King Of The Tramps

Two chords and a bottle, by way of Iowa


It’s difficult sometimes to relate.

Sitting in the middle of the UK, its hard to get your head around the US. Their obsession with cars and writing about them (Bruce Springsteen once famously remarked that he would have had no songs at all had he not passed his driving test) doesn’t quite get here, essentially sitting in a traffic jam on the A34 in a grey Seat Leon isn’t exactly a convertible on Route 66 is it?

And yet, there’s something universal about it too. Take the bonus track here, “89 Cutlass”. It uses the vehicle as a metaphor, but its about blue collar struggles, lost youth and myriad other things (including a mention for MV’s favourite record ever, so bonus points ensue) and do you know why this be so loved and thoroughly understood by a bloke thousands of miles away? Because a magnificent song is a magnificent song, and wonderful songwriting is magnificent songwriting anywhere in the damn world.

“Cumplir con el Diablo” is the fourth record from King Of The Tramps, and if you haven’t already worked this out, its marvellous. Whether the laid-back “See You On The Other Side” with its swirling organ and country rock stylings, the horn infused “Ain’t No God” or the totally unapologetic “Last Man Standing” with opines, you suspect with hint of truth, that “Hell, most of my friends are dearly departed/but I’m rounding first now, I’m just getting started” this is a collection that oozes class.

It’s also an album that doesn’t give the tiniest of tiny rats asses for what is supposed to happen on a thing such as this, so “Airplane Bottles” (during which they drink “15 bottles on a two hour flight”) is downright dirty, while “James Brown” brings da funk and “Depression”, far from wallowing in self-pity, is positively effervescent.

In amongst all this is the gorgeous, stripped back “Old Crow” which if Eric Church recorded would most probably top the country charts for months, while everything here has to play second fiddle to the quite brilliant “Nashville Line” and not since Shooter Jennings’ seminal “Outlaw You” has the music business which “cooks up songs just to steal you blind” been taken part so effectively and over such a great song

If you haven’t yet heard King Of The Tramps (and this is a self-release so you might not have) and have any love at all for Rootsy US music, starting with Springsteen – but taking in bands like Georgia Satellites, The Jayhawks, The Allman Brothers but also the filthy blues of Left Lane Cruiser along the way – then if you do nothing else in 2016, make it your business to check them out.

Because, quite frankly, this is a brilliant record – and far too good to be a hidden gem.

Rating 9.5/10 - Maximum Volume Music

The Kings Of The Tramps" did they meet the devil? You can say, on the other hand their music is flamboyant, burning, wild and demonic, so ....
This is music that mixes all the trends of American roots with power, energy and liveliness, a mix of roots rock, rhythm & blues, southern blues and country blues, tasty mixes between the power of Allman Brothers Band, the refinement of the Black Crowes and the dirty blues of Left Lane Cruiser. It's solid and it sounds perfect, this music is a mix of roots and modernity generates freshness and dynamism.
This album is the fourth of the guys from the lowa, state where, obviously, Todd Partridge (vocals, guitars), Adam Audlehelm (keys, collected), Ryan Aum (drums) and Ryan McAlister (bass) did not find the fame and success , as many others in these Midwestern states have, frustration repressed that they express, inter alia, throughout 10 exciting tunes, without Todd forgetting to specify: "I'm Iowa honest, not Iowa nice". What songs, lyrics heavy meaning, served by powerful music, delivered by a group with impressive homogeneity, the band clicks as a whole, a whole of a rare efficiency and enormous power.
If you've never listened to The King Of The Tramp, is urgent to do, it's worth the detour Oh yes, I did not tell you how they defined their musical style, according to them it's "Whiskey Gospel", edifying no? The website: www.kingofthetramps.com - Blues & Co. Magazine - France

Amidst the storm of internet reaction the day after the elections last month, I received an email from Todd Partridge, frontman for Auburn, Iowa band King of the Tramps, with the download for their latest album. He said, “It’s an apolitical protest and love record perfect for a day like today.”

Cumplir con el Diablo, which, according to the band, translates to “meet the devil,” is another collection of their aptly named “whiskey gospel” — an amalgam of blues and rock mined by Southern giants like The Allman Brothers, refined by The Black Crowes and finally minted by King of the Tramps. On the record, King of the Tramps offers anthemic songs with a mixture of swagger, attitude and honest-to-goodness road-seasoned grooves that I usually have to dig deeper in my record collection to find, and even further back in the dusty recesses of my memory.

Partridge, who also serves as the band’s lyricist, has a small-town perspective that reminds me of my own — growing up in a town with nothing much going on but drinking and raising a little hell. In his raucous tribute to this lifestyle, “Last Man Standing,” he sings “Spent half of my life in South Sac County, with that barbed wire and ditch weed all around me.”

The best way to listen to this record is by spinning the transparent vinyl version — the turntable needle tracing the spiral scratch recreates the heat of the recording sessions. The minimalist cover art looks great at 12 inches, too. It’s nice to have the lyric sheet handy while it spins. The only bummer is that the digital bonus track, “89 Cutlass” — a love song to a first car — isn’t on it.

I haven’t heard an album that so perfectly paints the pent-up frustrations of the Midwest since Mellencamp’s 1985 album Scarecrow. “I’m Iowa honest, not Iowa nice,” Partridge shouts in “Last Man Standing” and that is the overall M.O. for Cumplir con el Diablo. It’s an album that is starkly honest with no agenda other than to represent the heart and soul of small town Iowa life. - Little Village Magazine

“I listen to the tramp, tramp of my feet and wonder where I was going and why I was going.”

Bart Kennedy said that back when he was fighting and writing his way across the United States 110 years ago. And while most of us today are too soft and complacent to go wandering the countryside in search of adventure and our next meal, the desire for that feeling of carefree joy is universal.

It was a feeling that was available to all who searched for it last Saturday at Gas Lamp, thanks to the combined efforts of Peace Love and Stuff and King of the Tramps.

Peace Love and Stuff, the evening’s opening act, is a polished, high-energy act that’s a comfortable fit in a wide variety of lineups. Currently working on its first full-length album, Peace Love and Stuff has honed its live shows over the past several months, developing a performance that is cohesive and fun.

But the evening belonged to King of the Tramps. The Auburn five-piece was celebrating the release of its new album, “Wicked Mountain,” and for anyone new to the Tramps’ sound, Saturday night was an impressive, irresistible primer. The Tramps — consisting of guitarist Justin Snyder, bassist Adam Smith, keyboardist Adam Audlehelm and drummer Ryan Audlehelm — is presided over by front man Todd Partridge. Part troubadour, part tent revival preacher, Partridge holds court over his audience, welcoming all to the Tramps roots rock/jam band sound with the charisma of a faith healer. CV - Des Moines City View

Back in April Todd Partridge told me that the new King of the Tramps CD was coming along beautifully and that he couldn't wait for me to hear it. I have to admit, upon hearing that I began to tingle with excitement. At this stage in my life, it generally takes a lot to get me tingling.

Wicked Mountain is the 2nd release for the Tramps. It follows Good People, which was released in 2011. Good People is a great album in it's own right, and I was curious to see if Todd's hype was justified or if it was self-serving hyperbole ahead of the typical sophomore curse. I knew that there was something different about this band, but I couldn't put my finger on it... They have a spark that others do not... and while it's more of an aura than an instantaneous flash, it's definitely there. It could be the way the band conducts itself, which is extremely commendable. While they aren't constantly in your face, they offer enough web presence to keep themselves interesting, and they cruise the social networks with a flair of modesty that is rare in the central Iowa music scene. Not only have the Tramps solidified their place among the major players in the state, but they do so with an uncanny charm that captures a wide audience. This audience treats these Kings as royalty, and one might be hard pressed to find an Iowa band that is more respected by it's fan base than the Tramps are.

The fan base, like everything else the Tramps are associated with is justified. Nobody else is creating the sound that the Tramps are, and with Wicked Mountain, the Tramps have outdone themselves. So much for the sophomore curse. It doesn't exist on Wicked Mountain, and to be perfectly honest, I suspected as much. What you do get is Iowa roots rock performed Tramp style, which is the purest definition available. It's the cross street where The Band meets the Rolling Stones meets Iowa BBQ picnic. What's perfect about this surprisingly natural concoction is that not one of these flavors outshine the other. In other words, your ears hear the obvious Band and Stones influence but it's the Tramps own signature sound that stamps itself above the others.

The songwriting on Wicked Mountain is superb, the musicianship is outstanding, and general flow of the record is testament to the band's attention to detail. To mention one song as more of a standout than another would be frivolous, because it's literally impossible for me to nail down a favorite. the first time I listened to the album, the song "Leaves of Grass" stepped up above the others as my personal favorite, but the next time it was "Kiss My Ass." Then it was "Death's Door" and then "Fresh Green Light of Day." And of course the title track to the album ranks right up there also. - The Bigfoot Diaries - Troy Church

I Have a soft spot for roots rock, and King Of The Tramps do it just about as well as anyone in town. The band has a sound that's one part throwback to the days of the ragged, R&B-infused rock of the late '60's, one part Black Keys/White Strips contemporary. The result is an album, "Good People," that's bluesy, at time aggressive and constantly engaging. The title track is a pitch perfect ape of the White Stripes halcyon "White Blood Cells"/"Elephant" days. while "No Pills, No Powder is a jam band dream, with a driving rhythm section and one of the sexiest guitar hooks you'll hear. Thematically, "Good People" is more of a sampler platter than a full meal, but that must means that you're bound to find at least one track to blast the neighbors with. CV

- Des Moines City View - Chad Taylor

Keep your ear tuned for a new band on the rise out of Auburn, IA. We had the chance to hear King Of The Tramps at the legendary Byron's music hall in Pomeroy, IA on Sunday night. The band plays "raggedy, rootsy rock" by it's own description and most of it by its own composition.

Lean man Todd Partridge might give Iowa songwriter laureate Greg Brown a run for his money with anthems about working, wine and women on the gravel roads of the Tall Corn State. One of his songs involves pulling a pliers out of your overalls and then a tooth out of your mouth. He says it is a true story. Something about burying him face down so you can kiss him.

Legend has it that the band takes its name from Tex KT (King of the Tramps), who roamed the US in the 1930's and 40's. Tex would have found a loud and lively to welcome him on Sunday night.
- Storm Lake Times - Art Cullen

Four dedicated musician buddies are doing what they enjoy doing - and doing so very well! King of the Tramps have honored the 29th Bluesfest Ingolstadt on their tour of Germany, and it is a shame that only a few handful of listeners found their way to the New World that evening. For it is precisely these small but fine musical jewels that enrich the local cultural scene immensely. King of the Tramps are from Iowa (USA) and delight their listeners with a mix of blues, roots and country rock. Singer and guitarist Todd Patridge writes songs about the world view of his Irish granny ("the fresh green light of day"), adorns the number "Wandering child" with a German interlude "Today here, tomorrow there" and sings in "89 Cutlass" a General Motors Oldsmobile. With Adam Audlehelm on the keyboards, Ryan Audlehelm on the drums and Ryan McAlister on the electric bass, the sometimes hypnotic-haunting, sometimes lively-lively pieces are powerfully presented. King of the Tramps are a four-headed combo that delivers some of their "Whiskey Gospel" songs with a wink, yet always professionally. From time to time some punk flashes through, and some numbers are reminiscent of Monster Magnet in their tonal density, like a board here are the chords on the rich drum sound. Definitely a freak in the positive sense, Todd Patridge knows how to wrap his audience around his fingers and makes a song line about an old Minnesota bar frequented by people who want to forget about their worries in the New World: " It's hard times out there, but always good times in here! "

Especially when such musical gems emerge - long live the cabaret in all its facets, without which a city would be just a smooth facade. Bands like King of the Tramps open the door to the world in places like these and create important intercultural connection points with their music. - DonauKurier