Review of Kyle Turley’s Bass Player’s Hair
Perfect hair is an unattainable goal for many Americans. Forget about genetics for a moment, and just think about the wide varying humidity and barometric pressure that we can experience here in the United States. It can wreak havoc on even the most ideal head of God given locks. And then all those hair products, my goodness. Shampoos, conditioners, gels and sprays now can take up over an aisle and a half at your local retailer.
And don’t get me started with trying to hunt down a good stylist. Every time you find a good one they move, retire, go back to graduate school, whatever, and then your left fending for yourself. And don’t even try asking your friends, oh no. They guard that secret like the babysitter that will work on Saturday nights for only $15 and a bag of Newman O’s, and won’t go rifling through your closet looking for your porn collection.
But despite all of this, I am so happy to report that at the Hank III show at Emo’s in Austin last night (3-16-10), the opening band, Kyle Turley had a bass player with the most perfect head of curly golden strands. It had that “just stepped out of the shower” sheen, without being clumpy or greasy looking. And the way he thrashed it around in rhythm with the music, just about made me want to start playing for the wrong team.
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Seriously, I’m having a little fun at the expense of a guy that did a fine job last night, but I think the bass player’s hair, and how he thrashed it around, was a good microcosm of the Kyle Turley set. I know the hip thing to do would be to come on here and trash it, but in truth, it wasn’t that bad, it was just out of place.
Kyle Turley was like the one sports card dealer at a horror comic convention. But he did a good job. The performance was tight, and the music was decent. Listen, if you had walked into some random bar and saw a former famous football player up there with a full band doing his thing, you would’ve been impressed. Kyle Turley is doing what he wants to do and following his dreams. And if every American did that, we’d probably be living in a much better world, though our hair style may be a little worse for the wear.
Some people have called his music pop country. Last night he said: “I’d like to discuss it with anyone out on the street.” I honestly don’t hear the very quickly identifiable pop country formula in his music. He calls it “power country,” which a critic might say is southern stoner metal without the balls, or country without the soul. But it fits into some sort of hard rock, southern-fried category that I could see being very successful for him in the hands of the right audience, I just don’t know that the Hank III audience was the right one.
There were a few boos, but mostly people were receptive, or at least tolerant. My guess the boos were from hardcore Hank III fans, and your average walk-up ticket attendee dealt with Turley’s fairly catchy, but never too involved songs just fine. His song “Flying Helmets” kind of plays right into his critic’s hands, and I’m wondering how his remark about Jerry Jones being an asshole, and all Dallas Cowboys being crooks is going to go over in Ft. Worth tonight, but I guess they say sing about what you know about.
His song “I’m With the Devil,” though it breaks down to a tribute song to his music mentor Hank III, I really think is a good song and shows a lot of songwriting promise and prowess that might pay off for Kyle eventually. His band was solid, but simple and straightforward. The lead guitar mainly played varying rhythm more than anything, and the keyboards had their moments, but were average. I can definitely say that what Turley did last night was much better than anything YouTube has to offer of his work (at least at the moment), and I wouldn’t go drawing hard conclusions from amateur videos.
A lot of people will take this as a negative review, but honestly would give him an A- if I was just walking into a random bar and saw him. But as the opener for Hank III, I’ll eek out a C+. But please, someone should tell Turley’s bass player to tame the hair situation; not the hair itself, but the way he tries to steal the show with it. He’s not doing himself or Kyle and favors. This is not an 80’s Poison routine, this is country music. There’s a reason Hank III ties his hair back during the country set.
And one of the reasons Hank III has become the biggest act in underground country is by knowing who his people are. Sure, in the last few years he’s alienated the hippie and alt-country crowd as he’s moved more towards the metal heads, but the trade off in numbers has been tit for tat at the worst. But this fit, for Hank III AND Kyle, seemed a little forced.
I hope the best for Kyle Turley, and hope he continues to follow his dreams and desires.
Interviews with Kyle Turley can be heard on Outlaw Radio Episode 83, and White Trash Revival Episode 33.
March 17, 2010 @ 10:49 am
did the bass player use new duct tape on his bass??? we call that west virginy chrome around here…
March 17, 2010 @ 10:52 am
The bass was baby blue. I don’t remember any duct tape being involved, that was much later, after the show, me and this little punk rock chick . . .oh wait, I’ve said too much.
March 17, 2010 @ 11:43 am
Ok, man. I understand what you’re saying and do agree that people SHOULD damn sure follow their dreams. But, when you say “Kyle Turley is doing what he wants to do and following his dreams. And if every American did that, we”™d probably be living in a much better world” then I DON’T agree. Taylor Swift is following her dream. Kenny Chesney is following his dream. Darius Rucker is following his dream. Tim McGraw is following his dream. Kid Rock is following his dream. And on and on. And, the music executives are following their dreams too of becoming all powerful, controlling, and rich. BUT, none of these people are making the world better by spewing noise pollution all across the air waves.
I still see Kyle as a name-dropper and hook-liner with no actual substance to his music. Maybe he’s NOT pop-country, I don’t know. But he’s definitely not COUNTRY. I’d go out in the street with him to defend that stance. Playing football and having a helmet-throwing temper tantrum does NOT constitute bad ass. Most of his videos (that I’ve seen….) are all shot in the city or have something to do with the city. Country is about…..COUNTRY. It really pisses me off when somebody thinks that if they put on a pair of designer boots and a 800 dollar Stetson that they can legitimately claim to be country. HEAR ME people!! BOOTS, JEANS, A COWBOY HAT, AND A GUITAR….DOES NOT MAKE YOU COUNTRY!! And, running around with Hank III (who can’t seem to make up his mind whether he’s country or metal or whatever) DOES NOT MAKE YOU COUNTRY EITHER!! Also, while I’m on this rant, just because Hank III is Hank Jr’s son and Hank Sr’s grandson….DOES NOT MAKE HIM COUNTRY either. But, let me be clear about this also. I don’t know whether Hank III is country or not, only he does. I WILL say that he IS very popular in several different genre’s.
I still stand behind what I’ve been saying about Kyle. But, I’ll add that he might be a really cool guy. I don’t know him. I DO know though that I can’t stand false people, and especially when it comes to country music. It seems everybody wants to be called country, whether they are or not. I would have absolutely no problems with the pop crowd if they would simply stay in their own genre. But when they try to say they’re country but are still playing pop songs, then I have an issue with that. By the same token, if Kyle wants to play rock or metal or whatever, then great, but call it what it is.
March 17, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
I disagree Okie, I think Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are following a well-planned out marketing strategy, which happens to involve playing music, which might be something close to a dream they had at some point. Just because you don’t think he country, and if you read my words right, I make that same case, doesn’t mean he’s not following his dreams.
If you think I am making the case that Kyle Turley is country music, you’re completely off my scent. I DO think that Hank III makes country, 1/3rd of the time, and the rest is metal, but he is very clear at delineating the difference.
March 17, 2010 @ 1:01 pm
That’s exactly what I said. I agree he’s following his dreams. I was just making the point that when you said “And if every American did that, we”™d probably be living in a much better world”, I didn’t agree with that statement because of all the “artists” that are supposedly following their dream of becoming rich and famous but are only adding to the already heavily saturated noise pollution floating around.
And no, I never said you thought Kyle was country, but apparently he’s attempting to present that persona.
March 17, 2010 @ 2:36 pm
OkieWolf says “…Hank III (who can”™t seem to make up his mind whether he”™s country or metal or whatever)…”? Does Hank III need to make up HIS mind or YOURS? I will take Hank III’s country over his metal anyday and there are a lot of people that would or do say the opposite. I don’t know the exact quote but a few years ago Hank III said…I play country music to help pay for playing the music (metal) I love. (or something to that effect). There are a lot of painters or other types of artists out there that create works that I like, some of their other works I don’t. That doesn’t make them any less ‘great artists’. As long as Hank III appeases my taste for his country music I will always be a fan of his work, and my hats off to him for being brave enough to play the music HE loves also!!! Great review Triggerman!
March 17, 2010 @ 2:41 pm
Wow. Yeah that hair is outta control. I’ll venture a guess that the bass player has been in metal bands before (maybe still is.)
I truly can’t care that much about Kyle Turley right now. His songs I’ve heard shows he has potential but he’s light years behind on songwriting, especially in the lyrics department. I don’t think he sounds pop country at all, rather it’s a very, very stock country. There’s probably more danger of him going the country/alt-rock route where people bill themselves as country bands but come off sounding like a tribute act to John Mellencamp. (That seems to be happening a LOT lately with newly formed country acts). Turley’s generated himself quite a bit of initial buzz but I wonder if he’ll be able to jump the rather large songwriting curve to supply something worthwhile of gaining any traction in the long run.
March 17, 2010 @ 5:26 pm
Triggerman, that is a very fair review of Kyle Turley’s music AND the bass player’s “hair situation”.
I like the hair swinging thing, but it did seem like he was trying to ‘upstage’ Kyle somewhat and it just seemed a little out of place, like you said. Hank III clearly differentiates between the Country set, the Hellbilly set, and the AssJack set with his hats & hair, etc.
Kyle Turley band is definately not bad music, I enjoyed the show. And being an ex football player doesn’t impress me one way or the other.
March 18, 2010 @ 5:46 am
i g o to a barber, a lady barber. i pay $12 for my buzz cut. though in may i’ll get my senior discount and pay only $10. life is vaguely good. doubt i’d buy any of of the ballplayer’s music. i prefer hank lll’s country to their metal. though for pure annoying the neighbors at
high volumes it has it’s place.
March 18, 2010 @ 7:16 am
I spend $72 every week to keep my hair perfectly frosted. I hate it when my roots start showing.
🙂
March 18, 2010 @ 11:17 am
Trigger,
I was all ready to write a comment about how I couldn’t get behind judging someone’s music based on where they came from or what they look like…
AND then I got to the picture.
I laugh out loud every time I look at it.
March 18, 2010 @ 6:59 pm
Well, now . . .
March 19, 2010 @ 12:33 am
I AM HAVING A SENIOR MOMENT AND CAN’T REMEMBER THE BASS PLAYERS NAME..I MET HIM SEVERAL TIMES THIS PAST YEAR AT HANK III SHOWS..HE USE TO LIVE WITH HANK AND HAS PLAYED IN SEVERAL BANDS..BELIEVE OR NOT I HAVE SEEN HIS HAIR LOOK BETTER THAN IN THE PIC ON THIS BLOG..IT ALWAYS IS IN PLACE..
I WENT A LITTLE OVER 33 YEARS WITHOUT A HAIRCUT AND EXCEPT FOR SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER I DIDN’T SPEND A DIME ON IT..I BUZZ CUT IT MYSELF EVERY MONTH OR SO SINCE I CUT IT IN OCTOBER..I WANT EVERYBODY TO DO WHATEVER THEY FUCKIN’WANNA DO..I’M GONNA LISTEN TO WHAT I WANT AND DON’T GIVE A FLYIN FUCK WHAT ANYBODY THINKS LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE..FTW-DILLIGAF!!!
March 19, 2010 @ 12:02 pm
That is a shocking photo! I am a huge fan of that publicity photo of Kyle Turkey bare-chested with his tats out, his hair all wet and a towel around his waist, like he’s just hopped out of the shower. Ewwwww. I thought they were just awful.
March 19, 2010 @ 5:47 pm
You got somethin here Trigger .. That was the first thing I noticed about the show .. was this dude comin out and tunin up his bass and thrusting his arms with his fresh salon permed lookin hair-do. It did stand out. Dude looked like a football player himself and could easily whip my ass. So I’ll shut up. I’m not a Turley fan myself, but I think yer words were pretty accurate about the show and his music. Unfortunately we had to leave before the Hellbilly cuz some stupid fuck came out of nowhere and stage dove on top of my wife’s head and hurt her neck. It’s a good thing I didn’t find him.
March 19, 2010 @ 5:50 pm
I’m gonna post some pics of the New Orleans show on the myspace tonight
March 24, 2010 @ 2:43 pm
to tell the truth…hmmmmm…for me…. there’s nothing like Hank III’s hair in the Assjack set….
April 19, 2010 @ 8:04 am
ALL YA’LL CAN SUCK MY FUCKIN DICK! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FUCKIN ROCK, LIVE AND PROLLY CANT EVEN FUCK! JUST GOT OFF THE TOUR W HANK AND WE WON THE AUDEINCE OVER EVERY NIGHT… SOLD LOTS OF CD’S, MERCH AND GOT THE THE THUMBS UP FROM HANK AND HIS CREW! I GUESS SINCE MOST OF YOU WRITING THESE STUPID BLOGS PROLLY DONT EVEN PLAY MUSIC, ME RESPONDING IS MUTE. IM WITH MR BANDANNA’S (WHO I LIKE) PHILOSOPHY FTW!!! THANX FOR THE FREE PRESS DUMBASSES!!! NIGGERMAN, OH I MEAN TRIGGERMAN. I’D LOOOVE TO MEET YOU.
April 19, 2010 @ 8:48 am
Rob,
Maybe I don’t know how to “rock.” That is why a run a country website. And “rock” is the reason that all the reviews of Turley’s set have been mixed to bad, at best.
I had a feeling you wouldn’t be able to take a joke.
If you take a second to look back at what I’ve said about Turley, you’ll see I was just about the only one trying to tell people to give y’all a chance. If fact I caught all kinds of shit from country fans for “defending” you and Kyle. ( https://savingcountrymusic.com/lucky-tubb-kyle-turley-hank-iii-opening-spot ) Pretty much everything I’ve read about the Turley set was people saying it was bad, or confusing. I’m sure there were some casual fans that liked the set, but as a whole, the hardcore Hank III fans were angry about it. I did my best to make people appreciate the context from where the music was coming from, to try to look at it from outside the Hank III show and appreciate the music on its own. What you and Kyle and Turley fans need to appreciate is that Hank III fans are a rabid, loyal base of fans who’ve been trained to look out for certain “pop” elements creeping into country music. These fans were confused by the Turley pick for the opener. I tried my best to douse the fire, and caught much flack from hardcore fans for doing so. Don’t take my word for it, find the previous articles and read for yourself.
And yes, I do play music, and have spent months on the road paying dues. Never smart to make assumptions about people.
“Niggerman” is funny. I’ve had this handle for years, and trust me, not the first time I’ve heard it. But I won’t take it personally, because I can take a joke.
You’re welcome for the exposure. That is what I was trying to do. And believe me, I hung my ass out for Turley more than maybe I’ve hung my ass out for any other band, ever. And I did it because Hank III asked us to give y’all a chance.
And I do hope we meet at some point. I’ll buy you a round.
–Niggerman, I mean Triggerman.
April 19, 2010 @ 10:03 am
10-4!
WE AS TURLEY ARE NOT TRYING TO IMPRESS JUST A ‘HIP/NITCH’ FOLLOWING. WE WANT TO MAKE MUSIC FOR ALL TO ENJOY. I GREW UP ON METAL AND COUNTRY SO SORRY IF I DONT CATER TO YOU FUCKERS! AS FOR ME TAKING A JOKE I CAN. JUST LOOK AT ME!!!
ANY PRESS IS GOOD! IF MY HAIR WAS THE BIGGEST THING YOU CAN CRITICIZE (AND MAKE FUN OF) ABOUT THE SET THEN GOOD 4 US. WE AS A BAND MADE OURSELVES AVAILIBLE ALL THRU TEXAS (AND THE WHOLE TOUR FOR THAT FACT) FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED TO MEET OR EVEN CRITICISE…ALL RESPONSES WERE AWESOME… ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SAY THOUGHT WE SUCKED DIDNT EVEN COME UP AND LET US KNOW. HMMM… I GUESS THEY SAVED THAT FOR BLOG RESPONSES EH? THANX FOR ‘DENENDING’ US I GUESS….
SHELTON HAS BEEN A FRIEND OF MINE FOR YEARS AND HAS EVEN OPENED UP HIS HOME TO ME DURING HARD TIMES . HE AND KT ARE FRIENDS AS WELL. HE KNOWS WE ARE PROS AND WORK HARD AND ARE HUMBLE AND DESERVED THE SHOT. THE FUNNY THING ABOUT IT IS IT WAS III’S CHOICE TO HAVE US ON THE BILL AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU GUYS IN ‘COUNTRY HIPSTER’ WORLD COULD DO BUT SIT THRU THE SET…HA!
IN CLOSING, I REALLY DONT CARE ABOUT ANY OF THIS SHIT, JUST DEFENDING MY BAND AND MY LUXURIOUS LOCKS…
P.S. NIGGERMAN ‘IS’ FUNNY! I LIKE JACK AND COKE IF YOU SEE ME OUT…
May 25, 2011 @ 10:59 pm
I’ve seen these guys play numerous times and have never been disappointed. Seems like some serious BS to me that a culture that’s so against being labeled is so quick to try and pigeonhole any music into one category. If you limit yourself to one style of music (no matter what you want to categorize it as) you become a very insipid and closed minded individual. As y”™all say, most were there to see III so I doubt anyone opening would”™ve satisfied his pseudo-country rockabilly, (I can label too) “fans”. And, honestly, if the bass player didn’t put out so much energy there wouldn’t be a whole lot going on on stage, what with KT and the other guitarist behind the mic & piano respectively. This is a group of some kick-ass genuine down home guys! Nothing “fake” about them!