The UpSouth Twisters
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The UpSouth Twisters

Valley Cottage, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 1992 | INDIE | AFM

Valley Cottage, New York, United States | INDIE | AFM
Established on Jan, 1992
Band Americana Blues

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"“Geeze, it sounds just like The Band!”"

The UpSouth Twisters UpSouth Recordings 2008 (UST101)

The UpSouth Twisters The UpSouth Twisters
(UpSouth Recordings)
“Geeze, it sounds just like The Band” said my DJ partner when I played the first cut, “Smithville Blues”, on my weekly blues radio program. If I had played Amede, it would have brought a similar comment. Next we hear Zydeco, and five tracks into the disc we get a Doug Sahm Tex-Mex sound as The UpSouth Twisters cover the Freddie Fender favorite “Do You Ever Think Of Me?” On “If the Phone Don’t Ring” the vocals have a Mick Jagger quality.
“This is not a new band but a group of strong players who have been together for years under the name Lucky 7. The name change coincides with their first full-length recording in a decade. The band includes Kenny Margolis (accordion and keys), Billy Roues (guitar and mandolin), Steven ‘Muddy’ Roues (bass and harp), Boris Kinberg (rub board and percussion) and Bill Rankin (drums). Horns are provided by Erik Lawrence and Steven Bernstein of the Levon Helm Band. Margolis and the Roues Brothers share lead vocals and harmonies.
“The wide array of styles speaks to the Twisters impressive songwriting. Twelve of the thirteen tracks are originals, with a cover of the Boss’ “Valentine’s Day” originally released on a tribute called Light of Day. Several other tunes have landed in feature films, including the instrumental, “Holiday Depression”. Renowned Cajun artist Jo-El Sonnier helped write “Jolie Fi.” “It’s Cryin’ Shame” seems to come directly from the Fats Domino catalog, but with accordion instead of piano and raging harp in “I Wonder Why” will have you reaching for your dancing shoes. Play this at your summer parties and crank it up!” Jim Hynes for Elmore Magazine (July 2008)

- Elmore Magazine (July 2008)


""Rockabilly Girl says 5 stars!!""

Upsouth Twisters
Upsouth Twisters
UpSouth Recordings (2008)
Stars rating given by author: 5
Possible Styles: americana, cajun, country, rockabilly
Submitted by: rockabilly_girl.
Publication date - 24-06-08
“This is the first album released by the band under the new name The Upsouth Twisters. To their fans, they are better known under their previous name of 'Lucky 7'. The band [is] comprised of 5 musicians who enhance every song on the album with their masterful playing. The Cajun and Zydeco styles have a distinct parts in the music of the band and other styles like rockabilly, blues, country, etc., entwine with it gracefully. This album shows musical maturity and has an outstanding quality to it. It will be loved by those who enjoy Cajun, Zydeco, and generally fans of musical styles encompassed by the Americana tag.”
The UpSouth Twisters The UpSouth Twisters
5 stars
- www.reallyrockabilly.com


Discography

The UpSouth Twisters- released on February 8, 2008 on UpSouth Recordings

As Lucky 7:
One Way Track - released 1994 on Deluge Records

Feed the Snake - Restless (U.S.) / Buy Our Records (Europe)-1989

Get Lucky - i.e. (U.S.) / Another Record Co. (Europe)-1986

Lucky 7! - Midnight Records-1984

Compilations:

Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen - Released September 9, 2003 Schoolhouse Records. Various artists including Elvis Costello, Dan Bern, Graham Parker, Dion and Elliot Murphy (Lucky 7 did a Cajun waltz version of Bruce’s Valentines Day)

Rockin’ At the Barn – released 1999 on Dusty Records (Sweden)
Various artists (Lucky 7 did Holiday Depression also included in The UpSouth Twisters CD on UpSouth Recordings)

Blastered – released in 1998 on Run Wild Records (USA) Various artists (Lucky 7 did a ska influenced cover of Dave Alvin’s So Long Baby Goodbye)

Photos

Bio

The UpSouth Twisters are not a new band but a group of seasoned veterans who have been playing together for years under the name Lucky 7. The decision to change the name coincides with their first full length CD release in over a decade. The album, self titled, was officially released February of 2008 on UpSouth Recordings and features the bands signature sound including accordion, electric and acoustic guitars, upright bass, harmonica, mandolin, drums, rubboard, timbales and other percussion, piano and organ plus the guest appearance of Levon Helms horn players Erik Lawrence and Steve Bernstein on several tunes.
Music critics have had a field day trying to describe the bands music, dubbing it Cajun rockabilly, Rockin Zydeco, roots rock with a squeezebox and a New York mix of Zydeco and rockin roadhouse Americana. Just about the only certainty is that no two-or three-word label fully encompasses the range of the band's musical gumbo. By drawing from Elvis-era RocknRoll, Cajun, Zydeco, delta blues, classic country, and even Latino salsa plus Tex-Mex, this New York based quintet has challenged the descriptive talents of the music press, while at the same time earning its praise.
Though The UpSouth Twisters are based in the New York area their roots rockin music wins listeners across the heartland, as Austin American-Statesman critic Michael Point observed at a Texas show, The group's seamless set was solid and substantial, full of prime party-time dance music underpinned by a resilient rhythmic thrust that pushed and pulled the music in consistently interesting directions."
The bands founder and leader is accordionist-keyboard player-singer- songwriter Kenny Margolis, www.kennymargolis.com, an ex-member of Mink Deville, who's also toured with and appears on albums by Cracker, The Smithereens, Freedy Johnston, and The Silos among others. Billy Roues (guitar/mandolin/vocals) and Steven Muddy Roues (standup bass/harmonica) have brought their songwriting and experience producing, writing, playing and recording with roots artists as diverse as Jo-El Sonnier, John Lee Hooker, Carl Perkins, Lonnie Mack, B. B. King, Bo Diddley, Lenny Kaye, Wayne Kramer and Stax & Muscle Shoals soul greats Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. Percussionist, Boris Kinberg has played with Mink DeVille and Robert Gordon. Rounding out the band is the solid drumming of journeyman, Bill Rankin.
After honing its style in sweaty New York clubs and throughout the northeast, The UpSouth Twisters (under their former moniker) won favor on a series of European and Canadian tours earning praise as "a heavenly party band" (Sweden's Expressen) and "pure fun!" (Germany's Musick Szene). Toronto's Now said, "No doubt about it, Lucky 7 is among the most fun, freewheeling live acts going." An awesome show at the Montreal International Jazz Festival won over thousands of new fans.
Several songs from the band's repertoire have landed in feature films and also on compilation albums including the Margolis/Roues instrumental, "Holiday Depression which was in the soundtrack to one of James Gandolfini's first movies, "Italian Movie". It was also released as part of a Swedish compilation called "Rockin' at the Barn" on Dusty Records (1999). Most recently their cover versions of Dave Alvins So Long Baby Goodbye and Bruce Springsteens Valentines Day were included on highly acclaimed tribute CDs to their authors. (Blastered: A Tribute to the Blasters on Runwild Records and Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen on Schoolhouse Records).
The UpSouth Twisters are back with a vengeance, playing their greasy, Southern-fried-with a side of salsa music. Kenny Margolis says he doesn't mind the southern comparison. "A lot of our music does have roots in the South," he admits. "But growing up in New York City, we have interpreted it differently than a Southern band would. Sort of like the British Invasion bands of the Sixties like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and Cream interpreting Chicago blues."
These guys have what it takes to rock a festival or a house party. They will blast you with balls to the wall energy and lay it down, when called upon, with an unplugged set of roots flavored balladry that will soothe your soul and ease your worried mind. Not to be missed!

Band Members