Music
Press
Country Music Jukebox, Earl's solo debut (Kill Buffalo Records) "... paints the full picture of well worn bar stools and the downtrodden flies that sulk above them. It’s a notable first time work, and if this is where Pickens feels he belongs, he’ll be a fine alternative to the glossy pop-country all over the place.”
- Glide Magazine
"his live shows reveal a charismatic showman, which explains why the performances on this album have enough chutzpa to command your attention without volume or percussion. The lyrics are worth a quiet listen, even after the songs hook you on the first go round. An unusually appealing debut.”
- Music Matters
Vital and moving, this subdued Country Music Jukebox lives up to the author’s ambition to “make a record that offers little in the way of redemption, but gives you plenty of reasons to have yourself another beer”.
- Splendid Magazine
”... the dozen songs here indicate a guy who could emerge as a formidable talent … Maybe some big-name artist will pick up on one or two of the more commercial-sounding songs here, giving Pickens the mass exposure he’s earned. This is good stuff for folks who disdain poseurs and enjoy a well-turned phrase …”
- cdreviews.com
Praise for Country Music Jukebox, Earl's solo debut:
"The songwriting is stellar, and Earl's voice is very soulful. There's a convincingness to the performances that are very heartfelt and real."
-Bruce Warren
Program Director, WXPN Philadelphia
- WXPN
"just filled with good songs."
David Dye, speaking about Country music Jukebox on his nationally syndicated NPR music program, World Cafe. Mr. Dye praised Earl's solo album and played "Come On Up and Haunt Me Tonight" on his show. - WXPN
Pickens is a ragged but semi-right Brooklyn honky-tonker, a refugee from the East Village “anti-folk” scene, who now brings skilled and clever songwriting to a “good with a few drinks, better with more than a few” Beat Farmers kind of situation. Some satirical intent may be detected.”
- The Village Voice
“roots-rock charged by competence and charm. . . Pickens has some clever originals about the roots music scene to contribute, including “They Were Just The Opening Band,” concerning the horror of having skipped every early show of some local heroes before they got big, and “I’m Not Tired,” referencing with envy a not very successful singer-songwriter who could nonetheless make both straight women and gay boys think he was singing right to them.”
- No Depression Magazine
“A DANG GOOD TIME” - TimeOut New York
“Pickens, a natural when it comes to engaging the crowd, has a performance style reminiscent of The Reverend Horton Heat, who preaches to the congregation through his rockabilly music. However, Mr. Pickens is more cattle-driving herdsman than brimstone-spitting evangelist. He wields his guitar like it’s an electric cattle prod. Instead of “Amens,” he energizes the crowd with “Yeehaws!” - Annabelle Magazine
Discography
Earl Pickens — Turn On the Radio (2007) Kill Buffalo Records
Earl Pickens — When Earl Was 17 It Was a Very Good Year (2006) Kill Buffalo Records
Earl Pickens — Country Music Jukebox (2005) Kill Buffalo Records
Earl Pickens and the Black Mountain Marauders — Live at the Houston Astrodome (2002) Self-Released
Photos
Bio
Earl's wry, catchy songs and pseudo-rock-star stage antics have earned him a loyal following among rural hipsters and urban hillbillies alike. His songs run from heartbreak to humor, and evildoers run from his songs.
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