PureVolume

Members: Robert McCutcheon, Joshua Gragg, Bud Carroll, Bruno, Josh Knox

Don't be fooled: American Minor is not a band of raggedy Appalachian boys who can't get the South out of their system, not that they've been trying. One listen to the lyrics of the band's self-titled debut will instantly separate them from the stereotypes of the DQ and the trailer park and instill in them a sense of awareness that includes but also transcends the rural South. Many of the frustrations of self-discovery are apparent in the band's lyrical poesy: as 20-somethings with old and aged hearts, as Southern boys trying to be more than just that, as young men discovering their histories and the histories around them. The content of American Minor's songs spans from parental rifts to the devastating Buffalo Creek flood to the bitter pill political climate of the Bush administration.
But this is not to say the five members of American Minor take themselves too seriously, either. These facets are an observer's extraction, not a "to do" list for this up-and-coming band. American Minor is simply a band making music by instinct, and inherent in that are the worries and tribulations of youth and Southernness and classic rock bundled into a package with distinctly modern voice.
The band formed in Teays Valley, West Virginia, in 2002, and took to the bar band circuit in the Appalachian region playing in a country- and folk-tinged style of rock music. (Of note is that one of the band's early songs was recently covered by Cracker for that band's greatest hits compilation). In light of their rapid musical growth, American Minor quickly realized the limitations of their home scene and has since outgrown its bar band reputation. Its sound began to evolve naturally in 2003 with the addition of guitarist Bud Carroll, whose screaming leads recall equal parts Jimi Hendrix and Warren Haynes. American Minor consequentially dropped most of its alt.country tendencies in exchange for an exploration of the classic rock sound its members grew up on--bands like the Faces, the Band, Buffalo Springfield, and Free, on top of Southern staples like the Allman Brothers Band and Mountain--a tradition vocalist Rob McCutcheon has said "sounds more timeless than a lot of what's going on now."
The band soon moved to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, a Midwestern college town with a reputation as a small musical hub and a hyper-supportive scene. Never fully leaving West Virginia at heart, American Minor's adopted home allowed them to fluorish, as songwriters and especially in the live environment. Having made the decision to relocate the band, an intense musical moment ensued and as McCutcheon, Carroll, Bruno (bass), Josh Gragg (guitar) and Josh Knox (drums) became accustomed to their new home, a farmhouse on the edge of town, the solidification of the band as top professional priority quickly took hold. The result was seemingly endless practice which has led to endless touring.
2004's Buffalo Creek EP was followed by the band's impending self-titled debut, released on Jive Records in 2005, the creation of which forced American Minor to explore beyond its hard rocking base of sound. American Minor has since toured with Drive-By Truckers, the Soundtrack of Our Lives, and the Dears, while playing gigs with North Mississippi All-Stars and Shooter Jennings. Summer 2006 will find the band's first performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, as well as a set of dates with the Allman Brothers Band, as they work toward a follow-up LP.
American Minor's music--the lyrics and the sound and the history--reflects a group of close listeners. It is perhaps in this respect that the band's rural upbringing comes into play the most: in the inherent dissection of Southern rock radio and its classic soul influences. Where most were bobbing their heads and humming along with guitar solos, American Minor's five members were studying long and hard.
The result is the ultimate payoff: a synthesis of rock 'n' roll history melded with modern sensibility; something more than a mere throwback. This is not a band interested in any trickery. What you see (or hear) is what you get: Not a group of good ol' boys milking every cent of its Southernness; rather the contrary, American Minor is five minds creating music the only way they know how, with heart and soul and nods to the past; with true emotion and a tough attitude that tastes the bite of yesterday's Pabst but downs a fresh one anyway.