Chris Mills (musician)
Encyclopedia
Chris Mills is an American singer-songwriter. In the 1990s and early 2000s he established himself as a mainstay on the independent Chicago folk and alternative country
scene before moving to Brooklyn
in 2003.
After playing in a high-school speed metal
band with Rob Lloyd named Crystal Meth Death, Mills turned his attention to country and folk music. Mills released his first EPs in 1996 and 1997, and signed to Chicago indie label Sugar Free Records in 1998. A tour in England followed his 2000 release, Kiss It Goodbye. After the collapse of Sugar Free Records, Mills released The Silver Line on his own label, Powerless Pop Records.
In 2005 Mills signed with Brooklyn indie label Ernest Jenning Record Co. and released "The Wall to Wall Sessions", an album recorded and mixed entirely live to 2-track tape. He toured England in 2005, following an American tour opening for Lucero
.
In 2008 he released Living In The Aftermath on Ernest Jenning followed again by tours in the U.S. and Europe. In 2009, the track "Such a Beautiful Thing" from Living In the Aftermath was featured on the popular television show Criminal Minds in the episode "Cradle To The Grave". In 2011 he released 'The Heavy Years 2000-2010' a career retrospective collection.
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
scene before moving to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in 2003.
After playing in a high-school speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
band with Rob Lloyd named Crystal Meth Death, Mills turned his attention to country and folk music. Mills released his first EPs in 1996 and 1997, and signed to Chicago indie label Sugar Free Records in 1998. A tour in England followed his 2000 release, Kiss It Goodbye. After the collapse of Sugar Free Records, Mills released The Silver Line on his own label, Powerless Pop Records.
In 2005 Mills signed with Brooklyn indie label Ernest Jenning Record Co. and released "The Wall to Wall Sessions", an album recorded and mixed entirely live to 2-track tape. He toured England in 2005, following an American tour opening for Lucero
Lucero (band)
Lucero is an American punk/Texas Country infused rock band that is based in Memphis, Tennessee.-Biography:Lucero's punk rock roots flavor their now "country-ish" music, while their Southern roots give them the twang that they have come to be known by. They had their start in Memphis, TN. The band...
.
In 2008 he released Living In The Aftermath on Ernest Jenning followed again by tours in the U.S. and Europe. In 2009, the track "Such a Beautiful Thing" from Living In the Aftermath was featured on the popular television show Criminal Minds in the episode "Cradle To The Grave". In 2011 he released 'The Heavy Years 2000-2010' a career retrospective collection.
Discography
- Chris Mills Plays and Sings EP (1996)
- Nobody's Favorite EP (1997)
- Every Night Fight for Your Life (Sugar Free Records, 1998)
- Kiss It Goodbye (Sugar Free, 2000)
- The Silver Line (Powerless Pop Records, 2002)
- Tell it Like it Isn't EP (all covers) (Powerless Pop, 2003)
- Plays and Sings/Nobody's Favorite re-release compilation (Powerless Pop, 2003)
- The Wall to Wall Sessions (Powerless Pop/Ernest JenningErnest JenningErnest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, NJ. The label is currently based out of the 44 Wall St. office in downtown NYC...
, 2005) - Living in the Aftermath (Ernest JenningErnest JenningErnest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, NJ. The label is currently based out of the 44 Wall St. office in downtown NYC...
, 2008) - The Heavy Years 2000-2010 (Ernest JenningErnest JenningErnest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, NJ. The label is currently based out of the 44 Wall St. office in downtown NYC...
, 2011)
Further reading
- Review of The Silver Line, Time Out, September 25, 2002. Available through Lexis-Nexis.
- Bret McCabe, review of Kiss It Goodbye, Dallas ObserverDallas ObserverThe 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...
, May 10, 2001. Available through Lexis-Nexis.