- The Long Ryders
Infobox musical artist |
Name = The Long Ryders
Landscape =
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Background = group_or_band
Origin =Los Angeles ,California ,USA
Genre =Paisley Underground Alternative country
Years_active = 1983–1987, 2004
Label = Zippo Records
Demon RecordsIsland Records PolyGram
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/thelongryders The Long Ryders MySpace]
Current_members = Sid Griffin
Stephen McCarthy
Tom Stevens
Greg Sowders
Past_members = Barry Shank
Chris (Des) BrewerThe Long Ryders (Sid Griffin,
guitar ,autoharp , bugle; Stephen McCarthy,guitar ,steel guitar ,mandolin ,banjo ; Tom Stevens, bass; Greg Sowders, drums) were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and originally associated with a movement sometimes called thePaisley Underground . With a sound reminiscent ofGram Parsons -eraByrds ,Buffalo Springfield andThe Flying Burrito Brothers , but with a harder edge, they anticipated thealternative country music of the 1990s by a decade. (Former ByrdGene Clark added vocals to the song "Ivory Tower," on the 1984 "Native Sons.") The group disbanded in 1987, but reunited in 2004 for a brief European tour, including a performance at theGlastonbury Festival . Further touring is possible for summer 2008.The Long Ryders formed from the ashes of the Los Angeles band The Unclaimed. The founding members were Sid Griffin and bassist Barry Shank. Their initial studio release the EP "10-5-60" consisted of Griffin (a native of Kentucky), replacement bassist Chris (Des) Brewer from Australia, Stephen McCarthy (Richmond, VA) and Greg Sowders (Los Angeles, CA). Brewer was replaced after "10-5-60" by Tom Stevens (Elkhart, IN), thus forming the permanent lineup (Griffin, McCarthy, Sowders, Stevens) which would remain in place until their eventual breakup.
Apart from occasional Long Ryders activity, Griffin, who relocated to
London , has kept busy as a solo artist and bandleader (The Coal Porters , Western Electric), and as a music journalist and critic. McCarthy, after a stint leading his own band, Walker Stories, returned home toRichmond, Virginia ; he played in the indie supergroup Gutterball with Steve Wynn and fellow Richmondites Bryan Harvey and Johnny Hott ofHouse of Freaks , and in 2003 began playing with The Jayhawks. Stevens returned to his nativeIndiana , earned a degree in computer science and continues to release solo albums. And Sowders, who was married for a time to the singerLucinda Williams , went to work in music publishing.Albums
*"10-5-60" (1983)
*"Native Sons" (1984)
*"State of Our Union" (1985)
*"Two-Fisted Tales" (1987)
*"Metallic B.O." (1989)
*"BBC Radio One Live in Concert" (1994)
*"Anthology" (1998)
*"State Of Our Reunion" (2004)DVD
*"Rockin' at the Roxy"
External links
* [http://sidgriffin.com/lryders.htm Sid Griffin's Long Ryders page]
* [http://www.tomstevens.org Tom Stevens website]
* [http://www.perfectsoundforever.com/v/2005012/features/101 An Oral History of the Long Ryders] , by Diane Roka
* [http://www.sa-wa-ro.com/LongRyders-Pages/lr-albums.htm A partial Long Ryders discography]
* [http://www.rwafanzine.co.uk/longryders.htm Rebels Without Applause Long Ryders page]
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