Reckless Kelly (band)
Encyclopedia
Reckless Kelly is an Austin, Texas
based Americana
/Texas Country
band. The band was formed in Bend, Oregon
, but moved to Austin in January 1997. Their name was inspired by Australian bank robber Ned Kelly
.
The band played locally on historic sixth street in Austin. They turned a small bar & restaurant called Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar, into a noted music venue. From November 1996 through May 1998, they packed the place out with their infamous Monday night show. During this period other music venues in Austin invited them to play, including the Continental club, the Saxon pub, Stubb's barbecue, and Antone's home of the blues.
Reckless Kelly's debut album, Millican
, appeared in the fall of 1997, and was officially released in 1998; Acoustic: Live at Stubb's
and The Day
both followed two years later, after which David Abeyta replaced Pollock on lead guitar. Under the Table and Above the Sun
from 2003 began the band's relationship with the high-profile Sugar Hill label and won the hearts of the music press and honky tonkin' legend Joe Ely
, who sang the band's praises in interviews. Wicked Twisted Road
was released in 2005, and the next year the live album Reckless Kelly Was Here
captured the band's stage presence. Bulletproof
was released in the summer of 2008 on a new label, Yep Roc Records
, and includes tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina
. In 2010, Reckless released an album of songs by one of their musical heroes, Pinto Bennett. Somewhere in Time
, in the band's own words, highlighted their love of "straight-up honky tonk". The band regularly returns to Austin to play before capacity crowds at venues like Nutty Brown Cafe & Amphitheatre.
Younger brothers Micky and Gary Braun are frontmen of their own band, dubbed Micky & The Motorcars
.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
based Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
/Texas Country
Texas Country
Texas country music is a rapidly growing sub-genre of American country music. Texas country is known for fusing traditionalist root sounds with the outspoken, care-free views of outlaw country...
band. The band was formed in Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
, but moved to Austin in January 1997. Their name was inspired by Australian bank robber Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
.
History
Led by brothers Willy (vocals/guitar) and Cody Braun (vocals/fiddle/mandolin/harmonica), alternative country-rock outfit Reckless Kelly formed in Bend, Oregon, before relocating to Austin, Texas, in October, 1996. The Brauns had previously toured with their father in Muzzie Braun & the Boys, a Western swing band, and were joined in their own group by lead guitarist Casey Pollock, bassist Chris Schelske, and drummer Jay Nazz.The band played locally on historic sixth street in Austin. They turned a small bar & restaurant called Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar, into a noted music venue. From November 1996 through May 1998, they packed the place out with their infamous Monday night show. During this period other music venues in Austin invited them to play, including the Continental club, the Saxon pub, Stubb's barbecue, and Antone's home of the blues.
Reckless Kelly's debut album, Millican
Millican (album)
Millican is Reckless Kelly's first studio album. The album gets its title from the town of Millican, Oregon...
, appeared in the fall of 1997, and was officially released in 1998; Acoustic: Live at Stubb's
Acoustic: Live at Stubb's
Acoustic: Live at Stubb's is Reckless Kelly's first live album. It was recorded at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas. The album features a cover of Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, which was originally recorded on his 1965 album, Bringing It All Back Home...
and The Day
The Day (Reckless Kelly album)
The Day is the second studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly, and their last with Valley Records, as high-profile label Sugar Hill Records would pick them up for their next album.-Track listing: #"Floodwater" - 4:18#"Basin Butte Blues" - 3:35...
both followed two years later, after which David Abeyta replaced Pollock on lead guitar. Under the Table and Above the Sun
Under the Table and Above the Sun
Under the Table and Above the Sun is the third studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly, and their second with Sugar Hill Records.-Track listing: #"Let's Just Fall" - 2:57#"Nobody's Girl" - 3:02#"Desolation Angels" - 5:11#"Everybody" - 4:13...
from 2003 began the band's relationship with the high-profile Sugar Hill label and won the hearts of the music press and honky tonkin' legend Joe Ely
Joe Ely
Joe Ely is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll....
, who sang the band's praises in interviews. Wicked Twisted Road
Wicked Twisted Road
Wicked Twisted Road is the fourth studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly. It was released on February 8, 2005.-Track listing:All songs written by Willy Braun, except where noted#"Wicked Twisted Road" - 3:25...
was released in 2005, and the next year the live album Reckless Kelly Was Here
Reckless Kelly Was Here
Reckless Kelly Was Here is a live CD/DVD by Red Dirt band Reckless Kelly. This is their second live album, however, it is the first to include a DVD.-Disc One:#"Sixgun" - 7:27#"Castanets" - 4:46 #"Motel Cowboy Show" - 6:03...
captured the band's stage presence. Bulletproof
Bulletproof (Reckless Kelly album)
Bulletproof is the fifth studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly. It was released on June 24, 2008. The album tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.- Track listing :...
was released in the summer of 2008 on a new label, Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important...
, and includes tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. In 2010, Reckless released an album of songs by one of their musical heroes, Pinto Bennett. Somewhere in Time
Somewhere in Time (Reckless Kelly album)
Somewhere in Time is the sixth studio album by American Red Dirt group Reckless Kelly. It was released on February 9, 2010 by Yep Roc Records...
, in the band's own words, highlighted their love of "straight-up honky tonk". The band regularly returns to Austin to play before capacity crowds at venues like Nutty Brown Cafe & Amphitheatre.
Younger brothers Micky and Gary Braun are frontmen of their own band, dubbed Micky & The Motorcars
Micky & the Motorcars
Micky & the Motorcars is an Alternative Texas Country band formed in Challis, Idaho before moving to Austin, Texas.The band has released five mainstream albums, including a live album....
.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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... |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
||
| Millican Millican (album) Millican is Reckless Kelly's first studio album. The album gets its title from the town of Millican, Oregon... |
|
— | — | — | — |
| The Day The Day (Reckless Kelly album) The Day is the second studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly, and their last with Valley Records, as high-profile label Sugar Hill Records would pick them up for their next album.-Track listing: #"Floodwater" - 4:18#"Basin Butte Blues" - 3:35... |
Valley Records Valley Records was a mid 20th century United States based record label, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee.... |
— | — | — | — |
| Under the Table and Above the Sun Under the Table and Above the Sun Under the Table and Above the Sun is the third studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly, and their second with Sugar Hill Records.-Track listing: #"Let's Just Fall" - 2:57#"Nobody's Girl" - 3:02#"Desolation Angels" - 5:11#"Everybody" - 4:13... |
|
67 | — | — | — |
| Wicked Twisted Road Wicked Twisted Road Wicked Twisted Road is the fourth studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly. It was released on February 8, 2005.-Track listing:All songs written by Willy Braun, except where noted#"Wicked Twisted Road" - 3:25... |
|
66 | — | — | — |
| Bulletproof Bulletproof (Reckless Kelly album) Bulletproof is the fifth studio album by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly. It was released on June 24, 2008. The album tracks critical of and reflecting on recent sociopolitical unfoldings, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.- Track listing :... |
Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important... |
22 | 117 | 2 | 14 |
| Somewhere in Time Somewhere in Time (Reckless Kelly album) Somewhere in Time is the sixth studio album by American Red Dirt group Reckless Kelly. It was released on February 9, 2010 by Yep Roc Records... |
|
22 | 146 | 2 | 15 |
| Good Luck & True Love |
|
20 | 78 | — | 18 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
|||
| Acoustic: Live at Stubb's Acoustic: Live at Stubb's Acoustic: Live at Stubb's is Reckless Kelly's first live album. It was recorded at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas. The album features a cover of Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, which was originally recorded on his 1965 album, Bringing It All Back Home... |
|
— | — | — | |
| Reckless Kelly Was Here Reckless Kelly Was Here Reckless Kelly Was Here is a live CD/DVD by Red Dirt band Reckless Kelly. This is their second live album, however, it is the first to include a DVD.-Disc One:#"Sixgun" - 7:27#"Castanets" - 4:46 #"Motel Cowboy Show" - 6:03... |
|
56 | 41 | 38 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Compilations
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Best of the Sugar Hill Years Best of the Sugar Hill Years (Reckless Kelly album) Best of the Sugar Hill Years is a compilation by Red Dirt artist Reckless Kelly. It features songs from their three albums from Sugar Hill Records, Under the Table and Above the Sun, Wicked Twisted Road, and Reckless Kelly Was Here.... |
|
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Nobody's Girl" | Lawrence Carroll |
| 2005 | "Stick Around" | Peter Zavadil Peter Zavadil Peter Zavadil is a music video director who works primarily in the field of country music. He has directed many music videos since the late 1990s.-Music videos directed:109 music videos are currently listed here.-References:... |
| 2006 | "I Still Do" | |
| 2008 | "Ragged as the Road" |
Current members
- Willy Braun (Lead Vocals, guitar)
- Cody Braun (Vocals, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica)
- David Abeyta (lead guitar, vocals)
- Jay Nazz (Nazziola) (drums)
- Chris Schelske (bass, vocals)