Charlie Patton's War
Bloomington, Indiana, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
Music
Press
Both vocalists can sing their asses off, and the band’s old-school sound is as tight as the seal on an unopened beer can. All the lyrics have a depth not often seen among young songwriters. Hubler’s keyboard subtly bolsters each song without overpowering the drum/guitar sound so familiar to hill country blues enthusiasts. As is the case with many blues bands, all the members can play an array of instruments and will switch from song to song...
...Though Charlie Patton’s War’s overall sound is refreshingly reminiscent of the Black Keys and Jack White, it’s sound is all its own. - Delta Bohemian
Much too long ago, one of my favorite local bars, Solly's Tavern, hosted Charlie Patton's War for a little show in their upstairs bar. It was a Tuesday evening and I had found out about that show the day of, via twitter. I have tons and tons of bands come across my radar on twitter and it's almost impossible to check them all out. There was something about this band's tweet, the show being at a neighborhood bar of mine and their band name that struck me. I decided, at the very least, to listen to a song or two off of their bandcamp site.
While blues isn't my normal forte, I was almost immediately jamming to their music while cranking out my projects at work. I had nothing on my schedule for the evening, no need to work late that night and I wanted to see this band play. I hit up my friends on our facebook thread - "anyone want to check out this awesome blues band at Solly's tonight?" My friend Erin happily obliged.
We loved this band and had a great evening. I don't think you can go wrong with a $3 cover, blues music, PBRs and whiskey sours. Before the show, we had a brief conversation with their drummer and lead singer, Aaron Frazer and one of his friends who had come out to see them play. Erin and I learned that the band was from Bloomington, Indiana, still in college and their main goal was to get their name out there. I told them that I saw Solly's retweet the band earlier in the day and that I decided to come out after listening to their album on bandcamp. I think Aaron was excited that people, other than friends and family, had decided to attend. Erin mentioned this blog, I assured them it was small and silly, but also said I'd talk about the show. Any press is good press, right?
It was a weeknight, therefore, we stayed for only the first of two, hour-long sets. During this set, the band covered a wide variety of their debut album. The highlights Git Gone, Fatties, Say Ya Mine and Friscoe Ride were all played and the energy in the room was high throughout all of them. Solly's was loud and it was deceptively easy to get lost in the music. Is this what blues is all about? I think so.
In addition to their own songs, they played an exceptional cover of Alabama Shakes' Hold On. I was floored. With Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes essentially set a precedent for what modern day blues-style music should live up to. As much as I love the original version of Hold On, Charlie Patton's War did a fantastic job delivering a piece that exceeded that precedent. The same thought can apply to their cover of J.D. McPherson's North Side Gal, another personal highlight of mine that evening.
The ability for modern artists to find inspiration in and honor retro music is a trend I don't want to end any time soon. Charlie Patton's War joins the likes of Alabama Shakes, J.D. McPherson, Pickwick, Fitz & the Tantrums, Elin Ruth, Radiation City and others in proving that there's room to improve even in classic rock and pop.
Listen to Charlie Patton's War on bandcamp or Spotify. - District of Folk
"They look like a bunch of nice ex-AV nerds but they rock it down and out like it's goin' out of style. Bless this post-Black Keys punk/rock-infected-blues era! The kids are singin' like they went to sleep listening to Danny Auerbach records thru an old transistor radio hidden under their pillow. And that's ok. There is enough lost in that translation that Charlie Patton's War glows blue and bright in the hot hard baked Indiana night..." - DEEP BLUES / Rick Saunders
Discography
Basement Demos (2011), *Live at Russian Recording (2012), *Charlie Patton's War (2013), *WIUX Presents Live from the Black Box (2013), College Radio Day: The Album (Vol. 2) (2013)
*=streaming on bandcamp
Photos
Bio
A fresh, young band with an old-school sound, the four members of Charlie Pattons War attract heavy expectations by including a such an iconic bluesman in their band name. Dedicated to a modern blues-rock style, the foursome blends the raw styles of early rural blues music with rock and roll rhythm to create an original sound in such a defined genre. The bands energetic performances and ability to keep an audience dancing all night long has made it the premiere band to watch in the Midwest music scene.
Spending the first year developing their blues-rock sound, the band hit the local and regional concert scene hard in 2012. That year, the band opened for notable artists such as The Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band, Hanni El Khatib, and Mount Carmel, as well as headlining many local shows. They performed at the legendary Deep Blues Festival in 2012, joining a lineup that included many blues newcomers and veterans such as David Kimbrough, Jr., Ben Prestage, Left Lane Cruiser, and Brian Olive among others.
The band's self-titled, debut album Charlie Pattons War was released on April 25, 2013, which was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band members themselves. The album includes eleven tracks of varying blues styles from rock n roll to gospel and impressively captures the talent and musicianship of the band.
These days the band is committed to playing every stage possible and has seen Charlie Patton's War perform at the WIUX Culture Shock Music Festival, Linton Music Festival, Nutella Fest and take to the road sharing the stage with bands including Dan Deacon, Maps & Atlases, A Lion Named Roar, Shivering Timbers, Blessed Feathers, The Bears of Blue River, The Broderick, and Fluffer.
Band Members
Links
