12 Years Coming

-Randy Mallett, BANNEDPROMOTIONS.com

Great art distinguishes itself, commentary not needed. That’s why it’s great.
Good work needs a boost usually. It starts itself tentatively, in the world of
its endeavor and often languishes until someone or something comes along
to pick it up, to trumpet it. Good rock music is that way too, and rarer than
you’d think. Straight-up guitar rock, I’m talking about, no special sub-
classifications, no particular niches staked out. Rock that works off the
noble guitar lick, has a beat and, yeah, you can bang your head to it.

That pretty much defines Kansas band 12 Years Coming. It’s good rock music, at a time when that compliment does not come readily. In their debut ep titled "Shut Up", 12 Years Coming has released six songs that sting, sway, and generally puts the “rookie release” over the proverbial wall. It’s music that is not too clever, not weighted down by too much technique or seriousness. And the lyrics, while proficient, do not aim at the profound - and that in itself shows great judgment. This is music that works because several key ingredients come together; strong (but not overpowering) lead vocals, melody with hooks, excellent musicianship, attention to detail without becoming artistically petty, and finally, perhaps the hardest of all, simple execution.

12 Years Coming is Joe Riley (lead vocals, who, at moments, sounds like Vince Neil), Rob Phillippi(drums), Bart Overturf (guitar) and J (bass). Really, all tracks on this disc stand out. Each is good in its quite uncomplicated way. Check out, in particular, “Shut Up,” “One Night Stand,” and “I Want You (On Me).” In each, you’ll find infectiousness - a we’re-just-happy-to-play mentality that far too many bands have either abandoned or never possessed. It’s all about the music here, not the message, and 12YC understands that.

If you want to understand this band’s sound, think Motley Crue (because the Vince Neil comparison is no joke) meets Stone Temple Pilots. Which, in a way, is to say that the sound veers on the generic, and it does. But this is the point. This is good rock music and to be great may potentially be more than, I suspect, the band is capable of. And all that means is that the path is cleared for 12YC to ignore (as they’ve done with this disc) pretensions and dismiss depth and simply make very excellent rock music that will transition you quite nicely from Saturday night to Sunday morning, any weekend of the year.

12 Years Coming, being somewhat of a new band, may need the push that good work often requires. Simply listening to this band should do the trick, and I’d recommend it. - Banned Promotions.com

Great CD, especially for a tribute album (CrueFan)
Stand out tracks are easily 12 Years Coming's version of Shout At The Devil, Come On & Dance by Palor & Jessie Seely's Afraid. Those tracks stand out not only for their originality, but also for their production, sounding like bigger budget releases.
All the classic crue tunes are covered here (pun fully intended), as well as some of the lesser known releases.
All in all, well worth the price for die hard Crue fans, & even casual fans might find some of the tunes worth owning the album for. - "cruefan"

I still remember the first time I watched 12 Year’s Coming on the stage in Topeka, Kansas at the DownUnder Club. They were an opening band for a local band called Warlok at the time. I was so shocked when the group said that they were originally from Salina, Kansas. The enthusiastic group played strong cover band music of the 90’s by famous artists such as: Poison, Quiet Riot, Aerosmith, Guns N Roses, and Motley Crue just to mention a few.

This group of high spirited young musicians literally stole the show! The audience was mesmerized at the way the lead vocalist Joe Riley rocked the stage. With moves as graceful as "Axl" and a style that captivated the audience, the band professionally worked the crowd until they won them over. They were definitely professionals who learned from watching some of the best, and I knew from the minute I saw them that they were going to snag a huge following of fans in the near future. It was extremely apparent by their stage performance that the band was highly influenced by "GNR" and "Motley".

Since that time {about a year ago now}, I have seen 12YC play as the start up band for other big name artists in the music industry (such as Foghat, Jimmie Van Zant Band, LA Guns, and Hollywood Allstarz,) as well as front their own shows.

What originally started out as a "hard kick’in" Rock n roll, Heavy metal cover band for some of the most popular artists to date, transformed into a unique yet somewhat explicit style of popularity with today’s audience. Although some of the material may only be suitable for only mature audiences in a club/bar type of atmosphere, the show is always well worth seeing! These guys will rock till they drop to satisfy their audience’s appetite.

The band now consists of: Joe Riley/vox, j/bass, Joey Krug/guitar, Don McClellen/rythm guitar and Rob Phillipi/drums. A little theatrical make-up and a lot of sincere personal attitude make this band a definite "must see". The band seems to bring in a large fan based crowd, and they are always willing to put forth that extra effort letting their audience know where they will be headed next. They show support for the business owners, and when they hit the stage; they are at work and they love every minute of it!

12YC now covers the four states of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma but there is no telling where their dedication to the music industry may lead them. They put on a fantastic show at the Red Kitten for New Year’s Eve. I remember that one fan was so excited, she literally "lit herself up" on stage and it didn’t seem to bother the crowd because everyone was so impressed with the performance of the band! It was an incredible night. {Relax, nobody was injured.}

The band also frequents the Topeka, KS area at places such as the "STATIC BAR". 12YC recently did a show with some of my favorite local (state area) bands (Firebox, Free Beer, Drivin’ Rain, J D Nash & Red Circle, Backlash, and Babe & The Shakers). They were a hit as usual.

12YC also strongly contributes their time to fund raising, charity events and benefits. They highly support other industries and have also donated items to the Kansas Author’s Club silent auction fund raisers. The members truly understand that you have to be a gifted writer to come up with great song lyrics, and these guys don’t just stop there! They also want to reach out to both the younger and older audiences to build up an even bigger fan base.

The band has their own music CD available now for sale to the public. Some of their own great songs are: SHUT UP, TAKE ME DOWN, SHOW ME, OPEN BOOK, ONE NIGHT STAND, and I WANT YOU (ON ME). A couple other new songs for them are: WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU and FREAK TONIGHT.

12YC also has their own "band merchandise" available for sale at the shows and they are always happy to autograph the item for you, if you’re not too shy to ask them. The members of the band treat their audience like one of their family with a very friendly, pleasant, and professional demeanor.

Be sure to ask your local radio station to play some of the newest of 12YC and please visit their home page and the members myspace pages on the internet if you want to get to know them better.

I can’t wait to attend another show soon.

Yes, 12 year’s coming may have been a long time searching for just the right ’nitch’ to hit the music industry with, but I believe it was absolutely well worth that wait. You guys have done your research well. High 5’s!!! YOU GUYS SIMPLY ROCK!!!

Learn more about this band at: http://www.12yearscoming.com

Also:http://12yearscoming.proboards92.com/

http://www.myspace.com/12yearscoming

http://www.rockwidowpromotions.com

http://www.versaillesrecords.com

Be sure to check out: "Too Fast For Love: A Millennium Tribute To Motley Crue" Versailles Records 2007 (Performing Shout At The Devil)

Visit "THE PIT"- The official message board for 12YC, and let them know what you think of their talents!

So n - Anne Shiever-Topeka Tonight