HIGH NOON HYMNS

Description

The Long Ryders are an American alternative country and Paisley Underground band, primarily active between 1982 and 1987, who have periodically reunited for brief gatherings (2004, 2009, 2014, 2016). In 2019, they released a new studio album— their first in 32 years—and played a series of tour dates. The Long Ryders were originally formed by several American musicians who were each multi-instrumentalists and influenced by Gram Parsons, the Byrds, country music, and various punk rock bands. They were named after Walter Hill's film, The Long Riders. The band includes Sid Griffin and Stephen McCarthy on vocals and guitar, Des Brewer on bass (later replaced by Tom Stevens), and Greg Sowders on drums. Although two members are from the southern United States, they became a popular rock band in Los Angeles, formed in the early 1980s and originally associated with a movement called Paisley Underground. With a sound reminiscent of the Beatles' Rubber Soul era, electric Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, but with a harder edge, they anticipated the alternative country music of the 1990s by a decade. Their early works contain influences from both punk (largely attributable to dedicated record collector Griffin) and old-school country (championed by McCarthy). Former Byrd Gene Clark joined them on their first album, Native Sons, in 1984, adding vocals to the song "Ivory Tower." Their first studio album, the EP 6-10-10, consisted of Griffin, Brewer, McCarthy, and Sowders. Brewer left after the release of 10-5-60. He was replaced by Tom Stevens, who had been suggested by Carla Olson, and this lineup remained in place as a recording unit until their eventual disappearance. Four years after the album "September/November," in 2023, THE LONG RYDERS are back with a new album! The third since their return in 2019. Produced by studio virtuoso Ed Stasium, known for his long collaboration as producer and sound engineer for the Ramones. Ed also produced three previous albums by the Long Ryders and has successfully collaborated with the Smithereens, Soul Asylum, Motörhead, Marshall Crenshaw, Living Colour, the Hoodoo Gurus, and Julian Cope. The Long Ryders' guitarist/mandolinist, Sid Griffin, states: "High Noon Hymns" is composed two-thirds of pure and hard alt-country of the kind we helped to found in the 1980s, one-third of Paisley Underground adventures, with a touch of our own quirky soul. Following the sudden passing of Long Ryders bassist Tom Stevens, the bass on this new album was handled by Murry Hammond, a member of the Americana band The Old 97s, and Stephen McCarthy of the Long Ryders. McCarthy also performs live with The Jayhawks and occasionally records with the Dream Syndicate. Among the guests on the album are DJ Bonebrake from the band X on vibraphone and young bluegrass prodigy Wyatt Ellis on mandolin. The album was recorded at Kozy Tone Studios, under the sun of Poway, California.