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The Dedringers
By Michael Corcoran
Although only 22, Sean Faires and Jonny Burke of the Dedringers have been playing together for several years. But it wasn't until recently that the New Braunfels natives, who now live in Austin, realized that they actually first played music in unison in the third grade at Seele Elementary. "We didn't know each other back then, but we both played in the (40-member) Orff Ensemble," says Faires, who wrote and sings the title track of the new "Sweetheart of the Neighborhood," which has made Dedringers the sweethearts of the scene. "I was telling him about how I went to Dallas to play the xylophone when I was 9 and Jonny said, 'I was on that trip, too!' "
The two truly bonded musically when they were 14 and they started a folk duo to play the songs of Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt and a few of their own. At 16, they trekked to Oklahoma to make a record that "everyone, at the time, told us sounded good," Faires says. He and Burke can't stand to listen to it today.
Produced in Lockhart by R.S. Field (Hayes Carll, Billy Joe Shaver), "Sweetheart" is a clearer picture of where Faires and Burke (who've never had a fulltime backup band) are today, with their rockin' riffs and rollin' yearn. KGSR has given the band a boost by adding "Institution," which sounds like early Wilco, to its playlist.
When the band first started playing out, some folks were hoping they sounded just like Jerry Garcia and company. Overhearing a club owner telling the band they needed a name, some drunk at the bar yelled out "Dead Ringers." It sounded fine to the duo, who didn't realize folks thought they were a Grateful Dead tribute band until they heard an inordinate number of requests for "Sugar Magnolia" and "Dark Star" one night. The "a" was history, though, to be fair, "Josephine" does sound like a Dead song sans noodling.
If the Ded boys could be accused of aping anyone, it would be the Rolling Stones, during their Gram Parsons association.
"When we went to New Braunfels High (Go Unicorns!) there was some pressure to play (a more current style), but we were raised on the old stuff," says Burke, one of the few kids from NB who never worked at Schlitterbahn (Faires did).
But while embracing classic rock and folk, Dedringers manager Mike Crowley (who manages Carll) knows that the old model of getting your music out there via record labels is as outdated as "Whasssup!" commercials. The band worked out a nifty deal with several record stores, including Waterloo, to offer free downloads of half of "Sweetheart of the Neighborhood," with a coupon allowing fans to buy the full, hold-it-in-your-sweaty-hands CD, for only $6.99. Six weeks into the program, more than 3,000 LP samplers have been loaded down.
"Our goal is to get people to come out to our shows," Burke says. "Having a record you're proud of is great, but it doesn't mean much if you can't pull it off live."
- The Dedringers
"They write their songs with lightning and rock
like they want blood". - Ray Wylie Hubbard
"When The Dedringers play the Hollywood Bowl we hope that they will let us open for them". - James McMurtry
"These guys mean business, and it's a sound that has a formula to crank out hits. Hooks galore, a winning stage persona, and an overall powerful yet relieving sound make the Dedringers a force to be reckoned with"
--Chris Friday, Promoter
Higher Ground
South Burlington, VT
"Just killer stuff!!! Great live show, great songs, just a killer band."
-Rob Ortiz, Promoter
Mexicali Live
Teaneck, NJ
"When you catch these guys live (or should I say when they catch you) man do they get your attention! You can't help just digging the hell out of them."
-Frank Hicks, Owner
Knuckleheads
Kansas City, MO
“Their sound - if i have to compare it somewhere - sounds like a grittier Stones fronted by a darker Neil Young. Seriously. (Their) lyrics mixed with perfect timing on the guitars and spot-on harmonies stole my attention for the entire show.”
-Payton
http://thismornin.blogspot.com/
“Original songs that will make you smile, laugh, Rock, sing, dance, and remind you of your own life experiences. It's amazing that at only 22 years old they write songs that are filled with so much emotion and forethought….Their music is food for the heart, mind, and soul….beyond brilliant live.”
-Amazon Fan Review
"The Dedringers don’t look old enough to have drivers’ licenses, but these savvy young Austinites have concocted an irresistible country-rock blend on their debut, Sweetheart Of The Neighborhood. The title song has a Rolling-Stones-meets-Steve-Earle feel to it, and it got us so giddy we added a bonus, 'Institution.'"
-George Kovacik
30daysout.wordpress.com
8.12.08
- Misc.
Discography
2008: Sweetheart Of The Neighborhood - Dedcrow Music
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Bio
Sweetheart of the Neighborhood
The Dedringers
Dedcrow Records
As the Dedringers were gearing up to record Sweetheart of the Neighborhood, their first long player, they asked veteran producer R. S. Field to produce. Dedringer Sean Faires, who shares guitar, songwriting and vocal duties with Jonny Burke, says that "R. S. has such a wide range of musical knowledge, we thought that he would understand what we do".
"I am lucky to have gotten to work with them" says Field. "What really grabbed me about their songs and playing is what I love about Sticky Fingers by the Stones. The collection of songs is pretty diverse, yet they go together…without running together. Sean and Jonny, whether writing as a tag team or individually, manage to come up with a style that seems unhampered by Americana generalizations, or folkie rules of engagement. As writers, they break the wishbone right down the middle...good luck for everybody. And they actually play rock & roll like I like it...and they make the stomps work with the more acoustic things. They can rev up a bar crowd and shush a listening room".
We've taken our time to prepare this album and set it up for release", says Burke. "We decided to put the record out ourselves, working with our manager, Mike Crowley. Our label Dedcrow is going to promote 'Sweetheart of the Neighborhood' using a cool sales scheme involving indie record stores."
The program dubbed, "How Much Does it Cost if it's Free?", involves making six of the ten songs available as free mp3 downloads on the record store websites. If customers like what they hear, they can purchase the complete cd from the store for $7.99, either with a coupon, or using a link, so that the cd will be mailed directly to the customer.
"This is a win win situation", says Dedringers' manager Mike Crowley. "The stores are providing added value to their customers and the band is positioned prominently in the coolest store in town. This program is focused on markets where the band is receiving airplay and appearing in concert."
Faires and Burke have been friends since grade school. They grew up in New Braunfels, Texas, surrounded by a vital live music scene that helped shape their independent spirit and intense focus on songwriting. "When everybody else was getting ready to go out to the football games on Friday nights, we were playing the happy hour in a local bar," laughs Jonny. "It wasn't exactly the coolest thing to do at the time."
Sweetheart of the Neighborhood is a powerful collection of songs showcasing the band's songwriting skills, with heartfelt truths, caustic humor, and savvy guitar riffs. But most of all, this album rings true, telling the story of The Dedringers – a story that has only just begun.
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