Asylum Street Spankers to Remember?

For Immediate Release August, 2013 CAN YOU HELP THE ASYLUM STREET SPANKERS TO REMEMBER? Asylum Street Spankers Wake Up in the Morning and Find a Butt-Load of Wonderful New Asylum Street Spankers Recordings. Do Any of You Have Any Idea Where These Came From? “Dedicated to acoustic instrumentation, but mischievously unorthodox in every other way.” — The New York Times If you've read the bio or know any of the members of the Asylum Street Spankers, you probably are aware that the group was founded in 1994 at a booze-filled party at the Dabbs Hotel along the river in Llano, Texas. Well, it appears that America's favorite old-time hellraisers have once again musically triumphed over overindulgence and memory loss. Or have they? For 17 years, Christina Marrs, Nevada Newman, Charlie King and the other Spankers toured far and wide, leaving a swath of astonished audiences in their wake. This, they remember. They remember gearing up for a massive six-month farewell tour in which they hit all their favorite spots in the country. They recall setting up the three-day "Last Laugh" finale in their hometown of Austin, Texas at the Cactus Café, Ruta Maya and Spider House Ballroom. But, honestly, that's the last thing they remember. Do any of you remember anything that happened on April 21, 22 and 23 of 2011? What becomes clear upon listening to these recordings, set for release in album form by Yellow Dog Records as The Last Laugh, is that none of these songs has ever been recorded by the Asylum Street Spankers before. What's even clearer is this: the band is in their finest form ever here, living up to their firmly cemented reputation as an acoustic powerhouse. Who else can blend string-band virtuosity, multi-instrumental skills, tight vocal harmonies and counterculture wit like this? The Asylum Street Spankers honestly can't remember. Can you please help? Look: it's embarrassing for such an acclaimed band as this ("Inspired lunatic brilliance"—Rolling Stone; "A national treasure"—Jazz Review) to have to admit that they honestly don't remember where their final album came from. That's right: these are the last recorded performances by the band. It's the final release of new material by the mighty Asylum Street Spankers. You'd think the band would have remembered something like that. Like "Coffee Grindin' Blues," the first song Christina ever performed with the Spankers but which she's never recorded with them 'til now. As she belts it out with soul-stirring power, it sounds like a performance from the early days of an inspired new band, not the last track on a band's final album. It brings the Asylum Street Spankers story to an immensely satisfying, full-circle conclusion. You'd think they would have remembered something like that. Christina also leads the charge through a spare, stomping spin on Tom Waits' "Make It Rain," and Nevada is right there in the blues with her, delivering a stellar rendition of the classic "I'd Rather 1 Drink Muddy Water." But this wouldn't be a live Asylum Street Spankers recording without the songs fighting for audibility with shrieks of laughter from the enormously entertained crowd. Charlie cries a tear in his beer with a country song for modern times, "She Texted Me Goodbye" (complete with QWERTY keyboard solo), and Nevada keeps the guffaws goin' with his 9-to-5 protest song "F*ck Work" (in which the band's soloists, joining in on the strike, refuse to solo). Clearly, these were unforgettable nights for all those who packed the clubs and cheered on their internationally beloved hometown heroes. Hazily, the Spankers figure these must have been some of the most treasured personal moments of their 17-year career. Imagine the satisfaction of taking their fans on one last journey together, from the Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville echoes of their sound, through the country, blues, jazz and swing songs they've borrowed and created, all filtered through the punk-rock ethos at their core. "It must really have been something," Christina muses. But there's one thing that's beyond foggy, one thing that remains a mystery: Why have the Fates conspired to withhold this milestone Spankers recording from fans for three full years? Maybe they were utilizing an old show-biz trick—you know, build up the drama and then WAMMO! (pardon the pun.) Or maybe the band forgot again? No, the truth is that nothing this band has ever done has been predictable, so the sudden arrival of these precious recordings out of nowhere is actually quite typical…even comforting in its randomness. Fans surprised by the unexpected appearance of these live recordings will quickly be overcome by delight, as this has always been a band that shines its brightest on stage. And hey: it's not about remembering who drove who home those April 2011 nights, or why no one told anyone about the Asylum Street Spankers' triumphant final album. Forget all that stuff, just like the Spankers did. Just listen to the music. It will tell you what to do. ##### “The Austin collective tapdances on the thin line between stunning virtuosity and goofy farce, an eight-person dervish of washboard / dobro / harmonica / clarinet / singing saw / upright bass / violin / etc., minimally amplified for maximum impact...” —Variety The Asylum Street Spankers are: Christina Marrs Charlie King Mark Henne lead and harmony vocals, mandolin, dobro, banjo, drums and percussion guitar, tenor guitar, tenor harmonica, harmony Shawn Dean banjo, ukulele, musical saw, vocals, lead vocals percussion violin, fiddle Nevada Newman Morgan Patrick Trevor Smith resonator and acoustic Thompson banjo, mandolin, guitar, guitars, harmony vocals, string bass harmony vocals lead vocals, mandolin ##### Publicity: Carl Hanni, Mod Media 520-622-6313 [email protected] Photos and Electronic press kit: www.yellowdogrecords.com/presskits/spankers WWW.YELLOWDOGRECORDS.COM 1910 MADISON AVE #671 MEMPHIS, TN 38104 PHONE: (901) 452-4087 FAX: (901) 328-5632 .

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