Knoxville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ 1888 Media) Landing
September 27 is Sooner or Later, the first-ever compilation from The V-Roys, the seminal roots rock band that influenced a generation of Alt-country revelry.
Vocalist/guitarist Scott Miller, lead guitarist/vocalist Mic Harrison, bassist Paxton Sellers and drummer Jeff Bills left an indelible footprint on the music community during their succinct but illustrious run from 1994-2000 in which the quartet released two critically-acclaimed studio albums, Just Add Ice (1996) and All About Town (1999), and one live album, Are You Through Yet? (2000).
The 18-track collection of remastered material releasing on Miller's F.A.Y. Recordings pairs thirteen previously released album tracks including fan favorites 'Guess I Know I'm Right,' 'Fade Away' and 'Cold Beer Hello' with five unreleased studio recordings. Added to the mix are unreleased covers of Tom T. Hall's 'That's How I Got To Memphis,' Neil Young's 'Burned,' and Leiber and Stoller's 'Smokey Joe's Caf�' (from the Add Ice era) with the unearthed originals, 'Hotel Room' and 'Someone To Push Around' from the About Town sessions. The two newly restored tracks, both penned by Harrison, represent the only unreleased original songs stashed in archives.
Bills was the driving force navigating the waters of putting together a retrospective that both the band and the fans will hold in high regard, 'The goal at the onset was to make it sound as good as we could. We had a production standard we tried to shoot for and did everything in our power, short of animal sacrifice, to get there.'
Miller adds, 'When Jeff (Bills) gave me the final mastered version of this compilation, which he really put the effort into making, he had written "Sooner or Later or Just Whenever" on the disc. "Perfect!" I thought. I think we all knew we'd do it sometime. It's nice to hear (and play) these songs again. I'm proud of what we did and I think it still stands up."
Sooner or Later is poised to entice a new generation of music lovers to become acquainted with these sharp-dressed-East-Tennessee-men as the original E-Squared releases are long out-of-print and are not available on digital portals such as iTunes and Amazon. In fact, most of Gen 'Y' likely did not have the distinct opportunity to experience the real fruition of The V-Roys, that of a burning hot set raisin' the rafters of a sweaty packed club.
The V-Roys played their last show on New Year's Eve 1999 at the historic Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. With nearly a dozen years of perspective for collective reflection, it wasn't just another show at a historic theater, but the close of a historic chapter in the annals of a fiery brand of Americana.
Lives move forward. In the years since the turn of the millennium, Miller and Harrison have enjoyed successful solo careers with both continuing to tour around the country. Bills runs Lynn Point Records which has released several dozen artists' albums including three by Harrison as well as a live album from original V-Roys guitarist John Paul Keith. Paxton joined Mic and Jeff in 2000 for a project called The Faults before segueing into the corporate work force.
Memories live on. Legends beget infamy. In 2009, The V-Roys were named the best Knoxville band ever in a poll hosted by Metro Pulse, the city's weekly newspaper and iconic tastemaker No Depression continues to feature glowing archived articles about the group.
Chatter of the band's stature in the grand pantheon of Alt-country and 'live' rock 'n roll has been on a slow simmer for the past decade and will soon reach a feverish boil with the planned 'One show; Goodbye' New Years Eve blowout at the historic Bijou Theatre, located right up the street from the Tennessee Theatre. For this special show-of-a-lifetime, the band will treat fans to a lengthy all-encompassing set of their recorded catalog and favorite covers. Tickets, priced at $35, will go on-sale September 9th.
4217 days later and the reverential dam hath opened. The cognoscenti reckoned it would happen sooner or later.
QUOTES
'Elegantly Tailored Country Rock.' Q Magazine
'Evocative mid-'8Os garage vibe of The Replacements.' MOJO
'The V-Roys may look like frat boys, but they play like mothers.' Stereo Review
'Basic rock 'n' roll: raw, confident, angry, hooky, rhythmic. Makes you thirsty for beer.' The Tennessean
'A split-down-the-middle combination of twang-rock and power-pop...the missing link between Roger Miller and the Knack.' No Depression
The V-Roys - Sooner or Later
1. Guess I Know I'm Right*
2. No Regrets*
3. Pounding Heart*
4. Sooner or Later*
5. Goodnight Loser*
6. Cry*
7. Lie I Believe*
8. Kick Me Around*
9. Mary+
10. Amy 88+
11. Over The Mountain+
12. Fade Away+
13. Burned (Neil Young)**
14. Someone To Push Around++
15. How I Got To Memphis (Tom T. Hall)**
16. Hotel Room++
17. Smokey Joe's Caf� (Leiber and Stoller)**
18. Cold Beer Hello*
*From Just Add Ice (1996)
**Recorded during Just Add Ice sessions
+From All About Town (1999)
++Recorded during All About Town sessions
Guest musicians:
Michael Smotherman: Hammond B3 Organ on 'Lie I Believe' & 'Mary'
Tommy Hannum: Pedal Steel on 'Pounding Heart'
Ronnie McCoury: Mandolin and Backing Vocals on 'Mary'
Jim Hoke: Baritone and Tenor Saxophone on 'Amy 88'
Steve Earle: Vox Mando Guitar on 'Amy 88'
Ray Kennedy: Percussion on 'Amy 88' & 'Over The Mountain'
Dan Gillis: Tin Whistle on 'Over The Mountain'
Larry Atamanuik: Drums on 'Fade Away'
