Where most bands and artists might think or dream of one day recording at Abbey Road, Mike and the Moonpies actually did it. But the Moonpies rose to the challenge, navigated themselves out of their comfort zone on purpose, and worked without a net. It was risky, bold, completely unexpected, and potentially hazardous. But instead they played a wildcard, flew to London of all places, and recorded an album of mostly understated and nuanced material at Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony. If 2019 had played out like it should have, Mike and the Moonpies would have mashed down on the accelerator with a new record, and released something even more hard charging, even more hardcore honky tonk recorded deep in the heart of Texas to continue to fuel the intensity of their live shows. It’s just what they’d been doing live so outpaces the rest of the field, this is where the praise for Mike and the Moonpies was mostly centered. That’s not to slight or shade out the efforts of their previous albums in any way since 2015’s Mockingbird, and 2018’s Steak Night at the Prairie Rose are excellent records with not nearly enough attention paid to them. What we’re witnessing with Mike and the Moonpies right now has that same tingly feeling and premonition, with praise coming in for Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold from corners of the internet we didn’t even know this unsigned band was on the radar of.įor a few years now, Mike and the Moonpies have been regarded as one the best live performers in country by Saving Country Music and others fortunate enough to see them out there on the road. When Purgatory from Tyler Childers won Album of the Year in 2017, and when Metamodern Sounds in Country Music by Sturgill Simpson won in 2014, these wins were precursors to these artists making waves far beyond the club circuit and country music blogs, not because Saving Country Music gave these guys an Album of the Year nod, but because they were already on that trajectory, and their momentum was undeniable. But most importantly, there is a precedent behind this achievement, especially when it comes to an artist or band potentially on the brink of rising from the ranks of relative unknowns to be launched into the realm of headliners and contenders as Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold has done for Mike and the Moonpies in 2019. Though universal agreement will never coagulate around any album, there needs to be at least some groundswell of momentum or underlying consensus behind the record from the greater country music listening public as well. Obviously, the title chosen has to be regarded as the best record of a given calendar year in Saving Country Music’s estimation. Micky and Gary, who by their own admission, haven’t been this fired up about playing together since they first rode south from the Whitecloud Mountains of Idaho to stake their claim to the Texas and wider Americana music scenes.Album of the Year is not an accolade handed out lightly. And behind the wheel? Two brothers and founding members Micky Braun (lead vocals and guitar) and Gary Braun (guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and vocals) invigorated and supercharged by a transfusion of new blood from fresh recruits Josh Owen (lead guitar/pedal steel), Joe Fladger (bass), and Bobby Paugh (drums). But don’t be fooled by all those hundreds of thousands of miles on Micky & the Motorcars’ odometer: pop the hood of Hearts From Above, the long-running Austin band’s seventh album, and you’ll find a brand-new engine, fine-tuned and good to run for at least as many more miles still ahead.
“Sixteen years can put a hell of a lot of wear and tear on even the hardiest of rock ’n’ roll bands.
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