Whiskey Myers & the “Early Morning Shakes”
Early Morning Shakes is the 3rd record from the Texas music scene’s Southern rock contingent known as Whiskey Myers. No, Whiskey Myers isn’t the name of the front man, just the collective persona of five guys from the greater Palestine, TX area, helmed by singer and principal songwriter Cody Cannon. The band put out their first album in 2008 and have since become one of Southern rock’s most emboldened and energetic torch bearers, tearing it up across the country to packed houses of both country and rock fans.
Coming off the surprising success of their second album, 2011’s Firewater that debuted at #26 on the Billboard country charts, Whiskey Myers saddled up with producer Dave Cobb—the man who was behind three very successful albums in 2013: Sturgill Simpson’s High Top Mountain, Jason Isbell’s Southeastern, and Lindi Ortega’s Tin Star. Cobb’s reputation of bringing a signature touch to music that straddles the line between rock and country made him a perfect fit for the project. The result was many great, original song concepts being fleshed out with smart and tasteful production elements, adept guitar-driven instrumentation, and despite some ostentatious moments, a sincere and fun album that sets the standard high for all Southern rockers in 2014.
Southern rock has been in such a state of flux for years now, it’s hard to know where to place it on the relevancy arch on a given day. Its modes have been somewhat borrowed by mainstream country, yet as rock itself continues to amble directionless, Southern rock is one of the last bastions of pure, electric guitar-based music that’s not blaring metal, or eepish, hipster pretentiousness. Calling yourself “Southern rock” affords you a lot of latitude: You can build a song around a riff and not a lyric and not ruffle any feathers like you might in country, or play a straight up country song and still reside within Southern rock sensibilities. You can even add some soul elements like backup singers as Whiskey Myers does here and separate yourself even further from the increasingly-automated sounds of modern music.
Early Morning Shakes is bold and expansive for a 12-song project. There’s a lot going on in these songs, without any of the compositions coming across as especially busy. Songs like “Early Morning Shakes”, “Where The Sun Don’t Shine”, and “Time Off For Bad Behavior” are each built from a good premise, and fleshed out with excellent guitar work by Cody Tate and John Jeffers. So often these days Southern rock guitar can get wanky and self-absorbed. Whiskey Myers may trend slightly that way in certain places, but overall the band’s guitar battery does a good job of waiting for the battle to come to them, and landing their shots when the time is right and in a manner that showcases both their prowess and their taste.
The band takes some chances on this record, and generally they nail the landings like with the final song “Colloquy” that tries to evoke the emotional epic, and dutifully succeeds. There is depth here beyond the riff-driven nature of the songs, like in “Reckoning” or “Wild Baby Shake Me,” which starts off as a rump shaker, but then develops into so much more.
But the real star of the show are the pipes of Cody Cannon. The guy’s voice is built for Southern rock. Without a hint of fake inflections or put-on’s, he sings effortlessly and straight from the heart, growling and confident when he needs to be, and willing to express emotion and vulnerability when it’s called for.
One small concern would be some of the chest-puffing present on this album in a song like “Headstone.” There are a few of these self-indulgent moments on the album, but these may disappear from the Whiskey Myers repertoire over time, and already seem diminished from their previous albums. The second song on the album called “Hard Row To Hoe” is just way too similar to Zepplin’s “Heartbreaker” to work, which is strange from a project that otherwise is fairly remarkable at avoiding the well-worn ruts and striking an original path.
The crunchy slide guitar, rising steel, and good songwriting of “Dogwood” make it one of the album’s best songs, and one of the album’s decidedly country selections. The sensible “Shelter From The Rain” is another good country-inspired, story-based song worth a deeper listen. Include the aforementioned “Colloquy” and there’s a good amount here for listeners who are country fans first, and Southern rock appreciators second.
With Early Morning Shakes, the now well-seasoned Whiskey Myers crew affirms themselves as one of the preeminent bands in Texas music and beyond.
1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
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February 10, 2014 @ 9:02 pm
I’ve been on the Whiskey Myers bandwagon from the time I first heard a song by them. They, along with Blackberry Smoke (which I’ll get into), are truly flying the Southern Rock flag.
Personally, I don’t consider Whiskey Myers to be even remotely country. They are pure Southern Rock. I love the new album. Best Southern Rock record to come out in a long time, maybe since the late 70’s. Blackberry Smoke’s latest album comes close.
I really don’t understand why Whiskey Myers is considered country and Blackberry Smoke is not. If you listen to both bands latest albums, Blackberry Smoke comes closer to traditional country than Whiskey Myers (though that’s not saying much).
Anyway, I love the new record. It could slide in nicely on any classic rock station. Which is my preferred form of music.
February 10, 2014 @ 9:08 pm
Hey Michael,
I hope you don’t think I am trying to call them country, though I can understand why some people might. I agree they’re pretty straightforward Southern rock. But in my opinion, most straightforward Southern rock is going to have it’s country moments and heavy country influences, and I think both Whiskey Myers and Blackberry Smoke fit that mold.
February 10, 2014 @ 9:44 pm
No, I wasn’t accusing you of calling them country. I just find it amusing that they are counted on the country charts and Blackberry Smoke is not. I guess it’s all marketing.
You can go back a long way and see the cross pollination of Southern Rock and country. In fact I would consider most of the stuff by Skynyrd, the Allman’s, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, etc.and even the Eagles more country than what is being heard on mainstream country radio today.
February 11, 2014 @ 1:43 am
Yeah, I believe there’s been many debates about Blackberry Smoke and their country distinction. I might be recalling wrong, but I believe with their last album put out through Zac Brown’s record label, they were given the full blessing of country and ended up in the country Billboard charts. It will be interesting where this album debuts.
February 20, 2014 @ 9:04 pm
Blackberry Smoke is signed to Earache Records which is traditionally a heavy/black metal label although they also have Rival Sons on the roster. Earache probably doesn’t market them to country and/or classic rock radio stations.
February 10, 2014 @ 9:09 pm
In the Southern Rock genre, there are only two bands worth mentioning: Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers. Blackberry Smoke is absolutely phenomenal. Whisky Myers is VERY good.
I agree on two points in the article – Cody has a great Southern Rock voice and Hard Row to Hoe’s riff is identical to Heartbreaker, just played in a different rhythm. I noticed it immediately and really comes off as a rip off. They could do better than that, stealing that riff was no accident. But I give them a pass, because it is a very good album.
I saw them live a few months ago, they put on a great show. I recommend them to anyone who likes Southern Rock, you won’t be disappointed.
February 11, 2014 @ 1:46 am
You might want to check out Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires. They just signed to Sub Pop and I’m expecting big, Southern rock things from those boys in the coming years.
February 11, 2014 @ 8:50 am
I love all 3 bands mentioned here, LB3 & GF, Whiskey Myers, and Blackberry Smoke. I saw Blackberry Smoke play just a few weeks ago and they absolutely blew me away, just such a solid band. And last week Lee Bains was in the area and I got to see them play in front of about 12 other people. His live show sounds nothing like their debut album. They played heavy, full-fledged rock that was more of a punk rock sound than southern rock. He definitely puts on a show but it was not quite the sound I expected to hear. Very interested to hear what he comes out with next.
February 10, 2014 @ 9:12 pm
This album definitely has a more Southern Rock sound than their previous two, which I think we’re a little more Texas country. But it’s definitely a genuine sound. And I love the David Allan Coe cover ‘Time Off For Bad Behavior’.
Anyone who hasn’t heard their previous stuff, I recommend you check out ‘Lonely East TX Nights’ from the first album. And the second album, Firewater, is good from start to finish.
February 10, 2014 @ 9:59 pm
Hey Trig, maybe you’ve heard of them, maybe you haven’t, but I’d love to get your opinion on another Southern rock banner carrier homegrown here in Missouri called Powdermill. They blend country and Southern rock damn near perfectly
February 11, 2014 @ 1:44 am
Definitely heard of them and their songs here and there, but never sat down and fully engrossed myself in one of their albums yet. They’re definitely on the list.
February 11, 2014 @ 7:23 am
I picked up their Land of the Free album a little while back and I think it’s excellent. It looks like they have the Jimbo Mathus seal of approval as he does a duet with singer Jesse Charles Hammock II on Mississipi Showboat.
Here’s the EPK for the album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j90Qoi_R5I4
February 10, 2014 @ 10:11 pm
As good as this band is, I think they’re at their best when they slow it down. “Lonely East TX Nights” is one of the best songs of the past 15 years, and because it’s the first song of theirs that I’d ever heard, it sets an unfair standard that, to me, they just don’t match all that often. They write and record great music but because I was fortunate enough to start with their best, I feel slightly let down with their other songs, haha.
February 11, 2014 @ 2:43 pm
I agree with your statement about them being best when slowed down. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good rockin’ song but when you look at their 3 albums, their strongest material is generally slow. Highlights include Lonely East TX Nights, Gone Away, Virginia, Broken Window Serenade, Dyin’ For Tonight, Reckoning and Colloquy.
As for this latest album, I’m really diggin’ so far. The year is still early but “Early Morning Shakes” is one of my favorite albums released so far along with Jason Eady and Lydia Loveless (Feb. 18th release).
February 11, 2014 @ 1:35 am
You people are out of your minds, these guys and Blackberry Smoke sound like bad late 80’s rock bands.To call them Southern Rock is a insult to all the great artists that made the genre
February 11, 2014 @ 1:46 am
SKYNYRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 11, 2014 @ 7:23 am
DEF LEPPARD SUCKS!
February 11, 2014 @ 9:05 am
I’m an old Southern Rock fan of a certain age and sometimes get annoyed how liberally the term gets used, but I think that’s a little harsh. I have Blackberry Smoke’s last album and think many of their songs have a classic Southern Rock feel. Don’t know Whiskey Myers all that well, but the song included here reminds me a little of Blackfoot (more of a rootsy hard rock band).
February 11, 2014 @ 11:50 am
Nobody is ever going to match Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, just like nobody is ever going to match Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. They were the originals and that goes without saying. And my guess is Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers would agree with that. But that doesn’t mean that a modern-day band can’t do their best and try to recapture that magic, and shouldn’t be appreciated in that context.
February 11, 2014 @ 8:03 am
I live about an hour and a half from these guys home town seen them countless times hung out with them at Graham’s in Longview texas after there show really down to earth guys this new album is there best yet to me firewater was great and I think it started there southern rock sound road of life was more of the texas country sound but this album just hits the southern rock sound with there own style right on the spot
February 11, 2014 @ 9:05 am
I bought this album when it came out. I also noticed the very similar Zeppelin riff and a couple songs don’t do it for me. I agree with the rating though and all in all still a solid showing by WM and of course it’s still way better than anything we are fed on the radio. Think it would be cool if they toured with Blackberry Smoke. Totally of subject but, Trigger, have u previewed Eric Church’s new album? What a joke! IMO I feel a solid rant coming on ha!
February 11, 2014 @ 9:53 am
Based on your review, Trig, I’ll give this album another shake. It’s not that I didn’t like like it, but it reminded me of Blakeberry Smoke who in my view are a waterdowned version of the Black Crowes. But, I’ll try it again.
February 11, 2014 @ 11:51 am
Hey, this is just my opinion. This album may not be your speed and that’s totally understandable.
February 11, 2014 @ 11:48 am
This is my favorite album of 2014 so far…but it is still early in the year. However, I love Whiskey Myers. Definitely more of a Southern Rock vibe, but sometimes, on songs like “Shelter From the Rain” they hit a definite country stride. Despite it’s derivative riff, I really like “Hard Row to Hoe.” In fact, I love the entire album. They have become one of my most listened to bands over the past year or so, and Cody Cannon is one tremendous vocalist. I’d love to hear a few more tunes featuring some harmonica from them.
February 11, 2014 @ 1:50 pm
Thanks for the review, I will definitely pick up a copy at my LRS and give it a spin.
Ditto for the band’s first 2 offerings, if I like this one.
February 11, 2014 @ 5:40 pm
The music sounds good, and the fact that Dave Cobb produced this album intrigues me. I loved his production on Jason Isbell’s album.
Speaking of Isbell, aren’t the Drive-By Truckers considered to be southern rock? I had considered getting more into their music after getting into Isbell’s stuff. Maybe they are old news to everyone else at this point.
February 12, 2014 @ 2:05 pm
This album debuted this week at #10 on the country album chart and # 54 on the big Top 200 chart with 6,000 units sold. Pretty impressive debut.
December 14, 2014 @ 7:38 pm
I’ve been a die hard fan of Whiskey Myers since the first time I heard “lonely east Texas night”. I often find my self belting out the haunting lyrics of Cody Cannon day in and day out. I believe they become increasingly better with every album they make, capturing emotion as well as attention, I look so forward to their future work and will continue to strongly support the very band they may revive southern rock.
May 30, 2015 @ 10:35 am
I found Whiskey on Pandora, and Love them!