State Line Mob
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State Line Mob

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"State Line Mob playing strong, taking it slow"

Phillip and Dana Crunk spent much of their younger days playing music in clubs around the Shoals and bars along the Tennessee State Line.

Because of that, and their keen awareness of the exploits of the legendary McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser, it was fitting that the Southern rock band the husband-and-wife team formed this past year would be known as The State Line Mob.

The State Line Mob was the nickname of the late sheriff's adversaries, a criminal element that controlled bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, tourist fleecing, robbery and murder in the region during the 1950s and '60s.

Circulating around some of the same locales is where the similarities between today's State Line Mob and the outlaws of decades past ends.

Phillip and Dana's activities strictly involve music that Phillip Crunk admits is heavily influenced by Southern rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"It's what I've listened to all my life," Crunk said.

Crunk also wants to incorporate the three-guitar assault that was used so effectively by Skynyrd in its heyday.

The band includes him and his wife on vocals and Aaron Watterson on

guitars.

The Crunk's utilized studio musicians to record an album, which is available on the band's Web site,

statelinemob.com, and cdbaby.org.

"I started out playing drums," Crunk said. "I gigged around here in this area, in Tennessee and Mississippi around the state line.

"Dana, she's from Rogersville,Al. She plays guitar and keyboards, and I do, too. For this gig, The State Line Mob, we're strictly on vocals."

The album, "Ruckus," was recorded in 2007 at with producer Chris Sevier at Quad Studios and mixed at OMNIsound Studios by famous engineer, George Tutko. It was released on Sevier's Severe Records Feb 2008.

"Dollar Short," an album by country artist Chad Bradford, who hails from the Hatton area, was also released on Severe Records.

"We really started The State Line Mob this past summer," Crunk said. "We spent a good six months working on our new CD."

Some of the time while they were in Nashville, Crunk said he and his wife would take their guitars and hit the clubs on Broadway.If the club management wouldn't let them play, the band would take the music outside to the streets.

"There are a lot of musicians on the street, some interesting stories," he said.

Right now, Crunk said he and his wife are looking for musicians to fill State Line Mob's roster.

"Everyone we know is involved in a lot of different things themselves," he said. Crunk also said it's sometimes difficult to get the necessary commitment out of people to have a successful band.

All 10 songs on "Ruckus" were written by Phillip Crunk, with some help from his wife and Sevier.

The music is straight-ahead guitar-heavy Southern rock with Crunk and his wife sharing the vocal duties.

Phillip Crunk's favorite track is "Hooked."

"It's a love song, I guess," the 33-year-old said.

"It Keeps Me Going" is about the Southern way of life and some of the things you deal with, but manage to continue moving on.

Crunk said he visualized the track "It's Up To You" while he was writing it. The song speaks of the paths people choose to take in life and that it's up to them to change them.

"There's so many ways you can take that song," he said. It could be addressing someone with a drug or alcohol problem or a teenage runaway.

"American Beauty" is an ode to a car Crunk owned, a 1970 Dodge Charger that bore the famous "General Lee" paint scheme made famous on the "Dukes of Hazzard" television show.

While that car is a memory, its replacement, a 1968 Charger with the same paint scheme, is featured on the "Ruckus" album cover.

"McNairy County Line" is about the late Sheriff Pusser.

Crunk said he and his wife are purposely taking things slowly, gathering a band and playing acoustic showcases in Nashville.

On Wednesday, State Line Mob will perform tracks from "Ruckus" live on 92.3 The Sound from Muscle Shoals Sound Studios at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield.

Crunk said they also have a Skynyrd medley they plan on performing as a tribute.

The vibe will be enhanced by an appearance by former
Skynyrd backup singer Jo Jo Billingsley.

"I am honored to have been a part of the greatest band of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and I am so pleased to have gotten to record there in Muscle Shoals," Billingsley said. "My coming back and doing this for you all and the State Line Mob is just a way for me to say thanks to the fans and everyone who loves the music."

Crunk said his producers are busy shopping the album around to some major labels.

"That's really where our focus is at," he said.

Russ Corey can be reached at russ.corey@timesdaily.com or 256-740-5738.

- Russ Corey Timesdaily


Discography

State Line Mob has just now released their debut cd "Ruckus".We have all 10 tracks from "Ruckus" streaming on & http://cdbaby.com/cd/statelinemob & available for purchase at the url site link provided.You can also preview our songs by going to http://www.myspace.com/statelinemob
You can also listen to an acoustic version of Me & General Lee by going to http://www.myspace.com/statelinemobsgenerallee01. We have started a small radio campaign performing acoustic songs with interviews promoting our cd.Currently,we have local & surrounding Alabama area radio stations playing songs from our cd "Ruckus" as well as radio stations in Texas & Tennessee.Our cd is being broadcasted over the airways in Europe as our goal is to reach broader audiences nationwide & worldwide.

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Bio

State Line Mob has released their new debut album "Ruckus" to the world, & has left many saying,they will have the best album of 2008, and could have the best Southern Rock album since Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Street Survivors" way back in 1977.To S.L.M., thats great compliments to have been given to them!With the cd only being released just a few weeks ago,folks have been purchasing Ruckus off the internet shelves of cdbaby & their statelinemob.com website steady since announced & have sold copies here in the USA,UK,Germany & France.People everyday tell them that State Line Mob music is exactly what radio has been missing for some time now.Well,we agree!

With State Line Mob,our vocals are powerfull & you can clearly hear & understand the lyrics we sing.Everyday people,young or old can relate to the lyrics we write because they deal with real everyday life experiences including ours.The kids & teenagers are also really digging our music ,says Phillip & Dana,who proudly owns the 1968 General Lee car thats with them on their cd cover of "Ruckus".Our 1970 model Charger General Lee inspired us to write the song "American Beauty" that's on our cd "Ruckus".However,we have wrote a new song about our current General Lee.The song titled "Me & General Lee" is scheduled to be released this spring of 2008 as a single and/or could end up as an added bonus track of later future releases of "Ruckus".Theres alot of proud General Lee owners & fans like us & this new song goes out to them.We will be performing this song as a standard for all of our shows.

Phillip & Dana Crunk write all of their own music & lyrics with the exception of some help from their producer at Severe Records from time to time.
We enjoy writing music & anytime we can collaborate with any like minded songwriters,
we think its great!We have a great band lined up & look forward to stormin out & making a huge impact in the music industry.The band's southern rock /country outlaw sound is similar to their influences of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company and 38 Special’s, updated for this decade & era.But make no mistake,Phillip & Dana take pride with saying they are original & really just sound like themselves.Being ourselves & being real to who we are & to the fans, is what seperates us from other singers & bands.We both come from a family background of musicians & have both been playing music & singing all our lives.We both play piano & I started out playing drums in various bands growing up.
Leaders Phillip Crunk and Dana Crunk trade off on vocals and sing for you great southern harmony. With "Ruckus," they have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in American music.