Beitthemeans
Birmingham, Alabama, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
"...boot-stomping rock 'n' roll with classic rock sensibilities filtered through both piss and vinegar." - Birmingham Weekly
Like a loose breeding between Kings of Leon and Motörhead, this hard rock band hits like a swig of grainy moonshine. Big, nasty and muscular, their set was the primal soundtrack of humid Southern punk clubs.
- Orlando CityBeat
Beitthemeans – Wall St. Plaza, 7:40 p.m. I predicted these Alabama boys would kick some ass based on their muscular recordings, but there's even more danger in their live onslaught. Honkin', slashin', twangy, swaggering, this band can go from a supercharged Kings of Leon to a redneck Motörhead with large layers of guitars that rise and crash with authority.
- Orlando CityBeat
"...the best southern punk rock since Lynyrd Skynyrd."
- Don VanCleave_President of the Coalition Of Independent Music Stores
From the first time I saw them this summer to their most recent show at Brother's Bar on September 10th, this quintet from Birmingham, AL has never failed to impress me.
Luckily, it seems like I'm not the only one.
At a recent music conference in Orlando, FL, a couple of the band members met Warren Haynes of Government Mule. He listened to their album, Shotgun Radio, and liked it enough to offer the band an opening slot at two upcoming shows. They will be appearing at the Alabama Theatre on November 17th in Birmingham and on November 19th at the Tabernacle in Atlanta.
If you've listened to Government Mule, they are undeniably southern rock. So is Beitthemeans. But, with a little twist.
They are much heavier and more straightforward with limited guitar solos and they have a punk sensibility that gives their songs a sense of immediacy.
Comprised of Jeff Hendon (guitar, vocals), Josh Jones (guitar, vocals), Casey Wilson (bass), and Nathan Kelley (drums), this foursome combines lyrics that tend to be dark and foreboding with a tight, powerful rhythm section and an all-out guitar assault that makes for a great live performance and an equally good debut album.
Shotgun Radio, available atwww.beitthemeans.com consists of 13 songs.
"Cain and Abel" is one of my favorites. Starting out with the line, "Squeeze my trigger," the band explodes into the song with a reckless abandon that reminds me Nirvana and the Pixies.
Another highlight is "Devil's Rope." With a melancholy guitar intro, the song talks about how "the rich get for free and the poor, they give everyday."
Although powerful, the songs are still melodic. The lyrics range from anger to sadness and Hendon and Jones' soulful delivery give them an enduring quality.
If you get a chance to see Beitthemeans live, I highly recommend it. This band is really good.
They will be playing at The Alley Cat in Atlanta on September 16th and on October 14th they will be at The Nick in Birmingham. - THE CHANTICLEER by Jeff Pruitt
Beitthemeans. Alabama gets the shit end of the rock stick, you know? The land of cotton is better known for segregation and space museums than it is for its burgeoning young rock bands. Verbena made a blip on the radars a few years back. Northstar had its brief MTV2 time. Not much else, though (and no, "American Idol"-ist Bo Bice doesn't count). Beitthemeans, a Southern rock group hailing from Birmingham, may be the Heart of Dixie's next big hope. Standing at the intersection of Skynyrd and Zeppelin, the group's unapologetic taste for Marshall stacks and songs about girls (particularly the heartbreaking kind) offer redemption for listeners sick of irony and pretentious, statement-about-the-world acts. These guys are the real deal, worth every can of shitty beer you should buy them after their concert. - Creative Loafing / Weekly Planet
Beitthemeans' shows always draw a healthy throng, and the tiny Nick was packed by the time the band took the stage. Opening up the set with a swaggering sneer, beitthemeans kept the up a rowdy set with aggressive vocals and searing guitar licks. These local veterans have played with such national acts as Gov't Mule, and every bit of their tenured rocking shows on stage. Every song was clean and concise, with the only minor complaint being that the sound was a little too big for a venue like The Nick.
-Review by David Feltman - Southeast Performer Magazine
First, let's concede that there won't be many Be It The Means reviews that don't invoke Lynyrd Skynyrd. Kingdom Come had the same problem with Led Zeppelin, but Be It The Means isn't a pale imitation. They're actually the revenge from beyond the grave of Ronnie Van Zant, who previously had to settle for being embarrassed by the likes of Raging Slab.
— J.R. Taylor - Birmingham Black and White
After two years of engaging hard edge rock and rollers at venues in Birmingham and all around the Southeast, Beitthemeans is finally ready to wow the crowds with their first full-length CD, Shotgun Radio. If hard music isn’t part of your regular listening rotation, there’s a reluctance to listening to the average heavy metal rock band. Beitthemeans just might convert non-believers.
Lead singer Jeff Hendon has a one of a kind raspy voice that is mesmerizing and mixes well with the vocals of Josh Jones to create an almost soothing form of rock and roll. Together, they have the ability to convey the violent high-pitched screaming sound of hard rock without overdoing it, while maintaining the calming essence of captivating melody.
Unlike many heavy rock bands that essentially sound angry in their overall tone, Beitthemeans is able to convey honest emotions through their blended expressions of rage and compassion. The debut album contains thirteen appealing songs ranging from the catchy and fast-paced style of “Blown Up Doll,” to the jerkier sound of “1000 Miles,” to the gentle and harmonious acoustic rhythm of “Better Mistakes.” The varying tones of the different songs make the CD extremely easy to listen to all the way through, contradicting any reluctance to the constant thrashing sound that is typical to many metal bands.
The title track is among the strongest songs on the album because. The song features a surprisingly pleasant-sounding chorus in which the vocalist sings “I feel like we’ve been here before / please stay here with me / Oh yeah, everybody knows / every time we get down / Oh yeah / shotgun radio /everybody get down. This certainly isn’t business-as-usual for metal. For those more interested in the harder side of rock and roll, Cain and Abel carries the quintessential heavy sound on more than a few of the songs. (self-released)
-Jennie Wolff - Southeastern Performer Magazine
BEiTTHEMEANS, a Southern rock band based out of Birmingham, Ala., has brought a new feel to Music City, USA.
The band consists of Josh Jones, guitar/vocals; Casey Wilson, bass, and Nathan Kelley, drums. Together they create a sound that can't be compared to any one band.
The Billy Block Show is a show that gives unsigned artists the opportunity to have air play for their music.
Just debuting on the Billy Block Show Sunday, Nov. 23, Billy Block described BEiTTHEMEANS as, "A mix of Lynard Skynard and Led Zepplin."
Though his description may be correct, their musical roots run much deeper. They're a cocktail of blues, Southern rock, classic rock and metal all jumbled into one.
Most of their songs start out with a Southern rock feel, but the deeper you get into them the more they change. They move from heavy metal guitar chords reminiscent of Metallica to bluesy guitar riffs similar to The Doors.
"Day of the Dog," their debut song on the Billy Block Show, demonstrates this musical cocktail they call BEiTTHEMEANS.
"Day of the Dog" starts off with funky bass and a bluegrass/bluesy guitar picking.
Jones's raspy voice has the screech of Robert Plant, the clarity of Chris Robinson and the metal yell of James Hetfield.
The lyrics recollect a Jim Morrison-feel as they talk about washing their sins and repeat, "drink your whiskey dry."
Like most rock bands, they have a metal breakdown. This is where BEiTTHEMEANS is phenomenal. On top of a heavy metal breakdown, they have a melodic undertone. Ending with the blues guitar and Jones repeating "drink your whiskey dry;" similar to "Roadhouse Blues."
You can check them out on MySpace and at their Web site www.beitthemeans.net.
The Billy Block Show is every Tuesday at The Cadillac Ranch and airs every Sunday for his "locals only" show on 103 WKDF. For more information on the Billy Block Show check out www.billyblock.com.
—Rachael Herron - The All State
Discography
Shotgun Radio--(2004 independent full length debut)
"Crude Alabama Storyteller's"
2nd Full length Album 2008
Low Dose Exposure--(compilation disc on Skybucket Records)
Crude Alabama Storytellers--(August 2008, second full length independent release)
Head Held High--(2012 Ol Elegante Records)
Photos
Bio
Far from the city lights and flashy glam rock bands, lies the gritty soulful power-trio from the backwoods of rural Alabama a "Southern rock group hailing from Birmingham, may be the Heart of Dixie's next big hope:" BEITTHEMEANS.
The current BEITTHEMEANS lineup, Josh Jones (guitar, vocals), Casey Wilson (bass) and Nathan Kelley (drums), began writing and compiling material in fall 2006 in the woodshed for what became their new sophomore full-length album and best effort to date, "Crude Alabama Storytellers" self-released in August 2008.
"Best southern punk rock since Lynyrd Skynyrd," said The Coalition of Independent Music Stores President Don VanCleave. Warren Haynes invited them to open shows for Gov't Mule at the Alabama Theater in Birmingham and The Tabernacle in Atlanta.
BEITTHEMEANS has landed opening slots for national touring acts such as Gov't Mule, Kings X, Kid Rock, Jet, Verbena, The Knack, Burning Brides, Breaking Benjamin, Tantric and for Ron Jeremy's touring comedy act, just to name a few.
BEITTHEMEANS is most often mistaken for "vietnamese" by the general public. The name comes from the southern saying "be it the means" which loosely translates to 'whatever it takes.' Be-it-the-means can be summarized as just that; the means to an end, to the beginning, brutal truths in the shape of music. The story of the music is felt down to the core, to the soul of the listener. Punctuated by diverse guitar and bass rhythms, the abrasively- gripping lyrics sends the listener down that dirt road to see the realness of their story. So "be it."
In the summer of 2003, after various recorded demos and a fading attempt of creative differences as a three-piece band, founding members Nathan Kelley (drums) and Jeff Hendon (guitar, vocals) were searching for a bass player. Josh Jones (guitar, vocals) and Casey Wilson (bass) were a tag team of rock set in stone years before by a chance meeting at Casey's daddy's funeral where they found common ground influenced by hard upbringings (to say the least); the loss of immediate loved ones as Josh had already witnessed the passing of both his mother and father earlier in life. Josh and Casey joined Nathan and Jeff to round out the lineup and bring BEITTHEMEANS to full fruition with a dual singer/songwriter/guitarist frontman format to boot.
As a four-piece rock outfit comprised of small town Alabama boys, the members of BEITTHEMEANS declared Birmingham their home base and self-released their first full-length album "Shotgun Radio" in 2004 to positive reviews. After promoting the album extensively throughout 2005 and most of 2006 and garnering the attention of major promoters, record labels and entertainment lawyers alike, Jeff parted ways with the band in the summer of 2006.
"Standing at the intersection of Skynyrd and Zeppelin, the group's unapologetic taste for Marshall stacks and songs about girls (particularly the heartbreaking kind) offer redemption for listeners sick of irony and pretentious, statement-about-the-world acts. These guys are the real deal," says Creative Loafing.
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