Shaking off the plague days like a snake sheds its skin the
WACO BROTHERS stumble out of the empty, burning desert
with a fierce thirst and an epic new album: THE MEN THAT GOD
FORGOT. It’s the first collection of original WACO tunes since
2016’s GOING DOWN IN HISTORY and comes to you via their
own label Plenty Tuff Records.
The Waco Brothers got together in Chicago in the mid-90s;
battle weary punk musicians who wanted nothing more than to
play classic country covers for free beer in their adopted home
city. Their residencies at bars like the Wrigleyville Tap and
Augenblick became legendary for the sheer volume, speed and
energy they brought to this task.
“I’ve never been able to find a live band in New York as consistently
thrilling and funny and fun as the Waco Brothers”
Sarah Vowell
After an early & particularly deranged appearance at SXSW
Rolling Stone dubbed the Wacos “Clash meets Cash” and they
unleashed a fistful of ferocious albums and endlessly
entertaining live gigs that defined the Insurgent Country
movement.
Every night is still Friday night for the WACO BROTHERS but
these new songs lace that reckless exuberance with a more
sober awareness of the tsunami of cynical corruption &
materialism that infects our everyday existence. BEST THAT
MONEY CAN BUY rips its verses from what’s left of honest
journalism while IN THE DARK provides a requiem for
functioning democracy AND boasts the best twin-lead guitar
solo since Thin Lizzy. The album ends with NOWHERE TO RUN
a deceptively gentle dance number (inspired by a night on the
Outlaw Country Cruise where the Wacos backed up their hero
Lee “Scratch” Perry) that presents the struggle for social and
economic justice as neverending. GEORGE WALKS WITH
JESUS is a song about George Jones walking with Jesus.
“It's the mission of the Waco Brothers — a Chicago-based outfit that
Langford started in the mid-'90s — to bring blood, sweat, and tears
back into country music.… They have a rather romantic view; I doubt
that, this side of Merle Haggard, any American country act has written
a furious hymn to organized labor like the song "Plenty Tough and
Union Made."
Ken Tucker NPR
The WACO BROTHERS lost their powerhouse drummer Joe
Camarillo to a stroke in January 2021 and it took some time to
regroup. They’d often been joined onstage by violinist Jean
Cook and drummer Dan Massey (ex-Robbie Fulks) who had
deputized for Joe for years, so now the time seemed right to add
them both as permanent members.
The current line-up is: Jean Cook – violin & vocals, Tracey Dear
– mandolin & vocals, Alan Jesus George Jones Mr. Spanky
Captain Giggles Sproketts Doughty Vega – bass & vocals, Jon
Langford – guitar & vocals, Dan Massey – drums, Dean
Schlabowske – guitar & vocals
THE MEN THAT GOD FORGOT is the 10 th Waco Brothers full
length album & was recorded with Mike Hagler at Kingsize
Soundlabs in Chicago in 2022. The cinematic brass parts were
arranged and performed by longtime collaborator Max Crawford
with Dave Smith. Other Waco Cousins appearing are Barkley
Mckay on piano and organ, Patty Vega on jingling tambourine
and Andre Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers on accordion.
“Where does this pack of goofy bastards get off thinking they can
one-up our national heritage? But they do, damn it. Jon Langford has
always utilized his extracurricular time with the Wacos to exorcise the
C&W; demons that have lurked in his work with the Mekons since the
1980s. Where great Mekons albums integrate a vaguely folkish,
space cowboy vibe, the Waco Brothers sound like real-deal ten-
gallon hatters with a grouchy streak and a subscription to The Nation.
Sure, there's a William Blake nod on occasion, but mostly, Langford
and co-singer/songwriter Dean Schlabowske invoke the spirit of the
common man, crank up the hollow-body guitars and rock their wary
ways.”
Pitchfork
“The Waco Boys! The Rainbow Men!”
Lee “Scratch’ Perry