Review: Sam and the Big Boys - "Fool's Gold" single



I’ve been following these guys since before they even fully formed this group. I’ve performed with three of them in a couple of other longtime and one-off projects and they’re seriously among the best musicians the northeast Alabama region has to offer. In preparation for the release of their first full length “You Can Call Me Anything You Want” they’ve given us a taste of what’s ahead with “Fool’s Gold”. The single features lead vocals from guitarist Kody Martinez that really nail the 70’s rock sound the band regularly reinvents with a small hint of the folk rock that was big in that same era. He is, of course, backed by the rest of the band with noteworthy harmonies. The dueling guitar work from Kody and Zane Probus is always a highlight of seeing the band live, but it really comes to a front during the jam driven solo section of this single. On the bass, Sam Summerhill delivers a driving, but not too busy, bass line that catapults the song to something of a “summer anthem”, Similarly, drummer Myles Probus, who I’ve likened to a mix of Ringo Starr and Keith Moon, serves as the backbone of the track often adding the flavor he’s always been known for. If you’ve never heard these guys, start with last year’s “Sound of the Year” EP then check out this single and their upcoming LP.


- Jesse Norris (Phantom Eye)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nathan Baugh 1/15/83 - 12/24/15

Image
    Earlier this year, Guntersville, AL band The Devil's Got A Hold On Me played a show at the Glass Onion in Gadsden. I'd seen them play several times and was excited to see them tear up my local vinyl fix. Though the crowd was minimal (welcome to Gadsden!), the trio gave us their all. At least the cool people showed up. Per usual, Keith's guitar was loud and nasty and dirty and effortless. Brad killed on drums, pounding the beat with a sufficient prowess and an excess of violence. I've never heard anyone ask, "Where's the bass guitar?". The duo was, as always, tight and unhinged at the same time. And then there was Nathan...       Nate yelled into the microphone. He was always angry, hurt, determined. He mostly sang looking down. Or maybe inward. I never once saw the man sing to an audience. Never. He refused to face us beyond a passing glimpse. We were a corner into which he had backed. In reality, he was a nice guy who loved his family and frien...
Read more

Chris Lee 6/29/80 - 7/23/16

Image
    Chris Lee has passed away. Unless you knew him, I don't know if I can stress just how significant he was. If you did know him, you're heartbroken like me and you don't need anyone to tell you. But I have to write this.     Chris was the most recent singer of the long-running Huntsville Alabama metal band Envain and even before that had done his share of kicking ass with other bands for years. He was a thoughtful, intelligent man who threw all boundaries away the second he took the stage or barroom floor. He embodied the D.I.Y. punk rock aesthetic. He would sport patches and even tattoos of his favorite local bands. He loved them. When the singer of The Devil's Got A Hold On Me, Nate Baugh, passed away, and the band made the hard decision to turn an already-booked show into a tribute, Chris didn't hesitate to step up and sing. He made no attempt to copy his fallen friend, he just did everything he could to entertain. Blood, sweat, and tears literally followe...
Read more

Review(s): TOWU - Hometown

Image
[Editor's Note: I wrote two reviews for one album (this time on purpose!). The first is my REAL review. The second is a "funny" one I wrote to show members of the band as a goof.] TOWU - Hometown R.I.P., TOWU (That's short for "Rest In Peace, The Old World Underground). Gadsden's own indie-proto-post-punky band of miscreants are calling it quits, or more like moving on to other racket(s). But first they have some last minute business to attend to, that being Hometown. And what a way to wrap it up! The record opens with "Broad", with its deceptive as hell intro. Jesse Norris is frantic and rambling and probably the most confident in his voice I've ever heard. I've previously complimented their use of saxophone. It doesn't just honk in Faux-No-Wave and it doesn't cheese up everything. Dude's a proper artist. The music is scatterbrained (in a good way). Jumping from style to style a million times in a tune is a trap that...
Read more