Reigning Sound | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Founded by Memphis blues-punk legend Greg Cartwright -- a former member of the Oblivians, the Compulsive Gamblers, and 68 Comeback -- Reigning Sound fuse the hot-wired energy of garage rock with the deep emotional resonance of classic soul music in a manner that suggests a cross between the early Rolling Stones and the Sonics. While the band could rock convincingly, Cartwrights songwriting showed a maturity and emotional strength that set him apart from the majority of garage rock acts. Reigning Sound proved they could wail hard on 2002s Time Bomb High School and 2004s Too Much Guitar, but their work with Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las on her 2007 solo effort Dangerous Game, and their 2014 return to the studio Shattered, found them turning up their soul influences as they employed a more dynamic approach. Featuring Cartwright on vocals and guitar, Jeremy Scott on bass, Greg Roberson on drums, and Alex Greene on keyboards and guitar, Reigning Sound made their recorded debut with a three-song 7" in May of 2001; their first full-length album, Break Up Break Down, was released a month later on Sympathy for the Record Industry. In August of 2002, the group upped the rock quotient on its second album (and first for In the Red), Time Bomb High School, and the group landed a high-profile gig opening for Swedish garage wunderkinds the Hives on their North American tour. Alex Greene dropped out as a full-time group member by the time 2004s Too Much Guitar was released, though he did appear on the disc as a guest musician, and the band followed its release with more touring, both as a headliner and once again as opener for the Hives. The band also gained another well-known champion in Little Steven Van Zandt, who gave the band frequent airplay on his syndicated radio show. In September 2005 Reigning Sound released Home for Orphans through Sympathy for the Record Industry. It featured reworked versions of Too Much Guitar material along with some unreleased tracks. They also recorded and released two live albums in 2005, Live at Maxwells and Live at Goner Records. After a long break from recording under their own name (though Cartwright and the new lineup of bassist David Wayne Gay, drummer Lance Wille, and keyboardist Dave Amels backed ex-Shangri-La Mary Weiss on her 2007 album Dangerous Game), the band resurfaced in 2009 with a new studio record for In the Red, Love and Curses. In 2011, after Cartwright had detoured into touring and recording with a reunited Oblivians, he assembled a new lineup of Reigning Sound, with Dave Amels returning on keyboards alongside new members Mike Catanese on guitar, Benjamin Trokan on bass, and Mikey Post on drums. Their first project was something out of the ordinary; the auto manufacturer Scion was launching a music-themed promotion campaign and Reigning Sound partnered with them to create an album that would be released by Scions ad hoc label, Scion Audio/Visual. The album, Abdication … For Your Love, featured five cuts produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and gave the group a more polished presentation without cutting back on their energy. Reigning Sound emphasized a more mature and soulful approach for their next album. They rolled into Brooklyns Daptone Studio to record Shattered, which became the bands first release for Merge Records in July 2014. In April 2019, Merge gave Abdication … For Your Love a mass-market reissue, with the addition of a bonus track, "What Did I Tell You." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 9 Title: Break Up… Break Down Released: 2001-05-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Since When (02:24) 2 I Don’t Care (02:34) 3 You Don’t Hear the Music (03:12) 4 Goodbye (03:52) 5 As Long (03:00) 6 Want You (02:52) 7 So Goes Love (02:35) 8 Take a Ride (04:44) 9 Waiting for the Day (03:29) 10 So Sad (03:25) 11 I’m So Thankful (03:01) |
| Break Up… Break Down : Allmusic album Review : Former Oblivians and Compulsive Gamblers frontman Greg Cartwright cools his boiling garage leanings to a simmer on the Memphis musicians debut with the Reigning Sound. Its all about the material on Break Up Break Down, and there are only scattered references to the primal blues-rock of Cartwrights notable 90s projects. Heart-tugging vocals and songwriting are the central components that this country-folk collection revolves around. Highlights like the waltz-time lament "Goodbye" have just what it takes to grip the inner Hank Williams in every garage rocker, without tripping any irony-minded alerts that equate anything emotional with overt sentimentality. Perhaps this delicate country-rock balancing act is what impressed the Hives enough to take the Reigning Sound out on tour, or perhaps the decision was tribute to Cartwrights overlooked punk/gospel work with Oblivians. Such thoughts wont concern fans of traditional American music after theyve confronted the authenticity and the sweetness of Break Up Break Down. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 9 Title: Time Bomb High School Released: 2002-06-11 Tracks: 15 Duration: 37:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stormy Weather (02:11) 2 Straight Shooter (01:33) 3 Youre Not as Pretty (02:55) 4 Brown Paper Sack (02:13) 5 Wait and See (02:33) 6 I Walk by Your House (02:49) 7 Time Bomb High School (01:35) 8 I Dont Believe (02:44) 9 Shes Bored With You (02:11) 10 Reptile Style (03:22) 11 Im Holding Out (02:43) 12 I Dont Know How to Tell You (02:29) 13 Dressy (02:54) 14 Id Much Rather Be With the Boys (02:15) 15 Youre So Strange (03:11) |
| Time Bomb High School : Allmusic album Review : Time Bomb High School is much more than another garage tribute to soulful 60s Brit-rock. But the sophomore effort from the Reigning Sound is something less than the bands minimal, country-folk debut. During knockouts like the Rolling Stones-flavored "Straight Shooter" and "Id Much Rather Be With the Boys," Greg Cartwright and his Memphis combos sound is as pure, and as well-grounded, as anything since Exile on Main Street. With 14 tracks, however, the material and arrangements are spread just a little too thin, and too many average tunes are allowed in the mix. A bit of a stylistic return for former Oblivians member Cartwright, Time Bomb High School crackles with raucous garage energy. While nothing like the punk/soul primal scream of the musician/songwriters earlier days, this disc surpasses any reasonable swagger quota. The Reigning Sounds moody, countrified debut had a relative wealth of riveting numbers, and more conceptual clarity, but this 2002 In The Red title will definitely satisfy Cartwright fans as well as listeners wary of the inevitable post-White Stripes garage posers. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 9 Title: Too Much Guitar Released: 2004-05-04 Tracks: 14 Duration: 37:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 We Repel Each Other (03:00) 2 Your Love Is a Fine Thing (02:43) 3 If You Cant Give Me Everything (02:41) 4 You Got Me Hummin (02:26) 5 When You Touch Me (02:57) 6 Funny Thing (03:07) 7 Get It! (02:03) 8 Ill Cry (02:20) 9 Drowning (03:43) 10 Uptight Tonight (02:25) 11 Excedrine Headache #265 (03:24) 12 Let Yourself Go (02:39) 13 So Easy (02:07) 14 Medication (01:23) |
| Too Much Guitar : Allmusic album Review : Greg Cartwright sums up his approach on the third album from the Reigning Sound with the title, Too Much Guitar -- here, Cartwright moves the old-school soul influences that were in the forefront on Break Up Break Down and Time Bomb High School to the back burner in favor of a hip-shakin set of loud and primal guitar-based rock & roll. While Cartwrights passion for R&B; is still prominent in these songs (and their performances), here it manifests itself in a set of tunes that take Stones/Pretties-style raunch and filters it through 60s garage rock bashing in the manner of the Sonics or the Misunderstood. In short, this thing goes bash, pound, bash through 14 high-impact cuts, and Cartwrights passionate vocals jockey for position against his revved-up guitar bashing, while bassist Jeremy Scott and drummer Greg Roberson flail away for all their worth in support. Cartwright also reaffirms his status here as one of the best songwriters in the nuevo garage scene on Too Much Guitar -- while the performances may value impact over nuance, the songs are smart, soulful, and emotionally powerful, and the lyrics speak of a maturity thats a far (and welcome) cry from the carsngirls blatherings of most new garage outfits. While some fans might miss some of the soulful undercurrents that made Time Bomb High School so memorable, if you want to hear Greg Cartwright rock on out, then this album will convince you that Too Much Guitar is never enough. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 9 Title: Live at Maxwell’s Released: 2005 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Got Me Hummin’ (02:24) 2 I’ll Cry (02:32) 3 Funny Thing (03:30) 4 When You Touch Me (03:54) 5 Stormy Weather (02:31) 6 I Need You Now (02:52) 7 Your Love Is a Fine Thing (02:49) 8 We Repel Each Other (02:39) 9 I’m So Thankful (02:46) 10 Brown Paper Sack (02:24) 11 Drowning (03:27) 12 You’re So Strange (03:38) 13 Straight Shooter (01:54) 14 Bad Man (02:47) |
| Live at Maxwell’s : Allmusic album Review : While this may not be the best live document of the Reigning Sound, its a noble effort. The band was smart to release a live disc, because it flourishes on-stage. Often, the Reigning Sounds studio efforts struggle to blend the groups soft and rockin sides, a balance that it typically strikes more easily live. A fireball of guitar rock, the Greg Cartwright-led trio runs through a selection of songs spanning its three LPs, as well as some of Cartwrights pre-Sound material such as "Bad Man." The group also dishes out some typically well-chosen cover songs, notably a stirring reading of Sam Cookes "I Need You Now" and a wailing take on Isaac Hayes "You Got Me Hummin" (a song previously made famous by both Sam & Dave and Billy Joels 60s rock band, the Hassles). The group deftly mixes elements of classic soul, vintage garage rock, and all-out pop in a way that explodes through the speakers with punk rock conviction. Of course, the downside of a show thats this lively is that it always runs the risk of going down in flames. While it never quite crashes, the album stumbles and sputters as Cartwright announces that hes broken three of his guitar strings, but will keep on playing anyway. Fans will likely admire his passion under pressure, but newcomers may turn off the stereo well in advance of the technical difficulty. Cartwrights voice is in shreds, and notes that are sweet on record are scratchy howls live. Its the sound of a band that spends a lot of time in smoky bars making fans happy, and ultimately this is a record intended for fans. The sound of happy concertgoers singing along with every line is proof of that. The group released a second, and arguably better, live effort in 2005. That album, Live at Goner Records, was recorded at the titular Memphis record store formerly owned by Cartwright. The shop is now headed up by Cartwrights former Oblivians bandmate Eric Friedl, aka Eric Oblivian. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 9 Title: Home for Orphans Released: 2005 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Find Me Now (02:14) 2 If You Cant Give Me Everything (03:48) 3 Funny Thing (03:07) 4 Medication Blues #1 (03:43) 5 Carol (02:21) 6 What Could I Do? (02:37) 7 If Christmas Can Bring You Home (02:28) 8 Pretty Girl (02:51) 9 Without You (02:43) 10 Dont Send Me No Flowers, I Aint Dead Yet (02:29) |
| Home for Orphans : Allmusic album Review : This short (28 minutes) album is primarily made up of outtakes from the sessions for Reigning Sounds 2004 scorcher Too Much Guitar, but if that disc was too much rock and not enough soul for you, then youre in luck. Home for Orphans is dominated by the sort of moody, low-key laments that are Greg Cartwrights real secret weapon when he isnt cranking his amp up to ten, along with a superb cover of Gene Clarks "Here Without You" that fits this set like a glove. While "If You Cant Give Me Everything," "Funny Thing," and "Medication" all appeared on Too Much Guitar, these versions turn down the volume and dig into the lonely heart and soul of these songs, and prove that there are few people who can write and sing modern-day soul with the same passion and skill as Cartwright. His band offers understated but solid support (especially Alex Greene on organ), and its hard to imagine why songs as good as "Find Me Now" and "What Could I Do" didnt find a lasting place in their repertoire, given how good they sound in this context. Cartwright also gives his fans a bummed-out Christmas classic with "If Christmas Cant Bring You Home" (the A-side from an out of print holiday single), and a roaring live take of "Dont Send Me No Flowers, I Aint Dead Yet" closes the set with a solid dose of rock action. Reigning Sounds throwaways are better and more satisfying listening than what most bands have to offer as top-shelf merchandise, and Home for Orphans is a fine collection of garage-shot soul that whets the appetite for the next proper Reigning Sound record. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 9 Title: Live At Goner Records 6.26.05 Released: 2005 Tracks: 16 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Time Bomb High School (?) 2 Bad Man (?) 3 Reptile Style (?) 4 What Could I Do? (?) 5 Black Sheep (?) 6 Tennessee (?) 7 Straight Shooter (?) 8 Carol (?) 9 Do Something (?) 10 Girl (?) 11 New Romance (?) 12 Two Thieves (cut short) (?) 13 We Repel (?) 14 Im So Thankful (?) 15 Im Holding Out (?) 16 Drowning (?) |
 | Album: 7 of 9 Title: Love and Curses Released: 2009-08-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Break It (02:24) 2 Trash Talk (02:33) 3 Call Me (02:18) 4 The Bells (02:28) 5 If I Cant Come Back (02:27) 6 Something to Hold Onto (03:12) 7 Dangerous Game (01:36) 8 Broken Things (02:22) 9 Debris (02:40) 10 Stick Up for Me (03:11) 11 Love Wont Leave You a Song (02:28) 12 Polly Ane (02:59) 13 Is It True? (02:18) 14 Banker and a Liar (02:36) |
| Love and Curses : Allmusic album Review : As good as Reigning Sounds 2004 album Too Much Guitar was, the title was both an accurate self-review and a preview of what was inside; the deep soul influences that made the groups first two albums so memorable were pushed to the side, and while the album rocked hard and strong, it seemed as if bandleader and songwriter Greg Cartwright was ignoring an integral part of his musical personality in favor of making his music better understood to the nuevo-garage crowd. After a three-year layoff and a rewarding detour backing up Shangri-Las vocalist Mary Weiss on her fine solo album Dangerous Game (with Cartwright producing and writing most of the material), Reigning Sound have returned to the studio with Love and Curses. The album finds the group getting most of their balance back, and while calling it a return to form suggests Too Much Guitar was more flawed than it really was, Love and Curses gives a clearer and more compelling picture of what Reigning Sound does best. "Call Me," "Only Want You More," and "Is It True" confirm that Cartwright and his partners rock & roll is as tough as ever and bassist David Wayne Gay and drummer Lance Wille are a powerful and elemental rhythm section, but here they also make more room for the soulful edges of Cartwrights voice and Dave Amels keyboards. And when the band turns down the tempo and lets their R&B; influences step forward, Cartwright reaffirms that hes one of the most powerful and affecting blue-eyed soul men recording today, and the spirit and passion in "Trash Talk," "Something to Hold Onto," and "Love Wont Leave You a Song" is thrilling stuff that hardly anyone on the indie scene today can touch. Reigning Sound also dip their toes into the social relevance thing with the working class anthem "Stick Up for Me" and "Banker and a Liar," a curious but fascinating finale which matches a slightly Dylan-esque lyric about the wealthy and corrupt backed with an accordion and a mandolin. Love and Curses features 14 songs driven by soul, strength and fierce belief, and with a voice as strong as Greg Cartwright fronting a band this tight and effective, Reigning Sound are just about unbeatable; theyre one of Americas great bands and theyre firing on all cylinders with Love and Curses. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 9 Title: Abdication…For Your Love Released: 2011-11-01 Tracks: 8 Duration: 21:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Lyin’ Girl (02:45) 2 Everything I Do Is Wrong (02:50) 3 Shaw (02:14) 4 Call Me #1 (02:05) 5 Eve (03:09) 6 Watching My Baby (02:14) 7 Can’t Hold On (02:54) 8 Not Far Away (03:38) |
 | Album: 9 of 9 Title: Shattered Released: 2014-07-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 North Cackalacky Girl (02:46) 2 Never Coming Home (03:27) 3 Falling Rain (03:12) 4 If You Gotta Leave (02:57) 5 You Did Wrong (02:52) 6 Once More (02:37) 7 My My (03:17) 8 Starting New (03:21) 9 Baby, It’s Too Late (02:50) 10 In My Dreams (02:58) 11 I’m Trying (To Be the Man You Need) (03:28) |
| Shattered : Allmusic album Review : Greg Cartwright has always been a rock & roller with the heart of a soul man, but on his fifth studio album with Reigning Sound, 2014s Shattered, its the soul man who speaks the loudest. After a five-year layoff, during which Cartwright had to deal with the death of a handful of family and friends (including his onetime bandmate and protégé Jay Reatard), Reigning Sound have a new lineup again, and Shattered is a more measured and contemplative set than this group has released in the past, as Cartwrights new songs reflect his deep love of classic soul music. Cartwright sounds passionate but sadly reflective on tracks like "If You Gotta Leave" and "In My Dreams," and while he can still turn up the amps and rock with authority on numbers like "North Cackalacky Girl" and "My My," its the sad songs that dominate Shattered and ultimately matter the most. Cartwright has never been afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, both as a singer and a vocalist, and if hes a bit more subtle on Shattered than on, say, Time Bomb High School, he never sounds less than sincere or compelling, and "Falling Rain" and "You Did Wrong" show he doesnt have to shout to make his feelings understood. The members of Cartwrights new band -- Dave Amels on organ, Mike Catanese on guitar, Benjamin Trokan on bass, and Mikey Post on drums -- are graceful with the slow numbers and muscular when they need to rock, and the low-key string charts on "Once More" and "Never Coming Home" provide a new wrinkle that fits these songs perfectly. The best thing about Reigning Sound has always been Cartwrights gifts as a songwriter and his ability to make those songs come alive with his vocals, and Shattered demonstrates that even when hes aiming to caress rather than bruise, hes an artist who makes a real impact. Some Reigning Sound fans might miss the harder-rocking side of the band, but if youre looking for ten new Greg Cartwright songs sung with real heart and soul, Shattered is just what youve been waiting for. | ||