The Train Wrecks/Whiskey & War

posted by Boxingrhythm in Alt-Country, Americana, Reviews, Up & Comers

 

The Train Wrecks' debut Whiskey & War is a tight collection of eight originals with three covers thrown in for good measure. Jason Bible's vocals are a rusty reminder of why we all love Uncle Tupelo, and you don't have to get too far into the album to see that The Train Wrecks are fans as well. If the cover of “No Depression” isn't telling enough, then listen to “She Was the One” or “Whiskey Ain't My Friend (No More).” Bible strums the acoustic, blows the harp and takes lead on ten of the eleven tracks. The one track written and sung by drummer Mark Kuhlman, entitled “Brand New Day,” could have easily been a leftover from the Old 97's album Fight Songs, as its a bit more pop than Bible's folksy-driven tracks. (Although Bible sounds more like Rhett Miller than Kuhlman.) Bassist Eric Dunn holds things down nicely and dobro player Stuart Harmening often steals the show with his tasteful licks scattered throughout the disc. The Wrecks, (can I call them that?) also put on a hell of a live show and are currently filming a DVD to prove just that. In the meantime, if you can't make it down around Savannah, Georgia to check them out, pick up this CD. Standout tracks include: “Whiskey Ain't My Friend (No More),” “She Was the One” and the cover of Bob Dylan's “Jet Pilot”

Savannah, Ga.’s own local-boys-done-good, The Train Wrecks offer up raucous and rollicking Americana that’s as equally indebted to the traditionalist legacies of A.P. Carter and Johnny Cash as it is to the forward-thinking rock & roll of Wilco and Lucero. Local reviewers have been “blown away” by the band’s live shows, and the Wrecks have been officially dubbed “The Hardest Gigging Band in Savannah”, a testament to the love and dedication they have for their music. They come out with an on time rhythm section that is a good as it gets, both acoustic and electric guitars, as well as dobro, banjo, and lapsteele.

The band completed the recording of their debut CD “Whiskey & War”, and released it in the fall of 2007. The reviews rolled in! The Connect dubbed the record “simply a revelation….the kind of simultaneously slick and raw record which Ryan Adams regularly cranks out to much critical acclaim”, while Murmur Magazine called it the “best record to come out of Savannah in years”. This CD was selected by TAXI and the editors of Billboard Magazine to participate in the Disc Makers’ Independent Music World Series Southeast in Atlanta, GA. Of the 2,000 bands/artists who submitted an entry, The Train Wrecks were selected as the best Americana band.  

In the time since the band’s inception they have gained rather than lost momentum. Over the summer they played an opening act for Outlaw Country Trubadore, Jerry Jeff Walker, at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for a sold out crowd of 2000. They were honored to be invited to Waycross, GA, to play at the Annual Gram Parson’s tribute concert and be a part of his lasting musical legacy. They have been touring regionally as well as continuing to expand their amount of original music.  The band is currently recording and fine tuning their new music to be featured on their next full length studio release. Through their touring and recording, The Train Wrecks are climbing to the top one hard hitting live show at a time. They were voted the Best Southern Rock/Country Band by the Connect Savannah in 2009.

The Train Wrecks are a band in the truest sense. All members are involved in the arranging of the songs, and each member plays multiple roles during their high-energy live shows.  The band is comprised of :Jason Bible (guitar, voice, harmonica) who is an award winning singer-songwriter hailing from Ft. Worth TX. , Carolina raised Markus Kuhlmann (drums, voice, guitar), Savannah native Eric Dunn (elec. Bass, upright bass, voice) and Stuart Harmening (dobro, banjo, guitar). All four bring their own unique perspective and talents to the table to create a singular musical vision, one that they hope to bring to as many people as possible as they continue to tour tirelessly and passionately.