Downtown and The Feelers
Red Bluff, California, United States
Music
Press
Pure Blues! Ice cold!
Loved the count down - soft and cool and the vocalist slips in like dark chocolate and stays bluesy throughout (good job vocalist!) - excellent dynamics, band, throughout the song!
Love the mix, very groovy, the bass and drums and rhythm guitar were up where they should be and played very well - to my taste. Overall just a great, solid section. Also the lead guitar is mixed just right.
The guitar ad-libs approached ("approached" only because I've listened to so much B.B., Robyn Ford, etc) beautiful, the instrument was played in "sentences" with great "punctuation". The guitar accents to the vocal were tasteful and mixed in right. I'm glad you stayed with a "clean" guitar sound. Good choice in this song.
The background vocal lends a true blues feel to the song. Excellently mixed in, good job engineer! The whole song grooves. Great blues for my taste. You make the standard blues progression work - and many bands can't. I'm working on a standard blues tune and I hope it turns out even nearly as well as you guys pulled it off.
It's 5am here in Utah on a Saturday morning (been listening to you guys since 3am) I'll have to check to see if this tune is on one of your cd's would love to jam along - not to add to your tune, but purely to enjoy being a part, no matter how remotely, to this great bluesy tune.
Good writing, interpretation, and execution by all musicians (again, LOVED the vocal background accents), good arrangement (never boring - always blues), Very Good Mix! The tempo was solid and just right to my taste in this classic style of blue, blue, blues. Bitchin' job done by all.
My only contrary comment is that the ending fragments - like every musician has a different idea of how to wrap up the sweet package. Tighten that up, and you'll have a "5" song.
Very "loose and together" great job Feelers!
......................Bones.
- Number 1 Music
Discography
The band has released four cds so far, but "Strange Things Happen" is our first totally professional release, meaning we actually paid someone to engineer and master the songs in a real studio and manufactored by OasisCD. We've had a number of our songs uploadable on numberonemusic.com. They have all made it to the number 1 position and 'In God We Trust" held that position for six straight weeks. We are currently constructing a MySpace page that will also feature some of our songs.
Photos
Bio
Downtown and The Feelers
Downtown and the Feelers assembled in 2003 by four guys who were playing together in a cover band but wanted to play all original music. Since then the band has put together an impressive list of original music, which have been influenced by rockabilly, traditional rock and blues. They write about life, old relationships, new relationships, and about love in different circumstances. The band has been performing between Sacramento and Redding for the past 5 years, where they play new songs with a familiar groove.
“Downtown” Ricky Brown, although hearing impaired, plays a dynamic and soulful lead guitar. “Blueroad” Bob Halpin does most of the writing and vocals and plays a mean rhythm guitar. “Killaking” Curtiss Johnson plays bass for the band but is an accomplished drummer and guitar player as well. He sold his cow to buy his first guitar. Tim “The Pocket” Marcum, the drummer, has been banging away since he was nine, when he set on a gig featuring Wanda Jackson, one of the Queens of Rockabilly, at Panther Hall in Ft Worth, Texas.
The band has a web page at www.downtownandthefeelers.com. They are also featured at www.numberonemusic.com/downtownandthefeelers where their song “In God We Trust” held the number one position for six weeks in the Blues genre. The band can also be found on their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/downtownandthefeelers. The band has finished production of a new CD, Strange Things Happen, to be released late 2008.
Downtown Ricky Brown
Who are your musical influences?
My first influences were my parents. Dad being on a ship in the U.S. Navy would send me classic Rock records by British & American artists. I listened to all of my parent's collection of country, jazz and comedy albums. When I was 4 years old, I was fortunate to have Navy doctors when my family and I found out that I was 50% deaf.
My Aunt Judy gave me my first guitar, a classical with nylon strings. Mowing yards when gas was 79 cents a gallon helped me to buy my first electric guitar in San Diego. Living between Vallejo and San Diego, CA.; and Naha, Okinawa Japan during the 60's & 70's, there were dozens of music styles that I grew to love; namely Rhythm & Blues, Motown, Cajun, Country Rock, Surf…if it was out there, I listened to it 5 times! God has blessed me with the hearing I have so I use it!!!
Some of my favorites: Beethoven, B.B.King, Hound Dog Taylor, Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, All of the Texan's, SRV, Freddie King, Albert King, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Savoy Brown, to name a few. Thanks to these musicians for their contribution.
How would you describe yourself?
I love to talk surfing, vintage cars, guitars, and women, not necessarily in that order.
My family is my inspiration…
What has been your musical experience?
I was a vice-president and jam coordinator for five years for the Midnight Blues Society in Chico. Before moving to northern California, I didn't have any group experience. The people in the society became goods friends & mentors to me and I am very grateful for them. My first band I played for was Chico Lenny & his Blues Amigos. They were a fun; blues based cover and originals, 5-piece band. Then I met people in my neck of the woods, and together we played as Blueroads. After a year & a half we split up.
I've been writing originals for the past fifteen years. When Downtown & the Feelers was formed, this was the first group of good friends that I wanted to play my own originals with. These guys are the best! Each one is patient with my disability so that I never "feel" a hindrance with my extra amped ears. Again I'm blessed. We have been together 5 years, writing & arranging originals that we hope you like!
Blueroad Bob
Who are your musical influences?
Louie Armstrong was my first influence. My mother played piano and my dad listened to Country, the old stuff. Growing up in the SF Bay area, I was influenced by Quick Silver, Creedence, Doobie Brothers, Santana, and especially Elvin Bishop. I was also into the Beatles, Stones, The Who and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Of course, John Mayall, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty have caught my interest.
What is your inspiration for creating your music now?
Life. Old relationships. New relationships. My band mates. I write a lot about love in different circumstances.
What has been your musical experience?
I began with the trumpet in fifth grade, but lost interest. I began playing guitar in Jr. High. I've been writing songs since high school, but I hadn't played with anyone else until about six years ago when a group of friends formed a band called Blueroads. It was a large group and we played some originals that we wrote and did a lot of covers. Blues mostly.
Then Ricky, Curtiss and I decided that we wanted to concentrate on playing originals exclusively. We have all contributed to the creation of new songs. We've g
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