The BELLFURIES w/ Ill Caretta

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Where might country, soul, and popular song intersect? Follow The Bellfuries, as they thrill capacity crowds in the US, UK, Australia, and all over Europe (performing in 14 countries in June 2013 alone).

The band was formed in 1998 by Joey Simeone (lead vocalist/songwriter) and Josh Williams (upright bass), in Austin, Texas. Although ATX has long been a stronghold for roots music, the band had clearly broken the “rockabilly” mold on arrival. With an original songbook distilling Hank Williams heartbreak and Beatles melody, driven home by Joey’s virtuosic singing and stripped-down instrumental backing, The Bellfuries quickly developed a strong local following.

The Bellfuries were now joined by guitarist Mike Molnar. Mike, at twenty-two, had already gained valuable touring and studio experience as a sideman for the late, great Ronnie Dawson, culminating in a 1999 performance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”

Pursuing a fresh approach to their music-making, The Bellfuries recruited drummer Bobby Trimble, alumnus of West Coast roots heroes Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys. Shecky Seaver was brought on board to handle bass duties. There was a change of musical scenery as well; the songs comprising “Palmyra” are even more pop-oriented, with jangly electric guitars prominent in the mix. The debut had trod a fresh path from where Webb Pierce and Sam Cooke left off, and so did “Palmyra.” It just happened that The Smiths and REM showed up along the way.

The great rockabilly road warrior/scholar Deke Dickerson had this to say:

"The Bellfuries are one-of-a-kind. Although there are thousands of power pop bands in the world, and thousands of rockabilly bands too, there has only been one band that successfully merged the two forms into something so damn good. What they do is so original it’s like a breath of fresh air after a hard rain."