Pure Grain

Pure Grain

Chris Taber was the definitive reason for my love of Acoustic music. Well, him and Dave Lacey. As a young promoter and newspaper Publisher in Cincinnati, I had the fortune of always being out on the town and when Chris rolled in from the South, things on the local music scene began to change. Word was buzzing that these two were putting on a helluva’ show so I had to go see for myself.

My first experience with Pure Grain was catching Chris Taber and Dave Lacey performing their acoustic show at the legendary, Stormy’s Café in the heart of Cheviot, Ohio. Back then they were known as Kidd Lacey. It was the first time I had ever really connected with the message that a musician was trying to express. I had never witnessed such raw emotion conveyed through music and lyrics. I was hooked.

I was especially fond of a song Chris had written titled, Keepin’ on which you’ll find in the AR Jukebox. So many times, when faced with what seemed to be insurmountable odds, I’d feel like giving up. But that one song…that one song gave me inspiration and now, I have it in almost every music player I own.

Getting where the band is today certainly wasn’t an easy road by any means. Much of that personal struggle is conveyed in the lyrics of Pure Grain’s first album, No Regrets. Over the years the band would move players in and out searching for that perfect mix that would ultimately comprise the band that is Pure Grain today.

Once Taber took up with drummer and Sol Records Owner Brian DeBruler, there was no stopping them. I can still remember the day when Chris came over to my office and said that they had come up with new band name. It was almost as if that was the starting line for what would become a life-long pursuit of musical perfection.

They’ve come a long way in the 10 years that I’ve known them. We can only pray that they’ll still continue to crank out the tunes for many more years to come. The chemistry when performing live is obvious and their rootsy sound is infectious. Their freshmen release, No Regrets, was actually recorded in DeBruler’s studio in Bright Indiana and was distributed by Burnside Records.

Pure Grain is a fine blend of sweet country soul, and southern hospitality, giving this Indiana band a heart felt sound all their own. Born and raised in Greenville South Carolina, singer & songwriter, Chris Taber holds to the tradition of Southern musical storytellers as he fills his songs with passion and vivid detail that is personal at times political at others yet always universally appealing.

Combine those thought-provoking lyrics with layers of acoustic and electric guitars, rolling bass lines and a dynamic mix of worldly percussion and drums and you’ve got the makings of a potential hit machine. From southern fried rock to raw funk, country hooks, and bluesy soul, Pure Grain delivers high-energy live performances playing as if every concert is their last. Pure Grain has steadily built a loyal following across Middle America sharing the stage with the likes of Hank Williams Jr, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Michael Montgomery, Zac Brown Band and many others. With Out of the Storm, the bands latest release, Pure Grain takes a giant leap toward obtaining a much broader national audience.

Out of the Storm, produced by the bands drummer Brian DeBruler, at his small town Indiana studio and released on his indie label SOL Records, boasts some of Taber’s most prolific and powerful music to date. The CD features 12 songs (all written by Taber and the band) inspired by real life experiences and prophetic observations.

Other Members of the band include percussionist Michelle D’Amico, bassist Artie Chaney, and new comer/backing vocalist Courtney D’Amico. Taber and Pure Grain move effortlessly through a myriad of stylistic shifts and turns, as his soulfully rich, commanding vocals pull you into the middle of each and every song.

Since its release, Out of the Storm has propelled Pure Grain from relative obscurity into the national country music scene, especially with people in the trucking industry. Their homegrown “Truckin’ Song” has struck a gearshift and landed right in the hearts of truckers the world over. So much so, that it got the attention of the Sirius/XM Road Dog Trucking Channel. In a few short months they have been featured on the Dave Nemo Trucking Show, penned the theme song for the Highway Headlines show, both on Sirius/XM, and have been featured in several trucking enthusiast magazines across the country.

“Out of the Storm straddles the style line between blues, rock and country as it poetically chronicles the tumultuous nature of life spent on the road” said Todd Dills of Truckers News Magazine

“Out of the Storm” is not all about truck driving. “In many ways it’s a reflection of the storm that the band has gone through over the past several years. Overcoming personal conflicts and tragedies and emerging on the other side stronger and better off”, says DeBruler.

The Carolina Kid (as Taber’s been nicknamed) and the rest of Pure Grain not only show off their Southern charm on their latest release but at times, let loose their funkier side leaning toward the sum of their influences such as The Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels and a little James Brown. Taber’s soulful powerful vocals hint at the times of Otis Redding or Chess records greats Muddy Waters, or Etta James. Blending these elements Pure Grain manages to be contemporary and classic at the same time, producing a uniquely identifiable sound all their own.

“No Regrets” (2002) is a collection of songs centered on Chris’s experience of leaving his hometown in Greenville South Carolina, in pursuit of his dreams to be an entertainer. The CD depicts a rocky transformation from the Carolina Kid sleeping under bridges in Nashville, to the beginnings of Pure Grain on Cincinnati’s West Side.

Elements of blues guitar raked over country-soul penetrate deep into the grooves of this Midwestern bands’ sound. Impressive song writing accompanied by smooth and memorable melodies build up each song with an infectious sultry edge. A guttural, emotive vocal delivery drives the bands’ songs.

“Freedom Child”-EP, the bands second release in 2005, was a tribute to the American soldiers serving overseas and abroad, inspired by letters the band received from soldiers in Afghanistan. The disc includes the singles “Freedom Child” and, “When I’m Alone.” According to Taber and DeBruler, a full-length album is in the works that is due to be release in January 2011. The new album will include some of their recent single release including, “Cowgirl”, “Southbound” and the truck drivers anthem, The Truckin’ Song. With the launch of their new interactive website, fans now have a way of staying in touch with the band at all times.

Check out Pure grain at www.PureGrainMusic.com