Hayseed Dixie
Encyclopedia
Hayseed Dixie is an American
band which began in the autumn of 2000 with the release of their first album, A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC
. The band performs a mixture of cover version
s of hard rock
songs and original compositions in a style that is a unique fusion of bluegrass
and rock music
and are acknowledged as the creators of the musical genre, "Rockgrass". The band's name is a play on the name AC/DC and was originally AC/Dixie, but they were forced by lawyers from Sony Music to change it. Claiming to hail from Deer Lick Holler, Appalachia
, the band has played over 1,000 live dates in 29 different countries since 2001.
While the band initially received considerable morning-show radio play and sold over 250,000 albums in the US in 2001 - 2003, and toured the US club circuit extensively during that time, Western Europe has shown them the most enduring appreciation and they have played almost every major European festival, including a Main Stage appearance in 2005 at Glastonbury
. Attesting to their cross-genre appeal, they are the only band ever to headline English festival stages at both Castle Donington Download Festival and the Cambridge Folk Festival
. In September 2005 they held their own festival Loopallu in Ullapool
, Scotland
, which has become an annual event. In June 2007 they appeared on the opening day of the Download Festival
and played at the Roskilde Festival
in Denmark and the Wickerman Festival
in Scotland in July 2007.
Continuing to always push boundaries in extreme and often absurd ways, Hayseed Dixie released an album composed almost entirely of songs in the Norwegian language, titled "Sjt Munchs Drikkeklubb Band" on April 11, 2011. The group also charted a single in the Summer of 2011 in Finland, Juodaan Viinaa, sung in the Finnish language.
Among others, BBC Radio 2
's Jeremy Vine
is a fan of their work and infrequently plays a tune by the band. The group recorded the "When you wanna hear great music..." jingle for his daily radio show.
Kerosene Brothers is the band's alter-ego project; they released the album Choose Your Own Title under that name in 2003 on Koch Records.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band which began in the autumn of 2000 with the release of their first album, A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC
A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC
A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC is the first album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2001 . The album consists of cover versions of AC/DC songs performed in bluegrass style.-Track listing:...
. The band performs a mixture of cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
songs and original compositions in a style that is a unique fusion of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and are acknowledged as the creators of the musical genre, "Rockgrass". The band's name is a play on the name AC/DC and was originally AC/Dixie, but they were forced by lawyers from Sony Music to change it. Claiming to hail from Deer Lick Holler, Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
, the band has played over 1,000 live dates in 29 different countries since 2001.
While the band initially received considerable morning-show radio play and sold over 250,000 albums in the US in 2001 - 2003, and toured the US club circuit extensively during that time, Western Europe has shown them the most enduring appreciation and they have played almost every major European festival, including a Main Stage appearance in 2005 at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. Attesting to their cross-genre appeal, they are the only band ever to headline English festival stages at both Castle Donington Download Festival and the Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
. In September 2005 they held their own festival Loopallu in Ullapool
Ullapool
Ullapool is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland. The North Atlantic Drift passes by Ullapool, bringing moderate temperatures...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which has become an annual event. In June 2007 they appeared on the opening day of the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and played at the Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
in Denmark and the Wickerman Festival
Wickerman Festival
The Wickerman Festival is an annual music festival held near to Dundrennan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Dubbed 'Scotland's Alternative Music festival', the festival will celebrate its 10th Birthday in 2011 on Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd July....
in Scotland in July 2007.
Continuing to always push boundaries in extreme and often absurd ways, Hayseed Dixie released an album composed almost entirely of songs in the Norwegian language, titled "Sjt Munchs Drikkeklubb Band" on April 11, 2011. The group also charted a single in the Summer of 2011 in Finland, Juodaan Viinaa, sung in the Finnish language.
Among others, BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Guy Vine is a British author, journalist and news presenter for the BBC. He is known for his direct interview style and exclusive reporting from war-torn areas throughout Africa...
is a fan of their work and infrequently plays a tune by the band. The group recorded the "When you wanna hear great music..." jingle for his daily radio show.
Kerosene Brothers is the band's alter-ego project; they released the album Choose Your Own Title under that name in 2003 on Koch Records.
Current band members
- John Wheeler (credited as Barley Scotch) – vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, founding member - "Reverend" Don Wayne RenoDon Wayne RenoDon Wayne Reno is a bluegrass musician and banjo player, and also an ordained minister. He is a son of famed bluegrass musician Don Reno. Reno is a mainstay of Hayseed Dixie with his brother Dale Reno as the mandolinist.-External links:*...
– banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, founding member - "Deacon" Dale Reno – mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, founding member - Jake "Bakesnake" Byers – acoustic bass guitarAcoustic bass guitarThe acoustic bass guitar is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually somewhat larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar...
Former band members
- Rusty Horn (as Cooter Brown) – acoustic guitar, founding member
- Kurt Carrick (as Kletus) – acoustic bass, founding member
- Mike Daly (as Wilson Cook) – DobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, founding member - Jason D Smith – bass
- Jeff Williams – bass
- Chad Mize – bass
Discography
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass | US Country | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
UK Country | Australia Country | ||
| A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC is the first album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2001 . The album consists of cover versions of AC/DC songs performed in bluegrass style.-Track listing:... |
|
14 | 47 | — | — | 1 |
| A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love is the second album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2002 .-Track listing:#"My Best Friend's Girl" – 2:54#"Centerfold" A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love is the second album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2002 (see 2002 in... |
|
8 | 39 | 38 | — | — |
| Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss is the third album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2003 . The album consists entirely of covers of songs by the hard rock band Kiss performed in the bluegrass style.... |
|
4 | 52 | — | — | — |
| Let There Be Rockgrass Let There Be Rockgrass Let There Be Rockgrass is the fourth album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2004. The album's title is a play on the AC/DC album Let There Be Rock and continued the theme of adding grass to known phrases for Hayseed Dixie album titles.... |
Cooking Vinyl Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases... |
— | — | — | 1 | — |
| A Hot Piece of Grass A Hot Piece of Grass A Hot Piece of Grass is the fifth album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2005 .-Track listing:# "Black Dog" – 3:07# "War Pigs" – 4:27... |
|
6 | — | — | 2 | — |
| You Wanna See Something REALLY Scary? (EP) |
|
— | — | — | — | — |
| Weapons of Grass Destruction Weapons of Grass Destruction Weapons of Grass Destruction is the sixth full length album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2007. The album's name continues the band's practice of adding the word grass to common phrases, in this case, weapons of mass destruction... |
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— | — | — | — | — |
| No Covers No Covers No Covers is the seventh full length album by American band Hayseed Dixie. Released in 2008, it is their first album to consist entirely of original songs... |
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| Killer Grass Killer Grass Killer Grass is the 8th full-length studio album by the American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2010 . The CD DVD package contains 7 original compositions along with 6 reinterpretations of previously known songs... |
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— | — | — | — | — |
| Sjt. Munchs Drikkeklubb Band Sjt. Munchs Drikkeklubb Band Sjt. Munchs Drikkeklubb Band is the 9th full-length studio album by the American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2011 . All songs on the album are covers of Norwegian artists and bands, some of them in the Norwegian language, some in English.The "Munch" in the album title refers to Norwegian... |
|
— | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Videography
- 2006: No Sleep Till Liverpool (DVD) – A 2005 concert tour to support A Hot Piece of GrassA Hot Piece of GrassA Hot Piece of Grass is the fifth album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2005 .-Track listing:# "Black Dog" – 3:07# "War Pigs" – 4:27...
. Includes a cover of AC/DC's "Hells BellsHells Bells (song)"Hells Bells" is the first track of Australian hard rock band AC/DC's album Back in Black. It is the first song on their comeback album after the death of vocalist Bon Scott, introducing his successor Brian Johnson....
", several music videos and a segment about the origins of the band.
External links
- Official website
- Hayseed Dixie collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive.