Basic description:
The Worthless Son-in-Laws are a Boone, North Carolina-based band formed
and baptized with their grammatically incorrect moniker in the wee hours of 2004. They play Appalachian Indie-Rock, which various people have likened to some combination of Son Volt, Wilco, early REM, the Jayhawks, the dB's, the Shins, the Allman Brothers, and Big Star.
“Beautiful pop hooks and melodies wrapped in twang, reminiscent of the Jayhawks’ best stuff.... [Of the Worthless Son-in-Laws' latest album, Resplendent Verge:] Jimmy Davidson and friends from Boone NC have crafted another smart, literate collection of melodic indie-Americana/rock tunes worthy of a wide audience.”—Warren Catlett, Radio Free Americana
“The songwriting [on No. 8 Wire] by Jimmy Davidson with help from guitarist Rob Brown is through the roof here both melodically and lyrically, bolstered by a band that nails the songs with pinpoint perfection, floating from shades of Son Volt and the Jayhawks to the Connells and the Grateful Dead. The vocal delivery by Jimmy Davidson is rock solid on what can only be deemed one of the most pleasantly surprising releases of the summer. This one rests near the very top of the ‘highly recommended’ list. ” —Bill Hurley, The Alternate Root
“[No. 8 Wire] alternates between slow ballads, such as ‘New York Times,’ and punchy rockers like ‘Still Life With Cake.’ The balance between the acoustic guitars and piano and electric instruments is flawless. But the real strength of the new album is the songwriting. Stylistically, the album is reminiscent of many of the stellar country rock albums of the 1970s, especially discs such as Pure Prairie League’s Bustin’ Out....”—Jeff Eason, The Mountain Times
"The Worthless Son-in-Laws fuse their laid-back roots sound with the jangle-pop sounds of NC band the dB's and Chris Stamey, while also recalling Son Volt and possibly a hint of the Decemberists."--Shout Magazine
Bio:
By all rights, the Worthless Son-in-Laws should be a bluegrass band. First, there’s the grammatically incorrect, self-deprecating name, and then there’s the fact that they hail from the mountains of western North Carolina, the epicenter of acoustic flatpicking and the home of the late, great Doc Watson. And while there may be some whisper of Appalachian mountain influence, there’s no banjo to be found anywhere in this outfit, no whipsawing fiddles, no mandolins, no dobros.
Nor are they one of the innumerable white-funk/jam bands that frequent their hometown of Boone, home of Appalachian State University. There’s only one drum set, no djembe, no bass-slapping, no Garcia-esque noodling, no tie-dye.
The Worthless Son-in-Laws actually inhabit a space between Americana and Indie-rock, where major sevenths and open chord voicings in the vein of Arcade Fire, the Shins or early R.E.M. are accompanied by Jayhawksian vocals and Son Voltish rock grit and draped over liquid bass with a solid backbeat. The melodies are king, layered with indie-pop sensibilities and a side of oddity—imagine a Southeastern Calexico, a less metaconfessional Father John Misty or maybe even a 21st-century version of Big Star.
The lyrical content swings clear of common tropes but otherwise spans the map, remaining literate and sometimes teasingly opaque, veering from thoughtful musings on the impending birth of a child to rocked-out New Zealand slang, from wry country songs about lost love to rousing calls for the overthrow of the .01%.
—Andy Patton
Jimmy Davidson (acoustic guitar/vocals) and Rob Brown (electric guitar/vocals) write songs about t-shirt shops, Mississippi highways, weddings, and life on container ships, among other things. Jimmy draws from his work experiences and flips through Bryan Garner’s Dictionary of Modern American Usage for inspiration, while Rob’s muse is his latent desire to be a truck driver (he is, in truth, a university professor). Jimmy used to play toy drums and acoustic guitar with songwriter Vic Chesnutt. Rich Crepeau (bass guitar, PhD) plays bass and writes a sinister country-punk number his own self now and then. And, he’s on the Boone Board of Adjustment. Dave Brewer plays drums and sings harmonies.
Jimmy Davidson: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
Rob Brown: electric guitar, vocals
Rich Crepeau: bass guitar
Dave Brewer: drums and stuff
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