11 Bones-Four Day March

reprinted from MusicFest Magazine.

Individually, the members of 11 Bones putting out a new release would be noteworthy in and of itself. Yet, their collective effort brings an even greater depth of buzz due to the fresh and innovative sounds produced by this supergroup that is poised to become the next big thing in the Texas/Red Dirt scene. Lead vocalist Dub Miller is a name familiar to fans that have been around since the late 90’s. Miller delivered two standout albums of his own before putting music on hold to attend law school.

Two members of his Highway 6 band from that time, Matt Skinner and Adam Odor, join Miller in the 11 Bones project. Skinner is a talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who has played with a number of acts aside from Miller including Drew Kennedy and Doug Moreland. Odor’s name may not be familiar to the average music fan, but you’ve no doubt heard his work as a highly demanded studio bassist and engineer for what is seemingly every other recording coming out of Austin.

The group is rounded out by Meagan Jones on vocals, Brian Beken on guitars, and John Ross Silva on drums. Miller’s songwriting has always been very literate and romantic, while Skinner’s solo work is peppered with western themes. While maintaining their firm country roots underneath, they have created a new, original sound that evokes shades of Texas Music legends Doug Sahm and Roky Erickson. Sounds of the Beatles and the Mavericks populate “Forget” as Miller sings a sticky melody over oozing guitars and multi-tracked backing vocals.

Much of the same is found on a track titled “Loser”. Miller’s baritone drips down low and is juxtaposed by backing vocals straight from Southern California and guitar tones to match. By including elements of pop, psychadelic rock and a large heaping of Texas attitude, 11 Bones are heading into uncharted waters with tunes like “Paranoia” sung by Jones and “Don’t Want to Fall” delivered by Skinner.

This collection of songs is a strong example of what is possible when musicians chase their creative dreams and create something that can be best summed up with one word: cool.

-Brad