out, was not only will a "genre" help, but extra literature/illustration always helps even more.

For instance, on a business card:

DICK CA$H - roots rock.
Early 50's and 60's country rock with BALLS!

Now everyone has the roots rock catchphrase, but they identify it by the second line. From now on, they'll think of roots rock, early 50's and 60's country rock with BALLs, and DICK CA$H in the same thought process.

Another example, and this one more aimed at your t-shirt idea question, is to put an illustration with your genre/catchphrase.

DICK CA$H - roots rock.
*Picture of a "rock and roll" cowboy type.*

They'll automatically identify you with the style of music you play.

Spoiled Grape · #18 02-22-2007, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

I see your point...but when people ask what genre are YOU? If you can only answer "well we cover this genre/band or that genre/band" or even to more suit your needs, "we're a rock cover band or a country cover band or a pop cover band", it's still not YOUR genre. It's the genre of the music you cover.

This argument seems extremely picky and full of lame semantics.

No offense intended, just, I think this isn't exactly the response the OP is going for.

invader3k · #19 02-22-2007, 11:51 AM

When I hear the term "roots rock", I immediately think of reggae. I don't even know why, but that's what springs to mind.

I'd say skimming over that list, I thought it looked like you guys are doing rockabilly covers. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

"a combination of 50s rock, blues and edgy country." Isn't that what rockabilly basically is, generally speaking?

Sometimes people are afraid of pigeon-holing themselves, but when you're doing covers, I don't really see any problem with that.

seanm · #20 02-22-2007, 12:11 PM

What audience are you going for? Young, old? For a younger audience, I would call it roots rock. For an older audience I would call it 50s rock or even oldies. The older audience is not going to know what "roots rock" means since to them it is just "rock". And oldies is probably the most correct term, but has a negative connotation. So I would stick with 50s rock.

I think you can very safely leave out the "blues" designation. There is no hard core blues in the set list. And you are definitely not rockabilly unless you really rock up all the songs. And if you are going to stray that far from rockabilly roots, you had better really really look the part!

So "a combination of 50s rock and country" would be good. Saying edgy country is fine too but probably just extra verbage.

When I say on TB that I play "country", we play most of your set list. We don't do the "newer" rockers like Bruce Springsteen. You just lean more towards rock, and we lean more towards country. i.e. We would have more country per set. And when I say we play a lot of your set list, I don't mean every gig. Our "set list" is over 1,000 songs.