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Warner
Hodges debuts new band, Disciples of Loud announces Jason
and the Scorchers announce five July tour dates! Pg.
2 Jason
Ringenberg solo dates Pg.4 |
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Warner
Hodges debuts new band, Disciples of Loud announces tour dates By James Benkard and Chris Rafferty Jason and the Scorchers guitarist, producer and instrumental guiding light Warner Hodges has debuted his new band, Disciples of Loud. A melodic hard-rock four-piece, Disciples of Loud features fellow Scorchers bassist Kenny Ames, and Nashville locals Todd Austin on guitar and Matt Green on drums. Hodges handles the bulk of the singing, and splits lead guitar duties with Austin. Disciples of Loud have released their debut album of all-original material, 'Let the Beatings Begin.' Hodges and Austin have written all of the songs together, and Ames contributes to three. Disciples of Loud made their public debut April 4th and 5th, 2003 with shows in Atlanta and Nashville. They played the Exit/In on April 5th and will do so again on June 14: DISCIPLES OF LOUD Fans of Jason and the Scorchers who wonder whether the Disciples of Loud spells the end of the Scorchers might take comfort in this remark by Hodges, which he made in 2002: "I'm hoping it [the Disciples] ain't just a short-term thing. I mean, why can't I do this and the Scorchers? It just depends, we'll see." Here is the song listing: 1. Uh-Huh Disciples of Loud have launched their own website: CD Baby in Oregon is selling 'Let the Beatings
Begin': Hodges' influences range from AC/DC to Little Richard, the Rolling Stones, Merle Haggard, and Cheap Trick. Ames has become one of the most versatile and sought-after bassists in Nashville. 'Let the Beatings Begin' showcases Hodges' and Austin's precise and powerful one-two guitar punch. Ames and Green create an on-point rhythm section, creating the backdrop for this 48-minute sonic assault. The band recorded the album at the Castle in Franklin, Tennessee, where the Scorchers recorded their 1995 Mammoth album 'A Blazing Grace.' Mike Janas engineered both records, and the layered, muscular guitar tone you hear reflects the inspiration of some grizzled music veterans. In 'Let the Beatings Begin,' the Disciples pull you into their world of frayed amplifier cords, unfiltered cigarettes, and all-night drives to gigs. The band struts unapologetically through your speakers and declares its opinions, anger, and passions. Song highlights range from the AC/DC swagger of 'I'm Your Man' and 'When Mercy Calls' to 'Seduction,' a melodic chronicle of sobriety. The band is more sentimental in the power ballad 'You Must Give Me Something.' 'Tick Tock' is a hidden gem, a hard-hitting examination of the chaos and contradictions in modern America. This record gives you an immediate sensory experience of the world of rock and roll. After hearing it, you know and respect the Disciples. They might be prisoners of rock and roll, but they are proudly doing time. The tension between captivity and freedom, in the music business or in relationships, is one of the recurring themes. In 'Seduction,' Hodges tells his demons that 'I'll stand and fight you for my life,' recalling his own Steve Earle moment. The opening track, 'Uh Huh,' sums up Hodges' uncompromising career: ìWent around the block a time or two/Didn't have a dime when I was through/Got lots of critical acclaim/My critical mistake was I did not play the game.' Hodges and Austin search for a degree of stability in their worlds, as long as they can do so without sacrificing certain core values. The Disciples want to succeed on their own terms, as a unit. Two more standout tracks are 'Wind Me Up' and 'Go Away.' These reveal combustible passions for magnetic and rough women - the ones you can't take your eyes off, even though you suspect you should. The Disciples want to be close to whatever burns, and they are prepared to pay the price. 'Wind Me Up' laments: 'You talk a mouthful of sin/I always come back again/I want to get away/But I always stay.' 'Go Away' finds Austin and Hodges dealing with a another alluring seductress, but with more resolve to swim out of the whirlpool: 'Maybe you think I'm just running/But I'm not trying to put you down/I'm here to say that you look stunning/I just don't have time to stick around.' Every Saturday night becomes a Sunday morning, and in the early light, the Disciples want to come home. In 'I'm Your Man:' 'Too many miles of open road/Put too much dust upon my soul/I just got to make you understand/No matter what, I'm your man.' The Disciples may be scarred by life, but they still believe they can find what they seek. The album is ambitious and angry, but at the end of the day is reflective and humble: 'I don't care how hard I fall/Don't care if my back's against the wall/Long as I'm still there/When mercy calls.' Hodges, who sings backup with Jason and the Scorchers, combines his gift for melody with a down-home shout as he tackles the vocal duties, and Austin synchronizes with him on phrases. Austin and Hodges trade off solos, and at times they match acrobatically fast lines note for note. They play fluidly and relentlessly. One chugs along in back while the other is up front, then they switch the pole position. It is a tribute to Austin that one cannot readily tell which solos are his, and which are Hodges'. Warner says about Austin that he ìscares the s**t out of me, which is really cool. He pushes the f**k out of me, and I'm real happy about that.' Ames, who has played with Hodges for six years in the Scorchers, complements the two six-stringers with his instinctive, learned and brazen style. Green propels this machine along with his crushing yet economical sound. Together they prove more than a match for the titanic energy of the guitarists. A rhythm section that wasnít as tough as these hombres would cower in the corner of the stage. Most tracks on 'Let the Beatings Begin' have the potential to give album-oriented rock radio something it is sorely lacking. These are finely tuned songs that are bold in their attack. You walk away humming them, in the tradition of Cheap Trick and most classic rock. Still, the band brings this format into the present with Van Halen-style flourishes and metallic quick-stops and starts. Their riffs serve the songs, rather than the other way around. The Disciples use their influences widely and wisely, opening up the mostly stagnant hard-rock format in more ways than bands usually explore it. The Disciples are experienced professionals who
know the pitfalls of the urban jungle. Still, they have gas in their
tanks, and will suit up, show up and leave a quart of blood, sweat and
inspiration on stage. Hopefully, they will inspire some other kids to
pick up instruments.
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