in rememberance - The V-Roys

While Superdrag flirted with mainstream success in the late 1990s and became erstwhile ambassadors of Knoxville guitar pop, THE V-ROYS less flashily established a more-deserved following around the southeast and beyond, and transcended twangy barroom rock to become our city personified in song. Scott Miller's indelible melodies and smooth Southern croon put the V-Roys at the creative forefront of the "alt country" scene of the time while the band's unaffected rowdiness of spirit set them apart from most of their generic counterparts. Their first LP Just Add Ice (highlighted by the plaintive "Lie I Believe" and the bawdy, brilliant ode "Cold Beer, Hello") is a fine piece of work, particularly in its second half, but introduces a relative weakness in the tracks penned and sung by guitarist Mic Harrison, which take up a good portion of the album but suffer in competition with Miller's catchier, more memorable tunes. Their second LP, All About Town, is even stronger; Harrison hits big with "Miss Operator", one of his three contributions, but it's very much Miller's show by this time, as literally any of the nine songs he wrote/co-wrote (a few are collaborations with country firebrand Steve Earle, who released their albums on his E-Squared imprint) are single material, and many of them would be as at home on country music radio as on college rock. Sadly, their career together ended with the millenium, as they disbanded after a final New Year's Eve show at the Tennessee Theatre. (They posthumously released a live album, Are You Through Yet? in 2000.) Miller now spends his time and talents fronting The Commonwealth and leading the Blue Collar TV house band, while Harrison went on to play with Superdrag and now concentrates on his solo efforts. Drummer Jeff Bills runs Lynn Point records, which has released albums by Dixie Dirt, the Westside Daredevils, and The Faults, which reunited Harrison and Bills with V-Roys bassist Paxton Sellers for a short time.

Discography: "Johnny Too Bad" single; Just Add Ice LP; All About Town LP; Are You Through Yet? live LP; contributions to American Songbook, Cowpunks and Jimmie Rogers Tribute comps and the soundtrack to the film You Can Count On Me.

RIYL: Steve Earle, Roger Miller, Uncle Tupelo

MP3: "Cold Beer Hello" (3:32)
MP3: "Mary" (1:59)
MP3: "Fade Away" (5:37)