Billy Coulter

Artist Information

Biography

• 2011 Roots Rock Vocalist of the Year

• 2010 Songwriter of the Year

• 2008 ALBUM of the Year (Dose)

• 2008 SONG of the Year (Party of One)

• 2008 Roots Rock Recording (Dose)

• 2008 Roots Rock Vocalist

• 2007 Roots Rock Vocalist
-Washington Area Music Awards

New live videos!
http://www.youtube.com/billycoulter

Billy Coulter performs with his band, as well as acoustic trio/duo.

Washington D.C.singer/songwriter Billy Coulter’s distinctive style blurs the line between Roots Rock and Power Pop. Drawing on influences as varied as Bob Dylan to Squeeze he’s developed an organic sound that seems familiar but is definitely new.

In just a few years Coulter has made a name for himself with his unique songwriting and vocal ability winning him the 2008 Album of the Year (Dose), Song of the Year (Party of One), Roots Rock Recording of the Year and, for the second year in a row, Roots Rock Vocalist Washington Area Music (WAMMIE) Awards. His inspired and energetic performances have graced the stages at some of the region’s top venues and festivals including Rams Head, Birchmere, Strathmore, Barns of Wolf Trap, IOTA, Celebrate Fairfax and more. He and his band have also supported national acts such as Johnny Winter, Kelly Willis, Phil Vassar, Taylor Hicks and others.

Billy and his most recent album have received several 2010 Wammie nominations including Roots Rock Recording, Group and Vocalist, as well as Song and Songwriter of the Year.

Billy’s music drew the attention of Steve Thoma (Fleetwood Mac, Glenn Frey) who worked with him in California to produce a seven-song demo. Those recordings became the foundation for his debut CD in 2003, which were then remixed and produced in part by WAMMIE-winner Marco Delmar.

All of the first album’s 12 songs were written by Coulter. One stand out track,“Disconnected” won Rock Song of the Year in the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and was also honored by the Billboard International Song Contest. Another track,“Too Far,” was honored in the Mid-Atlantic’s Adult Contemporary category.

Coulter’s 2008 release, a 10-song CD titled “Dose,” was produced by Delmar. Two of the album's tracks, “Party of One” and “Conscience” have received songwriting honors from the Billboard and Mid-Atlantic Song Contests, as well as the awards listed above. Billy and his band have been nominated for more than 30 WAMMIEs since 2004.


• 2009 Wammie Nominations: Roots Rock Vocalist • Roots Rock Duo/Group • Artist of the Year • Songwriter of the Year.
• 2008 Wammie Nominations: • Album of the Year • Song of the Year • Roots Rock Recording • Roots Rock Vocalist • Roots Rock Duo/Group • Artist of the Year • Songwriter of the Year • Record Design • Artist Website.
• 2007 Wammie Nominations: • Roots Rock Vocalist • Roots Rock Duo/Group
• Songwriter of the Year.
• 2006 Wammie Nominations: • Roots Rock Vocalist • Roots Rock Duo/Group
• Artist of the Year • Songwriter of the Year.
• 2005 Wammie Nominations: • Roots Rock Vocalist • Roots Rock Duo/Group.
• 2004 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammie) nominations: • Best New Artist
• Debut Recording • Roots Rock Recording • Roots Rock Vocalist
• Roots Rock Duo/Group.

• "Conscience" is honored by the 2007 BILLBOARD Song Contest.
• "Party of One" is honored by the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.
• "Disconnected" wins the GOLD AWARD 2005 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest - Rock category.
• "Disconnected" is honored by the 2005 BILLBOARD Song Contest.
• "Too Far" is honored by the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.

Instrumentation

John Penovich - Lead guitar/ backing vocals
Arch Alcantara - Bass Guitar/ Backing Vocals
Doug Tull - Drums
Brian Simms - Keyboards/Backing Vocals

Discography

Billy Coulter - Billy Coulter 2003

Billy Coulter - Dose 2008

Billy Coulter - Trace: Live at Goose Creek 2010

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Lighthouse Keeper
  Listen  
• Sunflower
  Listen  
• Station Wagon
  Listen  
• Party of One (Dose)
  Listen  
• If You Can't Live Without Me (How Come You're Not Dead?)
  Listen  
• Disconnected
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Station Wagon
• Lighthouse Keeper
• If You Can't Live Without Me (How Come You're Not Dead?)

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Trace album review: Solid local roots rock with the occasional foray into rockabilly and Celtic music. This one's a keeper. [+ Show ]
  

  If you haven’t been to one of local singer-songwriter Billy Coulter’s shows yet, his recent live alb...If you haven’t been to one of local singer-songwriter Billy Coulter’s shows yet, his recent live album Trace: Live at Goose Creek is the next best thing.
  
  The album, which was recorded in May of last year, boasts a baker’s dozen of tracks: seven of Coulter’s songs that can be found on previous albums Dose and Billy Coulter, five new ones, and a great cover of Dwight Yoakam’s “Fast As You” (Coulter sticks pretty closely to the original, which is so awesome that it’s hard to screw up). The new tracks are excellent: “Station Wagon,” the best of the new songs, is an infectious burst of Eddie Cochranesque rockabilly, while “If You Can’t Live Without Me (How Come You’re Not Dead?)” is, as its title suggests, a gleeful, catchy kiss-off of a drunk dialing ex. “Lighthouse Keeper” pushes the roots rock boundaries just a bit by adding a Celtic tint; if these tunes are representative of the new material Coulter—and his band, who are sharp as ever on Trace—are working on, I’m making room on my shelf for the next studio album.
  
  Listen If You Like: Bruce Robison, Bill Kirchen
  
  Top tracks: “Station Wagon,” “Lighthouse Keeper”

• Going Out Gurus
  

  Billy's a pro, he does Roots Rock about as well as it can be done.

• Dose album review [+ Show ]
  

  "Coulter swaggers through his blues-rock compositions with deserved bravado and skillful songwritin..."Coulter swaggers through his blues-rock compositions with deserved bravado
  and skillful songwriting."

• Dose album review [+ Show ]
  

  Resident rock star, Billy Coulter, has released a collection of energetic songs that prove that Tako...Resident rock star, Billy Coulter, has released a collection of energetic songs that prove that Takoma Park is not just for folkies anymore. It is refreshing to hear a local singer-songwriter who knows how to plug in. There's more than a bit of bravado to the songs on this CD, as Coulter creates melodies with layers and texture that only a confident pro can provide. Despite the rock and roll swagger, Coulter's lyrics are carefully chosen and meaningful.

Setlist

SET 1:
CONSCIENCE
SHINING THROUGH
ABSOLUTELY SWEET MARIE (Dylan)
INNOCENCE
SOUTH OF SERENITY
AGE OF TRAINS
STRIKING A POSE
FAST AS YOU (Yoakam)
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER
LIVE WITHOUT ME
SUNFLOWER

SET 2:
I’LL BE HAPPY
BAD DAY
BEING HUMAN
IN YOUR DREAMS
RING OF FIRE (Cash)
SAVING THE WORLD
ONE MORE TRY
WEARIN THAT LOVED ON LOOK (Elvis)
DISCONNECTED
LIVE, LAUGH
STATION WAGON
PARTY OF ONE

Other Covers:
LET IT BLEED (Stones)
WITHOUT LOVE (Lowe)
I WISH I WAS YOUR MOTHER (Mott the Hoople)
20th CENTURY BOY (T.Rex)
SHAKE SOME ACTION (Flamin Groovies)
BAD KARMA (Zevon)

Basic Requirements

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