The Rattlers
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The Rattlers

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"The Rattlers"

Forget everything you know about the lacrosse team in teal and white from Rochester, NY, and that wheelchair rugby squad from South Florida, to make room for the latest aggregation of guys that call themselves The Rattlers. The fledgling foursome call Athens home, but their sound is rooted in influences very south and very west of here, like, Austin.

Yes, The Rattlers are straightahead Southwestern blues purists, and lead guitarist Matt Joiner has the chops to ensure that comparisons to Stevie Ray Vaughan are not hyperbolic. Joiner is undoubtedly the best kept local six-string secret, and while The Rattlers (rounded out by vocalist Tracy Carroll, drummer Kevin Christian and bassist Chad McGlohan) may not be the vehicle that makes Joiner a household name, the band does allow its virtuoso to showcase his penchant for 12-bar blues, namely during a scorching rendition of "Voodoo Chile." The Hendrix tune is not featured on The Rattlers' MySpace page, but they have video evidence of justice served on the Joe Bonamassa swamp rocker "Bridge to Better Days."

Some would argue that the blues is a dead genre, essentially interpreted and reinterpreted to the point of redundancy. Can it evolve? "Sure it can," says Joiner. "I don't want to be limited to 12-bar blues, playing 1-4-5 every song. Stevie Ray took things in a new direction during the latter stage of his career; like on 'Tightrope,' he really expanded the blues."

And when playing the blues pays off for The Rattlers, what are they looking forward to the most? Without hesitation, Carroll replies, "Sordid affairs with other rock stars' girlfriends and wives."

"Your wife's gonna love that," chuckles Christian, to which Carroll responds, with a smile, "My wife will be taking part in it." Long live rock and roll.
- Flagpole


Discography

Currently recording their debut album, planned for a mid-summer release, some of their original tracks include: 1. Welcome Back to Georgia 2. No Rest for the Wicked 3. Deafening Silence 4. Bad Habit 5. Leaving 6. Over This Time 7. Walk Away 8. Gone 9. Switchblade 10. Dirt Roads and 11. Rockstar

*Currently, the band's original "Welcome Back to GA" is getting airplay on Athen's radio station 100.1 The Bulldog.

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Bio

Coming together in December of 2007, The Rattlers was formed by a group of guys that all hailed from the Athens, GA area. Thanks to the diverse and thriving Athens music scene, the members of The Rattlers have always had access and exposure to a wide variety of music. The band brings a driving southern rock sound with a hint of blues that will hit you right in the chest. It only takes one show to see why they bring such a crowd and their sets are incredibly entertaining from start to finish!

The band consists of Matt Joiner (guitars, backup vocals), Tracy Carroll (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Kevin Christian (bass, backup vocals), and Woody Hughes (drums). Kevin and Matt have played together for over 10 years in a number of different bands and the combo frequently collaborated on different projects with other musicians during that time. Tracy Carroll met Matt through work, and after discussing their mutual interests in much of the same music, got together for a jam session. Each liked what he heard, so they brought in a couple of friends (Kevin on drums, and original bass player Jason Lee Parks), and played an impromptu show at a friends Christmas party. It took another two months to get back together and make a more public appearance, opening for Rollin' Home at Little Kings in Athens, Ga., but with this show, the band's persona and reputation began to grow. After 10 months, and some personnel changes, including new drummer Woody Hughes, who has an impressive resume, including playing drums for Filmstar, The Rattlers have a rapidly expanding fan base, and an ever growing following for their live shows, and now many hundreds of fans from the online world.

"Who do you sound like?" is a question that is frequently asked. The answer is not so easy. Mix some Texas style blues ala Stevie Ray Vaughn and ZZ Top, a dash of southern rock like The Allman Brothers and Drivin n Cryin, throw in some Jimi Hendrix and Joe Bonamassa for flavor, and top it off with a good helping of Skynyrd and Eric Johnson and you're close. Maybe. The truth is, The Rattlers have a sound that is influenced by all of the above mentioned artists, plus many more, but is uniquely their own. Their live performances are high energy, and their shows get people on their feet. The Rattlers have a stage presence that has been described as "...sexy and tough. A throwback to real rock and roll, when bands played great music and were fun to watch".