New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The
Black Lillies' new album Hard to Please (Attack Monkey/Thirty Tigers) has been racking up the accolades since its October release. Rolling Stone Country hailed it as "country music with a soul-rock infusion, supported by smart songwriting and tight musicianship" while American Songwriter praised the "soulful mix of upbeat Americana and tender ballads that makes the album a rejuvenating fourth release." PopMatters declared that the Knoxville group created "an authentic sound that's guided by their best instincts," and called the CD their "most confident set yet."
Given the raves, it is hard to believe that the album was born from adversity. As the
Black Lillies were gearing up to record at Nashville's historic House of Blues Studio D with their first outside producer, Grammy Award-winner Ryan Hewitt (Avett Brothers, Johnny Cash, The Red Hot
Chili Peppers), they encountered some bumps in the road. The group realized they were short on songs that were ready to record; then they became short on musicians after two band members suddenly quit.
Instead of taking the easy way out and calling the whole thing off, the remaining
Black Lillies — frontman Cruz Contreras, guitarist/vocalist Trisha Gene Brady and drummer Bowman Townsend demonstrated the same resilient determination that made them such a grassroots success. Armed with some freshly written Contreras tunes, they entered the studio with the help of talented guests: bassist Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses), pedal steel player Matt Smith (Amy Ray, Shannon Whitworth, The Honeycutters) and the young Nashville guitar whiz
Daniel Donato.
Hard to Please stands as the
Black Lillies' most varied set of music. The ten-song set opens with the title track's unexpected twangy funk and rolls on with the fierce country rocker "That's the Way It Goes Down," the Southern-style soul Contreras/Brady duet "
Mercy" and the horn-fueled "The First Time," on which Brady handles lead vocals. The disc deftly balances introspective numbers like "
Desire" and "Bound to Roam" with the boot-scootin' country tune "
Dancin'" and the rockin' on-the-road rave-up "40 Days." The
Black Lillies' musical breadth is best captured in "Broken Shore." This entrancing song ebbs and flows as a wild fiddle and psychedelic-like guitar lines lead listeners on a harrowing journey inspired by Contreras' grandfather fighting in the
Battle of Iwo Jima.
The
Black Lillies' eclecticism won't surprise anyone who has had the pleasure of experiencing them in concert. The band's set lists frequently contain a couple of covers, from American roots tunes like the Delmore Brothers' "Blues Stay Away From Me" and
Blind Willie Johnson's "Nobody's Fault But Mine" to classic rock's "Time of the Season" and "
For What It's Worth" and left field choices such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Love Train," and
David Bowie's "Five Years."
The band has built their grassroots popularity by taking their music to the people. They have been averaging 200 gigs a year since forming in 2009, playing small clubs as well as big festivals like Bonnaroo, Stagecoach and the Americana
Music Festival. NPR's Ann Powers made the group one of her top picks at 2014's SXSW and no other independent band has played the prestigious Grand Ole Opry as many times as the
Black Lillies have.
Known for dynamic live shows, the band will be heading out on tour to support Hard to Please. This December the
Black Lillies can be found along the East Coast, performing from Vermont to West Virginia, while the New Year finds them out West, starting with the Steamboat MusicFest before swinging through
Texas and winding out at sea on the popular Cayamo Cruise.
The album's musical evolution will be reflected in the group's concerts as the
Black Lillies have grown into a six-piece with lead guitarist Mike Seal (Jeff Sipe Trio, Larkin Poe), bassist Sam Quinn (the everybodyfields) and pedal steel man Jonathan Keeney (Robinella) joining the core trio of Cruz Contreras, Trisha Gene Brady and Bowman Townsend.
Tour dates:
Thur., Dec. 3 HOPEWELL, VA The Beacon Theatre
Fri., Dec. 4 RALEIGH, NC Lincoln Theatre
Sat., Dec. 5 HARRISONBURG, VA Clementine Café
Sun., Dec. 6 ASHEVILLE, SC Grey Eagle
Tue. Dec. 8 PHILADELPHIA, PA World Café Live
Wed. Dec. 9 CAMBRIDGE, MA The Middle East
Thur., Dec. 10 BURLINGTON, VT ArtsRiot
Fri., Dec. 11 ROCHESTER, NY Abilene
Sat., Dec. 12 WELLSVILLE, NY Wellsville Creative Arts Center
Sun., Dec. 13 NORFOLK, CT
Infinity Music Hall
Tue., Dec. 15 BUFFALO, NY Sportsmen's Tavern
Wed., Dec. 16 MILLDALE, CT Tipping Chair
Fri., Dec. 18 WRIGHTSVILLE, PA Burning Bridge Tavern
Sat., Dec. 19 SHEPHERDSTOWN, NY The Shepherdstown Opera House
Mon., Jan. 4-Sat., Jan. 9 STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO Steamboat MusicFest 2016
Sun., Jan. 10 DENVER, CO The Soiled Dove Underground
Mon., Jan 11 DURANGO, CO Balcony,
Tue., Jan. 12 RED RIVER, NM The Motherlode Saloon
Wed., Jan. 13 ROSWELL, NM
Pecos Flavors Winery
Thur., Jan. 14 AMARILLO, TX Hoot's Pub
Fri., Jan. 15 LUBBOCK, TX The Blue Light
Sat., Jan. 16 FORT WORTH, TX
Magnolia Motor Lodge
Wed., Jan. 20 SAN ANTONIO, TX Sam's Burger Joint
Thur., Jan. 21 AUSTIN, TX Strange Brew
Fri., Jan. 22, HOUSTON, TX Bungalow Concerts
Sat., Jan. 23, DALLAS, TX The Rustic
Sun., Jan. 24 CONROE, TX Dosey Doe
Music Cafe
Fri., Jan. 29 JOHNSON CITY, TN The
Willow Tree
Sun., Jan. 31-Sun., Feb. 7 MIAMI, FL Cayamo Cruise
Thur., Feb. 25 WARRENDALE (PITTSBURGH), PA Jergel's Rhythm Grille
Fri., Feb. 26 WASHINGTON, DC The Hamilton
Sat., Feb. 27 CARRBORO, NC Cat's Cradle
https://theblacklillies.com
