MEMPHIS RADIO KINGS

A list of press that MRK has received, posted in rough chronological order. We'll post most reviews, even the bad ones (which are rare, of course), as long as someone has put some thought into the review. If you would like us to post your article or review and a link, send us email.

Publication: I Rock Cleveland - Full Review
Author: Bill
...while the band has proclaimed a shift to a more mainstream rock sound, they haven't forgotten their alternative country past. "Last Lullaby" will still make you shed a tear in your Budweiser and there's also the rousing country rock number, "$2 Whiskey Pill." Even rockers like "Brand New Depression" and "Alabaster Carpet" bring enough of the roots along for the ride that they should please both the No Depression crowd as well as the rock kids.

Publication: The Stranger - Full Article
Author: Kurt B. Reighley
...sonically and stylistically, the 12-track set utilizes a broader palette than previous MRK discs, an advancement further enhanced by savvy production from local stalwart Martin Feveryear.

Publication: Three Imaginary Girls - Full Review
Author: JimiC
The overall feel of this, their third album, has a big ol' foot in traditional American music while also prominently moving into other areas (e.g. straight rock, pop, and early 20th century jazz). Think more of the Replacements in attitude than of Hank Williams, although even Hank Sr. would feel plenty at home here. A few spins on this one, and you will, too.

Publication:Plug In Music - Full Review
Author: Corinne
The Memphis Radio Kings are as much country as they are rock 'n' roll as they alternate between the sounds on "The Devil's Dutchman" and blend them together.

Publication: Rhapsody Music Service - Subscribe Here
Author: Eric S.
Fans of the Americana sound who feel betrayed by their heroes leaving the twang in the dust to pursue more radio-friendly music may now bow down to the Memphis Radio Kings, who fuse some of that Bo Diddley rhythm with dexterous Telecaster picking and melodies that stick like cactus candy. Oh, and their songs rule.

Publication: Music Morsels - Full Review
Author: Mark E. Waterbury
Seattle's Memphis Radio Kings third CD smokes from end to end with their amalgamation of back alley blues, cow punk boogie and alt folk nature. With an edginess found in bands like Jason & the Scorchers and the Old 97's, these guys take their various root elements and twist them until taut before booting them in the ass. They are all great players, with incredible songwriting capabilities both lyrically and instrumentally. They deserve a breakout with this CD.

Publication: Razorcake - Full Review
Author: Jimmy Alvarado
If this were the early '80s and Slash were still an active label, they would've snatched these guys up in a heartbeat, and "God As My Waitress" would've been a huge underground hit. Made me nostalgic for a scene I didn't even think I missed.

Publication: Americana UK - Full Review
Author: TJF
First off, great name, particularly as the band don't come from Memphis, claim never to have been there and almost certainly haven't been played on the radio there. However, this second cd from the Seattle based three piece looks set to change all of that...

Publication: RikksRevues.com - Full Review
Author: Rikk M
The style of MRK is as pleasing to a rock ear as it is to cowboy punk, genre jumping electricity flows through every tune. The stunning songwriting and flamboyant execution, along with a great arrangement add together to make a truly unique musical journey...

Publication: Music Morsels - Full Review
Author: TJF
Combining various connotations of roots country and modern pop rock, this band sometimes sounds like the Eagles with Billy Bragg in the band, while on songs like "Easy Chair" they just go pretty much for the cow-punk juggler without getting heavy-handed with the riffs. The result is a more subtle version of let's say, Bare Jr., with enough originality in the songwriting to set themselves apart from other purveyors of alt country.

Publication: Delusions of Adequacy Reviews - Full Review
Author: John H
No Band in a Happy Place (is)...more bluesy than early 60s British Invasion pop, more pop than the Replacements, and more punk than Sun Studio rockabilly. And, as the playful riff from "Purple Rain" in "Wasted Years," suggests, the Minneapolis influence springs from more than just The Replacements. No Band in a Happy Place sits comfortably in between all of these influences, letting the band pick what suits them best from each style.

Publication: Ballard News Tribune (Courtesy of CD Baby) - Full Review (scroll to bottom)
Author: Steve Stav
By blending a certain blue-collar poignancy with fiery Midwestern bar-band determination and raw-as-an-open-wound, front-porch bottleneck guitar, the Kings have produced a record that has roots somewhere between Minneapolis and Mississippi -- between the Replacements and Lightnin' Hopkins.

Publication: Delusions of Adequacy Reviews - Full Review (scroll to bottom)
Author: John H
In the first song of their debut, "Givin' Up," Memphis Radio Kings wears its name like a comfortable pair of shiny black shoes. "Givin' Up" begins almost exactly as that Who song, "I Can See for Miles." It's uncanny how close it comes to my memory of the Who original. Then the song jumps into high-energy, two-stepping rock-a-billy. The trio's twin-guitar attack and relentless drumming gets the toe tapping and raises the expectations. Vocalist Charlie Beck's raspy, impatient tenor suits the frantic pace of the song perfectly. In this song, Memphis Radio Kings lives up to its lofty name.

Publication: Suite 101.com - Full Review (scroll to bottom)
Author:Adam McKibbin
Ever since Nevermind, untold thousands of Midwestern garage bands have had severe cases of Seattle envy. Finally along comes a band that reverses the trend. SeattleÕs Memphis Radio Kings sound like fish out of waterÑnamely, the Mississippi River. They shake up old-fashioned bluesy Delta twang with a liquored-up kiss of The Replacements.

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