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Josh Weathers Band @ Broncos Fort Worth,TX. 03/12/09
I wasfortunate enough to find myself at Broncos last night and I was also fortunate enough to have my camera with me. It just so happened that local favorites the Josh Weathers Band was there to play a four hour set. After making some typical bar conversations and having some free drinks courtesy of some really cool people (you know who you are) I met at the bar I got my camera and headed up to the stage. The band sounded great as usual, but I had never actually seen them perform with some brass in the background. Needless to say, the sound was phenomenal. I managed to snap off a few good shots between sets and by the end of the night…that whole place was rockin.
- Josh Martinez/YourTexasMusic.com
"Kick ass rock n'soul, that breathes life and fire, and conjures angels and devils into the same room."
-Ayo- (102.1 the Edge dj, and DFW "Quick" news journalist)
- Ayo
"The New Serenade: A fearsomely talented Fort Worth quartet that gets sticky-sweet soul all over its agreeable pop-rock to fantastic effect. These nine tracks are steeped in a variety of sounds, and the fellas wisely shy away from leaning too heavily on any one influence."
-Preston Jones- (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
- Preston Jones
While most year-end lists make it under the wire before the calendars begin anew, there was just too much quality Texas tuneage to fit into one 12-month span. So, I'm spilling over into the new year a bit, wrapping up my review of the discs that dropped my jaw in 2008. Let me also take this opportunity to encourage any and all acts to send me your music (CD, MP3, eight-track . . . wax cylinder, for all I care), give me a heads-up about shows and any other tidbits you think I should know about. My mailing address is 400 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth, TX 76102. We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming next week.
Jefferson Colby, My Cosmic Self: Pummeling indie rock from a Burleson-bred trio — Danny Mabe, Matt Mabe and Jeff Moore — following the well-received full-length debut Inadaze. Produced by Jeff Mount, Self is six tracks of sharp, slate-hard sound (highlights include Far Away People and The Unknown) with a hint of danger.
Scott Johnson, Clutch: You wouldn't peg Cleburne as a hip-hop hotbed, but that's precisely where rapper/producer Johnson calls home. His debut aims to "rep D-FW from the streets to the clubs" with a mixture of engaging beats, crisp production and a few downright witty rhymes. At 23 tracks, Clutch is a bit bloated(like so many hip-hop/R&B discs), but in this case, it's just too much of a good thing.
James McMurtry, Just Us Kids: Fort Worth native McMurtry's latest album deftly juggles the personal with the political; alongside evocative sketches like Ruby and Carlos, McMurtry takes aim at the powers that be on Cheney's Toyand The Governor. Still, it's the most elemental aspects of songwriting, not seething political grudges, that fuel his work.
Mount Righteous, When the Music Starts: The Grapevine collective's full-length John Congleton-produced debut is an effervescent, charmingly ragged affair that incorporates a dash of The Decemberists, a pinch of Polyphonic Spree, a fillip of Flaming Lips and — why not? — a disarmingly intense klezmer vibe, topped off with shiny-happy lyrics. One of the year's most impressive freshman efforts.
Old 97's, Blame It on Gravity: The first new music from the 97's in four years captures Dallas' native sons in all of their messy, glorious unpredictability, veering from the pulse-quickening pop of lead single Dance With Me to the mournful, alt-country brilliance of the Murry Hammond-fronted Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue.
Record Hop, self-titled: This heat-seeking Denton band's self-titled (and Steve Albini-assisted) sophomore disc is a razor-sharp, intensely focused affair that builds upon the considerable promise of 2004's Pareidolia. Ashley Cromeens (whose searing vocals are a consistent highlight), Scott Porter, Cory Ward and Tony Wann are, collectively, a force to be reckoned with.
Rodney Parker & Fifty Peso Reward, The Lonesome Dirge: Denton's Parker has one of those great alt-country voices — too many smoky, beery nights filtered through sandpaper. It's in full effect throughout Dirge, Parker's sophomore album, a disc that feels like an evocation of every aimless night ever spent away from the bright lights and big city.
Shibboleth, Experiment in Error: The music made by Shibboleth is a gleeful amalgam of almost every genre under the sun. Error, the Dallas-based instrumental trio's sophomore effort further cements these dazzling, dexterous artists as some of the Metroplex's most exciting.
Sorta, self-titled: Just over a year after losing multi-instrumentalist Carter Albrecht in a tragic shooting death, Sorta released this eponymous follow-up to 2006's Strange and Sad But True. It's far from a dour, depressing record, but Albrecht's death suffuses almost every track. Nevertheless, Sorta is a fitting tribute not only to Albrecht but also to the five men with whom he made this music.
Josh Weathers Band, The New Serenade: A fearsomely talented Fort Worth quartet that gets sticky-sweet soul all over its agreeable pop-rock to fantastic effect. These nine tracks are steeped in a variety of sounds, and the fellas wisely shy away from leaning too heavily on any one influence.
- Preston Jones
Josh Weathers Voted best male vocalist ft. Worth Weekly 2009. - Ft. Worth Weekly
Best Bluse Funk Band Ft. Worth Weekly. - Ft. Worth Weekly
Lone Star Sounds:
New EP offers tantalizing bite of Josh Weathers band
PRESTON JONES
dfw.com
Remember the name: Josh Weathers and the True+Endeavors. You’ll be endlessly scanning club listings for any show of theirs within 50 miles of Fort Worth once you’ve spun the octet’s new EP, Better Days. Produced by the band and Nick Choate at Fort Worth’s Blue Smoke Studios, these five tracks leave you flattened in less than 20 minutes, aching for more of the outfit’s sweaty, soulful sound. Weathers conveys a nicotine-and-suds-stained weariness far beyond his years; pick any of the tunes — I’m partial to the bluesy, funky Work It Out — and marvel at his delivery as it swings from tender to testifying in the span of a moment. The disc was cut live "with minimal overdubs," according to the packaging, and you feel it in every note. Weathers and the True+Endeavors will celebrate the EP’s release Friday at the Longhorn Saloon in the Stockyards; they’ll play an acoustic gig at Bill’s Records in Dallas on Saturday.
For more info: www.myspace.com/joshweathersband
- Preston Jones
Discography
JWB ~ Self-titled (2006)
1.) Maria
2.) Mind, Body & Soul
3.) Herself
4.) I'm Blessed
5.) Something Wrong
6.) I
7.) Caroline
8.) I Try
9.) Welcome to the Country
10.) Promise Land
JWB ~ The New Serenade (2008)
1.) I
2.) Irene
3.) I wanna know
4.) Let Me
5.) It's You
6.) Jenny-O
7.) God Help
8.) What Does it Mean
9.) Do the Rump/All night Long
Josh Weathers & the True+Endeavors
BETTER DAYS EP (2009)
1.) Better Days
2.) Work It Out
3.) Foolish
4.) Tie Me Down
5.) Save Yourself
Photos
Bio
**Voted Best Male Vocalist Ft. Worth Weekly**
**Voted Best Blues/Funk Band Ft. Worth Weekly**
It’s not simple to describe any bands “sound”. That is especially true when speaking of the Josh Weathers & The True Endeavors, a soul infused, high energy rhythm & blues band based in Fort Worth, Texas. With influences as diverse as the band’s sound, the group will leave you sitting back in your seat aware of what’s hip.
Mr. Weathers has managed to put together a kaleidoscope of original music which both highlights his talent and potential. As chief songwriter and arranger Josh has found a niche all his own. The band’s songs sway through genres never resting to firmly on any one influence. You may hear traces of Sly and the Family Stone, Otis Redding, Delbert McClinton, or even The Band. The sound could easily be described as “city meets country” with a polished tightness, but never losing that down home grit.
The group’s rhythm section is equally impressive. Driven by what the band calls the “core four”. Veteran musicians Sammy Boe (Drums) & Kevin Rennels (Bass), lend the group’s sound a steady pulse. Robert Payne (keys) also provides swells on the organ that add that “churchy” texture and depth. Justin Elliot’s (Guitar) contribution is the “icing on the cake”. Since late 2008, the band has officially gained more weight to its line-up in the form of horns, the “Funkytown Workmeisters” - Jeff Dazey, Brian Batson and Dave Wade have teamed up to deliver an even more passionate, energetic and captivating live performance
Sharing the stage with national acts including George Clinton, Galactic, The Wood Brothers, Bob Schneider, Robert Cray and the great Leon Russell to name a few, the JWB guarantees an unforgettable performance and catchy tunes that will have you singing along at the shows and humming them all the next day!
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