Music
Press
Blues rockers run wild
Boston Herald
By Kerry Purcell/ Meet the Band
September 1, 2006
"The sound: Modern blues that grabs hold of your soul and rocks it." - Boston Herald
Boston Herald Cover and Interview
Boston Herald July 24, 2006
Glamour girls - Pinup revival revels in styles of the fabulous 1950s
By Tenley Woodman
"Women active in Boston's underground rockabilly scene, a culture dedicated to the styles and country-rock and blues music of the 1950s, are putting their twist on the classic pinup styles...Allston-based singer-songwriter/pinup Black Betty has gained national recognition for her work...
"Eighty percent of the time I'm Black Betty," said Jenny Langer, 22, lead singer of the band Black Betty and the Bad Habits. "For each of us girls, we are creating our own characters. I was kind of a geek growing up so once I got out of it I created Black Betty and she's strong, powerful and sexy."...
Black Betty, who trained at Berklee College of Music, is Mode Merr's artist of the month..." - Boston Herald
Black Betty revives pinup chic
The Boston Globe
By Joseph P. Kahn, Globe Staff | February 13, 2007
"[Black Betty] may be young in age, but she's really an old soul," says Zampell, owner of Mode Merr clothing, and a former costumer for the Boston Lyric Opera. "She takes the business seriously. But she's also totally into dress-up and pretend."
Langer [aka Betty] is just as serious about exploring the roots and rituals of pinup culture, much as a young guitarist might mine old LPs for vintage Delta blues riffs..."
...Fundamentally, it's a scene as much character-driven as it is fashion-driven. Black Betty, for instance, a name borrowed from an old blues song, is a persona Langer slips into as comfortably as a sequined peasant blouse. Fronting [The Joe Poppen Band], she draws inspiration from Janis Joplin and Koko Taylor . But she layers on plenty of cheesecake, too, creating a vibe at once sonic and sartorial...."
See the whole article at http://www.boston.com/yourlife/fashion/articles/2007/02/13/say_cheese/ - The Boston Globe
"This band rocks to the beat of a thumping bass and solid drums, and are perfectly accompanied by powerhouse vocals that fall somewhere between Joan Jett and Janis Joplin. Black Betty however eschews the classic rock chick image in favour of more of a retro and iconic Betty Page look - a sort of burlesque & roll. Don't be fooled though, Betty can certainly belt out rock and blues songs with the best of them....On this evidence Betty is clearly a girl who can show you a good time ... or a bad time - and she has the habits to do both!" - bluesbunny.com
Discography
-Currently recording new album at Cue Studios (Michael Jackson, Dave Mathews Band, Toni Braxton, Garbage, Groove Theory, and more).
-2 Stackhouse Drop-Top recording artist "Memphis Gold" recordings. J
-Joe can be heard on the full length EP "The Prodigal Son" as well the "Angels" single.
-Worldwide radio airplay as well as the cable "Music Choice" blues channel
Photos
Bio
*Winner of the 2008 Boston Blues Challenge Semifinals.
*Nominated for Boston's Best Female Vocalist by WBZTV 2007 and 2008.
*Featured on the Rockabilly Hall of Fame website
*Together, Joe Poppen and Black Betty have shared the stage with Roomful of Blues, George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars, Tom Principato, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bobby Parker, Everclear (Cuba), Peaches (Exotic Erotic Ball), Snoop Dog (Exotic Erotic Ball), Peter, Paul and Mary, Catfish Hodge, Nadine Rae, Clarence "The Bluesman" Turner, Charlies Sayles (W.C. Handy award nominee), Memphis Gold, and more.
Admittedly, The Joe Poppen Band has a tough time walking down the streets of Boston and DC. Between the trademark mass of black curls crowning Joe's head and Black Betty's signature luscious diva/retro pinup appearance, the band is recognized frequently. That's alright- coming from cities that have sparked the careers of many popular blues and rock artists, they think they're in good company. Established in Boston, MA in 2006, the group made appearances throughout the USA and Cuba and relocated to Washington DC at the end of 2008.
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“I now have a new respect for the Boston music scene,” said Tony Van Veen, CEO of Disc Makers after the band brought down the house at the Disc Makers official Boston party in 2008. The Joe Poppen Band takes their audiences on a journey through several incarnations of the blues, ranging from roots to funk to blues rock.
For as young as they are, their music clearly demonstrates old roots and involves audience members from a vast array of backgrounds. Blues enthusiasts, college kids, burlesque lovers, and even biker bar regulars come together on the dance floors of JPB's shows. “They’re absolutely fantastic and innovative. They’re not playing the same songs every other blues group does- I didn’t hear a single “Stormy Monday”, “Sweet Home Chicago”, or “Mustang Sally”. I’m sure they would if the audience really wanted it, but it’s the first blues act I’ve seen in Boston that could be described as refreshing.”- Satch Romano of the Mighty Housebreakers.
Since the age of 17, Joe Poppen has toured and played with blues and R&B legends Memphis Gold, Charlie Sayles (Bill Monroe), Emmett Kittrell (Wilson Pickett), Ralph “Rowe” Oliver (Percy Sledge, Diana Washington), ElWarren (SPOON) Weatherspoon (Hall & Oates, LTD, Santana, Tracy Chapman), Bobby Parker and more. His guitar playing has taken him around the world, including coast to coast on U.S. tours as well as Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, the Sinai Penninsula, the Azores Islands, Cuba, and beyond.
Now Poppen has stepped forward to lead his own band, astonishing audiences with the power and depth of his group. Joe’s killer playing is complimented by lead vocalist Black Betty, who is also known as the East Coast's favorite pinup model. "Black Betty carries her soul in her voice. It can cut straight through you. If I didn't know better, I would say she sold her soul to the Devil at the crossroads in Mississippi to get that talent," claims music enthusiast Daniel Stevens. “The little lady with the big voice,” proclaims the Boston Herald. Equally at ease with rock and blues, her energy is contagious as she works the crowd. She has been nominated as "Best Female Vocalist in Boston" by WBZ-Channel 4, competed in the Boston Blues Challenge two years in a row, and is even featured on the Rockabilly Hall of Fame website.
**Additional videos can be seen at:
http://vimeo.com/1686757
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-xKzRtjRRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgbC0Wbjovw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq55hRTN0GY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXRaq7Y7_Gk
Links
