Know Yer Band: High Sheriff Ricky Barnes & The Hoot Owls

Band: High Sheriff Ricky Barnes & The Hoot Owls

Members
Vocals/Guitar - Ricky Barnes
Guitar/Backing Vocals - Tony Fischer
Bass - Matt Newman/Jeff Passifume
Drums - John Sowder/Louis Tsamous
Steel Guitar/Banjo/Backing Vocals - Billy Hill

Releases
1988 - Lost Track Of Time album (Okra Records)
1990 - Bone Country album (Okra Records)
1991 - Ya Finally Said Something Good album (Okra Records)
1994 - Welcome To Hilltop USA (Okra Records)

New Additions: Hank McCoy & The Dead Ringers self-titled album (1992)

Stumbling upon Hank McCoy & The Dead Ringers during my research for the book gave me pause. Was this really alternative country, in the way that the Haynes Boys or Burn Barrel were alternative country? To my ears, though it might be interpreted slightly differently, there appeared to be nothing "alternative" about it. But then how does that factor into a book primarily about rock music and its various sub-genres? I'm not quite sure yet, I do know that members of a variety of bands, including Greenhorn, Great Plains, Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires, and more.

Know Yer Band: Hank McCoy And The Dead Ringers

Band: Hank McCoy And The Dead Ringers

Musicians
Vocals - Hank Mccoy
Guitar/Vocals - Matt Newman
Bass - Pete Cary, Randy Stockwell, Jeff Passifiume, Trent Arnold
Drums - James Castoe, Charles Lenprere "Prairie" Prince Jr., Jeff Peters
Backing Vocals - Kristi Leigh Jendry, Ricky Barnes, Artie Kelgar, Andy Milton, Chris Allwein, Dan Spurgeon
Additional Guitar/Strings - Brad Westall, M. D. Der Bing, Dave Schramm, Pete Remenyi, Edward Townsend Jr., Sandy Jones
Piano - Jim Maneri, Bob Hite

Releases
1992 - self-titled album (OKra Records)
1992 - Still Feeling Blue / Lately My Luck Has Been Changing album (OKra Records)
1994 - Mohawk Street album (OKra Records)

New Additions: Keepers seven inch single by Gibson Bros.

When I decided to dig into the Gibson Bros., I wanted to start at the beginning. That meant tracking down their first release, not only for the band, but for the Okra label as well - the 1986 seven inch Keepers. Appropriately, it sets up the sound of the band, that would stay consistent with the slightest augmentation in players and instrumentation - a lo-fi/garage interpretation of rockabilly and traditional country. This was, of course, wildly out place in the mid-80s alternative/indie rock world, which makes it all more the fascinating.

Know Yer Band: Gibson Bros

Band: Gibson Bros

Members
Vocal/Guitar/Banjo - Jeffrey Evans
Guitar/Vocals/Bass/Drums - Don "Chet" Howland
Guitar - Dan Dow
Drums - Ellen Hoover/Cristina Martinez/Rick Lilash
Guitar - Jon Spencer/Jack Taylor

Releases
1986 - Keepers 7" single (Okra Records)
1986 - Build A Raft album (Old Age)
1987 - Big Pine Boogie album (Okra Records)
1989 - Dedicated Fool album (Homestead Records)
1990 - Emulsified 7" single (Siltbreeze)
1990 - The Man Who Loved Couch Dancing album (Homestead Records)
1990 - Southbound 7" single (Glitterhouse Records)
1990 - Split album w/Workdogs, Punk Rock Truck Drivin' Son Of A Gun (Homestead Records)
1991 - Mean Mistreater 7" single (Homestead Records)
1991 - My Huckleberry Friend 7" single (Giant Claw)
1991 - White N*gger 7" single (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
1992 - Knock Down My Blues 7" single (In The Red Recordings)
1993 - Memphis Sol Today! album (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
1996 - Columbus Soul 85 album (In The Red Recordings)