Friends of Tom

Artist Information

Biography

Friends of Tom, a 2010 Lehigh Valley Music Award Nominee, plays a high energy mix of folk, blues, country, rockabilly, and classic rock with a little honky-tonk for fun. It’s pure Americana with a pinch of back-woods, a smidgen of back porch, a dash of delta, with sprinkles of twang, to produce “FoBluCo”, a sound borrowing from folk, blues and country. Their sound incorporates an interesting mix of instrumentation using mandolin, harmonica, stand up bass, telecaster twang guitar and powerful soulful vocals with an occasional yodel for the WOW factor that distinguishes them from their peers. When you hear the boot stomping you know Friends of Tom is going into high gear.

In January 2009 "Friends of Tom" released their debut CD titled "FoBluCo", a full length studio CD containing 11 originals and the traditional classic, House of the Rising Sun, FoBluCo style of course. The single "East Coast Woman" can be heard on radio stations in PA, and NY, and was released on QuickStar Productions CD Sampler, "Chill Out East Coast", Volume 7. The song and entire CD is available on Amazon, Itunes and other digital distribution sites.

"Friends of Tom" recently opened for Yarn at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe and has shared the stage with "Randy Weeks", who penned Lucinda Williams hit "Can't Let Go", and has performed live broadcasts on WXLV Roots 90.3 FM. In 2010 FOT performed in notable festivals in Bethlehem, Allentown, Emmaus, and Jim Thorpe. Most recently “Friends of Tom” was a Lehigh Valley Music Awards 12 nominee, and won the distinction of being a finalist in the 5th Annual Lehigh Valley Acoustic Performance Contest. This quintet has been performing consistently throughout the Lehigh Valley at festivals, fundraisers and local performance venues for the last 6 years. It is business as usual to hear foot stomping and hoots from the audience as “Friends of Tom” kicks their shows into high gear. Come on, take a listen and get the groove.

Check out Friends of Tom YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/friendsoftomband

Samples of Friends of Tom cover songs can be found on the website: www.friendsoftomband.com.

Instrumentation

Liz Younger - Vocals
Chris Younger - Guitar, mandolin
Tom Walz - Vocals, Guitar
Frank Z. - Drums
Dale Yoder - Bass, Upright Bass

Discography

FoBluCo - January 2009
Full length studio CD containing 12 songs, 11 of which are originals.
www.cdbaby.com/cd/friendsoftom

Single: East Coast Woman - November 2007
QuickStar Productions CD Sampler - "Chill Out East Coast" - Volume 7

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• YouTube
• CD Baby

Audio

• The Men In My Life
  Listen   Download
• East Coast Woman
  Listen   Download
• Tell Me Now
  Listen   Download
• Just Because
  Listen   Download
• Never Said Goodbye
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Just Because
• The Men In My Life
• East Coast Woman
• Tell Me Now
• Never Said Goodbye

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Band of the Week [+ Show ]
  

  Posted by Jodi Duckett at 12:01:23 AM on March 9, 2009 Bands that play original music rar...Posted by Jodi Duckett at 12:01:23 AM on March 9, 2009
  
  
  Bands that play original music rarely want to be pigeonholed into one style. Friends of Tom have gone a step further — they have made up their own word for what they play.
  
  “FoBluCo,” also the name of the group’s first CD, defined as a combination of folk, blues, country and roots. Another description might be just Americana, or roots music. It leanstoward the backwoods, with a laid-back, stringed instrument sound.
  
  Along with originals, the quartet plays songs by artists ranging from Lucinda Williams to Brian Setzer, as well as putting their own spin on classic rock standards. “We take a song and play it using different instrumentation,” says Chris Younger. People will ask them, “What’s that metal thing?” upon seeing Rob Fedorczyk’s Dobro, or “Is that a cello?” when looking at Jim Thompson’s standup bass.
  
  Friends of Tom, which has been together about four years, is composed of three men who are engineers in their day jobs and a lead singer, Chris’ wife Liz, who is a social worker. For many years, Chris played the bar circuit with a cover band, RoundTrip.
  
  The current band was yet unnamed when they did a show with the former lead singer of RoundTrip, Tom Epler. When introduced, they referred to themselves as “friends of Tom.” They decided to keep the name.
  
  Their 12-track CD has all originals, except a bluegrass-like version of “House of the Rising Sun.” It varies from love songs to humorous laments about the tardiness of spouses and the middle age loss of memory. There are also heartfelt stories about lost friends. “These people struck a chord,” says Liz Younger, “and inspired us to write wonderful lyrics.”
  
  Music: Americana
  Members:
  Liz Younger – lead vocals
  Chris Younger – guitar, harmonica, vocals, mandolin, rhythm machine Rob Fedorczyk – slide acoustic and electric guitar, Dobro, mandolin
  Jim Thompson - upright bass
  
  Performing: CD release party, 9 p.m., March 13, Grumpy’s Bar-B-Que Roadhouse, 3000 Mauch Chunk Road, Mechanicsville, 610-769-4600, www.grumpysbbq.net,
  live on-air performance, 1 to 2 p.m., March 13, WXLV 90.3 FM.
  
  On the Web: www.friendsoftomband.com
  
  Dave Howell is a freelance writer.
  

• FoBluCo from [+ Show ]
  

  Posted by Jodi Duckett at 2:17:07 PM on March 1, 2009 .... FRIENDS OF TOM “Fobluco” self-relea...Posted by Jodi Duckett at 2:17:07 PM on March 1, 2009
  ....
  FRIENDS OF TOM
  “Fobluco”
  self-released
  
  Fobluco is, according to Friends of Tom, a combination of folk, blues and country, or put another way, it combines backwoods, back porch, Delta and twang. It's a high-energy mix with quirky lyrics.
  
  There is plenty of twang with Chris Younger on guitar and mandolin and Rob Fedorczyk on Dobro slide, guitar and banjo. Many of the songs are bluegrass, but they have an extra bit of rhythm from Jim Thompson’s standup bass and guest drumming by Cliff Cole and Jeff White.
  
  Among the 12 tracks are the electric blues of “The Men in My Life” featuring Liz Younger’s sultry vocals, the honky tonk of “ ‘Bear’ Bones,” and a bluegrassy version of the CD’s only cover, “House of the Rising Sun.”
  
  The little touches here make this CD appealing. On “East Coast Woman,” Chris Younger sings about his wife always being late, while during the song Liz is “calling” him on her cell phone. John Carelli does a short operatic vocal to begin the melancholy “Never Said Goodbye.” Cole leads off “Tell Me Now” with hammered dulcimer that enhances the song so much, you can forgive the rhyming of “love me” and “eternity” and “true” and “I love you.”
  
  Fobluco grows on you as you listen, although, like a lot of good music, it is hard to explain why. It might be the sincerity. Or maybe it is nice to hear love songs about marriage or lost friends instead of the standard breakup/falling-in-love themes. Or maybe because it is a bit different. But you should listen, and decide for yourself.
  
  Performing: Friends of Tom CD release party, 8:30 p.m. March 13, Grumpy’s BBQ, 3000 Mauch Chunk Road, Mechanicsville, 610-769-4600; 1-2 p.m. March 13, live performance, WXLV 90.3 FM.
  
  On the Net: www.friendsoftomband.com.
  
  Dave Howell is a freelance writer.

• Meet The Band [+ Show ]
  

  Meet the Band: Friends of Tom by Express-Times staff Friday March 13, 2009, 12:20 AM Friends o...Meet the Band: Friends of Tom
  by Express-Times staff
  Friday March 13, 2009, 12:20 AM
  
  Friends of Tom will celebrate the release of their new album, "FoBluCo," today at Grumpys Bar-B-Que Roadhouse in South Whitehall Township.Residence: Lehigh Valley
  
  Members: Liz Younger (vocals), Chris Younger (guitar, mandolin, harmonica), Rob Fedorczyk (dobro slide, guitar, mandolin), Jim Thompson (upright bass)
  
  Web site(s): myspace.com/friendsoftomband, friendsoftomband.com, sonicbids.com/friendsoftom
  
  Influences: The band's unique sound comes from influences that include old country, rockabilly, piedmont, delta blues and classic rock.
  
  The group also counts Lucinda Williams and Brian Setzer among its favorites.
  
  Sounds like: The group describes its sound as an edgy Alison Krauss and a happier Williams, with the energy of Setzer.
  
  Traces of Americana, country, bluegrass and blues can be heard prominently in its songs.
  
  "We're not as mellow as (Krauss)," Chris Younger points out.
  
  Younger says the band's sound "comes off more of a bluegrass-country vibe."
  
  Set list: "We're basically a blend," Younger says.
  
  The band mixes original cuts like "East Coast Woman," "Tell Me Now," "Broken Memory Blues" and "Never Said Goodbye," with a variety of genre-spanning covers that touch upon its array of influences.
  
  "We really play it by the venue," Younger says.
  
  Know their roots: Seasoned veterans of the stage, Chris and Liz Younger started out as a duo performing throughout the Lehigh Valley as well as North Jersey and Pittsburgh before bringing Fedorczyk and Thompson into the fold in 2006.
  
  The group released its debut album, "FoBluCo," earlier this year. The album features 11 original tunes and a cover of "House of the Rising Sun," a song made popular by The Animals.
  
  It was also a finalist of the 2008 Lehigh Valley Acoustic Performance Competition.
  
  Catch them if you can: The band will perform from 1 to 2 p.m. today live on Roots 90.3 WXLV-FM, followed by a CD release party at Grumpy's Bar-B-Que Roadhouse in South Whitehall Township.
  
  

• Friends of Tom Week 4 Winner [+ Show ]
  

  Congratulations to our Week 4 winner Friends of Tom.They join BottleShot, Tim Harakal, and Sunsets N...Congratulations to our Week 4 winner Friends of Tom.They join BottleShot, Tim Harakal, and Sunsets North in the Finals of the 2008 Lehigh Valley Acoustic Performance Contest this coming Tuesday, December 9th at The Blue Monkey in Catasauqua!
  
  Interestingly, we pulled the order of performance out of a hat and it ended up being in the same order that the acts won the weekly rounds. BottleShot started the Finals off with their inspired funk-blues-soul vibe. Next up was two-time Finalist Tim Harakal with his poetic, fluid playing and lyrics. Sunsets North played third and turned the vibe 180 degrees with their jagged, angular alt rock songwriting and cello-guitar combo. Our final Finalist was the full-band "fo-blu-co" sounds of folk-blues-country from Friends of Tom with their tight playing and songs full of heart. Get to know all of these great local acts on our music player and our Top Friends list.

• Real Deal of Americana & Alt-Country Music [+ Show ]
  

  "Friends of Tom" opens up for Randy Weeks. Randy Weeks has played with Dwight Yokum, Pete Anderson,..."Friends of Tom" opens up for Randy Weeks. Randy Weeks has played with Dwight Yokum, Pete Anderson, Rosie Flores and many others, and wrote the Billboard hit "Can't Let Go" as charted by "Lucinda Williams".

• Start Your Year With First Night [+ Show ]
  

  Nine To See: Friends of Tom: This local acoustic roots rock band is making a name for themselves...Nine To See:
  
  Friends of Tom:
  This local acoustic roots rock band is making a name for themselves and is making their debut performance at First Night. Formed by guitarist Chris Younger and his wife, Liz, the group stated out as a duo that got its unusual moniker when they played after a friend, Tom, at a festival and lacking a name, told the emcee they were "friends of Tom".

• WXLV 90.3fm Celebrates its Roots Anniversary [+ Show ]
  

  Roots 90.3 FM WXLV, the public radio station of LCCC, celebrated the first anniversary of its new Am...Roots 90.3 FM WXLV, the public radio station of LCCC, celebrated the first anniversary of its new Americana format with a listener-appreciation party from 2 to 6pm on Saturday September 29, in the station's studio.
  
  A live music broadcast from Studio C featured Friends of Tom, playing roots to rock: Wooden Nickel, The Drukenmillers with spirited old-time music, and Jim Stanson, playing country blues-rock.

Setlist

Roots to Rock repertoire, with original material mixed in with cleverly reworked covers.

Original Songs from "FoBluCo"
East Coast Woman
Never Said Goodbye
Tell Me Now
Wait For You
Just Because
Grateful Ed
Broken Memory Blues
The Men In My Life
So Well
Who Would It Be?
House of the Rising Sun

Cover songs all done with a "FoBluCo" spin.

Angel From Montgomery
Angelina
At Last
A Snapshot of You
Bear Bones
Before He Cheats
Big Yellow Taxi
Black Horse
Blue on Black
Broken Memory Blues
Can’t Let Go
Dance Dance Dance
Daniel
Deep River Blues
Desperado
Disorder in the House
East Coast Woman
Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover
Folsom Prison
Flowers on the Wall
Friend of the Devil
Give Me One Reason
Grateful Ed
Harvest Moon
Here Come The People in Grey
Hotel California
House of the Rising Sun
I Hear You Knocking
I Want You to Want Me
I’m a Believer
In the Garden
Jackson
Joker
Just Because
Knocking on Heaven’s Door
Kansas City
Lake Charles
Landslide
Last Train To Clarksville
Leather and Lace
Levon
Letter
Little Sparrow
Little Toy Gun
Love Me Like a Man
Maggie May
Man Constant Sorrow
Memories
Men In My Life
Moondance
Mystery Train
Never Can Tell / C’est La Vie
Never Said Goodbye
New Kid In Town
Norwegian Wood
Ode to Billy Joe
Pay Me Money My Money Down
Peace Love Understanding
Pink Houses
Poor Poor Pitiful Me
R.O.C.K in the U.S.A.
Rhiannon
Ring of Fire
Rocket Man
Secret Agent Man
Shower the People with Love
So Well
Solsbury Hill
Squeeze Box
Step It Up and Go
Still I Long for Your Kiss
Stormy Monday
Stray Cat Strut
Stuck in the Middle
Sweet Child
Tell Me Now
The Men In My Life
Time After Time
Tiny Dancer
Unchain My Heart
Wait For You
Walking After Midnight
Walk Like An Egyptian
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Wish You Were Here
Who’ll Stop The Rain
Wild Horses
Willin’
Would It Be Me
Year of the Cat
You Got It
Your Cheatin Heart
Your Song

Length of sets and song choices customized to venue.

Basic Requirements

Calendar