The Gourds

The Gourds, an American alternative country band, formed in Austin, Texas in 1994. Evolving, in part, from the Picket Line Coyotes and the Grackles, the Gourds original line-up consists of Kevin Russell (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Jimmy Smith (vocals, bass, guitar), Claude Bernard (accordion, guitar, vocals), and Charlie Llewellin (drums, percussion).Since the band started defining Gourds Music, as it has come to be known, with Dem’s Good Beeble in 1997 and the quirky Stadium Blitzer in 1998, they have chugged through America fueled by music and a near-pathological need for a good time. And while songwriters Kevin Russell and Jimmy Smith have written the most dense, reference-laden country songs of the last 10 years and almost single-handedly made a place for deep thought in a genre of “Honky Tonk Badonkadonks” they have, for the most part, shied away from the tear-in-my-beer ballads that made country music a commercial powerhouse over the last 50 years.Despite a sizable amount of original material, the Gourds are probably best known for a song they did not write, and for which they initially did not receive credit. A full twelve years after its live debut, fans can still be heard calling out for the band’s cover version of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice”, often before they have even taken the stage. This has led some to consider it an albatross, but the band continues to play the crowd pleaser, adding various impromptu covers to its mid-section as a way of expanding its appeal.While the Gourds studio efforts have all been well received, their high-energy live performances and constant touring have earned them the reputation of a band that must be seen to be appreciated. As a result, they enjoy a dedicated fan base, that is happy to follow them from town to town, and have become a favorite among those who tape live music

• http://www.thegourds.com