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The Middlemen played at The Bluesboro/Murfreesboro Pulse Christmas party along with Los Cobra and Penguin. They played a great set, had the crowd moving, and have an album coming out early '07. Bobby played his guitar with a style that involved everything but standing on his head baking peach cobbler. He's got a seriously aggressive stage presence to complement the killer music of The Middlemen. And to balance this aggression, Mitch and Matt smoke cigarettes nonchalantly while performing. Seriously a great band and very deserving of you getting to know who they are. - Tanya Wright, Owner Frozen Exposure
The Middlemen, "Silver Screens" -- These guys are another interesting trio out of Murfreesboro, like Creech Holler and Page 80, but a completely different sound. Their music is a deliberate throwback -- like a garage-band version of The Beatles. This track has a really punk attitude, and the subject is an old standard: obsession with what you can't have. But where Def Leppard or Séance Fiction would be all about stalking someone, Bobby Gray prefers to shout his loser status and say "she's too good for me, now it's plain to see." They're a great live show -- I'd like to see them again. - Florence Independent
"Killer sound, great songs"- May 19, 2006 upon hearing To Whom it May Concern EP. - personal email
It’s hard to believe that Post Script is the first full-length album from local trio The MiddleMen. The polished production, sophisticated packaging, and level of talent all smack of more experience than these guys could possibly have, and do their music credit.
The album is definitely rock, massaged with a blues sensibility, and driven by the punked-up skin hitting of Matt Wilson, drummer and vocalist. Mitch Holland keeps it real on the bass.
Lead vocalist and guitarist Bobby Gray’s signature raspy tone delivers every song with force, sometimes in a gravely whisper, and sometimes in an angst-filled yell.
“Afraid,” the album’s first track, is the best. There’s something undeniably marketable in the build, subtly pushed forward a verse at a time, culminating in an abrupt silence.
Each subsequent track is solid, with touches of The Black Keys, Black Crowes, and Black Flag, and maybe even a little Blues Traveler, so don’t worry about the first track being so good.
Sometimes the yelling gets to be a bit much for me, but that’s a matter of taste rather than a matter of skill, and my feelings never last long. Inevitably they take it back a notch vocally and I’m right back on board.
It’s inevitable that their album is energetic. The MiddleMen’s live shows are renowned for their punk sensibility meets gravely voice balance, always delivered with a certain level of vigorous activity from front-man Gray, who has referred to their live performances as “a punk show for people who may not like punk.”
Post Script is definitely worth picking up. Some local fans may have gotten a copy at The MiddleMen’s April 25 release show. To get your own copy and keep up with all things MiddleMen, visit www.myspace.com/themiddlemenmusic. - Murfreesboro Pulse
Discography
Post Script- Released April '08
To Whom it May Concern- '06
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Bio
The MiddleMen are a 3 piece Indie rock band emerging from a storage shed in the typically polished up Nashville music scene. They are fronted by the distinctive songwriting and frantic rhythm guitar of Bobby Gray. Cast in the shadows of Bobby's emotional stature are Matt Wilson on drums and Mitch Holland on bass. Each provide the hard hitting energy that seems as natural to this band as Bobby's commanding stage presence. Their self-produced demo cd, "To Who it may Concern" released in 2006 featured 4 of their most popular songs from their first touring and writing experiences. Silver Screens, Roll, Paralyzed, and Lessons Learned offered a glimpse into their songwriting minds and laid the groundwork for their latest release. During 2006 The MiddleMen gained fan support and enough songs to begin their first full length recording. It wasn't until working in pre-production in early 2007 that the 13 track rock and alt. country songs really became "Post Script". Produced by Vinny Constantine, their debut LP offers a mix of songs ranging from love, death, god, and everything in between, and captures the screaming frustrations of youth being forced to deal with such emotional issues. To the MiddleMen, Post Script goes beyond each individual song and provides a snapshot of the past 2 years of writing, performing, and recording and being locked in a sweaty storage shed for far too many hours at a time.
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