What are your favorite Kentucky bands?

[J_Dee]

Cage the Elephant (from Bowling Green) is one of the first that comes to mind. They had a new album release, Neon Pill, in May. I haven't heard it yet but it got good reviews.



The Vibrolas have been around forever, and they're awesome. I've seen them three or four times over the years. They're all really nice, cool people.



Witness the Reckoning was a death metal band from Somerset. They were pretty popular (active from 2005 to 2012, they released one album), but unfortunately they're not together any more (amicable split-up, they're all still BFFs, it was all just too stressful for 'em).



The Hookers are from Louisville (Chris Hosner from The Vibrolas used to be in the band):



And Owensboro gifted us the awesomeness of Nine Pound Hammer:



So who are your favorites? =)

 

[UKnCincy_rivals]

Isn’t My Morning Jacket from Shelbyville? Wouldn’t say they’re a favorite, but they do have a couple songs I enjoy.

 

[J_Dee]

Isn’t My Morning Jacket from Shelbyville? Wouldn’t say they’re a favorite, but they do have a couple songs I enjoy.

I didn't know that they're from Kentucky. That's awesome. =)

 

[Robcatt24]

Gravel Switch, Hard rock from around the Somerset area I think.

Caught them live a couple of times. They are great.

 

[Nightwish84]

Not a big My Morning Jacket guy but someone mentioned them and it made me think of this performance, which to me, is one of the best talk show performances I've ever seen. They were just coming up and there were slight rumblings locally about some band from Kentucky who was starting to rise. I was watching Conan that night and when he said, "from Louisville, Kentucky...", I thought, "wtf?" Conan seems like a genuine guy and you can tell he was really impressed with the band after this. So again, not a favorite by any means, but gd I love this particular performance:

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

 

[TortElvisII]

 

[WildcatFan1982]

I went to their reunion show at the Brown Theater back in 2005. I also got Dave Pajo to sign my copy of spiderland and he just circled himself and wrote ‘me’

 

[UK 82]

Tim Krekel and the Groovebillys. Not sure if the entire band were Kentucky natives but Tim sure was.

 

[UK 82]

One Kentucky band I never cared for was Exile out of Richmond. They had one big hit, Kiss You All over. Didn't like it.

 

[ukalum1988]

The Everly Brothers

 

[ukalum1988]

One Kentucky band I never cared for was Exile out of Richmond. They had one big hit, Kiss You All over. Didn't like it.

They had a few moderate hits on the country charts but yeah Kiss You All Over is their proverbial signature song. I like the song ok but nowhere an all time favorite.

 

[J_Dee]

I'd forgotten this classic, by "the Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra".

 

[Ukbrassowtipin]

 

[anonymous_2024]

Do the Backstreet Boyz count?

 

[HeismaNole_rivals116019]

Isn’t My Morning Jacket from Shelbyville? Wouldn’t say they’re a favorite, but they do have a couple songs I enjoy.

I’ve seen them in concert a few times from 04-11 and they were always awesome. Their shows in Louisville were always a big spectacle.

I think I had about every album of theirs and some vinyl. So yeah pretty big fan. Jim James kind of does his own thing now.

 

[J_Dee]

Do the Backstreet Boyz count?

Two of 'em were born and raised in Kentucky, so I'd say yes.

Kevin Richardson worked in tobacco, so he could probably empathize with the Farm Work thread here. =D

 

[JGCraw]

Blackstone Cherry.

 

[JGCraw]

Two of 'em were born and raised in Kentucky, so I'd say yes.

Kevin Richardson worked in tobacco, so he could probably empathize with the Farm Work thread here. =D

Had an aunt married to Kevin’s uncle, definitely a tobacco family. Several musicians in the family as well.

 

[DreadLox]

The Everly Brothers
NRBQ
Dwight Yoakam
Sam Bush
My Morning Jacket
The Rachels

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Two of 'em were born and raised in Kentucky, so I'd say yes.

Kevin Richardson worked in tobacco, so he could probably empathize with the Farm Work thread here. =D

Kev is a good guy. I got the furniture for my first apartment from his barn

 

[TortElvisII]

The Everly Brothers
NRBQ
Dwight Yoakam
Sam Bush
My Morning Jacket
The Rachels

Was Dwight a one man band? You are just dumb.

 

[80 Proof]

Nappy Roots deserves a mention.

 

[K86]

Christian Rock band 7th Time Down is from Rockcastle county.

 

[DreadLox]

Isn’t My Morning Jacket from Shelbyville? Wouldn’t say they’re a favorite, but they do have a couple songs I enjoy.

Their wiki page says that most of their original line-up was from Shelbyville. Jim James is from Louisville, graduated from St. X (boo!), and even went to UK for awhile. Some of their current line-up is from all over. Including Lakewood, Ohio -- birthplace of everyone's favorite actress Teri Garr.

 

[Blaize57]

I know Lexington Lab Band only does covers, but they play like I wish I could. They are unbelievable.

 

[Blueisbest]

Wasn't there a hard rock band from a few years ago called Flaw? Seems to me they were from Louisville and had a moderate hit called "Whole".

 

[sg24_]

Blackstone Cherry is one of my favorites. I listen to them all the time. Then being from BG, I prefer Nappy Roots over Cage the Elephant. Big V is good folk.

 

[rudd1]

-Yoakum is from Columbus Ohio. Still love his stuff.

Slint
Squirrel Bait/Big Wheel/Starbilly (all Peter Searcy bands)

^Cobain listed Squirrel Bait as a primary influence. Peter is a sweetheart.

 

[cole854]

Switching from band to artist....Stapleton, Loveless, Yoakam. Country definitely dominates in this state in terms of massively successful artists.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Emarosa is/was from Lexington. Post-hardcore/screamo, very clean lead vocalist though. Won't be for everyone, but that voice is one of a kind.

 

[Col. Angus]

“Jesus Christ and Kentucky basketball”, they say. - Hollywood in Kentucky

 

[TopCatCal]

Probably my favorite song by a Kentucky band.

 

[HymanKaplan_rivals48997]

Lafayette HS Marching Band. The Pride of the Bluegrass.

 

[megablue]

Switching from band to artist....Stapleton, Loveless, Yoakam. Country definitely dominates in this state in terms of massively successful artists.

Do not forget Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Ricky Skaggs, Lionel Hampton, Les McCann, Sam Bush, Kelsey Waldon and, of course, the great Adrian Belew.

 

[catsfanbgky]

I would probably lean Nappy Roots. Vito is good people, know him well.

Rap group Below Zero is from Bowling Green also, they had the fairly big hit "New Era", a reference to New Era the popular 59Fifty hats. The group consist of 3 Warren Central High School friends Rod Buford, Julius Price, and Antwan Barber. They got pretty big in the mid 90's and even opened for Nappy Roots. Mostly made party songs.

My lady who cuts my hair, her nephew is in Cage The Elephant. Personally, I do not get into their music, not my style.
Pretty cool that there are several big / fairly big artist from BG.

Bowling Green has produced several groups / artist that have went on to make it pretty big, not bad for a South Central KY city.

 

[DreadLox]

-Yoakum is from Columbus Ohio. Still love his stuff.

Slint
Squirrel Bait/Big Wheel/Starbilly (all Peter Searcy bands)

^Cobain listed Squirrel Bait as a primary influence. Peter is a sweetheart.

Yoakam's formative years were in Columbus, but he was born in Pikeville and live there for a few years until his Dad got out of the army. (I've always suspected his accent was a bit theatrical. I spent some time around Columbus in my college years and Central Ohioans don't have a hillbilly accent.)

 

[Vismund]

KNOCKED LOOSE MF'ER

 

[LineSkiCat14]

KNOCKED LOOSE MF'ER

Oh jeez how did I forget them.

 

[rudd1]

Yoakam's formative years were in Columbus, but he was born in Pikeville and live there for a few years until his Dad got out of the army. (I've always suspected his accent was a bit theatrical. I spent some time around Columbus in my college years and Central Ohioans don't have a hillbilly accent.)

-he had (has?) a great show on Sirius outlaw country... but you can tell he's from Ohio from his speaking voice.

^love his music. Pete Anderson was his guitarist in his heyday. Amazing player.

-his version of sloop John b (one of my favorite songs of all time) is amazing.