Ha Ha Tonka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ha Ha Tonka | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin |  Springfield, Missouri |
| Genre(s) | Indie Rock Southern Rock |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Label(s) | Bloodshot Records |
| Website | http://www.amsterband.com/ |
| Members | |
| Lennon Bone Brett Anderson Brian Roberts Luke Long |
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Ha Ha Tonka is a rock band from the Ozark region of Missouri. Their music has been described as a mixing of bluegrass and southern rock and a "marrying of influences as diverse as The Replacements, The Band, and Kings of Leon."[1][2] Josh Timmerman from Popmatters described their newest album Buckle in the Bible Belt as "the best rock record I've heard this year."[3]
Formed in 2004 as Amsterband, the band changed their name to Ha Ha Tonka in 2007. Buckle in the Bible Belt was recorded in an old church in Union, Missouri with "St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor" released as the first single from that album.
The band's website describes how their "dark view of the realities of socio-economic hardship, backwoods prejudices and drug abuse is leavened by wry humor and a deep appreciation for regional storytelling traditions." The lead singer, Brian Roberts, is a cancer survivor who criticizes the American health care system in "This Is Not a Cure for the Common Cold".[4] One review states that "Ha Ha Tonka make the kind of roots rock that fits the mood of America in the summer of 2008. It's restless, edgy and increasingly willing to address the dark side of This Land."[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Holcomb, John. Ha Ha Tonka Review. Amplifier.
- ^ Pflaum, Matt. Ha Ha Tonka Rocks Riverview. Lawrence University.
- ^ Timmerman, Josh. Ha Ha Tonka: Buckle in the Bible Belt. Popmatters.
- ^ a b Albertoni, Rich. Ha Ha Tonka channels the national mood. The Isthmus.
