Yello

I don’t even have anything in particular I want to talk about, just decided to update. I really do long for the time to write; maybe I would write everyday like good writers say you should. I long for time to do lots of things, a vacation, to clean out my closet, plant some grass, beat a couple of video games, finish reading several books I started, oh, and see some people I haven’t seen in forever, that would be nice.

I do find the time for things I deem important though, come to think of it. I got my taxes done, important because of the IRS; I managed to make it to the Dr. Dog show, important because I like Dr. Dog and we played with them back in the day; I don’t have many weeds growing in my Animal Farm town, important because it’s an addiction that doesn’t harm me; I let the real dog (canine) out at lunch, important so she doesn’t pee on the floor and so she is well taken care of; lots of things I guess.

We don’t have many shows coming up, so maybe I can get around to all of these things I speak of. The shows approaching are 4/2, 4/3, 4/4. The first one is at our stomping grounds, the Visulite in Charlotte. Best buds the Whigs headline, and former Charlotteans, The Hymns open. We’re sandwiched in between (ba-doom-tat). The Friday show is up I85 a piece to Elon, and a new/old venue The Lighthouse. It’ll be our first time playing at Elon believe it or not. Finally, Saturday we meet back up with the Whigs at their stomping grounds, the 40 Watt in Athens. We LOVE that venue and I’m sure it will be one hell of a night. We start the evening off, Dark Meat follows, Whigs headline…

…besides that, just a couple of benefits, one in Charlotte, and one in Atlanta. In ATL our buddy Josh Rifkind (also Whigs MGR) is going through the painstaking task of another 500 Songs for Kids. Our song is a secret, but please come support this event any night you can, Smith’s Olde Bar. The whole thing lasts a little over a week and the money goes to a great cause. In Charlotte we’re playing the annual Fool’s Brigade for the first time. This show will benefit Jacob’s Ladder and includes every musician I know in Charlotte! Bruce Hazel is putting it on again this year, and we appreciate him involving us. Rolling Stones covers all night, and I’ve seen the list, no moss will be gathered. The songs are secrets for this one too, but name 5 songs you would want to hear and I bet at least 4 are played. Show at the Neighborhood Theater.

Cool update, our colleague Billy Bennett is working with MGMT on their new album. Billy helped us record our last one and is a true talent. I know they will knock it out of the park!

I haven’t had a music update in a while, and I plan to do that shortly. I have gotten lots of new stuff, and for a change, some of it is freaking really good. Check out A Place to Bury Strangers; NYC band, about to be touring Europe with friends, and Athenians, Dead Confederate. For fans of BRMC, Joy Division, Jesus & Mary Chain, etc.

Big City Life

A great man once said, “To be continued,” and that brings me to our upcoming trip back to NYC. But first, we must go back to October 22nd, when a van (we took a van last time, truck and trailer this go round) slap full of sexy beasts emerged from the Appalachian Mountains in Williamsburg Brooklyn. We have done the CMJ thing before, several times, and honestly had no intentions of going back. SXSW is a damn hoot, but CMJ is a bit much; too many bands in one very small area, you can’t get around easily, it costs a small fortune unless you care to stay in Newark, the shows don’t pay well, if at all, been there, done that. Well, Brooklyn Vegan got in touch with us through our PR people, and asked if we would come play their showcase for CMJ at Music Hall of Williamsburg. A. Brooklyn Vegan is a great blog and they have a taste in music more akin to our own, B. Music Hall of Williamsburg is a fantastic venue and that whole conglomerate of clubs treats bands well, C. It’s not in Manhattan , so it’s not quite the mess other places are, and D. The other bands on the bill were “buzzworthy.”

When we showed up for sound check, which we never got (big bill, no ones fault really, and we were the least in need due to setup), it was obvious that the Sammies would be the odd men out on the bill. The first guy we met was Thor, the drummer/percussionist/clarinet/etc guy from Shearwater, that night’s secret guest. 

He couldn’t have been nicer and when we mentioned that they were the “secret” band he said, “Well, I’ve known about it for weeks.” Anyway, I was tempted to run get us all scarves or something, so we didn’t stick out, but I figured our accents would give us away before long, what’s the use. Besides the fact we looked different, I soon found out rock and roll was music of yesteryear to folks in Williamsburg. The first band, Emmy the Great, was female fronted, acoustic for the most part, and had a song about abortion. I mention that b/c we were next.

We only had 30 minutes, never played The Music Hall before, so, that left us no choice but to play a strict, balls-to-the-wall, rock and roll, in the face set. Plus, if we were going to stand out, we really wanted to stand out! Success:



The Sammies came up next and they were the most WTF choice on the bill (at least that's what I gathered from the look people gave me whenever I brought them up). To quote Bill (who hasn't listened to their new album) (like I have many times), "they were fun and unpretentious and offered a constant stream of photo-ops". Brooklyn Vegan

- Thanks BV for having us and rocking out the album!

“…even at their best moments they were just a warmed over homage to Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and generic Southern rock (see the song "Treat Her Like a Queen" on their MySpace). Idolator

- Although phrased as a “stone-cold bust” I really appreciate this review. Please compare us to those bands any day of the week.

The first band I caught was The Sammies, a down home rock ‘n’ roll party band that reminded me of swilling beer at bonfire parties. The guys were talented, too. And with lyrics referencing taking your clothes off and running in the rain, how could they not be fun to listen to? The band is from North Carolina and made mention of it more than once. “In case you weren’t aware we’re the rock portion of the night,” said the lead singer and guitarist. Indeed. NYCPress

- Indeed!

I've written about Emmy already, so straight to the North Carolina's The Sammies who were odd men out on the bill. They reminded me a lot of stuff I used to play when I was a college radio DJ, the many bands who formed in R.E.M.'s wake. (In fact, their new album was recorded at Mitch Easter's studio, he the man who produced Murmer and Reckoning.) The Sammies don't aspire to be anything more than fun, riff-heavy rock n' roll and in that they succeed. An image makeover could help their rep a bit but it might also make them seem like phonies. I say stay just the way you are. Soundbites

- Would you drink fake beer; then why listen to fake rock and rollers?

The next band began to set up, and I spotted cowboy boots and a guitarist noodling a blues riff during the quick soundcheck. This could be good or bad. The Sammies are from Charlotte, North Carolina, with their drummer explaining, "That’s why I sound like this" (referring to his Southern twang). Some middle-aged men waved wildly to my left and I realized that this band of boys had some dads in the house. Aww. The Sammies launched into a set reminiscent of The Black Lips’ chaos and The Drive-By Truckers’ exuberance, and I’m not surprised when I find these two bands on their MySpace Top 8 later that evening. The bassist owned this band, driving them along at a boot-stomping clip, and the drummer screamed to his heart’s content when he managed to get near his mic. The Sammies urged the crowd to "do a social," and they obliged, but the house largely did the standing-still for the set. Too jaded on rock ‘n’ roll bravado? It’s possible. The Sammies aren’t exactly doing anything new, but for a pack of guys who look like they should still be in a basement somewhere, their chops are disproportionately polished. Sandwich, their second album, is out now on Morisen Records. Tinymixtapes

- True, Gastonia would put their asses to shame, but they paid $15 to stand still so be it.

Favorite set was by the band from North Cakalacki, The Sammies. This band has some really catchy rock tunes and a live set that one just has to see. A few of my pics are below and the rest are on my flickr. Freshbread

- And I fucking love good, freshly baked bread!

Next up was The Sammies, a rock band from North Carolina that reminded us a lot of the Strokes circa 2001 –unpretentious and fun. Except with Southern accents and facial hair. Despite their occasional tendencies to veer toward country jam-band territory, they probably

would have been way buzzworthy half a decade ago. Sothisiswhatthevolumeknobisfor

- Strokes? I still don’t get that reference. Someone please help me out.

We did arrive in time to see The Sammies begin playing. They seemed set on letting everyone that they were a rock band by saying things like “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re the rock band on tonight’s lineup.” Enlightening, truly. Subterranean blog

- I guess we stated the obvious that night.

(Apologies to the Sammies, who played in between Emmy the Great and Shearwater. I missed their set due to a severe wave of jet lag, thanks to coming back from Iceland Airwaves a little over 24 hours previous.) pitchfork

- No worries, we’ll play many more shows. We appreciate the honesty and the past reviews. Getting around NYC is a bitch even when 100’s of bands aren’t playing all over the damn place.



OK, so that was just a taste of the blogs I found with a quick Google search. So crazy! You play one “tastemaker” show and viola. But, I must say, if you live in Williamsburg Brooklyn you either play in a band, write a blog, or are a Hassidic Jew; and possibly a combination of them all.



Alright, continuing on with the night’s billing. After our brief set Shearwater took the stage. I think they are really talented, and so do many others, just look at the “best of” lists, but after our set it was a bit of a sleepy transition. So spot on though, minus the fact you could hear a pin drop, and did a couple of times, if you like chiller music I highly suggest them, check out "rooks."

Batting next was another “best of” band, Ponytail. Don Yale said they were very entertaining to watch, female fronted, and she screams kind of the whole time, but still fun to watch. I downloaded their hit, "Celebrate the Body Electric," and it sounds good, is somewhat catchy, but at 7 minutes, doesn’t make the iPod cut, because when you shuffle you don’t want to run across that. They should remix to 3 minutes and it would be a damn awesome song!

Fighting out of the blue corner (aka next) was Passion Pit. This is one of the bands I could get down on. Their hit, "Sleepyhead," is a great electronic song. Supposedly penned as a Valentine’s Day gift for the front guy’s girlfriend, the EP fell into others hands and then became desired. I would go see them again.

First runner up happened to be who I was most excited to see, Jens Lekman, but billed as, the Singing DJ Jens Lekman.

Read the bigger blogs, he sucked!  He has a great, very interesting sounding LP, but when your highlight is spinning Mariah Carey you're jacked up as hell!  Maybe he's bored with himself already, such an artist in some respects, then where's the next album?  Wait, that was not cool, I used to be a closet musician, and it may have been the best creative times of my life, but music is to be shared...Jens will come through, and it may be some of the best music you never hear.

Finally, last but not least, The Phenomenal Handclap Band. Fronted by two NYC DJ’s, and accompanied by a host of other area musician’s from, but not limited to, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Calla, TV on the Radio, Mooney Suzuki, and others.  I feel bad for sound guys sometimes, especially with such an ambitious bill, but kudos to them for reeling it all in.

It was a long night, and a long drive back to Charlotte, but where are you going to park a van full of equipment, safely, in the city? Exactly, that’s why we always head back, or to the next show.

Brooklyn Vegan was beyond fucking awesome for having us, and everyone we saw and met there couldn’t have been nicer. Thanks again! Funny enough, I’m listening to Brooklyn Vegan’s show on SIRIXMU channel 43; XM/Sirius Radio merged and now the stations are all listed different. This blog is posted late b/c I wanted to include some cool links and pics, then the holidays hit, so here we are, crap, or do I mean carp! Hope to have another post soon!

Be excellent to each other!

East Coast Playas~

When we last spoke I had just undone my pants, shirt was already off (I never wear shirts), and what seemed to be a long night ahead...shit, wait, that's my other blog-------

The grass is tall, leaves all over the damn yard, the house is a mess, so that can only mean one thing, no, my yard help didn't quit, the Sammies have been from Florida to NYC playing shows. We played Atlanta and Birmingham twice, once in the same night, I had a birthday, Freedom had a birthday, saw lots of good shows, heard lots of good bands, saw lots of nasty bathrooms; it was a trip.

We played Joe College Day at Duke University.



That's us with the headliner Swayze And Cisco Adler. Cisco's Dad was the heat though!



Lots of other good bands too, here's White Rabbits.



We actually played another show at Duke a couple of weeks ago (the timeline is out of order here, but so am I, daylight savings screwed me up), it was Freedom's birthday, so dual purpose party you know?



Freedom's sister made him a cake, pic of cake is somewhere, don't know where, but here is Freedom's lil sis.



Never have played Atlantis in ATL but the kind people at SE Performer invited us to rock their showcase,



...and although we had a show in Birmingham that same night, you gain an hour driving so we played at Star Bar in ATL, packed up, and high-tailed it to B-Ham for a late night at the Nick (the staples in the wall hold the place up, but we love it)!



Got there about midnight, loaded in, cranked it up, and watched the sun come up.

Time to gather some energy...



A few weeks later we went back out. Back to ATL to play at Vinyl with our news friends Hightide Blues. The opener was really good too and surprised us all.



We left ATL that night b/c we had to be in B-Ham at 7:00am to be on Good Day Alabama. We played on the roof and the morning was gorgeous.



The station sits on the tallest hill in Birmingham and gave you a great view of the city.



It kinda made me want to make out.



On we go! OK, we happened upon this band called Casper & the Cookies. We met them originally at the SE Performer showcase, but come to find out were playing with them in B-Ham. It was a great bill, Dressy Bessy, us, and Casper! I only have one pic of that show, and it is Casper, probably b/c we were all drunk by the time Dressy Bessy went on, but they were super nice, and the guitarist was in Apples in Stereo, who we dig. Elephant 6 stand strong!!!



Our next stop was to play with an old friend and his band Deadly Fists of Kung-Fu in Pensacola.



We take the worst pics, we went by lots of cool shit, like the dolphin sign pointing to the beaches of Pensacola. Sorry for the lack of pics, but we're getting better. If the Foo Fighters would hurry up and put us on the road with them we could hone our craft a little more, we just need practice. Or, write your new Congressman and tell him to give the Sammies a grant! We're honest, upstanding, young gentlemen:)

One Step Ahead of the Law:

"The Sammies blog sucks, they never update it."

No, we've just been doing other things.  To be hanging around our home turf for a hot minute we sure are busy.  So, I will shove lots of things in this episode.  Plus, I was looking for all of these cool pics we don't have, I apologize in advance. 

Thursday (8/21) we did the Epicenter after 5 show.  It is the first time we have ever played two hours straight (approaching Springsteen territory)!  It went by like that, and we had more songs believe it or not.  It shocks the hell out me how many people show up there to drink $5 Bud Light!  Must have been the kick ass band playing:)  The Epicenter is cool though, because, when you are with a group of people, and debating what to do, where to go, the Epicenter has something for everyone.  If Whisky River sucks, go to Suite, hungry, go to Black Fin, it's all right there.

Friday (8/22) we trekked it to Raleigh and hung out with the guys from WKNC.  We played Billy Mitchell acoustic, also a first, and just shot the shit.  DJ Stevo has always been a friend, and did a terrific rendition of the Mario theme before one of our shows about a year ago.  Then Saturday (8/23) we had a show at The Pour House in Raleigh.  Raleigh had their own downtown festival going on so it was crazy!  We appreciate everyone coming out, and also appreciate Mad Tea Party for playing with us. 



They were fun as hell, and kept the music going way into the night.  I had no idea Raleigh had that many people, much less that many who could get "tore out the damn frame."  That means drunk as hell in case you were wondering.  No kidding, we sound checked, some drunk guy had wandered in the bar, he watched all of sound check, digging the tunes it seemed, we got done, and he came up to me and asked "who is playing tonight?"  I said, "Well, we are, the Sammies," and he was floored.  How dare we send ourselves to sound check, where were our minions, why can't the instruments play themselves?    This guy was just one of thousands of snookered Ra-layians that day, who came out in full force to see…Puddle of Mudd?

Speaking of, we needed some stuff for the show, so we swung by Harry's Guitar shop in Raleigh.  I grabbed some really dumb stuff you hate buying; strings, a strap, Conrad got a new speaker cord, nothing fun at all.  When I approached the counter a guy sitting behind it asks," You playing tonight?"  I said, "Yes!," feeling pretty good that I was recognized in a decent environment, he said, "Puddle of Mudd right?"  What a damn let down:(  Not only am I now confused b/c I have no idea how I resemble any of those dudes, but do we look like a shitty, redneck band when we walk around town?  Do I need new threads?  Please send me some clothes to:

3006 Swan Quarter Dr. 
Charlotte, NC 28262

Shit, I haven't even mentioned our CD release party the other night!

That was awesome, and our hometown of Wadesboro really represented well.  Our former guitarist Murphy Upshaw and his new band Souldozer opened up, along with our former neighbors in college The Broken Strings.  Both bands started the night off on the right foot!  We were so pumped to be playing in Charlotte again, and to finally have our new CD available we could barely contain ourselves. 



We grew moustaches on the spot,

decorated quite well, and had piñata's hung for in between sets.  Little did everyone know, but should have thought, we stuffed those piñata's ourselves.  When the first one bust, people went diving all over the floor.  Sure, there was real money, a fair amount I might add, there were glow sticks, other knick-knacks, but there were also coupons for $1 off merch, coupons in the form of male playing cards; nude male playing cards.  A bit of shock fell over the crowd, that quickly turned to laughter.  You've gotta keep people on their feet, do the exact opposite of what you should do, it keeps it interesting.  The rest of the night went well, and we had a blast, and again, we really appreciate those who came out and grabbed a CD!  Next Charlotte show is Nov. 13th with The Spinto Band (see previous blog regarding Spinto!).

The Sammies made their yearly trip to Macon, GA on 9/6.  We went back to Dwayne and Berry's gravesite, which had been redone and made up quite nice.  The added fence will keep idiots from tearing up their resting place, but also is done so well it really adds to the experience.  It rains every time we go there, a little creepy, but also inspiring since we have taken so much from the Allmans.  If you haven't watched the DVD on Tom Dowd (producer, helped find the Brothers) you are missing out.  I wish Tom Dowd was still in his prime, b/c I'd love a chance to work with such a musical man.  Anyway, we had a good show at The Hummingbird and hope to be back sooner than later.  Thanks Vic and Adam.

Last Saturday, 9/13, we made the trip to the coast, and port city of Wilmington.  We have played the Soapbox ever since we were a baby band, and they have always been kind.  North Elementary opened, we appreciate those guys, and the night went well, dancing and all to boot!  We met some cool people we hadn't had the pleasure of meeting before, so we thank you all for coming out.  The foosball games got a little intense, and my skills have wavered a bit since college, but we pulled through.  Always nice to finish the night off with a Clearly Canadian, and the breeze off of the Cape Fear River…ahhhhhhh.

Davidson College, see your ass on Friday night, Stephan Curry is awesome!  Double duty Saturday; ATL and Atlantis you're up to bat first, then we pack up and head to Birmingham for the late night slot.  Sunday, the Panther's will kick the Viking's butt 23-10, and I will go 3-0 in fantasy football, due in part to former NC State QB Phillip Rivers.

Don't forget to grab our album on Sept 23rd!  Available for download at your favorite music download site, I like iTunes.  Email me (frank@the-sammies.com)
if you prefer the physical album.  Take care, and do something nice for yourself today, OK?

"Ville's"

It was the first show of many around the Southeast and we were pumped! Also, we hadn't played Knoxville in a while, although not yet SEC football season, it's still a great town. The show was sponsored by The Fun House 90.7, we had a nice little write up in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, things seemed in place; until one exit from the venue (Barley's). All of the sudden, our truck began to shake, it was ill, horns were honking, due to construction the interstate was down to one lane, we were going 20 mph, and struggling to do that. Finally we found a spot to get over somewhat safely and inspect the truck.



We all happen to be pretty handy around cars, but we couldn't find anything wrong! We called Barley's and Robbie and Rodney managed to come get the trailer and equipment, and save the day basically. We let things cool down, no longer did we have to pull the trailer, so we started the truck and tried to make it to our destination. Big Red made it, slowly, but surely! Here is proof by our gleefulness in the parking lot:



We had a great time and appreciate Barley's having us back and helping us through, we also appreciate The Leningrad's for opening up and being so hospitable. The truck was fixed by 11am, it was a knock sensor gone bad (Knoxville/knock sensor), so we were glad it was not a fatal injury.

We also played in another "ville" in the Appalachian area, Asheville. We love the Grey Eagle and were excited about being back. The food is great, good beer selection, sounds awesome, and it's in Asheville. Everyone there was nice as could be, and The Broomstars and The Steves started the night out on the right foot. So tired and with a benefit show for The Victory Junction Gang the next day we headed back down the mountain to eventually find our beds. Here are some sleepy pics:








Washington DC (Black Cat) and Charlotte (Visulite), see you next week!!!

We'll have new CD's at both shows!!!

Sandwich Party Aug. 9th!

The album is going full steam ahead, several reviews to mention:

Pitchfork

Three Imaginary Girls

Prefix

Side One/Track One:

As for today's ramble, it's all about the Sammies. I was pretty bummed out
when I didn't get a chance to see one of their supposedly incredible live
performances at SXSW, but hopefully with a new album ready to go they'll be
touring all over soon. Keep an eye out for the sure to be good Sandwich on
September 23 via MoRisen. Enjoy.

The Sammies - Glisten: If you caught my post on these guys the last time
around then I think you'll be happy to know that their sound is still raw,
full of energy and as catchy as can be. I mean, it's literally everything
you could want from a driving rock tune that's a perfect fit for car rides
and summer excursions. Fully expect this to be the kind of gem that you
instantly have a good time with.

I probably should have went with the live video of Falling Out so that you
can see why I wanted to catch them at SXSW so badly, but this one for Coming
Out Wild sounds so much better. Plus, I find it hilariously weird that the
performance was done on some show for Fox News.

Blurt:

N.C.’s The Sammies Fix a “Sandwich”

July 8, 2008

By Fred Mills

Whattaya get when you combine such dubiously-phrased monikers as Frank
Backgammon, Donnie Yale, Conrad Vacation and Bobby Freedom? Why, Charlotte’s
Sammies, of course! Sandwich, their sophomore effort, will drop Sept. 23 on
MoRisen, the same label that issued their well-received 2006 self-titled
debut.

Recorded in Kernersville, NC at Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium, it was produced
by Ben Holst (Drive-By Truckers), Billy Bennett (Drive-By Truckers, The
Whigs) and The Sammies. The label describes it as a “fusion of classic rock,
early punk and indie rock” featuring 13 new songs including “Golden Sun,”
“In the Basement,” “Treat Her Like a Queen,” and “Old Grey.” The band has
already lined up some pre-album release gigs in and around the South (dates
listed below) — their live shows are pure firestorms — and you can expect
the full-court push when the album hits stores.

Meanwhile, over at the band’s MySpace site you can check out some samples of
the new material, notably the Who-meets-Plimsouls anthemism of “Sleep In My
Clothes” and the glam-slam sonic KISS that is “Treat Her Like A Queen.”
Goddam, this is a good band. Way back when BLURT was still known as Harp, we
advised you thusly:

“North Carolina’s the Sammies are a quartet of self-proclaimed country boys
whose idea of roots music is more Echo and Iggy than Johnny and Willie. The
music is supercharged beer-and-babes rock, but the Sammies draw inspiration
from so much of the rock ’n’ roll canon they’re impossible to pin down.
Their party-perfect debut romps through double-time Ramones tempos, spiky
post-punk, Stooges ’tude, AC/DC power riffs, DEVO robot rock, Byrds jangle
and early Roxy Music textures.”

We still stand behind that description. Sam on!

Sammies Tour Dates:

Jul 25 2008 9:00P Barley’s Taproom
Knoxville, Tennessee

Aug 1 2008 9:00P Grey Eagle
Asheville, North Carolina

Aug 9 2008 9:00P Visulite Theater
Charlotte, North Carolina

Aug 23 2008 9:00P Raleigh Downtown Live | The Pour
House Raleigh, North Carolina

Sep 6 2008 9:00P The Hummingbird Macon,
Georgia

Sep 9 2008 9:00P The Pour House Music Hall
Raleigh, North Carolina

Sep 13 2008 9:00P The Soapbox Lounge Wilmington,
North Carolina

Sep 19 2008 9:00P Tasty World! Athens, Georgia

Sep 20 2008 9:00P The Nick Birmingham,
Alabama

Oct 17 2008 8:00P Duke - Campus Concert Series
Durham, North Carolina


Also, first chance to buy the album is August 9th @ The Visulite Theatre in Charlotte. The show will be full of little twists and turns so be preparred for much more than a great night of music. Former guitarist Murphy Upshaw will be opening with his new band Souldozer, and former Sammie neighbors, The Broken Strings will also open. Bringing it all back home!

Sandwich - Sophmore

Coming soon to a record store and town near you!!!

704-510-0676