Sunday, November 18, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Darnell Boys -- Athens Farmers Market 2012
Caleb's song -- Sport Fishin' -- performed by Caleb, Austin and Patrick
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
ATHFEST -- photo and blurb by Andre Gallant (Athens B-H)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Flagpole -- Gabe Vodicka -- ATHFEST picks
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
The Darnell Boys
#What
better way to start off AthFest weekend than by enjoying some damn fine
fingerpickin’? You know it’s gonna be hot and sweaty out there; the
good vibes—and the beer—will most undoubtedly be flowing by five
o’clock. TDB’s earnest blend of old-timey country and blues is
everything great about Athens’ glorious summers rolled into one scruffy
family band. (Pulaski Street Stage, 5 p.m.)
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Flagpole Magazine ------- May 9, 2012 -- Article by Gabe Vodicka
The Darnell Boys
Down-Home Family Band
By Gabe
Vodicka
#The
2010 demise of beloved local hip-hop outfit Deaf Judges was an irrefutable blow
to the local music community—few acts performed with the same unholy fervor,
few were as convincingly human. A year and a half on, it feels like a revival
up in here. Three fourths of that group have recently returned under a new
creative union—the bustling and buzzworthy Mad Axes—and have put forth a fine
first album in the shapeshifting, hubristically titled Debut Smash. As for the other guy, well,
he’s been busy the whole time, picking away at some down-home Delta blues.
#With
the Judges, Austin Darnell performed under the moniker Produce Man and was
responsible for some of the group’s most energetic and well constructed lyrical
salvos. With the blues-obsessed Darnell Boys, he now puts forth some equally
inspired—if stylistically divergent—performances.
#“I
just love music,” Darnell explains. “Old or new, it doesn’t matter, as long as
it speaks to you. But it has to speak in that rare way that only really great
art and music can.”
#As the
name implies, The Darnell Boys are a bona fide family band. With siblings Caleb
and Gus, the eldest Darnell plays a steadfastly authentic blend of blues,
country and other such traditional sounds, taking cues from legends like
Howlin’ Wolf, Ray Charles and Otis Redding to create a uniquely soulful sound.
At the heart of the music is a shared history that cannot be substituted with
any amount of outsider talent.
#“Our
dad and his brothers all play music, and our grandmother plays gospel piano,”
Darnell explains. “We always sang and played together at family gatherings.
We’ve been playing music around [Athens] for years, but this is the first time
all three of us have worked together on a project.”
#With
the frequent and then permanent addition of Elijah Neesmith on upright bass,
and Patrick Weise on junkyard percussion, the group began gigging regularly;
its recurring shows at spots like Farm 255 proved crowd favorites. The Boys won
over many an unsuspecting audience, amassing in the process a small legion of
enamored followers. The band’s increasing popularity has led to its first 40
Watt performance, where the group will perform with like-minded local
revivalists The Corduroy Road.
#For
these three brothers, who grew up here and have spent young lifetimes bumming
around town, Athens is the glue that holds The Darnell Boys together. “[Our]
family moved here when I was three,” Darnell says, “and both my brothers were
born here, so Athens has definitely shaped our perceptions about life and
music. When we play, we want people to feel at home. Whether we’re onstage or
picking in the backyard, passing a bottle around, everyone is welcome.” It’s
the sort of pleasant invitational attitude you find throughout the local music
scene, but these guys seem to embody it better than just about anyone else.
#Aside
from Thursday’s show, The Darnell Boys are preparing for a busy summer. An
album is in the works (with Chase Park’s Will Manning), and the band has a spot
on the AthFest mainstage alongside Reptar, Atlas Sound and Yip Deceiver—a
lineup that confirms this town’s openness to a ridiculously wide swath of
musical styles. Darnell looks forward to bringing his family’s love for the
artistry of tradition to the masses.
Upcoming Event
The Corduroy Road w/Darnell Boys, Big Daddy Love
- Thursday, May 10, 2012, 9 p.m.
- 40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St., Athens
- 18+ / $8 - $10
#“The
way someone like Ray Charles sings and plays,” he muses, “there’s really no
word for it. It’s personal and almost spiritual. That’s the kind of music that
interests me, and I hope that’s the kind of music we make.” Plus, he says,
“It’s a great way to spend time with my family.”
Athens-Banner Herald ------- May 9, 2012 -- Article by Andre Gallant
Brothers work it out onstage
Published Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Athens Banner-Herald
Athens Banner-Herald
Three brothers — Austin, Caleb and Gus — front a five-piece that sounds as if rock ’n’ roll never existed, never mind disco.
Brothers Austin and Caleb played together in Bellyache way back in the aughts, mining acoustic blues to soothe crowds.
Youngest sibling Gus would’ve played as well, but he was too young, and had to finish high school before he could join the elder Darnells out in the bars and clubs.
All three brothers, who grew up in Athens, finally joined forces about two years ago, and have solidified their lineup with Elijah Neesmith on bass and Patrick Weise keeping time.
The three brothers bring separate but related influences to the band, according to Gus Darnell. Austin is a fan of traditional blues, writes primarily in that style and brings covers in that vein to the band to cover.
Caleb is a country-blues man, a believer in open guitar tunings, and loves Lightning Hopkins and Skip James.
Gus, often dressed in a pearl-buttoned Western shirt, is the group’s good-ol’ boy, adding country music fanaticism to the band’s strident old-timeyness.
The Darnell Boys are regulars at Farm 255 and the farmers market, but this summer marks two milestones for the band: a mainstage performance at AthFest and studio time working on a full-length record.
But how does a band playing throwback music grab its audience? Easy. The old-fashioned way: the live show.
“Onstage, we are having the best time ever,” said Gus Darnell. “People really feed off of that. What we play onstage is what we play at our houses. Its what we do for fun. For us to go out and play what we enjoy comes across really well. We play what we want to play, and people pick up on it.”
— André Gallant, Staff
Darnell Boys
with The Corduroy Road and Big Daddy Love
When: 9 p.m. Thursday
Where: 40 Watt Club. 285 W. Washington St.
Cost: $10
Call: (706) 549-7871
Online: www.40watt.com
with The Corduroy Road and Big Daddy Love
When: 9 p.m. Thursday
Where: 40 Watt Club. 285 W. Washington St.
Cost: $10
Call: (706) 549-7871
Online: www.40watt.com
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
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