There must be something in the water in Asheville, NC. Whatever it is, it brings out the best in young musicians, fueling their ability to captivate audiences with a range of styles , from electronica to Afrobeat to Southern Rock. Velvet Truckstop falls in the latter category, with a sweet convergence of intricate james and dirty Blues. Rather than basking in the legacies of the artists and bands who have come before, the quintet – Jamie Dose, Dorsey Parker, Brad Curtioff, Jerry McNeely, and Chris “Fuzzy” Coomes – is pushing the genre into a new exciting realm.

2009 saw the release of the bands studio debut, SWEET RELEASE, a collection of tried-and-true, road-tested compositions that burn with the intensity of an oil-drum fire pit on a cold January night. Raw guitars, gravel vocals and understated keys make SWEET RELEASE a rock ‘n’ roll salute. From the slinking “Sullen Women” to the rollicking “Mercenary Wind,” Velvet Truckstop proves over and over that not only will the South rise again, but that it is one of the bands who are stoking the flames and conjuring the spirits. This is whiskey-drinking music at its finest, served straight, with no chaser necessary.

by Jamie Lee