Moreland & Arbuckle: Press

BluesWax review of Floyd's Market in the 5/10/07 on-line issue. Click the link below for full article. Big thanks to James Walker for the review!

As you can see this is in French. Bable Fish Translation to English was only slightly better.

"Ben les revoilà nos King Snakes de Wichita (B&Co; n°32), ben si ! Ceux qu’avaient commis une pure merveille de Delta Roots Juke Joinisante grave, « Issue Up Top » qui s’appelait le plastique !! L’avez acheté non ?? Une tranche de bonheur que c’en était, total bénaize, tout plein de joie et de trémousserie, du Roots électrifié comme on en rêve. Donc les revoilà mais ce coup ci en trio, pas de bassiste, exit James Hocutt, vous dirais pas pourquoi, j’en sais rien, alors plutôt que de dire des conneries hein ? …. Donc ils reviennent en trio sous leurs patronymes, font ce qu’ils veulent pourvu que leur zique soit toujours aussi puissante, fraîche et bouffe tripe. Ben c’est encore le cas et quel cas, mieux qu’avant et sûrement moins bien que le prochain à venir (vite j’espère), de l’or en barre et un moment d’une intensité, te raconte pas, ni l’ambiance qui fout l’Tonton tout seul dans son gourbi. Ce CD est superbe, bourré de groove hypnotique, chaud comme de la braise, tout nickel qu’l’est le machin, le nourrin en rosit de bonheur, tout comme les ripatons du Tonton.

Du Mississippi Blues électrifié façon Junior Kimbrough mâtiné de Country Hill Blues traditionnel joué avec une conviction et une authenticité rare, Moreland jongle avec ses cordes avec une aisance et une simplicité confondante, l’a pas besoin de tout un tas de fourbi qu’encombre la scène le gars, non rien que lui et l’instrument et ce qu’il en fait woua !!!!! Arbuckle n’est pas en reste, remarquable chanteur à la voix chaude, grave et ronde mais surtout un superbe harmoniciste aux interventions rebrousses poils et frissonnantes qu’ca fait du bien partout, quant au batteur, Floyd, le proprio du magasin, il rythme et canalise ses deux compères avec fougue et une puissance énorme, que du plaisir je te dis et si t’es pas un gros blaireau de l’année tu te dois d’acheter cette pure merveille qui fera aimer le blues du plus petit braillard à la belle mère la plus acariâtre….. Pas la mienne elle adore le blues !!

12 titres, 9 magnifiques compos du trio, même niveau rien à jeter, un trad. « futur Blues » et 2 reprises « Locomotive » de John Alex Mason et « Meet Me In The City » de Junior Kimbrough pour pas loin d’une bonne heure intense.

Sur que Fat Possum va leur faire les yeux doux..

Au fait, ils sont venus en Belgique et Hollande cette année et se sont fais un sacré putain de succès. Alors la prochaine fois on leur bâtit une tournée en France ???"

"Moreland and Arbuckle: Now More Than Ever"
Click link for full article

"...three young visionaries with their axes firmly planted in a rich juke joint and back porch tradition."

"Sure, Aaron Moreland has fine chops on guitar, both electrical and acoustic resonator. But he lays down the groove, drawing you in before he ever starts cutting, slicing and sliding with the solos. Sure, Dustin Arbuckle can blow the harmonica. Chicago blues harp. Acoustic country blues harp. That lazy Louisiana swamp blues harp. But it all serves the groove, coasting alongside the guitar, or filling in around it instead of trying to take the spotlight."

CD REVIEW: FLOYD'S MARKET
"Aaron Moreland's thick-toned electric guitar and Floyd's steady drum lock perfectly; [Dustin's] harp lands in their pocket, his vocals rough-and-ready."
"...for the most part this is stomping, heavily rhythmic stuff. "Date With the Devil," "So Low," "Locomotive," "Long Past Midnight" (featuring Richard Johnston), and Junior Kimbrough's "Meet Me in the City" qualify as Grade-A Mississippi blues."

CD REVIEW: CANEY VALLEY BLUES
"Moreland excels on resonator-driven titles such as "Fish Ain't Bitin'" and especially on a wicked version of Fred McDowell's "Highway 61." Arbuckle's the main singer in the band and digs his heels into fellow Kansan Lee McBee's "Everybody Loves My Baby" as well as an a cappella version of "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning." Drummer David Floyd joins in on "Coal Black Maddie" as the band kicks into the hard-driving hill country mode that eventually led to that trio's current release, Floyd's Market."

CD REVIEW: FLOYD'S MARKET
“I love these guys! Nearly all this record was recorded live in the studio in seventeen hours…and so it should be! It’s all about performance and raw energy.”

"Moreland, Arbuckle & Floyd is as good as it gets, playing lowdown electric blues in the vein of Fat Possum artists R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough."

CD REVIEW: FLOYD'S MARKET
"The one-guitar format keeps even the most raucous of MAF tracks from becoming abrasive, and more laid-back tunes like "Long Past Midnight" are proof that this band doesn't have to make your ears ring to blow you away."

Concert Review: Bierbeek Blues'd Up Festival, Belgium

Het duo, Moreland & Arbuckle zijn echte 'back to the roots' muzikanten want in 2002 hebben zij elkaar leren kennen. Tijdens een jamsessie in Wichita, Kansas, hebben de heren een band gesmeed die kennelijk zo strak zit dat een Siamese tweeling hierbij verbleekt. Dat mag ook van hun muziek gezegd worden, want wat de heren brengen is geen verveling maar puur entertainment van het hoogste kaliber. Een uurtje rasechte rootsblues van Aaron Moreland en Dustin Arbuckle vergeet je niet gauw en de liefhebbers van dit soort blues konden de volgende dag al terecht bij onze vriend Michel in de Willem Tell Bluesclub in St. Lenaarts. Tussen de B-B-Q door gingen zij de bezoekers vergasten op een nieuwe spetterende show. Hun repertorium bestond vooral uit nummers van hun eersteling 'Caney Valley Blues' die in 2005 op de markt kwam. Zeker te onthouden en uitkijken naar de komende affiches is de boodschap.

The Best of the ICT (and more)
Reissue/non-rock releases:
1. Caney Valley Blues — Moreland and Arbuckle, Independent
What was once a largely part-time affair for King Snakes members Dustin Arbuckle and Aaron Moreland has become a fulltime deal. But this is before all that went down. Key tracks: "Caney Valley Blues," "Morning Light," "Coal Black Maddie."

MORELAND & ARBUCKLE
Caney Valley Blues
Independent Release. 12 tracks 43.05 mins.
This acoustic duo from Wichita are new to me but create some exceptional acoustic Country blues music although they also
perform & record as an electric quintet, under the name of King Snake Blues Band. Dustin Arbuckle (vocals, Harmonica) & Aaron Moreland (Vocals/Guitar) have an uncanny "telepathic" awareness of each others playing which creates a very together sound with the harmonica & guitar interplaying throughout the album. The majority of the tracks are self written although the covers have been tastefully selected and include Blind Willie Johnson's "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed & Burning" and Fred Dowell's "Highway 61". On the traditional song "Coal Black Maddie" the introduction of electric guitar & drums allows the duo to "freak out & Boogie" and probably gives an indication to how the band perform in their
other guise, this is a great song and does conjure memories of a late sixties Peter Green track. This is a fine album that deserves wider attention.

Blues Bites CD Review: Caney Valley Blues

Moreland & Arbuckle, an acoustic guitar-harmonica duo from Kansas, take the opposite approach: Just five covers dot the play list of Caney Valley Blues. A charging rendition of “Coal Black Maddie” joins Charley Patton’s “Shake It and Break It,” Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Highway 61,” and, best of all, Lee McBee’s “Everybody Loves My Baby.” Originals “Old Like Me,” “Morning Light,” “Fish Ain’t Bitin’,” “Caney Valley Blues,” and “Red Bricks” display a command of melody, interplay, slide, and fingerpicking. Dustin Arbuckle’s unamplified harp is supple and cagey, his vocals powerful; Aaron Moreland is a fine guitar player - love that resonator tone.

Moreland & Arbuckle:
Breakin' Out With the Blues

What does a successful blues duo from Wichita, KS have to do to get a little recognition? How about finishing among the Top 5 contenders in the Solo/Duo category at the 2005 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. (No small feat in a field of 42 entries from blues organizations around the globe.) Preface that by winning the Wichita Blues Society’s Blues Challenge last fall to qualify for the Blues Foundation’s 21st annual event. Add hundreds of regional and area performances to date, like opening honors for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Maria Muldaur, Wheatland Jam headliners Boston and Blues Traveler, Sean Costello, Sam Myers, Robert Cray and Anson Funderburgh. Not bad for a couple of young Hill Country Blues guys from Kansas who call themselves Moreland & Arbuckle. And, friends and members, we may be among the "I knew them when crowd" very soon.

Aaron Moreland (guitar/vocals) and Dustin Arbuckle (harmonica/vocals) are feeling pretty good about themselves these days and rightly so. Two and half years into their musical collaboration, and shortly before their IBC2005 success, the Delta and Hill Country inspired blues duo independently released their debut CD, Caney Valley Blues. Local critics echoed approval of the 12 tracks that included six originals and fine treatment of another half-dozen blues tunes like the iconic "Coal Black Maddy" and Fred McDowell’s "Highway 61".

Moreland & Arbuckle have just lately received word they’ll be getting major critical exposure when Blues Review spotlights Caney Valley Blues in its Aug/Sept issue. It’s becoming more and more evident that Wichita’s blues community and Wichitans at large have something to boast about to friends, media and club owners. Not since winning Organization of the Year in 2000 have Wichita Blues Society members had more reason to brag about local talent.

Moreland & Arbuckle (also members of the King Snakes Blues Band with a debut CD, Issues Up Top, to their credit) are equally intent on making the right calls in pursuit of their blues ambitions, and on making those who have indulged and supported them proud. Aaron and Dustin continue their months-long gig on Wednesday evening at Snoop’s and have confirmed dates at The Artichoke and Mort’s Cigar Bar in coming weeks. The pair just logged their first mini-tour between Kansas and Iowa and have bookings from Blue Springs, MO, to Colorado Springs, CO in early June. June 10th they’ll re-team with the King Snakes Blues Band as first time hosts of Howling Wolf’s Birthday Bash at B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ in Kansas City. The ‘Snakes electrify the blues in Wichita at John Barleycorn’s, Lizard’s Lounge and WBS events like the upcoming (Sunday, April 24th) Spring Blues Crawl in Old Town, and are regional favorites at clubs and joints from Winfield to Lawrence. In July Moreland & Arbuckle will appear in Covington, KY, Boston, MA, Kalamazoo, MI, and Columbus, OH.

Aaron and Dustin’s excitement may be tempered by the realities of jobs, relationships and kids, and the logistics of multi-state festival appearances are daunting, but they are determined to take the ride where the blues leads them. They call their music "an eclectic mix of original and cover material ranging from intense early Delta Blues to lightly finger-picked mellowness" and it is. Moreland & Arbuckle champion the power and tradition of the blues and hail the great and obscure blues pioneers who molded the genre.

Caney Valley Blues captures Moreland & Arbuckle aptly infusing some well-worn blues standards with new vitality and their own blues with gritty intensity and a "contemporary twist." Aaron Moreland is a force on guitar and turns in his own persuasive vocals along side front-man Dustin Arbuckle’s dominating baritone and explosive harp riffs. It’s a combination that’s built a local fan base and is primed to introduce Moreland & Arbuckle to a national audience. If you don’t own a copy of Caney Valley Blues (or Issues Up Top,) get ‘em while you can at www.morelandarbuckle.com.

Caney Valley Blues — Moreland and Arbuckle

Independent release, 2005
King Snakes founders Aaron Moreland (vocals/guitar) and Dustin Arbuckle (harmonica/vocals) take the volume down a notch or two but keep the blues intensity sliding toward overload with 12 tracks of good singin' and good playin' on Caney Valley Blues. Opening with the title cut, a family reminiscence from Arbuckle lyrically reminiscent of John Prine's "Paradise," and closing with the trippy and adventurous "Outback Blues" (featuring Rik Stevenson on didgeridoo), this disc serves as a reminder of the duo's ability to deliver fresh-sounding originals (Moreland turns in his finest composition to date here with "Don't Bother"; Arbuckle offers "Morning Light") and deftly interpret standards (dig the traditional "Coal Black Maddie" and Fred McDowell's "Highway 61") with eyes firmly fixed on both tradition and innovation.
Moreland's guitar playing never sounded finer than it does on the duo's version of Lee McBee's "Everybody Loves My Baby," where the duo's joined by King Snakes drummer David Floyd and where Arbuckle continues to channel Fabulous Thunderbirds front man Kim Wilson — lots of soul, lots of power and undeniable feel. Moreland once more proves that he's not only versatile and powerful on electric guitar but in the acoustic setting as well as we hear notes come through loud and clear on tracks such as "Fish Ain't Bitin'" and "Red Bricks."
There are challenging moments on this disc, though. Some may at first have difficulty with Moreland's "Old Like Me," where at times it becomes difficult to understandexactly what he's singing but his performance lends the tune a warm authenticity that reveals itself during repeated listenings, giving you the feeling that you're sitting in the room with the guitarist while he works the piece out. It's a nice counterpoint to the sharp and bright take on Charlie Patton's "Shake It and Break It," which follows.
Caney Valley Blues finds Moreland and Arbuckle in fine form and serves as further proof that we are in the presence of a mighty team.
Moreland and Arbuckle will host a CD release party at Torre's Pizzeria, 131 N. Rock Island on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the pair's February trip to Memphis where it will compete in the Blue's Foundation's International Blues Challenge.

Barroom Blues from the Western Plain (03/16/05)

There are Blues bands all over the world using this name, so let's start with the basics. These King Snakes hail from Wichita, Kansas, where Issues Up Top was recorded, and see themselves as a place where traditional Hill Country and Delta Blues meets early Chicago and more contemporary Jam band sounds. After forming two years ago, they went on to represent the region at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Of the 14 listed cuts on their debut CD (there's also a hidden track), nine were written or co-written by harp player/vocalist Dustin Arbuckle and guitarist/vocalist Aaron Moreland. Covers include Charlie Patton, Fred McDowell, and an excellent, rough-and-tumble version of Bill Withers' "Use Me."
If you were to catch the band on a Saturday night somewhere in the Middle Western United States, none of that information would matter much - except maybe the rough-and-tumble part. The no-frills Issues Up Top makes it easy to hear that these guys deliver the goods. What they do isn't fancy, but neither was the music from most of their heroes. With Moreland's mean guitar growl playing off Arbuckle's smart, workaday vocals and harp, and the efficient groove laid down by bassist James Hocutt and drummer David Floyd, the quartet brings more untainted Blues feeling across than many bigger name artists on bigger name labels.

The band manages to mix electric and acoustic sounds liberally, plow several Blues fields, even toss in a surf song, and still come up with a cohesive sounding album. On the electric side, both "Stormy Outside" and the aforementioned Withers cover are standout cuts, with Moreland working a slide guitar tone big enough to eat you alive. Unplugged tracks like "Tell Me Why" and Fred McDowell's "Kokomo Blues" are spread throughout the CD, more joyous than they are respectful of tradition, though the respect's there, too. Another great slide cut is Robert Johnson's "Preachin' Blues," with all four cogs in the groove machine greased and purring on the down the road. Bad ass, boys!

OK, but what are the chances of actually getting to Wichita to see The King Snakes kick it live, right? Here's hoping they hit it big and start touring the world - but never lose the small-town, do-it-yourself sound they do so well on this promising debut.

Vincent Abbate is a contributing editor at BluesWax

King Snakes: Issues Up Top (Ned’s A Case Publishing)

If you’ve ever givin’ up on keeping’ the blues alive, never fear when you have guys in their 20’s like the Wichita, KS based King Snakes. This quartet combines electric delta, hill country and a dose of Chicago style blues that will give traditional blues lovers a chill up their spine. The King Snakes performance at the recent Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival in Sedan, KS was definitely a highlight. Nine of the 14 cuts on Issues Up Top were written by harpist Dustin Arbuckle and/or acoustic guitarist Aaron “Chainsaw” Moreland. These originals tend to be my favorites on this CD, despite the inclusion of Robert Johnson’s Preachin’ Blues. Rounding out the King Snakes is percussionist David Floyd whose sense of timing really drives the band’s sound. Bassist Ethan Hayen learned his trade from a couple of key guys in the Wichita Symphony, and it certainly showed in their live show at Sedan. To learn more about this band, which represented Wichita at the International Blues competition last year, go to www.morelandarbuckle.com.

The King Snakes. VERY bluesy, but in an electric, country-rock sortof way. You can practically smell the Johnny Cash influence. "He sounds like an old black man" says Josh Finley of Loco Macheen, and that he does. The vocals are comparable to Clapton, or even B.B. King, a very deep, soulful blues sound. The guitar player, Aaron Moreland, didn't touch a pick the whole night, and played about the slipperiest slide guitar this side o' the Mississip'. It was awesome. He had this sexy lookin' telecaster that just did the job better than any guitar you could ask for. This man was a blues king. His solos were fast, clever and just made you want to move the way only the blues can do. (of course I was glued to a post the entire show) As is any good blues group, this one was extremely beat oriented. Ethan Hayan, the bassist, was phenomenal. He just completely complimented the guitars and wailing harmonica of his counterparts. Quick, clever and clear bass to compliment an old-timey soulful blues sound, harmonica that made you go "OOOOOOOOOH!" and smooth, slippery slide guitar. Perhaps the most ideal sports-bar type group of all time. Definitely a must see group. I give them a three thumbs up if you're into that kinda thing.

Blues duo to introduce new album at Torre’s

The duo of Moreland and Arbuckle will be singing those southeast Kansas blues and happily introducing a new recording on Saturday.
The 8 p.m. performance at Torre’s Pizzeria, 131 N. Rock Island, will be a release party for Aaron Moreland and Dustin Arbuckle’s new CD, “Caney Valley Blues.” The locally recorded, self-released album is old-fashioned Delta blues with a prairie twist.
“Dustin’s parents and grandparents are all from southeast Kansas, around Sedan in Chautauqua County,” Moreland said. “So he wrote a real good tune called ‘Caney Valley Blues,’ or we c-wrote it and he wrote the lyrics. We liked it so much, we put it on the album.”
Moreland said he met Arbuckle during a jam session at the Roadhouse Blues club, and they began playing as a duo a short time later. The duo’s regular Wednesday night gig at Snoops, 2301 E. Mount Vernon, has drawn other local musicians who made guest appearances on the new recording.
They also have a group called The King Snakes that allows them to indulge in their taste for electric clues and rock ‘n’ roll, Moreland said, so with the duo “we mainly do a lot of Delta stylings and what’s called ‘hill country blues,’ and we’re doing a little ragtime-y kind of stuff lately. It’s a real good mix of music.”