ShutDownTown: Press

This is translated from a Dutch website.

Shutdown Town
Stored in: REVIEWS - John @ 00:00 Gjaltema

After review Vic Chesnutt and Lucas Paine still a discussion of a CD in a brown / black case with a bird. This is also on any agreement. Shutdown Town revolves around Amanda Graves and Cari Smith , two women who sing like they will make mince pathetic male. Or maybe those guys just by flushing them to the title of the fantastic debut Flush ( house ) on target. These tough chicks from Edgewood , east of Dallas and were picked up by Mike McClure and Joe Hardy who helped with the creation of this CD. The Texan Shutdown Town is a double portion of Janis Joplin. And with a double portion of it really can be a double portion. For just as easily let them Sass Jordan corners of a honky tonk show. This is hard rock with lots of blues and country enough to include Lloyd Maines to please. When they call the influences everything from Dixie Chicks ( it seems not really ) to Motley Crue (less) and Heart (I think the ladies were running away for the Shutdown Town). Fuck , what a whopper bitches ! Available at CD Baby

Mesquite resident part of festival music lineup
By Kenny Green, kgreen@acnpapers.com

Saturday afternoon festival-goers were treated to music from ShutDownTown. The group is comprised of Mesquite resident Amanda Graves and Cari Smith. The duo met in high school in Edgewood and have been playing together since 2005.

“I sent an e-mail to Cari and asked if she wanted to play together,” Graves said. “We met for one practice and clicked.”

Graves and Smith consider their music to be “alternative country.”

“It is country based, but we added a little rock to it,” Graves said.

The duo competes in a category of music that is typically dominated by men.

“You don’t see a lot of females,” Smith said.

Graves and Smith write most of their own material.

The duo played in their third Real.Texas.Festival. this year and felt this was the best one yet. They were not at the event last year but played in the first two festivals.

“We love it. It’s great. The people treat you really good and make sure you are taken care of,” Graves said.

“This is the best one they have had,” Smith said.

The duo usually plays most of their gigs in bars that cater to Texas country. They list the Dixie Chicks, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Heart among some of the biggest influences on their music.

“We like to keep it upbeat and put on a good show,” Smith said.

The duo had some advice for anyone looking to start out in the music business.

“Develop a tough skin,” Smith said. “Be fearless. For every one person that loves you, five hate you.”

As far as a key to longevity, the duo said that you have to be passionate about the music.

“If you love what you are doing it makes it easy,” Graves said

This article is translated from German.

ShutDownTown - Flush [2009]
"We are two crazy bitches who play music and drink lots of beer. We laugh at anything stupid. We are loud." "We are two crazy bitches who play music and drink lots of beer. We laugh at anything stupid. We are loud." This is the short, sure quite realistic, pithy self-assessment of both whole blood rock'n roll grooves Amanda Graves (vocals) and Cari Smith (vocals, guitar) from Edgewood, Texas, open the ShutDownTown as the "Red Dirt" scene around Texas and Oklahoma to rough up properly. Their debut album, "Flush" is certainly a real genre-cracker "that demonstrates impressive that this as yet largely male-dominated music, now a refreshing injection brilliant, feminine power about it - and she is doing really well! ShutDownTown play a great, powerful, rough, predominantly of saturated electric guitar-dominated Texas' Red Dirt "-Rootsrock/-Americana, some with the typical country-rock touch, but also with references to blues, something like a robust, female edition of Cross Canadian Ragweed or fat rockin Mike McClure Band (for example, similar to their current "Onion"-phase sounds). The parallels are quite understandable, because no one less than Texas' Red Dirt "icon Mike McClure (produced, played lead guitar and various other instruments) and his ever-present buddy Joe Hardy (Enginieering, plays keyboards and other instruments dieversen) have the girls taken under her wing. McClure has just the right touch for a great musician. Come addition to the strong song material (two songs written by McClure, one from the likes of Georgia Klioris, the rest are original compositions by the two ladies) and the full rocking arrangements, the great potential of this wonderful "Mugge" in the great voices of the two , particularly that of Amanda Graves, which also took over most of the lead vocals. Wow, sings the powerful, dynamic, clear and yet so raw and earthy, almost meaty rock made for the Roots Rock. . The supplements are also very well with the spicy set, dominant electric guitars. Best example: the opener "Bury me"! A robust, rough, with great hooks and a wonderful melody-marked "Red Dirt" Roots Rock, Country Rock Kracher, who immediately the parallels with Cross Canadian Ragweed and the Mike McClure Band disclosed, but which by Amanda's gorgeous vocals quickly its very own identity develops. Fat, saturated guitars run through this number that want to compete with the seemingly ever-Amanda's body, leading to a, the song leads perfectly to face standing, mutual Hochpuschen. Radiates a lot of energy. Joe Hardy's class also enigmatic organ, which gives the sound even more wealth. And the chorus is simply a great ear! A hammer-number at the start! Flaky, even a little psychedelic, beautiful, retro and yet so contemporary, another very powerful claim, and fringed with great guitars, they come with the beautiful "6:00 am" followed by the crisp, very melodic country rocker "He is not coming back" which, like a sparkling mix of The Great Divide and the Mike McClure Band sounds. Smooth and clear meander beautifully staged steel guitar lines played by Guru Lloyd Maines-Texas, by this point. Lovely! Then a powerful, straight electrifying, by pumping "power-driven bass and Hammond organ fills with strong-marked, flawless Roots-/Texas-Bluesrocker. "Dark Skies" means the number that also thrilled with massive guitars, including a rich, full of Southern Rock-Esprit plug the solos, a great groove and a great melody. Nice relaxed, yet with a good amount of "dirt" enriched follows in the best Cross Canadian Ragweed -. Kyle Bennett Band - or Wade Bowen 's tradition of great Countryrpocker "Downhill", followed by the excellent, great Harmonies in the chorus with attendance, very melodic, crunchy, earthy of electric guitars and a beautiful Southern flair surrounded Roots-/Americana-Rocker Echo connects, who became the independent Raditostationen of Texas now become a huge hit. And so it goes without weaknesses continue to the end. Because of his brilliant energy is particularly noteworthy, perhaps, the hellish steam-producing rocker "Bad with you". No question, these two ladies give the "Red Drt" scene neatly rubber! And the consistency of their music leaves the impression that they aren't going to hide behind any so diminanten male competition. On the contrary, ShutDownTown hit heavy on the plaster! And that's right mood ...

This is a translation from German.

Until some time ago , the Red Dirt scene, as well as dominated solely by man's hand , wherein ascertaining numerical but fair manner must be that hardly any one artist or band here would be noticed by exaggerated machismo . Buster Jiggs were the first to be decided, on their second album, "Heartache Jubilee" her to date in the background and harmony vocals ( still ) quite distinctive -looking singer Kristin Muennink be positioned at the front, after her befitting singer Will Dodson fit for personal reasons had to.
Now enters the right stout Amanda Graves (Lead vocals) and Cari Smith (vocals , rhythm guitar), alias Shutdowntown has a duo this male domain, which holds considerable potential to make a splash in the genre. Not for nothing is a most prominent team has grabbed the two women under their wings. And although Mr. Red Dirt himself, Mike McClure (Formerly known as a musician The Great Divid, Meanwhile Mike McClure Band and often worked as a producer of fine feeling for many genre-specific bands) and Texas legend Joe Hardy (Inter alia
ZZ Top, Steve Earle, Jeff Healey, Georgia Satellites, 38 Special, Little Caesar, Laidlaw - to have his complete CV here would certainly go beyond the frame), which might affect this debut both musically (they play almost all instruments) about shooting let off steam.
The third musician (besides McClure, Hardy and the two protagonists) was only with 'Steel - icon ' Lloyd Maines (Father of Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines) To parade his instrument a more integrated luminary in his field , who could make with his irresistible play on several tracks for the Country Note in the otherwise quite rock rest repertoire.
Impressive in this consistently strong, ten songs (seven of them by Graves and Smith created , two of McClure) comprehensive work is definitely the vocal performance by Amanda Graves. The presents, in spite of all the concentrated musical expertise and experience around them, absolutely confident, and white with their powerful, very clear, subtly snotty and with a Southern twang (similar to that of Sugar Lands Jennifer Nettles) Finished convincing voice in all areas of tempo completely. Stark that girl!
That pass the nearly forty minutes of play as the Wings, is in addition to the instrumental and vocal brilliance, especially on the structure varied and entertaining arrangement of the pieces. The (southern) bluesrockige opener "Bury Me" (the wonderfully rich electric guitar by McClure, to be empathetic , Marshall Tucker-Inspired solo, organ fat) makes powerful steam, the next, subtly and slightly rootsy psychedelic "6:00 a.m." in contrast, seems almost an introvert and is in the 'Crying in my beer' fashion brought Audibles Country "He Is not Coming Back" (this wonderfully fitting, plus solo by wailing Steel game Maines and an atmospheric Grand Piano by Hardy) replaced . A quite different, but skillful trio song right at the beginning.
Then there is a ring of four tracks, which absolutely thrilled me: the bluesy groove "Dark Skies " really difficult going into the joints and marrow , this is a terrific mix of electric and slide guitar and Skynyrdmoderate - equipped Solo, the beautifully melodic "Downhill" with this irresistible ringing mandolin as a background (such as Fleetwood Mac Goes Red Dirt) produces continuous goose bumps, the cheeky "Echo" offers flaky New Country (in Sugar Land Style - almost one wonders what would happen if ShutDownTown their marketing machine behind them would ... ) and the fuzzy happy, cabriotaugliche "Get Out " in which McClure delivers in two and a half minute song length without Frickelei behave bad to the point brought electric guitar work of the class. I was previously unaware as well of the six strings and delicate process.
Two right again countrylastige , under strong Maines Impact - related songs, "5 Card Draw" ( ballad , atmospheric) and "Goodbye To Me" (a little pop, again Sugar Land remembering), frame the bold, raw, southern- rock of McClure composed " Bad With You" (almost punk rumbling drums, buzzing slide solo), one between itself and form a befitting, the high level of rest following songs in no degree. Conclusion: ShutDownTown have with, Mike McClure and Joe Hardy a clear -produced debut "Flush" an almost sensational delivered to significant cost. Fulminant Texas Girl Power in the Red Dirt scene - wow - welcome!

One of the best records I've worked on in a long time.