“Singer/songwriter/guitarist Richie Tipton is something of a mad genius. "Romiet loved Julio / Her hair half teased with room to grow / she won't drink but I will too / to be highly over you," he sings on his new album, recently recorded at Echo Mountain. Tipton has been the tour de force behind some of Asheville's great rock bands over the last couple decades (Praying for Rain, Rail). His new band, The First Kings, continues the tradition of well-crafted country-tinged rock with coiled energy and catchy hooks. The band plays a CD release party at Lexington Avenue Brewery on Thursday, May 6. 9 p.m. $5. You Dirty Rats and Matthew Knights Williams also perform. lexavebrew.com. ”

“Richie is a genius. He almost single handedly set the standard for our now thriving Asheville NC music scene. Most everybody knows this, very few will openly admit this”

“Tipton is the star of the album. His voice is Jim Messina meets Axl Rose, but in a good way. He takes a soft-sung hymn with a country croon and mixes it with his own careless, raspy ring. It gives a Tom-Petty-with-balls edge to the distorted guitar riffs and adds flavor to the classic rock homage. ”

“RICHIE TIPTON AND THE FIRST KINGS: A CLASSIC FOR THE PROUD FEW I just received Richie’s latest album in the mail. Although I’ve heard quite a few of these songs before, I have yet to experience the work as a whole. As I give it a good hard listening to, I’m going to write my thoughts on a song by song basis. Here we go … TIRED OF THEM ~ "Such a bore, they start a war" This is the Richie I know and love. Meet this guy and you'll figure it out quick -- he's all about politics and country. Frustration runs wild in this short, yet anthemic ditty most likely written directly to a former president not even worth mentioning. Lyrical tension builds with a driving bass and a melodically catchy one liner -- "I ain't kiddin." By the end of the song, I feel like I know every word, although I've only heard it a couple of times. This is how such a direct message should be conveyed, and I'm glad to say, success has been met.”

“Tipton has written himself a memoir on things you’re not supposed to discuss at the dinner table and hidden it inside a cheeky rock album. Hearing southern rock lyrics mock religion is admittedly a cognitive dissonance on first listen. Tipton is solid proof that the genre has come a long way since Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” If Tipton’s viewpoints are too liberal, the album’s foundations in rock are enough to absolve him of his sins. The album covers the gamut of rock-song iterations with the expected assortment of picks, strums and slides. Tipton hasn’t broken new ground or defied genres with his debut, but it’s clear that wasn’t his intention. RTFK have paid their respects to the rock gods with a roaring ode to freedom.”

“RICHIE TIPTON AND THE FIRST KINGS: A CLASSIC FOR THE PROUD FEW HIGHLY OVER YOU ~ "Romiet loved Julio" No overlong artsy bullshit introduction to what lies ahead, just a good old fashioned country-laced rock n roll band. And then, it hits you like a bag of bricks. Like that of a preacher, prophet, or president (the good ones anyway), Tipton's voice is the type that takes total control over the listener. His inflection cuts through the music, into the heart -- and when this man speaks, it's hard not to listen. So what does such a powerful force convey to the listener in the album opening line? "I smoke pot, it'll make me high." Perfect. Instead of immediately jumping into the political tension that is sure to come (if you know Richie, you know what I'm talking about), you are introduced to the man -- with a favorite pastime and his heart on his sleeve”