The Red 100's

Best Blues Act - The Red 100's

The Red 100's play the blues as if the band members' lives depended on it. But let's get this out of the way early: These guys' version of the blues is based not on a traditionalist such as B.B. King, but more influenced by Jimi Hendrix's psychedelic take on the genre.

"Blues is at the heart and soul of everything we do," says Red 100's bassist and lead vocalist Robbie D. Love. "Rock 'n' roll wouldn't sound so exciting without the roll added to the rock, which comes from R&B and the blues."

Whatever the influences, the attack of The Red 100's is that of a wickedly fierce beast. And this much is certain: When Live off the Floor, the band's debut EP, came out this year, it signaled the arrival of one of the area's most interesting bands — blues or otherwise.

- Dallas Observer

It's that time of year again, folks. Yes, yes: It's Dallas Observer Music Awards season! Our 23rd attempt at it, even! As you may recall, the whole shebang is taking place a little bit later this year. But it's still the same old celebration you've come to know and love.

You want details? We got 'em. On Saturday, October 15, on various stages throughout Deep Ellum, some 50 or so award-nominated bands will gather to perform our DOMA Showcase. As with last year, there will also be an outdoor stage boasting some big names in bright lights. Our DOMA Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, October 18, at the House of Blues; it's here where we'll crown the reader-voted victors in the 32 different categories we have, all of which aim to highlight the best and brightest in the Greater Dallas music scene.

Later this very week, online voting will open on this year's ballot. The ballot will start appearing in print in our September 8 issue. As should be expected, more and more details (showcase lineup, ticket information, etc.) will be available in the coming weeks.

Here, however, is what we can tell you right now: Voting may not yet be open, but the ballot is ready for your viewing pleasure.

Some explanation: Over the past few weeks, we were quietly in the throes of our nomination round. Some 80-plus invited members of the local music community (journalists, bloggers, booking agents, managers, producers, DJs, etc.) filled out a form in which they were asked to nominate up to five acts for each award. We then compiled their nominations, placing the most-nominated bands onto our final ballot.

The results? Why, they're right there after the jump. Click away. Then tell us your thoughts in the comments. Grovel, boast, brag, bitch, whatever. We welcome it all.

Just one last thing: Congratulations to all of our nominees!

Group Act
Air Review
Calhoun
RTB2
Seryn
Telegraph Canyon
True Widow

Solo Act
Nicholas Altobelli
Ryan Thomas Becker
Jessie Frye
Sarah Jaffe
Joey Kendall
Madison King

Best Album
A.Dd+ -- When Pigs Fly
Calhoun -- Heavy Sugar
Centro-matic -- Candidate Waltz
The O's -- Between The Two
Seryn -- This Is Where We Are
True Widow -- As High As The Highest Heavens And From The Center To The Circumference Of The Earth

Best Song
Air Review -- "America's Son"
Calhoun -- "Knife Fight"
Seryn -- "We Will All Be Changed"
Soviet -- "Forever Today"
Treal Lee & Prince Rick -- "Throwed Off"
True Widow -- "Skull Eyes"

Best New Act
Datahowler
Preteen Zenith
The Nighty Nite
Sealion
Soviet
Two Knights

Blues Act
Dim Locator
Hunter Hendrickson
Oil Boom
R.L. Griffin and The Blues Palace Show Band
The Red 100's
Tweed EQ

Hard Rock Act
Descender
Fair to Midland
The House Harkonnen
Record Hop
This Will Destroy You
True Widow

Country Act
Eleven Hundred Springs
Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos
John David Kent & The Dumb Angels
The King Bucks
Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward
Tejas Brothers

Alt-Country/Roots Act
Bravo, Max!
The Naptime Shake
The O's
The Orbans
Somebody's Darling
Whiskey Folk Ramblers

Electronic/Dance Act
Blixaboy
Datahowler
Dub Assembly
Hoyotoho
Ishi
Sextape

Experimental/Avant Garde Act
Diamond Age
Nervous Curtains
New Fumes
New Science Projects
Peopleodian
Shiny Around The Edges

Punk Act
Bad Sports
Final Club
Leg Sweeper
Mind Spiders
Missile
Soviet

Metal Act
The Famine
Kill The Client
Maleveller
Power Trip
Warbeast
White Arms of Athena

Indie Act
Air Review
The Burning Hotels
Calhoun
Spooky Folk
Sundress
Telegraph Canyon

Folk Act
The Beaten Sea
Doug Burr
Dust Congress
Fox & The Bird
Sarah Jaffe
Seryn

Funk/R&B Act
Emotion Brown & The Cosmos
CoLab
Larry g(EE)
The Gritz
Ducado Vega
Andrew Tinker

Rap/Hip-Hop Act
A.Dd+
Damaged Good$
galleryCat
The Mohicans
Sore Losers
Treal Lee & Prince Rick

Jazz Act
Damon K. Clark
Hentai Improvising Orchestra
Tatiana Mayfield
Paul Slavens
The Singapore Slingers
Yells at Eels

DJ
Fishr Pryce
DJ G
Sober
Tony Schwa
Wanz Dover
Yeahdef

Latin/Tejano Act
Lauren Adelle
Havana NRG
Nina Katrina
Mariachi Quetzal
Parranda Venezuela

Male Vocalist
Sam Anderson (Epic Ruins, Quaker City Night Hawks)
Ryan Thomas Becker (RTB2)
Doug Burr
Nick Foreman (Dust Congress)
Tim Locke (Calhoun)
Trenton Wheeler (Seryn)

Female Vocalist
Tiger Darrow
Sarah Jaffe
Madison King
Mara Lee Miller (Bosque Brown)
Ashley Myrick (lalagray)
Sam Robertson

Instrumentalist
Ryan Thomas Becker (RTB2, Madison King)
Don Cento (El Cento, Shibboleth)
Scott Danbom (Centro-matic, Sarah Jaffe)
Sean Kirkpatrick (Nervous Curtains)
Chris Mayes (The Naptime Shake, The Boom Boom Box)
Chris Semmelbeck (Seryn)

Cover/Tribute Act
The Gorehounds
Hard Night's Day
The King Bucks
The Mumbles
Petty Theft
Rhymin' & Stealin'

Label
Good Records Recordings (New Fumes, Preteen Zenith)
Idol Records (Calhoun, The O's)
Kirtland Records (S - The Dallas Oberver

Playing heaving and heavy psychedelic rock, the power trio known as The Red 100's is an anomaly on the local music scene. Decidedly unhip, Robbie D. Love, Raul Mercado and Kyle Scheumack make a blues-rock racket. There isn't a single iota of indie-rock finesse on the six tracks that make up Live off the Floor, the band's debut EP.

But that's not a bad thing. Beginning with "Bellhop Swing" and ending with "Set Me Free," Love and crew never deviate from their bruising game plan. The album is riff upon riff. Cuts such as "Kill Switch" and "Ain't No" have all the subtlety of a chain saw. Even the relatively restrained tones of "Coffee at Midnight" still carry weight. After it's all said and done, the listener comes away feeling somewhat soiled and hungover.

This is meat-and-potatoes rock, cooked well done and smothered in gravy. The best way to enjoy this stuff is with a couple of (cheap) beers and a pack of Marlboros. Music this soaked in fuzzed-out '60s garage rock has to be enjoyed with the proper old-school vices. - Dallas Observer

Playing heaving and heavy psychedelic rock, the power trio known as The Red 100's is an anomaly on the local music scene. Decidedly unhip, Robbie D. Love, Raul Mercado and Kyle Scheumack make a blues-rock racket. There isn't a single iota of indie-rock finesse on the six tracks that make up Live off the Floor, the band's debut EP.

But that's not a bad thing. Beginning with "Bellhop Swing" and ending with "Set Me Free," Love and crew never deviate from their bruising game plan. The album is riff upon riff. Cuts such as "Kill Switch" and "Ain't No" have all the subtlety of a chain saw. Even the relatively restrained tones of "Coffee at Midnight" still carry weight. After it's all said and done, the listener comes away feeling somewhat soiled and hungover.

This is meat-and-potatoes rock, cooked well done and smothered in gravy. The best way to enjoy this stuff is with a couple of (cheap) beers and a pack of Marlboros. Music this soaked in fuzzed-out '60s garage rock has to be enjoyed with the proper old-school vices. - Dallas Observer

DFW has been going through a folk and Americana love affair with musicians like Seryn, Telegraph Canyon, and Doug Burr. As a result, it seems like rock 'n' roll has up and left the area, but Dallas trio The Red 100’s have a little something up their sleeves that may bring a much-needed revival.

Their new EP, Live Off The Floor, was not produced and recorded in an expensive studio where the imperfections were cut out one note at a time – but that is what makes this record worthy of the rock 'n' roll title. It is beautiful in its imperfections. It is about sticking it to the Man. The Man. You know, the one who sits in his penthouse suite with his overpriced suits and expensive cars doing nothing but being greedy. Yeah, that guy.

Live Off The Floor is an excellent example of musicians emulate the rock greats who came before them – Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Stooges – but not to the point of stealing their work. With each lick played on the guitar and every beat banged on the drums, you can hear The Red 100’s pay homage to those who made rock an institution.

The Red 100’s have raw energy and gritty guitar licks so dirty that it becomes hard to decide if you should take a shower or just continue to roll around in it. Their music will get you drunk on rock and roll, love you up, and even leave a note in the morning for good measure. It is oh so dirty in all the right ways.

Now, these guys aren’t just a one trick pony. Throughout the album they demonstrate that they can infuse a little funk and blues into the mix. They can lay down a tasty groove and tug at your heartstrings with blues riffs. Take the instrumental track “Coffee At Midnight” for example: It starts off with a dreamy, melodic '60s beach riff that takes you back to a simpler time in rock 'n' roll, gets a little loud, and then dives right back in to the serene beach melody.

The EP has only six tracks, but The Red 100’s show that they can be diverse. The album is officially released April 8. They play in Denton April 9.


- Pegasus News

The Red 100’s have been gigging like crazy these past couple of months and so we had to meet up with their lead guitar player, Raul Mercado, to catch him for our ARTIST AND THEIR GUITARS weekly feature.

What type of guitar do you use Raul?
I use an AXL guitar from the Bad Water SRO series.

Did you ever bless your guitar with a name, like B.B. King’s Lucille?
There’s no name for my baby, she lets me know what she wants to be called by the way she wants to be played.

What color is it?
It’s a distressed brown/white color with some reptilian texture; you can feel the crackling in the paint.

Have you modified your guitar at all?
No modifications, but I do need new hum buckers.

What type of gauge strings do you play with?
.10s

Do you ever use more than one guitar?
I only use another guitar if the strings break. I’ve tried some other fenders, but so far, the AXL has the best adapting sound for the band.

What kind of pickups does your guitar have?
EMP pickups but they’re broken

How long have you had the guitar?
Had it about two years

How did you get the guitar?
It was a gift from the ex.

How much impact does your guitar sound/tone have on your music?
My tone is very impactful. I’ll try different tones in practice on songs we’ve been playing a while; usually the band likes it the old way.

Do you tend to use any effects to alter or solidify your tone?
I use a phase shifter, delay, reverb, fuzz and distortion to alter the tone.

In regard to your effects, I know that you’re known to get some pretty crazy sounds that tend to go beyond the normal limits of guitar playing. Tell us more about that.
I grew up on CDs rather than live music and since then, I’ve been trying to capture those different soundscapes in a live setting with the pedals I have. Most of the detailed stuff is played in-between the songs or as intros and outros to the songs themselves.

How do you use the phase shifter pedal to paint the sounds you create?
To be honest, the phase shifter has taken a backseat in the music. The songs that The Red 100’s have created and the music that I’ve lately been interested in doesn’t have a lot of those types of sounds. I use it more as an experimentation to keep my playing a little more versatile.

You said your guitar has the best adapting sound for the band. How do you use your AXL to blend in with the band between the drums and the bass?
The AXL already has a pretty nice bass tone to blend with so I keep the amp settings on high to let people know it’s a guitar without being the main focus like a Fender or Gibson.

Do you use feedback in your music? When and how do it through it down? Is there a mythology to the type of feedback you are able to create?
Feedback is rock and roll. Use it often and as much as possible. The only thing I’ve learned about it so far is not to control it. I have a Hendrix CD, “Live at Berkeley”, and on the song, “Hey Joe”, he gets some unwanted feedback and in turn, forces feedback on the next bar. That’s the type of methodology I’m interested in.

- ROCKANDROLLBLUES.com

Dirty guitar licks and pure unadulterated rock will fill Lochrann’s Irish Pub & Eatery in Frisco as The Red 100s make it their goal to “pick up the pieces where Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath left off.” The band’s high-energy performance oozing with raw energy takes note from rock and roll greats like Jimi Hendrix, The Stooges and even Oak Cliff’s own Stevie Ray Vaughan. - Pegasus News

Come rock out on a Thursday night with The Lindales, The Red 100's and Bad Design at the Boiler Room. The Red 100's are in the process of recording a CD for future release and Bad Design just released their debut album. These groups may be newly formed but they know how to rock.
- Mydentonmusic.com

Also, a very very fine band from Dallas, The Red 100's, will be on stage. I have not seen them live yet but really like what they have up on MySpace... - Mydentonmusic.com

The Red 100's are relatively green to the Dallas music scene, but you wouldn't know it by the way that they play. They usually take the stage in a storm of psychedelic lights and guitar shredding, their sound a mix of 60's and 70's blues and pure rock...

Picked by: Laurel Johnston
Who: RTB2, The Red 100's, The Effinays, and Orange Peel Sunshine
Where: Good Records in Dallas, TX
When: Friday, August 6
- BestNewBands.com

...The Red 100s are a new group but are really good at self promotion. They pledge for a solid rock and roll sound, I think the closest band relatable to them would be the Black Keys.... - Mydentonmusic.com

Raul, guitar player for The Red 100s, has this stage move where he flicks his head back a little, hits a downstroke with particular emphasis, and spins to his right on the balls of his feet so effortlessly that it seems as if he's floating. Weaker men have studied years to affect this sort of thing. You couldn't steal it if you tried.

The Red 100s have a natural fury that's more than the sum of their parts. When Raul's bandmate Robbie switches from guitar to bass, they lose some of their power. Partly it's because a more conventional power trio lineup makes their roots (Cream, Hendrix, Led Zep, Blue Cheer) more obvious. Mainly it's because their best songs -- the pummeling "Bellhop Swing" and "Set Me Free" -- are blues stripped of all excesses save monstrous, precisely delivered riffs and punishing force. When they're playing as a two-guitar and drums trio, there's a no-notes-wasted intensity that's lost in the more traditional soloing-over-rhythm section feel of their bass-guitar-drums tunes.

The reason they sound so original and compelling in their two-guitar alignment is also what makes them modern, what makes their interpretation of the blues an exciting and fresh one. Both guitar players are right on the beat, cranking out simple syncopated changes with clockwork efficiency. Contained, equally precise drumming completes the effect. When they build up into a full-barreled neo-Sabbath thrash then pull back into riffing, it's like walking out of a 100% humidity day in Houston into a well-insulated house with central air. Audiences will be drenched with sweat and grateful of it.

As they continue to develop their material, the emphasis has to stay on what they do best -- rapid and frequent feel changes, short and controlled solos from both guitarists, minimal arrangements centered on those massive riffs.

Some people try their whole lives to put their own signature on the blues. With that riff from "Set Me Free," the Red 100s have staked their claim. Only other advice I can offer is that they should probably stop smoking their namesakes. Cigarettes are bad for you.
- Big Western Flavor

"Also, a very very fine band from Dallas, The Red 100s will be on stage. I have not seen them live yet but really like what they have up on MySpace."
- Mydentonmusic.com

The Red 100s describe themselves as "striving to pick up the pieces where Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath left off," a pretty lofty goal for these fresh-faced, semi-recent additions to the Denton music scene ... I can't wait to see how they will fare at The Boiler Room on Thursday.

An eclectic group of musicians from Dallas, The Red 100s consist of Robert Grinage (aka Robbie D Love) on guitar/bass, Raul Mercado on lead guitar, and Kyle Scheumack on drums and vocals. The trio first met in middle school in Plano and began playing music together in high school. They booked their first gig a little over a year and half ago, and since then they've been "constantly pouring their love for life into every musical expression they can muster."

My Denton Music: Are you guys excited about Thursday's (tonight) show at The Boiler Room?

The Red 100s: Ooooh yeah. We've played with The Tellevators before, and we love RTB2.

My Denton Music: In a town that's overflowing with musical talent, what makes The Red 100s a must-see band?

Robbie: I try to throw every single ounce of passion I've ever felt ever since my eyes opened outside the womb into the performance (laughs). I love music, it just pulses through me. Sometimes when I hear bands live, it almost sounds like ... it was made to be sold? Or just made to be made? Not like, you know, a transcendental message ...

Raul: It's not always from the heart.

Robbie: Yeah, exactly.

Kyle: I would also point out that we're all self-taught, which is rare in Denton.

Robbie: People are usually more moved by our emotion, not how well we play.

Raul: And they have fun, which is what we want.

Robbie: Our live sound is dictated by the infectious energy that we spew out and keep at high octane volume between us and the crowd. It's something we've learned from watching and listening to artists like James Brown. "If it ain't knocking, then it ain't rocking."

My Denton Music: How would you describe the sound of The Red 100s?

The Red 100s: We sound like a culmination of many influences: we combine "off the cuff" blues riffs from the likes of Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy while injecting it with raw energy from The Stooges and Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Lee Hooker, Radiohead, Santana, Muddy Waters. However, we also inject our sound with some swinging jazz and soulful bebop coming out of an urban, city-like consciousness ... our music mainly stems from a deep soulful place within all three of us. But we also encourage our audience to come to our concerts and judge for themselves. We liken our music to art -- it's less about the mind of the artist and more of the personal experience of the viewer. So we love it when our audiences form their own opinions about our sound.

My Denton Music: Are there any other Denton bands you're dying to see or play with?

Kyle: I heard that Congratulations just split up, and I was so, so sad. I love Sarah Jaffe, she's amazing. And Robert Gomez, they play together a lot. Of course RTB2, I love their shit.

Raul: We've been trying to get a show with them for awhile, so we were really really happy when we booked it. Plus it's at Boiler Room which is an amazing venue. Those TVs behind the bar, those are frickin' crazy.

My Denton Music: Are you guys focused on tapping into the Denton music scene or the DFW area in general?

Raul: Denton. Or wherever "the scene" is, really. When we first started out, we played Dallas a lot. But it wasn't really ... it didn't seem too impressive.

My Denton Music: Why is that?

Raul: The shows we've played out here in Denton, people seem a lot more interested in. Plus it seems like in Dallas, each band's particular fans leave as soon as that band's done playing, instead of staying for the whole show.

Kyle: But in Denton, everyone likes to just chill after the band they came to see. People just walk around town and go in and out of the clubs, having a good time.

Robbie: It's the college scene, we dig it.

Kyle: But we're not hating on Dallas! (laughs) It's just a different scene.

My Denton Music: Who are your biggest fans?

Robbie: People over the age of 25 seem to like us. Some kid that's 15 years old might not like our sound, but the older crowd is like "Ya'll rock my socks off, you make me feel young again."

My Denton Music: Do you have any CDs available?

The Red 100s: We're working on it. All the stuff on our MySpace we recorded in an actual garage while we were jamming. We do have our single "Set Me Free" recorded. We're working on a ...

My Denton Music: A mixtape?

The Red 100s: Yeah. Something like that. (laughs)

My Denton Music: Do you have any tours planned?

Robbie: We want someone to put us on tour. Anyone who wants to book it, we'll go.

My Denton Music: What does the future hold for The Red 100s?

Kyle: We're headlining a show at The Prophet Bar on April 3 with a couple of reggae bands. But right now, we're focused on Thursday's show.
- Mydentonmusic.com

You hear a lot of talk about musicians and bands having “stage presence”. Some people might try to attribute presence to particular things, actions, that a person might do on stage. In my opinion, that’s missing the bigger picture; Stage presence is just something you have. You might say, it’s an invisible energy. You know it’s there when it is, and it’s painfully obvious when it is not.

This past Saturday, October 2nd, Lander’s Machineshop and Art Gallery was host to some of the metroplex’s finest up and coming artists and musicians. If you weren’t there, you really missed out on some fantastic, fun times.

Walking around the venue, it was impossible to prevent your eyes from constantly wandering. All around you are beautiful people, beautiful artwork, and beautiful music, all wrapped in a rugged, industrial backdrop that Lander’s provides. If you missed out, I highly recommend you check out the Spring Arts Goggle in a few months time.

Kicking the event off right, the first band to take the stage at Lander’s is a 3 piece psychedelic blues rock assault known simply as The Red 100s.

Presence.

These guys surely have it. You can almost see the electricity in the air when they take the stage and that first note rings out.

They opened the set with a little number called “Bellhop Swing”. Getting straight down to business, this jammy rock instrumental will definitely get your head bobbing and your butt moving. About halfway in, you get washed with an epic, bluesy breakdown which progressively builds and then hangs you out to dry,rocking the whole way through.

Next up came a groovy number called “Ain’t No”. After the building, pumping burst of energy of “Bellhop Swing”, “Ain’t No” gives you a nice little breather. Deep, groovy, funky, and bluesy; “Ain’t No” was a great way to progress the set without wearing you out.

The Red 100s cover of The Black Keys – “Thickfreakness” came as a welcome surprise. In case you’ve been living in a hole for the past 9 years The Black Keys are a fantastic blues rock duo based out of Ohio. Their cover definitely did justice to the original, in fact I’d almost venture to say I enjoyed The Red 100s version of it moreso than the original, but I willl let you be the judge of that. Suffice to say, it was a great addition to the set.

This whole time, we were surrounded by other artists and performers, many of whom had hula hoops. So, in true rockstar fashion, Guitarist/Bass player Robbie dubbed their next track as “Feel Free to Hula Hoop”, though the real name is called “Feel Free to Dance”. And yes…. that is pretty much how it makes you feel, totally free to dance and move to the pulsing rhythm.

It was about this point that I really started thinking about what an incredible group of musicians I had before me. Robbie hops between bass, guitar, and vocals like it’s nothing. Raul tends to lead the pack with wailing, crying solos and funky blues interludes. Kyle provides the foundation for the group in more than one way. Not only is he laying down some intricately woven beats on his drums, but he also sings for most of the songs.

The Red 100s give a new definition to the term “power trio”. In fact I think they deserve a proper title, worthy of the true image they portray. So, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to nominate The Red 100s to be known as the very first, MEGA TRIO. That’s right! I said it!

All in all, this is a great band, with a great attitude and plenty of stage presence. Beyond that, they have plenty of musicianship to back that up, and they aren’t afraid to show you, or even sit down and have a chat with you about it.
- ROCKANDROLLBLUES.COM