Genres: Alt-Country / Americana, Pop, Rock
Sound description: Sometimes rockin' out with a country twang; sometimes beautiful interlocking harmonies; sometimes power-pop at its best.
RIYL: Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Robbie Fulks, Cheap Trick, Waco Brothers, The V-Roys, Reckless Kelly, Slobberbone
Formed: 1993
City: Dallas, TX
Web site: http://www.old97s.com/
For more than a decade, the Old 97's have been the golden boys of (at different times) the Dallas, alt-country, and pop rocker scenes. From playing the parking lot behind Bar of Soap to major venues around the world, the band has ridden a career roller coaster and is still hanging in there.
Decidedly alt-country on their initial release and its followup, the Old 97's were generally mentioned alongside Wilco, Son Volt and Ryan Adams as standard-bearers of the No Depression movement. But with a major label behind them in the mid-to-late ninties, the 97's veered more heavily into hooky pop. Thanks to musical trends, erratic promotion and bad single quarterbacking on the part of the label, the band never "hit it big" as so many of their fans were sure they would.
While Rhett Miller took time off to release a well-received solo album (with another on the way), the band and its several side projects forge on, best known for their electrifying live shows, as captured on 2005's Alive and Wired.
From staff reports.
Musicians
- Rhett Miller: guitar, lead vocals, vocals
- Murry Hammond: bass, vocals
- Ken Bethea: guitar, vocals
- Philip Peeples: drums
Influences
X, The Pixies, Merle Haggard, Jon Langford, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, The Clash
Albums
Drag It Up
Released 2004
Satellite Rides
Released 2001
Early Tracks
Released 2000
Fight Songs
Released 1999
Too Far To Care
Released 1997
Wreck Your Life
Released 1995
Hitchhike to Rhome
Released 1994
Favorited by these users:
AmyLu, BRETT DILLON - KHYI, Beth_McCabe, Bop_A_Lena, Bugg, Camille Cortinas, Catherine Cuellar, ChaCha, Clintinspace, Colby Walton, Dan Gattuso, Del, Elizabeth Eshelman, Gary Cohen, Jake, Jeff Jones, Jennifer Mayes, John Connolly, John Murphy, Ken Turetzky, Kevin Kunreuther, Linda Rothstein, Lindsay Lauber, LuckyDenverMint, MFThomas, Mark Lewis, Megan Mead, Mike Orren, Pascale Hall, Peachykeen5, RHYTHM_ROBB, Rebeckah Seagle, Rob Shearer, Robert Rummel-Hudson, Room203, SATIN_HOOKS, Sander Wolf, Seanchai520, Stuart Tinsley, Susan Lauer, TheMadcapLaughs, TheWishlist, bariglover, bruhnlaw, celestesal, charleston, chrism97, dheidle, doorbells, edfoo2000, elioz, flemingmeeks, foodiedfw, frank, frankthetank74, hayeser, holly ramsey, ibjoe, ihearttrouble, izzydroolin, jameshenry, jdwhitt, jesespires, jewely11115, jordan_r_munn, katy pritchard, kboy2k, kennybob7, kirklandk, krys, leighjay, mcgilligan913, mholmes76, mikalbeth, mjohns, moontalker, one_tribe, promoterray, robertmiguel, robstave, ryanbass, sapphire_916, secretsongs, smupostman2001, sorrysue, stars_smothered, tara7002, tate, treycarmichael, truckjrt, vsansone, whataboutdarby, whiterockcoffee, zekemartino
Banner:


Find the latest gigs and news for Old 97's and more than 1,000 other DFW acts.
No need to right-click the picture!
Click here for the HTML to use this banner on other sites and in email signatures.
Something missing?
If you're a fan or member of this band, it's likely you know more about this than we do. Send us an email and tell us what we missed.
This is not MySpace! (And that's a good thing.) The only way you can directly post content to your page is in the comments. The best way to make additions, corrections, add mp3s or add photos is to send us an email.
Find...
Today
1st Ever Libertine Brass Knuckle Corndog Beatdown Happy birthday, 'Merica. Before you watch the rockets' red glare tonight, stop in for beer and a kid-friendly corn dog contest. What could be more patriotic than that? More info
Blogs
- It’s me, not the phone
Square Pegs - Local musicians make a song for Neda
Square Pegs - St. Vincent on Letterman
Square Pegs
Latest comments
- alexander troup on What Dallas-Fort Worth chefs and restaurateurs will be cooking at home on Fourth of July: Man ole man…where is that B.B.Q…. Russ…A/T… comming soon to yur local 4th…...
- Mike Orren on Lawmen get serious about enforcing water safety on North Texas lakes: Maybe it’s the heat, but Lake Ray Hubbard seems less crowded than I’d expect this weekend....
- alexander troup on New Deep Ellum moped shop helping drivers stay green: And the need for a bike you can ride in a group,as the Oak Cliff folk’s have done so well to sicknes...
- alexander troup on Fort Worth mayor wants feds to look into Rainbow Lounge raid: And the Cowboy boot’s of The True Texas city show up…A/T,..Lets dance not stomp…...
Latest reviews
- caitlynbuckley on Jake's Old Fashioned Hamburgers (Dallas / Skillman & Abrams): If you are craving a delicious, greasy hamburger and you want it immediately, Jake’s is a great plac...
- John Meyer on Tony's Pizza & Pasta (Dallas): If it weren’t for Tony’s, I’d have no place left to go for a quick and tasty Italian meal around my ...
- Neff Conner on Angry Dog: i and five others went for lunch at 11:15 on a Friday to get our burgers on. We couldn’t help but co...


Blame it on Gravity
Alive & Wired
Comments
Mike Orren Staff
One other little-known fact about the Old 97's:
The apostrophe / no-apostrophe question has long thwarted fans searching for the band across the internet. (See second entry here: http://old97s.com/biography/factoids....) It also seems to thwart our search engine.
So, as a reader service:
Old 97s
Old Ninety Sevens
Auld Ninety Sevens
Red Monroe!
"Old 97s"
Although the proper use is "Old 97's."
3 years, 6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
Interesting Murry interview:
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2...
1 year, 4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Stacey Callaway Verified
Old 97's Rollerskate Skinny. Live at Meridian-Houston TX 4.12.07
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Stacey Callaway Verified
Old 97's live @ the Southgate House - Question/Une Question July 07
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Stacey Callaway Verified
Old 97's at a block party in Chicago in 2005. Designs on you
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Stacey Callaway Verified
Old 97's at SXSW 2008 "My Two Feet."
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Stacey Callaway Verified
Trying again.. Old 97's at SXSW 2008 "My Two Feet."
1 year, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Post a comment