Mike and the Moonpies Blaze on New Song “Paycheck to Paycheck”
Dammit, Mike and the Moonpies are going to haul off and single-handedly save country music, and I’ll be forced to shutter this very website and seek out work at the Home Depot, or have to start a food blog, or sell Amway or something. I’m kind of sad about the whole matter because Lord I need a job. But woah, the music is so totally worth it.
Out of nowhere, Mike and the Moonpies unleashed a new single called “Paycheck to Paycheck” late Sunday night (6-27), and hold onto your hats fellas. It finds those boys from Texas in top form, and kicking country music ass as is their predilection, all while paying homage to their blue collar roots, and a righteous country legend.
Where their last original studio album Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London found a much more sedate and genteel tone (and won the Saving Country Music Album of the Year in 2019, btw), this new song shifts into that 70’s and 80’s style of full-tilt shit-kicking country this outfit is known for bringing to honky tonk stages all across the country.
Making use of the classic country vehicle of the double entendre, references to Donald Eugene Lytle (aka Johnny Paycheck) pepper this blazing number brought to it’s knees by steel player Zach Moulton, guitarist Catlin Rutherford, lead bassist Omar Oyoque, drummer Kyle Ponder, and of course, Mike Harmeier himself. “Paycheck to Paycheck” really captures what makes Mike and the Moonpies arguably the greatest live band in all of country music right now.
What this song also means is now we’ve got to keep our ears perked and our eyes peeled for any and all surprises that may be emanating from the Mike and the Moonpies camp at any moment. Are they about to spring another surprise album on us, like like they did with Cheap Silver, and their recent Gary Stewart record of his unreleased songs Touch of You?
Stay on your toes out there boys and girls.
June 28, 2021 @ 6:10 pm
That’s as good as it gets right there! Damn!
There’s a signature chord sequence that’s becoming common in Moonpies’ songs and it’s on this song at the end of the solo guitar at the 1:24 mark – is that Mike or Rutherford on the solo?
Great song. Hopefully, it’s attached to an album. I’m collecting a bunch of one off singles lately.
June 28, 2021 @ 6:11 pm
Mighty dang good song! A true honky tonkin’ barnburner!
June 28, 2021 @ 6:21 pm
Trigger have you considered reviewing Upchurch’s new country album titled “Same Ol Same Ol”? It’s actually rather traditional.
June 28, 2021 @ 7:03 pm
We’ll see. It’s on the radar.
June 29, 2021 @ 6:29 am
Is it just me, or is there anyone else who just can’t understand the Upchurch obsession?
July 6, 2021 @ 5:28 pm
????♂️
June 28, 2021 @ 6:37 pm
My prediction is an album is dropping this Friday.
June 28, 2021 @ 6:38 pm
Paycheck to Paycheck- one quarter at a time- been there done that!
June 28, 2021 @ 7:14 pm
These guys keep getting better!
What a great tune!
Good traveling music right there.
June 28, 2021 @ 7:20 pm
I know this is nitpicking but Gary Stewart not Stuart. Looking forward to the album.
June 28, 2021 @ 8:30 pm
Today’s country music news: A rudimentary (but welcome) comment from a sorta country artist who sometimes includes a fiddle, about our glorious media and righteous ministries of culture treating him differently because of the color of his skin, to a Post Malone t-shirt cuz Tyler Childers could use some more exposure or something…today suuuucccc…..oh wait, a new Moonpies song? Today was a good day.
June 28, 2021 @ 8:44 pm
A+ Moonpies……….that is all.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:23 pm
“Lead bass.” Love it.
June 28, 2021 @ 10:21 pm
Banger. Can’t wait for a new Moonpies album.
June 28, 2021 @ 11:52 pm
I like it. I feel like I’ve heard it many times before, but I like it.
June 29, 2021 @ 4:16 am
Again, The Moonpies fail to disappoint, My wife agrees with you Trigger as to the best live band out there, and btw, so do I!
June 29, 2021 @ 6:26 am
This was a nice surprise, a good ole Texas Honky Tonk gem. This is the kind of Moonpies I like.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:00 am
The world needs this music so damn bad
June 29, 2021 @ 7:06 am
You’ve said it before, but gonna say it again. Omar’s playing adds a lot to this band. Not esoteric stuff, mostly somewhat predictable walking parts…but they add to the toe tapping feel of their songs.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:12 am
pretty corny musically and lyrically, kinda like if Dangerous Toys did a country song
June 29, 2021 @ 7:48 am
You’re right on both points, but part of the magic of Mike and the Moonpies is how they embrace cliches and make them cool again. It has its own type of magic, originality, and artistic value. This is what Roger Miller and Gary Stewart did in their time.
June 29, 2021 @ 2:42 pm
Great song… if you are a member of the Mockingbirds facebook page a few months back then a little bird gave a hint to this song. I can’t wait to the new/a new album. And after seeing the guys in Austin right before the pandemic its really the best show I’ve ever seen. And I also have to point out after meeting the guys in the band they are all very nice and genuine guys. Can’t wait to make the 3 hour drive south to see them again when they come to Phoenix City on 10/22.
June 29, 2021 @ 10:27 am
I don’t like it. It literally just played on the Radio Texas Live app I’m streaming and all I can think is “STOP YELLING.” Major fan of this band otherwise.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:25 am
Yep, I kinda smell a stylistic bookend to Cheap Silver coming on; ought to be good. Let them boys boogie woogie.
June 29, 2021 @ 8:48 am
Love some Paycheck! One night after a show with The Moonpies, i talked with the boys. Zach told me his biggest pedal steel influence was one of Paychecks touring steel players. Im trying to remember which one he liked. Might have been Jim Big Murph Wallace. I mentioned Lloyd Green and he acknowledged him also. Then Catlin told me a Paycheck story which i wont wreck by telling. You need to ask him about it. But its pretty funny. Needless to say, these guys revere Paychecks music. I like this song. Great picking. Only thing i would change would be to add a baritone guitar solo, just cause i like that sort of thing.
June 29, 2021 @ 5:59 pm
Yeah I can see why he would love big Jim. If anyone wants to see an awesome albeit super coked out paycheck check out the live at the lone star cafe. Big Jim is playing sax on pedal steel and it’s awesome. https://youtu.be/94nNyutXuF0
June 29, 2021 @ 9:23 am
Just got tics to the closest show to me.
Iowa City,Iowa.
Taking the bikes and will make a weekend of it.
Hope it will make up for me snoozing on a Crockett show now sold out.
June 30, 2021 @ 11:01 am
Sounds like you’re in my boat for that Turf Club show, fingers crossed it gets moved to the Fine Line.
June 29, 2021 @ 10:24 am
Sure do love seeing Gary Stewart getting mentioned so much. Keep it up.
June 29, 2021 @ 12:47 pm
Not great. They are better than this song. Disappointed that I read the headline and got excited.
June 29, 2021 @ 2:35 pm
If you find yourself disappointed checkout The Three Timers- “Love Goner”
June 29, 2021 @ 7:27 pm
You probably still use margarine.
June 29, 2021 @ 5:02 pm
Trig, didn’t we hear this song at Mile 0 Festival?
June 29, 2021 @ 5:23 pm
I think we might have. I was trying to remember that last night. There was definitely a song like this that kicked that I didn’t recognize, but I was busy taking photos, or got distracted or something and didn’t really pay rapt attention to the lyrics. This definitely could have been it.
June 30, 2021 @ 8:42 am
I caught one of there two sold out shows, this past weekend and Mike did a couple of acoustic songs off the new album. Both were damded good.
July 2, 2021 @ 5:16 am
What does Mike sing in the chorus? “Tell the [????] to shove it”
July 4, 2021 @ 4:41 am
The “IRS” (Internal Revenue Service).