Casey Berry and the Live Texas Mosquitoes

The name of the band itself conjures memories of post-war roadside attractions;

Dinosaur Village, Tee Pee Motel, Snake Farm (like the one Ray Wylie Hubbard

sings about). Anyone who's ever been south of I-10 (and most other
places) in this great state is familiar with the buzz.

This album is a must-have. Encompassing elements of rock and country, it fits the

Texas mold. Producer Matt Martindale (Matt Martindale Band, Cooder Graw) has

mined the "goody" out of lead vocalist / rhythm guitarist Casey Berry and his

bandmates.

Recorded at the Troubadour in McGregor, three of the songs were written by

Joseph Deeb, guitarist for Mickey and the Motorcars. He wrote their chart toppin'

hit "Careless". One cut was penned by Bo Salling as a tribute to the Amarillo

music scene. Berry wrote the rest, including the new Texas Music Chart offering

"Sister So Long", kind of a Molly Hatchet meets ZZ Top mumber. Other standout

cuts include "Roung and Round", "Outlaws Last Stand", and "I Know A Liar".

This one is worth laying your money down for. Berry has paid his dues and knows

his direction. When asked to sum up the CD, Berry said, "I'm proud of it. It was

the music that I wanted to record. If I end up paying for it till I'm thirty, I wanted to

be pround." - Best In Texas Magazine

Vintage by Casey Berry has a long slow fuse; the flame smolders, stutters a bit, almost goes out and then BANG - and you realise: this album is DYNAMITE!

There's raw power here, real rough-edged Country music. It's tinged with rock in places, almost acoustic in others; it SOUND loose, but it's not loose at all.

It takes real skill to play as tight as these guys do and yet to make the music sound loose and relaxed.

So how come it smolders before the blast hits you. I don't know, it just does. It didn't hit me until the second listen through.

First time round, I thought, nice album, a little rough round the edges.

"I Know A Liar" - the first single off the album is doing really well in the Texas charts and so it should. But I reckon it's one of the three weakest tracks on the album. (Weak, here is a VERY relative term).

The acoustic opening to "Baby When You're Blue" is so brief, you could just miss it, but it sets the tone for the entire track. Written by Berry and producer Matt Martindale, this has a strong backbeat and some extraordinary harmonies from Stephanie Ard. My notepad says "strong chart song". (I'm right!!)

Now, and important thought strikes me, and I should make something clear: Casey, Bryan, Frank and Brandon play brilliantly throughout the album.

But what I noticed most on "Lose, Lose Scenario" was the amazing organ played by session man John Michael Whitby. You have to really listen for it because Matt Martindale has pushed it so far back into the mix.

But I betcha Matt was determined to have it on the track and he was right. It makes the song, gives it the continuity, the depth. Superb production, brilliant mixing. Nice job, sir!

That long fuse is spitting now, coming to life a bit more. "Sister So Long" is upbeat Country music with a funky edge. The lead guitar hook is brilliant, and Brandon Parlow's drums force the pace throughout. BRILLIANT!

Now I can hear the first shock waves of that explosion rumbling. "Remember Mobile" could become a Country classic. Berry's vocals waver across the melody, missing every now and again. The backing chugs along and the chorus is one of the most memorable 1970's rock anthem-style hooks I've heard since - well, since the 1970's.

That 70's feel continues on "Before the Sunrise" which has every chance of topping the Texas charts before years end. Written by Berry, this is brilliant classic Country music with exceptional lyrics. The pedal steel is way over the top, and it works!

KERBOOM!! The album explodes and the band shows what it's truly capable of. The intro on "Something About You" is almost too loose and then BANG, everything tightens up around wonderful lilting rhythm. The lead guitar hook is immense and I suspect the player - Bryan Lee Wilson - is a closet Eagles fan. The sound he gets on the instrumental is Eagles through and through.

The harp adds atmosphere, Berry's lyrics stand the closest examination, the melody of the chorus is way too catchy for ANYONE's good, and this could smash into the national charts.

"Nothing To Do With Love" - I have to say, has a blank space next to it on my pad. It is just another song.

"Cocaine Jane" on the other hand has "WOW, vocals" scribbled large. Berry has an amazing voice. He's win no operatic contest but (and forgive me for being presumptuous) I don't suppose he wants to.

No true Country album would be complete without it's Greyhound bus song and sure enough, there's one here. "Chasing the Wind" It's very ordinary and I've written "only TWO weak songs" while "Outlaws Last Stand" is a cowboy song.

There is one final aftershock. "Round and Round" is a wonderful closer for the album. Berry shows a deeper side here and it's the strongest song on the album lyrically.

And as the final chord fades, as the blast I felt dissipates, I realise I have a warm feeling inside.

These guys have just restored my faith in the Music business. I know, now, that there are guys out there who'll go on playing REAL Country music. In Texas, in Bakersfield, and - we have to hope - in some darkened bars in Nashville, real Country music lives.

Casey Berry and The Live Texas Mosquitoes are proof!

My View: Go BUY the album RIGHT NOW!

By John Lewis - Rodeo Attitude News

Casey Berry is making the biggest waves in the Texas charts right now with his gutsy Country music.

"I Know A Liar" has none of the gloss that hides the inadequacies of most of Nashville's output these days.

Those drums sound like drums, not gated, compressed, reverbed drum machines. You get the feeling these guys stood in the studio and sang this one right off.

And the lyrics are real too. Listen to the bitterness of the first verse - and the harsh truth of it too.

The criminal shame of this is that Casey doesn't stand a chance on mainstream "Country radio" because mainstream Country radio wouldn't recognise this song as Country music at all.

My View: Excellent example of real Roots Country music! - Rodeo Attitude News

Published April 18, 2008 12:24 am - by pop writer

From Amarillo, Texas, we get a band that most may not have heard before but definitely should no...

Casey Berry and the Live Texas Mosquitoes pack country rock that gets under your skin

From Amarillo, Texas, we get a band that most may not have heard before but definitely should note for their authenticity and rustic believabilty.

I'm speaking of singer-songwriter Casey Berry and his backing band, the Live Texas Mosquitoes.

Sure, it's a funny name, but Berry and the boys are rather serious about what they do, particularly on their new record, "Vintage," produced by Matt Martindale of the now-defunct Texas music outfit Cooder Graw.

Martindale does a great job of capturing the quartet's sound, which is largely a mid-tempo country-rock groove. Berry, who wrote most of the songs, sings.

Berry's sensitive sides shines through on "Baby When You're Blue," where Berry tells a woman, "Baby when you fall, you won't fall too far / Cause I'll be there with open arms."

Berry's warm embrace doesn't last too long, though, particularly when we get to "Sister So Long," a more muscular track that has him telling a gal, "Ain't nothing in my rear view but your ghost." Hasta la vista, lady friend.

A lot of these songs are Berry's thoughts and feelings about various relationships.

Sounding more like Dallas-based Old 97's, Berry cues up a wistful and melodic country-jangle tune called "Remember Mobile," which is a true gem of a song about a not-yet-forgotten rendezvous in the southern Alabama city. Oh, and a nice guitar solo courtesy of Bryan Lee Wilson.

Other tracks, such as the folksy "Something About You," bring to mind the gritty alt-country of Steve Earle while Berry looks for redemption on "Round and Round."

Is this the best Texas-Red Dirt album I've heard this year? Not necessarily, but heck, Berry and his crew are a top-drawer outfit and I suspect we'll be hearing more songs from Casey Berry and the Live Texas Mosquitoes. They've got staying power. - The Norman Transcript