Burden Brothers
Encyclopedia
Burden Brothers are a hard rock
band formed in Dallas, Texas
by Toadies lead singer/songwriter Vaden Todd Lewis and Reverend Horton Heat/Izzy Stradlin
drummer Taz Bentley. The band currently consists of Lewis (Vocals/Guitar), Bentley (Drums/Vocals), and Casey Hess (Guitar/Vocals). The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus, due to the Toadies reunion and other interests.
The band released three EP
s which were recorded by Lewis and Bentley as well as a revolving door of other musicians. The EPs, titled 8 Ball, Queen O' Spades
, and "Beautiful Night
", were released on Last Beat Records. After warm reception to these EPs, and radio play of their promotional single "Beautiful Night" in Tulsa, Dallas, and Houston areas in heavy rotation, the band decided to release a full-length album. Thus, the band ended up keeping Corey Rozzoni
who worked with Clumsy, and Casey Orr who was famous for his work with GWAR
.
for several weeks with a demo of "Beautiful Night", the single became added into heavy rotation in the area. The single spread fast into Dallas, Houston, and Tulsa radio markets, before the band signed with Kirtland Records
, an independent label run by studio engineer and former Deep Blue Something
drummer John Kirtland. "Beautiful Night" won 'Best Singles' at the 2004 Dallas Observer Music Awards. Their new album was to be produced by David Castell (Space Cadet, The Buck Pets), and was said to be a throwback to classic arena rock mixed with grunge, and a bit of modern rock. lewis described the band's approach in 2002: "We pretty much decided that when we go into a club, it doesn't matter how many people are there, we're gonna make it 1977 arena-style. Not with the hair, hopefully, but we'll make it when rock was fun and big and cool."
The band released Buried in Your Black Heart
in 2003, a hard rock throwback that many critics stated as "fresh, driving, and fun". The Dallas Observer
noticed the album was "early Soundgarden. Think 70's arena rock". MTV
said the album was "Tough, driving metal & head-bobbing arena rock". PopMatters
The album received fairly positive reviews, as they sighted it was fairly fresh, catchy, and fun. Lewis described the album as "good old fashioned rock n' roll", and later stated that they "didn't take much risks recording the album". Led by lead single "Beautiful Night" (which charted at #24 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts) and follow-up single "Shadow", the band received national recognition, touring with bands like Velvet Revolver
, Papa Roach
and Finger Eleven
.
After the successful release of their debut album, the band recruited yet another guitarist in Casey Hess for their remaining tour dates and later, for the recording and tour for their second album, Mercy. During their extensive touring, the band recorded a live DVD, entitled RYFOLAMF. Buried in Your Black Heart
went on to sell over 100,000 records in the United States, and have become one of Kirtland Records
highest selling artists. The single "Beautiful Night" is used during Dallas Stars
games often to this day, due to the line "It's a beautiful night/to watch the Stars." The band won eight awards in the 2005 Dallas Observer Music Awards.
.
However, the album did not sell as well as Buried in Your Black Heart and did not receive near as much promotion by their record label as their debut. The band did not have much of a successful tour for the album as well, and the commercial failure of the album was one of the many reasons for the departure of much of the band. The album has gone on to sell around 50,000-70,000 records in the United States, well below Buried in Your Black Hearts total. The band went on hiatus in 2006, with Lewis rejoining the Toadies.
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band formed in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
by Toadies lead singer/songwriter Vaden Todd Lewis and Reverend Horton Heat/Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin
Jeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
drummer Taz Bentley. The band currently consists of Lewis (Vocals/Guitar), Bentley (Drums/Vocals), and Casey Hess (Guitar/Vocals). The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus, due to the Toadies reunion and other interests.
History
Lead singer/songwriter for the band, Vaden Todd Lewis was recently coming off of a short-lived reunion of his platinum-selling 90s band Toadies, and after an unsuccessful album release and tour, the band once again broke up. Main members Taz Bentley and Vaden Todd Lewis were both residents of Dallas, and had met on tours, in which the Toadies and Reverend Horton Heat often played together. The two began jamming together, and eventually decided to start a band in 2002. They took their name from a sign on the side of a building in Dallas, with Lewis explaining "I Just like the connection of family and guilt associated together. It also kind of makes me think of brothers - like me and Taz doing it as a team". After bad experiences with record labels, they decided to keep the band low-key, making tracks available via the internet, but soon received interest from local record labels.The band released three EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s which were recorded by Lewis and Bentley as well as a revolving door of other musicians. The EPs, titled 8 Ball, Queen O' Spades
Queen O' Spades
Queen O' Spades is the second E.P. by the Burden Brothers. It was released in 2002 on Last Beat Records. The disc was sold in a package along with a t-shirt, shotglass, and stickers on the band's website. This E.P...
, and "Beautiful Night
Beautiful Night
For the Paul McCartney song, see Beautiful Night .Beautiful Night is the third E.P. by the Burden Brothers. It was released in 2003 on Last Beat Records...
", were released on Last Beat Records. After warm reception to these EPs, and radio play of their promotional single "Beautiful Night" in Tulsa, Dallas, and Houston areas in heavy rotation, the band decided to release a full-length album. Thus, the band ended up keeping Corey Rozzoni
Corey Rozzoni
Corey Rozzoni , also known as Rizzo, is an American rock and roll guitarist. He currently plays guitar for Nashville, TN based, Adalene.-Biography:...
who worked with Clumsy, and Casey Orr who was famous for his work with GWAR
GWAR
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
.
Early years
After winning on-air "smash or trash" radio competitions in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
for several weeks with a demo of "Beautiful Night", the single became added into heavy rotation in the area. The single spread fast into Dallas, Houston, and Tulsa radio markets, before the band signed with Kirtland Records
Kirtland Records
Kirtland Records is a record label based in Dallas, Texas. It was founded by John Kirtland, who was formerly the drummer for Deep Blue Something.-Artist roster:*Burden Brothers*Bush*Bril*The Flys*The Hourly Radio*Sarah Jaffe*Pat McGee Band...
, an independent label run by studio engineer and former Deep Blue Something
Deep Blue Something
Deep Blue Something is an American rock band best known for its hit single "Breakfast at Tiffany's." The group was founded in 1992 in Denton, Texas by University of North Texas students Todd and Toby Pipes, Clay Bergus and John Kirtland...
drummer John Kirtland. "Beautiful Night" won 'Best Singles' at the 2004 Dallas Observer Music Awards. Their new album was to be produced by David Castell (Space Cadet, The Buck Pets), and was said to be a throwback to classic arena rock mixed with grunge, and a bit of modern rock. lewis described the band's approach in 2002: "We pretty much decided that when we go into a club, it doesn't matter how many people are there, we're gonna make it 1977 arena-style. Not with the hair, hopefully, but we'll make it when rock was fun and big and cool."
The band released Buried in Your Black Heart
Buried in Your Black Heart
Buried in Your Black Heart is the first full-length album by Burden Brothers, after the release of multiple EPs. This was Burden Brothers' first recording with a solidified band lineup. The album was considered Burden Brothers' most successful album, spawning two relatively hit singles. The...
in 2003, a hard rock throwback that many critics stated as "fresh, driving, and fun". The Dallas Observer
Dallas Observer
The Dallas Observer is a free alternative weekly newspaper distributed around the Dallas, Texas . At its inception, it was conceived as a weekly local arts and cinema review publication, with the credo "Advocate for Excellence in the Arts" on the cover. For a time during the early years, the paper...
noticed the album was "early Soundgarden. Think 70's arena rock". MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
said the album was "Tough, driving metal & head-bobbing arena rock". PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
The album received fairly positive reviews, as they sighted it was fairly fresh, catchy, and fun. Lewis described the album as "good old fashioned rock n' roll", and later stated that they "didn't take much risks recording the album". Led by lead single "Beautiful Night" (which charted at #24 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts) and follow-up single "Shadow", the band received national recognition, touring with bands like Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
and Finger Eleven
Finger Eleven
Finger Eleven is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1989. They have currently released five studio albums, with their album The Greyest of Blue Skies bringing them into the mainstream...
.
After the successful release of their debut album, the band recruited yet another guitarist in Casey Hess for their remaining tour dates and later, for the recording and tour for their second album, Mercy. During their extensive touring, the band recorded a live DVD, entitled RYFOLAMF. Buried in Your Black Heart
Buried in Your Black Heart
Buried in Your Black Heart is the first full-length album by Burden Brothers, after the release of multiple EPs. This was Burden Brothers' first recording with a solidified band lineup. The album was considered Burden Brothers' most successful album, spawning two relatively hit singles. The...
went on to sell over 100,000 records in the United States, and have become one of Kirtland Records
Kirtland Records
Kirtland Records is a record label based in Dallas, Texas. It was founded by John Kirtland, who was formerly the drummer for Deep Blue Something.-Artist roster:*Burden Brothers*Bush*Bril*The Flys*The Hourly Radio*Sarah Jaffe*Pat McGee Band...
highest selling artists. The single "Beautiful Night" is used during Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
games often to this day, due to the line "It's a beautiful night/to watch the Stars." The band won eight awards in the 2005 Dallas Observer Music Awards.
Mercy Years
In 2005, the band went back to the drawing board for their next release. They wanted to keep that fairly catchy, edgy sound, but this time, they wanted to take risks by experimenting more with their music. The recording sessions finished in early 2006, and in 2006, they released their newest album, Mercy. The album was produced by Grammy award winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, Beck, Hole, U2) and David Castell. Vaden Todd described the album as "moody". The album's lyrics approached the downfall of society and finding out "who you are at the core." The album includes unorthodox instruments for a rock group, such as strings, bells, etc. Mercy once again had a relatively positive critical and fan reception, which track "Everybody is Easy (We Sink/We Swim)" receiving moderate airplay across the country. "Shine" was also released as a single, but did not chart as well as "Everybody is Easy". The album "rocks your backside about 75 percent of the time" according to the Fort Worth WeeklyFort Worth Weekly
Fort Worth Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper that serves the Greater Fort Worth area . The newspaper has an approximate circulation of 75,000. The Fort Worth Weekly is published every Wednesday and features news, editorials, profiles, and reviews of art, books, theatrical productions, food,...
.
However, the album did not sell as well as Buried in Your Black Heart and did not receive near as much promotion by their record label as their debut. The band did not have much of a successful tour for the album as well, and the commercial failure of the album was one of the many reasons for the departure of much of the band. The album has gone on to sell around 50,000-70,000 records in the United States, well below Buried in Your Black Hearts total. The band went on hiatus in 2006, with Lewis rejoining the Toadies.
Current members
- Vaden Todd LewisVaden Todd LewisVaden Danger Todd Lewis is the singer/guitarist for Toadies, a post-grunge band from Fort Worth, Texas. Lewis was also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Dallas-based Burden Brothers.-With Burden Brothers:...
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2002– ) - Taz BentleyTaz BentleyPatrick Bentley, better known as Taz or The Taz, is an American rock and roll drummer.Taz is currently a member of the Burden Brothers.-With Burden Brothers:* 8 Ball * Queen O' Spades * Beautiful Night...
– drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (2002– ) - Casey HessCasey HessCasey Hess is currently one of the guitarists for the American Rock band Burden Brothers based out of Dallas, Texas.- References :...
(formerly of Doosu and Jump Rope Girls) – guitar (2003– )
Former members
- Corey RozzoniCorey RozzoniCorey Rozzoni , also known as Rizzo, is an American rock and roll guitarist. He currently plays guitar for Nashville, TN based, Adalene.-Biography:...
(formerly of Clumsy) – guitar (2003–07) - Zack Busby (formerly of Slow Roosevelt, Halls of the Machine and Only CrimeOnly CrimeOnly Crime is a melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbecin 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such as Black Flag.-History:...
) – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2006–07) - Casey Orr (Currently with Rigor MortisRigor Mortis (band)Rigor Mortis is a speed metal band that formed in 1983. Two schoolmates Harden Harrison and Casey Orr formed the band when they met Mike Scaccia . The three young men shared an interest in horror/gore films and very heavy music. With Bruce Corbitt on vocals they created some of the heaviest...
, formerly of Ministry , GWARGWARGwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
, Speedealer, Blohole, The Hellions, and X–Cops) – bass (2002–05) - Mark Hughes (BaboonBaboon (band)Baboon is a rock band originally from Denton, Texas.The band formed in 1991. Their fourth studio album, titled Baboon, was released on October 10, 2006.Baboon appeared on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger titled "Hall of Fame" in 1996...
) – bass - Mike Rudnicki (Baboon) – guitar
- Zach Blair (Rise AgainstRise AgainstRise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
, GWAR, HagfishHagfish (band)Hagfish were a punk rock band from the Deep Ellum district of Dallas, TX that included George Reagan III, Zach Blair, Doni Blair and Tony Barsotti for the majority of the bands career, including all of their studio albums...
) – guitar - Josh Daugherty (Dovehunter, Pinkston, Earl) – guitar
Albums
- Buried in Your Black HeartBuried in Your Black HeartBuried in Your Black Heart is the first full-length album by Burden Brothers, after the release of multiple EPs. This was Burden Brothers' first recording with a solidified band lineup. The album was considered Burden Brothers' most successful album, spawning two relatively hit singles. The...
(2003) - Mercy (2006)
EPs and singles
- 8 Ball (2002)
- Queen O' SpadesQueen O' SpadesQueen O' Spades is the second E.P. by the Burden Brothers. It was released in 2002 on Last Beat Records. The disc was sold in a package along with a t-shirt, shotglass, and stickers on the band's website. This E.P...
(2002) - Beautiful NightBeautiful NightFor the Paul McCartney song, see Beautiful Night .Beautiful Night is the third E.P. by the Burden Brothers. It was released in 2003 on Last Beat Records...
(2003) - Shadow (2004)
- Walk Away / Jailbreak (2005)