Artist description Whatever happened to rock and roll? Well, you can still find it -- it's out there in local bars, in the record stores under strange names like "alt.country," "roots rock," even "rockabilly." Rob and the Sore Losers aren't trying to play the same ole thing, but their sound is definitely a "roots-rock revival" of sorts. So put your hand on the radio ... oops, computer, and BE HEALED!!!

Music Style Roots Rock and Roll

Musical Influences Van Morrison, Kinky Friedman, Richard Thompson, Bob Dylan

Similar Artists Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Richard Thompson, The Band, Dylan, John Mellencamp

Artist History Being a Loser not so bad, says college professor by Steve Wildsmith Maryville Daily Times -- November 1, 2002 For Rob Russell, leading a group of losers through the treacherous territory of the East Tennessee music scene is all right for now, but it could be even better. He could be doing it full time, and he's working diligently to make that dream happen. As a college professor by day and a struggling musician by night, it ain't the life of a superhero, but for Russell, the rewards are just as rich. ``I've been playing music semi-professionally for something like 14 years, and this band has really been going for over two years,'' he said this week. ``This is the first band I've had that I've felt has the potential to turn my dream into a career, and that's great. At this point in my life, as far as my writing ability, I feel like I'm heading somewhere. ``I love my job, and I love what I do, but if I could be writing and singing and playing full time, I'd do it.'' Russell, who performs Saturday night with his band, the Sore Losers, at Barley's Taproom in Knoxville's Old City, is director of the Writing and Communication Center at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. His face will be familiar to long-time followers of the local music scene, but as the Sore Losers gain more respect and radio play for the excellent mix of rootsy Americana and post-punk pop, his students are even starting to notice. ``I don't necessarily try to promote it to them or anything, but it ends up, especially in the last couple of years, that my name gets out there,'' he said. ``They'll say in class, `I heard a song by a Rob Russell on the radio -- is that you?' And I'll tell them, `Yeah, that's me.' ``Sometimes they think if they go to some of my shows, they'll get extra credit. I always tell them nope, but I have had them ask it before.'' It's no wonder Russell's students are tuning in -- the band's most recent record, ``I Think We're Gonna Be Alright,'' has an audible shine that's engaging from the first spin, and with Russell's slick guitar playing and rock-solid vocals, it's easy to hear why one critic described the band as ``John Cougar fronting The Replacements.'' Russell describes it as ``roots-based rock 'n' roll with a lot of energy, music that makes you want to drink a lot of beer and dance.'' ``I like to think that in some ways we're a throwback to the '70s pub-rock bands,'' he said, citing Bruce Springsteen as one such example. ``We're a five-piece band with a big sound, and I don’t think there's many bands around now that give you the full-on experience of what rock 'n' roll can do. We think we can do that, from country-tinged things to power pop to an almost classic-rock sound. It's fun music to listen to, because you've got a pumping piano and an energetic rhythm section.'' It was too many years ago that Russell was a student himself, working on his master's thesis in English at UT. That's where he hooked up with Scott Miller. Don Coffey of Superdrag fame recorded a set of demo songs for Russell and the Sore Losers last summer, and the band has opened for such musical luminaries as .38 Special, Gillian Welch and The V-Roys. Given those connections, it'd be easy for Russell to name-drop his way to the top, but given the rising popularity of Americana music, he feels like he doesn't have to. ``It definitely feels like we're closer to making it now than it ever has before,'' he said. ``Right now feels like a good time for roots-based music, because just about every kind of roots-based music is getting more attention than it used to.'' But one thing Russell's exposure to contemporaries in the scene has given him has been a few lessons on several aspects of the industry, from the business end of it to song construction. And Miller, he added, helped shape his own writing style. ``I'd been writing for years when I came to Knoxville, went to graduate school and played bass for Scott, but with him I was able to see somebody who had an overabundance of talent and who was also disciplined enough to direct it in a meaningful way,'' he said. ``What I took from Scott was that every song had at least one image in there that left a picture in your head. ``I think I learned a lot from that. That's something -- you want to make your music memorable, for it to mean something to somebody, and it's something he can do really well.'' From Nashville singer-songwriter Walt Wilkins, Russell learned the balance of incorporating catchy hooks and upbeat melodies into his songs. ``I learned a lot from Walt about focus, about trying to be both melodic and have something to say,'' he said. ``A lot of singer-songwriters feel they have a lot to say, but it's not always easy to listen to them say it. If anything, I hope that sets us apart from the usual singer-songwriters. We have good melodies and hooks that stick in your head.'' Cutting those demos with Coffey, he added, gave him a lesson in how Coffey's Knoxville-based band has made a name for itself with very little label support. ``So many people have come and gone since those guys [Superdrag] came on scene, but they're still making great records, and they're in control of their own destinies in terms of financial matters,'' he said. ``That was a real eye-opener and a real boost for us. We saw there are other people that are doing it and able to make it go. ``They're not stale, and they're not sticking to the tried and true. They're keeping it going, and they're able to do on their own without the support of a big record label. I know it's such a slim margin of people in this business who actually get a record deal that there's no sense in waiting for the deal to do this or do that. ``We're just gonna scrimp and scratch and put together the best CD we can, and we're gonna go out there and make things happen.''

Group Members Rob Russell -- guitar and vocals; Andy Russell -- drums; David Hart -- gtr & vox; Don Eanes -- keys & vox; Josh Reifert -- bass

Instruments guitars, keys, drums

Albums I Think We're Gonna Be Alright (2002); Five Songs (2001); Underyears (2001); Alive on 7th Street (1999); Trick Dog (1996)

Press Reviews "Rob's got a tight rock-n-roll sound that is all Elvis and no Beatles. He isn't ashamed of folk or country influences. Besides coming up with quality original rock melodies and riffs, his lyrics are really well written and don't lose the listener with repetition or stagnant subjects. One of the greatest things about a Rob Russell song is when he really pushes out a note and you can hear his passion in full, rich-bodied tones of a great voice that just keeps sounding better the louder he sings." Ben Swihart, Electronica (http://www.goelectronica.com) "His lyrics are classic tough-luck Americana." -- Andrew Sullivan, GODS of MUSIC; "Rob Russell kicks ass! I'm in love. Here's a great example of all the right ingredients, excellent arrangement, passionate on pitch vocals and outstanding lyrics. He's a natural." -- Kally Turner, GODS of MUS

Additional Info T-shirts 'n stuff @ http://www.cafepress.com/RobRussell

Location Johnson City, TN - USA

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