Riley Etheridge Jr.
East Hampton, New York, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Riley Etheridge, Jr., is a smart fellow from South Carolina who moved to the big city armed with dreams and ambition to make good with his guitar and some fine thinking-man’s country songs. Recently signed to Rock Ridge Music, Etheridge shows off his ability to blend country, blues, and roots rock with clever lyrical interplay on his second release, Powder Keg. A collection of 10 new tracks is played by a road-tested rhythm section from Etheridge’s touring band who are joined to perfection by Nashville ace session players, including mandolinist/violinist Jonathan Yudkin (Rascal Flatts, Shelby Lynne), pedal/lap steel player Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis) and harmonica player Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson). Fiery slide guitar fuels the southern-fried title track, and Mickey Raphael’s harmonica rips on the Cajun boogie “She’s Ready Already,” while a Memphis-style horn section highlights the grooving “Look At The State We’re In. “
But nothing grabs your attention more than Etheridge’s clever word play and finesse with the language of love, lust, and loss. Who knew transgressions rhymed with possessions; and the way he fits those words into the country shuffle “Scene Of The Crime” would make Lyle Lovett and Texas proud. The clear sentiment delivered on the quiet love song “Nobody’s Hero” and the folk rocker “Travesty Of Love” show a songwriter with real intellect who makes you want to hit the repeat button again and again to catch what he said.
Riley Etheridge, Jr., is a rising star in Americana music and hopefully this “Powder Keg” will blast him a foothold on the scene.
- Innocent Words
Riley Etheridge, Jr., is a smart fellow from South Carolina who moved to the big city armed with dreams and ambition to make good with his guitar and some fine thinking-man’s country songs. Recently signed to Rock Ridge Music, Etheridge shows off his ability to blend country, blues, and roots rock with clever lyrical interplay on his second release, Powder Keg. A collection of 10 new tracks is played by a road-tested rhythm section from Etheridge’s touring band who are joined to perfection by Nashville ace session players, including mandolinist/violinist Jonathan Yudkin (Rascal Flatts, Shelby Lynne), pedal/lap steel player Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis) and harmonica player Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson). Fiery slide guitar fuels the southern-fried title track, and Mickey Raphael’s harmonica rips on the Cajun boogie “She’s Ready Already,” while a Memphis-style horn section highlights the grooving “Look At The State We’re In. “
But nothing grabs your attention more than Etheridge’s clever word play and finesse with the language of love, lust, and loss. Who knew transgressions rhymed with possessions; and the way he fits those words into the country shuffle “Scene Of The Crime” would make Lyle Lovett and Texas proud. The clear sentiment delivered on the quiet love song “Nobody’s Hero” and the folk rocker “Travesty Of Love” show a songwriter with real intellect who makes you want to hit the repeat button again and again to catch what he said.
Riley Etheridge, Jr., is a rising star in Americana music and hopefully this “Powder Keg” will blast him a foothold on the scene.
- Innocent Words
Riley Etheridge, Jr. may call New York City his home now, but his music sounds like he’s still living down South. A South Carolina native, Etheridge spent many years living - and playing music - in Louisiana, and listening to his sophomore effort, “Powder Keg,” it’s as if he has never left.
“Powder Keg” ignites with the fiery Southern-style, blues-rocking title track that opens the disc, and Etheridge keeps a Louisiana groove going on songs like the funky “Scene of the Crime,” the lively, Zydeco-flavored “She’s Ready Already” and the soulful rocker “Look At The State We’re In” (a heartfelt commentary on his beloved state where “levee come down and water rushes in.”). Etheridge’s musical journeys on this 10-song set also take listeners to Texas on his cover of Willis Alan Ramsey’s “Northeast Texas Women,” while the generational ode “54 Cadillac” (penned by Etheridge’s producer and longtime collaborator Wendell Tilley) reflects “a very real thing for men in the South not to share their feelings,” confides Etheridge. This idea of exploring the emotions that we keep right below the surface is one that Etheridge explores on “Powder Keg.” In the poignant, Zevon-esque “Nothing To Hide,” he examines how male bravado and vulnerability can affect relationships.
Throughout this disc, Etheridge also deftly blends together rock, country, blues, soul, and folk into a rich Americana sound - a term that he is quite comfortable associating with his music: “When I look on the Americana charts, I see John Mellencamp, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle…guys I like, whose musicianship and influence make them hard to pigeonhole.”
While his sound is rooted in the South, his songs arose after his move to New York City three years ago. “There’s so much creative energy in New York City,” states Etheridge, and that sparked a highly productive period of songwriting as well as prompting him to perform live again. One of his first gigs came about when a bartender saw him carrying a guitar on the street and asked him to sit in with him. He started doing small acoustic shows around the city. “I realized that I had a body of songs that I wanted to record and it just started to snowball,” he recalls.
“Things I Used To Know,” Etheridge’s solo debut after many years as a working musician, came out last year. He recorded it in New Orleans with some old musician buddies: guitarist Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers, Boz Scaggs), Baton Rouge-based bassist David Ellis, New Orleans jazz pianist Larry Seiberth, drummer Doug Belote (Sonny Landreth, Jerry Douglas) and producer/guitarist Tilley. Rube Ambler, writing on the website Atlanta’s A-List, compared Etheridge to Radney Foster, Billy Joe Shaver and Uncle Tupelo while proclaiming him “much better than most of the country music I’ve heard recently.”
The album got Etheridge back on the road, touring America, including a stop at Baton Rouge’s Varsity Theatre. Etheridge went to LSU in Baton Rouge and wound up getting a musical education playing in the popular local group, River City Good Time Band. A drummer since he was a kid, Etheridge switched over to guitar and keyboards in this band, which provided him with a strong roots music background.
While on the road, Etheridge also kept busy by writing songs. Almost every “Powder Keg” tune was written in the past year. The title track, for example, reflects his return to Louisiana after being away for many years. This touring influenced his approach to the new album too. “This record is more uptempo and groove-oriented than the first one,” he reveals. “I wrote songs thinking about how they would come out live versus just performing them on an acoustic guitar. It was a new way to approach writing.” On his first album, Etheridge says that he wouldn’t have thought about including a New Orleans-style second line groove like that on “Scene Of The Crime” or a four-piece horn section as heard on “Look At The State We’re In.”
Etheridge got to road-test every “Powder Keg” tune, and it’s easy to hear the collaborative, live rock ‘n’ roll vibe on the album. The band shifts smoothly between lively tunes like the foot-stomping “She’s Ready Already” and the Byrds-ian “Travesty of Love,” to the quieter tracks like “Pilgrim’s Dream” and “Nobody’s Hero.” Etheridge likens the disc’s flow to a live set, stating that, “I would be very comfortable playing the whole album start to finish as is.”
“Powder Keg” again features the “Things I Used To Know” core musicians – Tilley, Theriot, Ellis, Sieberth and Belote – who often accompany Etheridge on stage too. These are guys he has known for years, which brings a real sense of camaraderie and collaboration to the music. The disc also boasts newer friends, like mandolinist/violinist Jonathan Yudkin (Rascal Flatts, Shelby Lynne), pedal/lap steel player Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis) and harmonica player Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson) – all Nashville session aces who lent their expert touches to the songs.
Ma - No Depression
Riley Etheridge, Jr. may call New York City his home now, but his music sounds like he’s still living down South. A South Carolina native, Etheridge spent many years living - and playing music - in Louisiana, and listening to his sophomore effort, “Powder Keg,” it’s as if he has never left.
“Powder Keg” ignites with the fiery Southern-style, blues-rocking title track that opens the disc, and Etheridge keeps a Louisiana groove going on songs like the funky “Scene of the Crime,” the lively, Zydeco-flavored “She’s Ready Already” and the soulful rocker “Look At The State We’re In” (a heartfelt commentary on his beloved state where “levee come down and water rushes in.”). Etheridge’s musical journeys on this 10-song set also take listeners to Texas on his cover of Willis Alan Ramsey’s “Northeast Texas Women,” while the generational ode “54 Cadillac” (penned by Etheridge’s producer and longtime collaborator Wendell Tilley) reflects “a very real thing for men in the South not to share their feelings,” confides Etheridge. This idea of exploring the emotions that we keep right below the surface is one that Etheridge explores on “Powder Keg.” In the poignant, Zevon-esque “Nothing To Hide,” he examines how male bravado and vulnerability can affect relationships.
Throughout this disc, Etheridge also deftly blends together rock, country, blues, soul, and folk into a rich Americana sound - a term that he is quite comfortable associating with his music: “When I look on the Americana charts, I see John Mellencamp, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle…guys I like, whose musicianship and influence make them hard to pigeonhole.”
While his sound is rooted in the South, his songs arose after his move to New York City three years ago. “There’s so much creative energy in New York City,” states Etheridge, and that sparked a highly productive period of songwriting as well as prompting him to perform live again. One of his first gigs came about when a bartender saw him carrying a guitar on the street and asked him to sit in with him. He started doing small acoustic shows around the city. “I realized that I had a body of songs that I wanted to record and it just started to snowball,” he recalls.
“Things I Used To Know,” Etheridge’s solo debut after many years as a working musician, came out last year. He recorded it in New Orleans with some old musician buddies: guitarist Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers, Boz Scaggs), Baton Rouge-based bassist David Ellis, New Orleans jazz pianist Larry Seiberth, drummer Doug Belote (Sonny Landreth, Jerry Douglas) and producer/guitarist Tilley. Rube Ambler, writing on the website Atlanta’s A-List, compared Etheridge to Radney Foster, Billy Joe Shaver and Uncle Tupelo while proclaiming him “much better than most of the country music I’ve heard recently.”
The album got Etheridge back on the road, touring America, including a stop at Baton Rouge’s Varsity Theatre. Etheridge went to LSU in Baton Rouge and wound up getting a musical education playing in the popular local group, River City Good Time Band. A drummer since he was a kid, Etheridge switched over to guitar and keyboards in this band, which provided him with a strong roots music background.
While on the road, Etheridge also kept busy by writing songs. Almost every “Powder Keg” tune was written in the past year. The title track, for example, reflects his return to Louisiana after being away for many years. This touring influenced his approach to the new album too. “This record is more uptempo and groove-oriented than the first one,” he reveals. “I wrote songs thinking about how they would come out live versus just performing them on an acoustic guitar. It was a new way to approach writing.” On his first album, Etheridge says that he wouldn’t have thought about including a New Orleans-style second line groove like that on “Scene Of The Crime” or a four-piece horn section as heard on “Look At The State We’re In.”
Etheridge got to road-test every “Powder Keg” tune, and it’s easy to hear the collaborative, live rock ‘n’ roll vibe on the album. The band shifts smoothly between lively tunes like the foot-stomping “She’s Ready Already” and the Byrds-ian “Travesty of Love,” to the quieter tracks like “Pilgrim’s Dream” and “Nobody’s Hero.” Etheridge likens the disc’s flow to a live set, stating that, “I would be very comfortable playing the whole album start to finish as is.”
“Powder Keg” again features the “Things I Used To Know” core musicians – Tilley, Theriot, Ellis, Sieberth and Belote – who often accompany Etheridge on stage too. These are guys he has known for years, which brings a real sense of camaraderie and collaboration to the music. The disc also boasts newer friends, like mandolinist/violinist Jonathan Yudkin (Rascal Flatts, Shelby Lynne), pedal/lap steel player Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis) and harmonica player Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson) – all Nashville session aces who lent their expert touches to the songs.
Ma - No Depression
ALBUM REVIEW: “Powder Keg” by Riley Etheridge Jr.
March 07. 2011 | By Christopher Allen
Riley Etheridge Jr.
Powder Keg
[Rock Ridge Music]
I tend to get weird looks from people in my circle when I mention I dig country music. “It all sounds the same” they say. “I don’t care about some guy and his pickup truck” they whine. Well, next time I want to show someone how cool country can sound, I’ll spin up some Riley Etheridge Jr.’s latest, Powder Keg. Yes it’s country-esque, and even if you’re not a fan, I bet you’ll be into it.
This Southern Carolina native’s sound isn’t just straight country. No, Riley Etheridge Jr. exhibits more of a blues/country fusion that just plain grooves. Horns, slide guitar, harmonica, it’s all present for aural pleasure. The sound is twangy at times, but just when ready to flip to the next track, a killer harmonica or fiddle solo busts out to keep you intrigued.
Tracks like the title, “Powder Keg” or “Northeast Texas Women” will have you in a field with your buddies drinking PBR while you shoot at rocks with a BB gun (why yes I did grow up in the country, why do you ask?), whereas tracks like “Scene of the Crime” or “54 Cadillac” really play up the blues. Whatever you’re into, I implore you to give Riley Etheridge Jr.’s Powder Keg a listen. You’ll probably find something you like that you never knew you did.
- The Owl
ALBUM REVIEW: “Powder Keg” by Riley Etheridge Jr.
March 07. 2011 | By Christopher Allen
Riley Etheridge Jr.
Powder Keg
[Rock Ridge Music]
I tend to get weird looks from people in my circle when I mention I dig country music. “It all sounds the same” they say. “I don’t care about some guy and his pickup truck” they whine. Well, next time I want to show someone how cool country can sound, I’ll spin up some Riley Etheridge Jr.’s latest, Powder Keg. Yes it’s country-esque, and even if you’re not a fan, I bet you’ll be into it.
This Southern Carolina native’s sound isn’t just straight country. No, Riley Etheridge Jr. exhibits more of a blues/country fusion that just plain grooves. Horns, slide guitar, harmonica, it’s all present for aural pleasure. The sound is twangy at times, but just when ready to flip to the next track, a killer harmonica or fiddle solo busts out to keep you intrigued.
Tracks like the title, “Powder Keg” or “Northeast Texas Women” will have you in a field with your buddies drinking PBR while you shoot at rocks with a BB gun (why yes I did grow up in the country, why do you ask?), whereas tracks like “Scene of the Crime” or “54 Cadillac” really play up the blues. Whatever you’re into, I implore you to give Riley Etheridge Jr.’s Powder Keg a listen. You’ll probably find something you like that you never knew you did.
- The Owl
His easygoing grooves and relaxed voice make Riley Etheridge Jr. an exemplary Americana artist, but the South Carolina native is a musician who slips past the genre altogether. On this year’s full-length Powder Keg, Etheridge uses such first-rate sidemen as harmonica player Mickey Raphael to construct a genial but far from uncomplicated record that goes from country to pop and R&B. “Nobody’s Hero” is a gorgeous bit of country, while the title track updates Southern rock. Powder Keg is a worthy follow-up to Etheridge’s 2009 release Things I Used to Know, which sported the country-power-pop tune “He Said, She Said” and the unclassifiable “Brand New Neighbors” — a song about Etheridge’s move to New York City. “About 8 million people welcome me when I come home,” he sang in “Neighbors.” Etheridge is a genuinely charming artist whose skill equals his unerring sense of self.
— Edd Hurt
Menu - Nashville Scene
His easygoing grooves and relaxed voice make Riley Etheridge Jr. an exemplary Americana artist, but the South Carolina native is a musician who slips past the genre altogether. On this year’s full-length Powder Keg, Etheridge uses such first-rate sidemen as harmonica player Mickey Raphael to construct a genial but far from uncomplicated record that goes from country to pop and R&B. “Nobody’s Hero” is a gorgeous bit of country, while the title track updates Southern rock. Powder Keg is a worthy follow-up to Etheridge’s 2009 release Things I Used to Know, which sported the country-power-pop tune “He Said, She Said” and the unclassifiable “Brand New Neighbors” — a song about Etheridge’s move to New York City. “About 8 million people welcome me when I come home,” he sang in “Neighbors.” Etheridge is a genuinely charming artist whose skill equals his unerring sense of self.
— Edd Hurt
Menu - Nashville Scene
Discography
Full Length LPs:
Things I Used to Know (2009)
Powder Keg (2011)
The Arrogance of Youth (2012)
Singles:
"Powder Keg" reached #37 Roots Country Radio Chart
"Grace Will Wash My Sins Away" #10 AAA Internet Radio Chart
Photos
Bio
Riley Etheridge, Jr. may call New York City his home now, but his music sounds like hes still living down South. A South Carolina native, Etheridge spent many years living - and playing music - in Louisiana, and listening to his sophomore effort, Powder Keg, its as if he has never left.
Powder Keg ignites with the fiery Southern-style, blues-rocking title track that opens the disc, and Etheridge keeps a Louisiana groove going on songs like the funky Scene of the Crime, the lively, Zydeco-flavored Shes Ready Already and the soulful rocker Look At The State Were In (a heartfelt commentary on his beloved state where levee come down and water rushes in.). Etheridges musical journeys on this 10-song set also take listeners to Texas on his cover of Willis Alan Ramseys Northeast Texas Women, while the generational ode 54 Cadillac (penned by Etheridges producer and longtime collaborator Wendell Tilley) reflects a very real thing for men in the South not to share their feelings, confides Etheridge. This idea of exploring the emotions that we keep right below the surface is one that Etheridge explores on Powder Keg. In the poignant, Zevon-esque Nothing To Hide, he examines how male bravado and vulnerability can affect relationships.
Throughout this disc, Etheridge also deftly blends together rock, country, blues, soul, and folk into a rich Americana sound - a term that he is quite comfortable associating with his music: When I look on the Americana charts, I see John Mellencamp, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earleguys I like, whose musicianship and influence make them hard to pigeonhole.
While his sound is rooted in the South, his songs arose after his move to New York City three years ago. Theres so much creative energy in New York City, states Etheridge, and that sparked a highly productive period of songwriting as well as prompting him to perform live again. One of his first gigs came about when a bartender saw him carrying a guitar on the street and asked him to sit in with him. He started doing small acoustic shows around the city. I realized that I had a body of songs that I wanted to record and it just started to snowball, he recalls.
Things I Used To Know, Etheridges solo debut after many years as a working musician, came out last year. He recorded it in New Orleans with some old musician buddies: guitarist Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers, Boz Scaggs), Baton Rouge-based bassist David Ellis, New Orleans jazz pianist Larry Seiberth, drummer Doug Belote (Sonny Landreth, Jerry Douglas) and producer/guitarist Tilley. Rube Ambler, writing on the website Atlantas A-List, compared Etheridge to Radney Foster, Billy Joe Shaver and Uncle Tupelo while proclaiming him much better than most of the country music Ive heard recently.
The album got Etheridge back on the road, touring America, including a stop at Baton Rouges Varsity Theatre. Etheridge went to LSU in Baton Rouge and wound up getting a musical education playing in the popular local group, River City Good Time Band. A drummer since he was a kid, Etheridge switched over to guitar and keyboards in this band, which provided him with a strong roots music background.
While on the road, Etheridge also kept busy by writing songs. Almost every Powder Keg tune was written in the past year. The title track, for example, reflects his return to Louisiana after being away for many years. This touring influenced his approach to the new album too. This record is more uptempo and groove-oriented than the first one, he reveals. I wrote songs thinking about how they would come out live versus just performing them on an acoustic guitar. It was a new way to approach writing. On his first album, Etheridge says that he wouldnt have thought about including a New Orleans-style second line groove like that on Scene Of The Crime or a four-piece horn section as heard on Look At The State Were In.
Etheridge got to road-test every Powder Keg tune, and its easy to hear the collaborative, live rock n roll vibe on the album. The band shifts smoothly between lively tunes like the foot-stomping Shes Ready Already and the Byrds-ian Travesty of Love, to the quieter tracks like Pilgrims Dream and Nobodys Hero. Etheridge likens the discs flow to a live set, stating that, I would be very comfortable playing the whole album start to finish as is.
Powder Keg again features the Things I Used To Know core musicians Tilley, Theriot, Ellis, Sieberth and Belote who often accompany Etheridge on stage too. These are guys he has known for years, which brings a real sense of camaraderie and collaboration to the music. The disc also boasts newer friends, like mandolinist/violinist Jonathan Yudkin (Rascal Flatts, Shelby Lynne), pedal/lap steel player Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis) and harmonica player Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson) all Nashville session aces who lent their expert touches to th
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