Supagroup
The perfect rock record. It rocks you. Rolls you. Takes you on a journey. Makes you think. Makes you feel. Makes you want to hear it again and again. It understands you, tells you things you didn’t know about yourself – it gets you. Kurt Cobain famously said that the perfect rock record had only been achieved three times in history: Jimmy Hendrix’s Are You Experienced?, AC/DC’s Back In Black, and Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction.
Add Supagroup’s Hail! Hail! to this list.
Supagroup has been a flag bearer for real rock and roll for over a decade. And with this latest effort, they’ve staked their claim on bold new territory. Hail! Hail! is Supagroup’s bid to be considered amongst their heroes as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Hail! Hail! is a dense collection of thirteen humongous hits. Every song is bursting at the seams with deep hook after huge vocal after blazing guitar after gigantic chorus after insightful lyric. There’s so much going on, it takes multiple listens just to figure out why you’re smiling and rocking out so hard. Then you start to notice how one song leads to the next to the next to the next until the albums done and you just want it to start all over.
The hottest band from the South – New Orleans, to come from the North – Anchorage, Alaska, features the brother tandem of Chris and Benji Lee, lead singer and guitar slinger, respectively, for Supagroup. Rounding out the fearsome foursome are Leon Touzet on drums and Brian Broussard on bass. Hail! Hail! marks the band’s sixth studio record. It opens with the title track, a straight up rocker in the vein of Bon Scott-era AC/DC, followed by their first single, the southern fried good time party song “Sexy Summertime”. “Back In The Game” stomps out an anthem built for exhorting the Roman gladiators of old and “That’s Enough Boys” (featuring guest vocalist Danko Jones) follows with the fury of a Terminator leading a prison break. “Where’d You Put The Whiskey?” tells the tale of the perils of excess with a groove that would make Billy Gibbons shed a tear while “Down He Goes” finishes the side with a bittersweet, hard rocking tale about never giving up. The acoustic instrumental “Along The Yangtze” evokes Led Zeppelin III, and serves as the mid meal palate cleanser to flip the record.
Whew! Seven out of seven huge hit songs in a row. And that’s just the first half!
The second half opens with “Dear Hong Kong”, which would fit nicely with Cheap Trick’s first four records, while it’s follow up “The Bold” sounds like all of Physical Grafitti’s side three crammed into one song. “Lion In The Age Of The Cage” tells a tale of the little guy going crazy fighting the Man to no avail, while “Crazy Too” is a perfect summary of that one crazy, doomed, messed up relationship we’ve all had once, if we’re lucky. “Never Bring A Knife To A Gunfight” perfectly evokes the scariness of the dark alley in the middle of the night that was New Orleans post Katrina, while album closer “And The Sun Will Still Shine” stokes the fire of hope you need to fight off those nighttime demons.
Supagroup has been there. They’ve rocked asses all over the world with their blistering live show, had multiple hit singles, they’re press darlings, critically acclaimed and hailed as songwriting geniuses, they’re also Hollywood’s secret weapon when a track is needed to put a scene over the top.
They’ve also done that. On top of being the most exciting live act in any festival they’ve played, they’re the funniest interview, and the most down to earth guys. They’re New Orleanians who you want to have a beer or seven with, because you know they know how to have the best possible time wherever they are. A real band, where you know every one of the member’s names, and not just the singer. This is top down, wind blowing through your hair, driving through the canyons of Mars music. In a world that seems to have forgotten, or wants to forget, the millions of fans who just want to pump their fists, bang their heads, and have a good time, Supagroup has come to their rescue. It’s time to Hail! Hail!, to the new kings, for Supagroup is Rock and Roll.
Supagroup.net
Supagroup – Hail! Hail!
1. Hail! Hail! (4:06)
2. Sexy Summertime (3:24)
3. Back In The Game (3:30)
4. That’s Enough Boys (3:00)
5. Where’d You Put The Whisky? (3:32)
6. Down He Goes (4:29)
7. Along The Yangtze (3:33)
8. Dear Hong Kong (4:10)
9. The Bold (4:57)
10. Lion In The Age Of The Cage (3:27)
11. Crazy Too (4:12)
12. Never Bring A Knife To A Gunfight (6:14)
13. The Sun Will Still Shine (2:40)
Produced by Benji Lee
Mixed by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley
Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound
All songs written by Lee/Lee for Brothers Lee #1 Publishing Co., Inc. (BMI), 2010.
Featuring Danko Jones on “That’s Enough Boys”, and Marcy Von Hesseling on “The Bold”.
Art by Blake Boyd, Design by Sean Yseult.
SUPAGROUP DISCOGRAPHY
Hail! Hail! (2011), Producer: Benji Lee, Foodchain/Brothers Lee #1 Publishing.
Fire For Hire (2007), Producer: Kevin Shirley, Foodchain Records.
Rules (2005), Producer: Kevin Shirley, Foodchain Records.
Supagroup (2003), Producer: Trina Shoemaker/Benji Lee, Foodchain Records.
Rock and Roll Tried To Ruin My Life, (2001), Producer: Jack Endino, PPR.
We Came To Rock You (1998), Producer: Benji Lee, PPR.
Planet Rock (1996), Producer: Benji Lee, Prison Planet Records (PPR).
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