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THE YAYHOOS
http://www.yayhoos.com/
[BIOGRAPHY]
[PHOTOS]
[PRESS]
[TOUR DATES]
[AUDIO]
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BIOGRAPHY
The Yayhoos: Put the Hammer Down
File under: Rock and Roll
Put the Hammer Down is the second album by the Yayhoos. Like its predecessor, 2001's Fear Not the Obvious, the new 13-song collection is loaded with loud, smart, catchy rock 'n' roll, written, played and sung by four full-grown men who possess first-hand knowledge of rock 'n' roll's power to transcend and transform, as well as an instinctive understanding that it's not such a big deal.
While the band members' individual resumes have led many to label the Yayhoos a supergroup, the foursome's aggressively unpretentious output dispels any negative preconceptions associated with that term. That's certainly the case with Put the Hammer Down, which resonates with infectious hooks, self-deprecating humor and hard-won wisdom. The four bandmates share singing, songwriting and playing duties, trading vocals and instruments with the same instinctive abandon that they apply to their unhinged, uplifting live sets.
Individually and alphabetically, the Yayhoos are:
Eric Ambel (New York, NY). Founding member of the Del-Lords and Joan Jett's Blackhearts, lead guitarist of Steve Earle's Dukes, sometime solo artist and leader of the esteemed Roscoe's Gang and Roscoe Trio, co-proprietor of East Village nightspot the Lakeside Lounge, and producer of albums by a variety of acts including Nils Lofgren, the Bottle Rockets and the Blood Oranges.
Terry Anderson (Bunn, NC). Solo recording artist, leader of the Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team, onetime drummer/singer/tunesmith with legendary North Carolina combos the Fabulous Knobs, the Woodpeckers and the Woods. Also a notable tunesmith whose songbook includes material recorded by Etta James, Jo Dee Messina and Dan Baird (see below).
Dan Baird (Nashville, TN). Former lead singer/guitarist of the Georgia Satellites and unlikely gap-toothed MTV icon, thanks to the Satellites hits "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" and "Battleship Chains." Also a beloved and acclaimed solo artist, and sometime producer/sideman for the likes of Will Hoge, Chris Knight and the Dusters. Dan has his own new band named Homemade Sin with former Satellites Keith Christopher (see below) and Mauro Magellan.
Keith Christopher (New York, NY). Original Georgia Satellites member, bassist to the stars (including Billy Joe Shaver, Tony Joe White and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, as well as many artists with two names, including Paul Westerberg and Todd Snider), and consistent source of inspiration.
While the four Yayhoos continue to maintain their individual careers, the potency of their collective chemistry is evident throughout Put the Hammer Down. The material ranges from the delirious raunch of "Where's Your Boyfriend At," and "Everything/Anything," to the boozy introspection of "All Dressed Up" and "Never Give An Inch," to the brutal pop of "Hurtin' Thing" and the bittersweet balladry of "Between You and Me." Keith Christopher steps up to the mic to deliver a rare lead vocal on the heart-tugging "Over the Top," which he co-wrote with Tony Colton (of '70s U.K. cult heroes Heads, Hands and Feet) and which was previously recorded by Ray Charles. The Yayhoos' knack for inspired choices in cover material is represented here by a timely revival of the O'Jays' '70s soul classic "Love Train" and an exuberant reading of "Roam," by noted Southern rockers the B-52's.
The Yayhoos originally grew out of an informal 1993 songwriting get-together, which inspired the longtime compadres to channel their musical and personal rapport into a more concrete direction. In 1996, they got together and wrote and recorded a batch of songs in Anderson's dad's barn. By the time Bloodshot Records released them as Fear Not the Obvious five years later, the album had become something of an underground legend in roots-rock circles.
In addition to playing Yayhoos shows and gigs in support of Dan, Terry and Eric's solo records, the Yayhoos have also contributed non-album tracks to several compilation discs. Those include "California" on the East Side Digital label sampler East Side Story, "Oh! Chicago" on the Bloodshot Records anniversary set Down to the Promised Land, and a version of the country standard "Highway Junkie" to Rig Rock Deluxe: A Musical Salute to the American Truck Driver. The latter track also cropped up on the big screen, in the Sandra Bullock vehicle Miss Congeniality 2. The Yayhoos also backed up Baird on a version of "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" for the tribute album The Songs of Hank Williams Jr. (A Bocephus Celebration) and supported Ambel on "Judas Kiss" on his solo release Knucklehead.
Put the Hammer Down was recorded over a few holiday weekends and mixed at Ambel's Williamsburg, Brooklyn studio Cowboy Technical Services Recording Rig. It's the fourth release on Lakeside Lounge Records, the plucky D.I.Y. imprint launched by Ambel in 2003.
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PHOTOS
Click on a thumbnail to download that hi-res JPEG (suitable for publication):
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TOUR DATES
- 7/8/07 * Bospop Festival * Weert, Holland
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PRESS
The Yayhoos
Put the Hammer Down (Lakeside Lounge)
by Ed Masley, Harp Magazine
In their rowdier moments, the Yayhoos rock like they're riding around on the back of that same pickup truck the long-departed Georgia Satellites rode to roots-rock glory in the shotgun-wedding video to "Keep Your Hands to Yourself." In fact, unless you count their Stonesy reinvention of the O'Jays "Love Train," this is pretty much the record any reasonable person might expect from an '80 roots-revival super-group stocked with two Satellites (Dan Baird and bassist Keith Christopher), the guy behind their other big hit, "Battleship Chains" (Terry Anderson) and Eric Ambel of the Del-Lords. For the full effect, you'd more than likely have to catch them in a sweaty dive bar somewhere, but even on CD, their scrappy roots-rock charms are obvious enough to make you want to crack a cold one in their honor.
The Yayhoos
Put the Hammer Down
By Rob Tannenbaum, Blender
With loud noises and rough language, this second album is like poker night in a one-car garage.
On holiday weekends, or whenever else they can sneak away from the wives and kids, four rock & roll lifers whose main bands either hit briefly or never at all celebrate the many ways in which men can be ornery. They can play the kind of unrefined guitar music that makes 40 years ago seem like the reign of Tiberius III. They can howl about cute women, scorn whiners and nags, giggle about golden showers. But the Yayhoos take delight in being grumpy, which shows in their sticky riffs and bash-y drums. Having spent hard time in the Georgia Satellites and the Del-Lords, they're even experienced enough to strip their ethos to a pith" "I may be stupid, but thank God I ain't bored," Dan Baird hoots. Which means he ain't really so stupid after all.
The Yayhoos
Put the Hammer Down (Lakeside Lounge)
By Michael Berick, Cleveland Scene
Article Published Aug 23, 2006
The Yayhoos aren't typical yahoos. A quartet of roots-rock veterans --
guitarist Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (the Del-Lords and Steve Earle's Dukes),
two former Georgia Satellites (frontman Dan Baird and bassist Keith
Christopher), and longtime Baird collaborator Terry Anderson -- the four
started playing together a decade ago. They still enjoy each other's
company, and a loose, devil-may-care spirit pervades Put the Hammer Down.
(The fun they're having could explain why this is just their second album.)
Baird's surly southern growl ignites tunes such as the AOR blues-rock
stomper "Would It Kill You," the propulsive rumbler "Never Give an Inch,"
and the high-living blast of raunch "Gettin' Drunk." Everyone gets their
moment at the mic -- Anderson shines on the punchy pop-soul number "All
Dressed Up," and Ambel's twangy pop gem "Hurtin' Thing" would do Marshall
Crenshaw proud, while Christopher's lovely "Over the Top" closes the raucous
disc on a quiet note. The disc's general good-timin' attitude is best
exemplified on "Everything/Anything," a goofy Carolina-style beach-party
romp, complete with humorous shout-outs and an irresistible beat.
The Yayhoos
Beachland Ballroom, Friday, August 25
Samantha Fryberger, Cleveland Free Times
Published August 30th, 2006
Dan baird Putting the hammer down. Keith Christopher, Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, Dan Baird and Terry Anderson all
have their own careers, their own projects and their own hometowns. As
the Yayhoos, they're a supergroup of exceptional, somewhat eccentric and always
entertaining rockers who are ostensibly on tour in support of Put the Hammer
Down. It's their new album which is available, as Baird noted at the show,
"exclusively at gigs, online or tonight from Will Rigby in the back of
the room at the merch table." However, the foursome's raucous gigs seem to be more about having a good
time and playing stuff they like to play with people they like to be around
than doing any kind of self-promotion. During the course of the 21-tune
tavern show, the boys exhibited a little Southern diplomacy, sharing the
spotlight, trading off lead and backing vocals, taking turns dishing out
the self-deprecating humor and once even rotating drum duty. A Yayhoos' show is like a party they throw for themselves, and if we as partygoers get a buzz on and scream for songs like "Get Right with Jesus"
or conga to their cover of the O'Jay's "Love Train," well, that's a bonus.
For a bunch of guys who joke about their ages ("I've got a new advertisement
for Advil," Anderson announced, "I take Advil 'cause I'm old"), the Yayhoos
show no signs of slowing. From their second song ("Where's Your Boyfriend At?")
on, the great guitars and revelry kicked in and didn't stop through an
encore of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." I was excited when the 'Hoos pulled out a somewhat sloppy novelty tune I had never seen them perform live before. I spent a good portion of the evening
trying to coax a Beachland regular alternating between oversized Dutch
lagers and generous wine pours to request "Frozen Head State Park."
Surprisingly, the group (minus Christopher who was grabbing a shot from
the bar) stepped up to the front of the stage and belted out the classic, which
includes priceless lines like, "It makes me wonder whose head it was and
just how cold it had to be." Well, at least they played as much of it as
they remembered. From the high-energy local openers the Jack Fords to high-energy headlining Yayhoos, it was one loud party I was happy to attend.
The Yayhoos
Put the Hammer Down, Lakeside Lounge
John Holcomb, Amplifier Magazine
Date of release: June 20, 2006
Remember the days when you would anticipate the next release by your favorite band? That day would finally arrive, you'd rush down to the local record store (or in my case, the "music section" of the local A&P Food Store), lay your sweaty hands on it, take it home (if you had the money, if you didn't, you stashed it with the Smothers Brothers records in the Comedy section, hoping no one else would find it until you came up with the cash), and savor the moment BEFORE you even slapped it on the turntable. I rarely get that feeling now, which I think is attributable to A) I'm an old fart, and B) most new music sucks. I definitely had that feeling, though, while waiting for The Yayhoos second proper record, Put The Hammer Down. I mean, how can a band consisting of four major mofos such as Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, Terry Anderson, Dan Baird, and Keith Christopher not do anything other than ROCK your world? These boys play world-class rock and roll: Stones, Faces, Rockpile-level stuff. Imagine four musical Larry Birds, all dishing to their teammates, making them better, yet not being afraid to step up and take the BIG shot themselves. It's THAT kind of record.
Musically speaking, Put The Hammer Down has the cure for ALL that musically and spiritually ails ya. You get guitarist Baird blasting his way through "Where's Your Boyfriend At" (complete with "Batman" bass riff), the rollicking "Never Give An Inch," "Right As Rain" ("I'm gonna get my thaing, right as rain!"), and the "Four Day Creep"-inspired "Would It Kill You." Songwriting genius/drummer Anderson struts through the Faces-tinged "All Dressed Up" and the sweaty "Getting' Drunk," while producer/guitarist Ambel ups the ante with "Hurtin' Thing," THE best Pop song I've heard this year (Dig Christopher's fuzz bass!), as well as the 12-string tinged "Between You And Me." Christopher IS Ronnie Lane on the record's closer, the beautiful "Over The Top". "Everything/Anything" is the best "band" song since NRBQ covered Ross Bagdasarian's Chipmunks' classic, "Things We Like To Do," and superb covers of "Love Train" and "Roam" are guaranteed to get you up and moving the furniture to create dancing space. Put The Hammer Down is a rock and roll manifesto, four to the floor fun. Real summertime music made to throw in the car; it screams "ROAD TRIP"! What better compliment can a rock and roll record get?
The Yayhoos
Put The Hammer Down (Lakeside Lounge Records)
Eric Thom, Exclaim!
Take three seasoned, trouble-making singer-songwriters who play hard because they love to. Throw in another grizzled survivor to handle bass duties, add beer and shake. You'll get the second release by the Yayhoos a twisted amalgam of veterans from such bad-boy bands as the Del-Lords (Eric Ambel), Georgia Satellites (Dan Baird), Woods (Terry Anderson) and Billy Joe Shaver's (Keith Christopher). Each checks his egos at the door, cracks open a few dozen beers in Roscoe's home studio and shoots for the moon. Put The Hammer Down, indeed! These tunes alternately rock, roll and wrestle with
all manner of influence -a drunken collision between the Stones and the Faces each song driven by diverse singing strengths as each distinctive vocalist takes his turn. "Everything/Anything" serves as the band's modus operandi- a partying, going-nowhere-special track that serves as a fun introduction to each player, powered by one of the best drum beats in recent history. Elsewhere, solid rockers rule with the sassy "Where's Your Boyfriend At?", the semi-autobiographical "Gettin' Drunk" and Baird's rough'n'tumble "Would It Kill You?". Ambel turns in the smoothest sounds with the considerably more genteel "Between You And Me", loaded with pop smarts, together with a Rundgren-esque "Hurtin' Thing". Yet it is Anderson's vocals that shine brightest with a unique Jerry Garcia-meets-Ronnie Lane slant that transform both "All Dressed Up" and "Over The Top" into roots-rock masterpieces. The perfect party platter for people who play hard and can take a little hurtin' come sunrise.
HALLELUJAH! THE YAYHOOS RETURN WITH PUT THE HAMMER DOWN (LAKESIDE LOUNGE RECORDS) ON JUNE 20, 2006,
JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER
Brooklyn, NY, 21 March 2006 - Roll down your windows and turn up the volume, The Yayhoos Put The Hammer Down is coming out on June 20, 2006, just in time to be the soundtrack to your summer.
On Put The Hammer Down, the Yayhoos have done what they do best, they rock. Five years after their debut, "Fear Not The Obvious", the Harlem Globetrotters of rock, Eric Ambel (Roscoe Trio, Steve Earle's Dukes, Del-Lords), Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites, Homemade Sin), Terry Anderson (Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team, the Fabulous Knobs), and Keith Christopher (Georgia Satellites, Billy Joe Shaver, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Paul Westerberg) return with 13 songs that make you remember why you started listening to music in the first place. Terry Anderson gives us some insight into the Yayhoos' mission on Put The Hammer Down:
Summer has always given us hope that our favorite Rock and Roll band was about to put out that next big sing-a-long blockbuster hit. Wild and free from the demands of school, we needed that release that great new music gave us! We wanted some loud, rockin' guitars playing great riffs like the ones in "Never Give an Inch" and "Would it Kill You". We wanted some big fat drums down in a groove and moving our asses like the bombastic "Where's Your Boyfriend At" and the just plain rude, "Getting' Drunk". We wanted jaywalking bass lines that went where they wanted to, when they wanted to, like only Keith Christopher can and does deliver on rambunctious covers like "Love Train" and "Roam". We wanted a great story like "All Dressed Up" and some hard pop like "Hurtin' Thing" On top of all of that we wanted crazy people screaming their heads off and having a good time! Well, there's plenty of that on here! Just pop on the infectious "Anything/Everything" into your ipod and try NOT to sing or scream along with the Yayhoos own theme song! That's all we ever wanted and that's all you'll find on The Yayhoos new PUT THE HAMMER DOWN.
Produced by Ambel and recorded at his Cowboy Technical Studios during a few rare holiday weekends off from their other projects, Put The Hammer Down has the chemistry and passion found only in bands that love playing together. Look for The Yayhoos tour to stop in your town in late summer.
4/7/06 - The New Mexican - Terrell's Tuneup - When the beer is plentiful, all the girls are pretty
"The Yayhoos are loud, irreverent, a little
crazy, and a lot of fun. And in case anyone's forgotten, those qualities are
the basic building blocks of rock 'n' roll. Their new album, Put the Hammer
Down, is a boozy, sometimes bluesy, guitar-crazed testament to the gospel of
good timing."
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AUDIO
Click on an audio track below to download a mp3:
Yayhoos - Put The Hammer Down [2006]
Between You and Me [mp3] - 6.11 mb
Where's Your Boyfriend At [mp3] - 3.27 mb
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