| Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tempe, Arizona, USA |
| Genres | Americana, pop, alternative country, country rock, southern rock |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | EmmaJava Recordings |
| Associated acts | The Refreshments, Gin Blossoms, Railbenders, Gloritone, The Mortals |
| Website | www.azpeacemakers.com |
| Members | |
| Roger Clyne Paul "P.H." Naffah Nick Scropos Jim Dalton |
|
| Past members | |
| Steve Larson Danny White Scott "Scotty" Johnson |
|
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers is a rock band from Tempe, Arizona, USA. The band is typically referred to by the fans as the abbreviation "RCPM". The music is known to cross genres with songs showing a Adult Alternative Rock/Pop/Americana/Reggae/Mariachi influence.
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After a lineup shift of The Refreshments, a rock band of the 1990s known for their top radio hit "Banditos," and also for the theme song to the long-running animated series King of the Hill, frontman, rhythm guitarist and songwriter Roger Clyne and drummer Paul "P.H." Naffah retooled and set out under the moniker Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.
The early musical feel of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers included a notable country twang that crept in along with the Southwest jangle guitars and humorous pop of his first band. Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers spread across the genres of Americana, Pop, Alternative Country and Rock proving that they are not easily strapped into a single kind of sound.
Roger Clyne and P.H. Naffah were originally joined by former Gin Blossom Scott Johnson, who left to rejoin his former band in 2002. Also in the mix was Steve Larson, former guitarist for another Tempe band, Dead Hot Workshop, who had already been playing with the Peacemakers by that time. In January, 2009 it was announced that Steve Larson would be departing The Peacemakers and would be replaced by Railbenders frontman Jim Dalton on lead guitar.
Also joining Roger and P.H. was bassist Danny White for the first few albums. In early 2004, shortly after the release of ¡Americano!, Danny White left the Peacemakers to start his own recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. He was replaced by Nick Scropos who had been the bassist for another Tempe band, Gloritone. Scropos recorded the bass track for one song, the crowd favorite "Green and Dumb", on RCPM's debut CD, Honky Tonk Union. He went to school with P.H. Naffah when they were growing up in Chicago and they seemed destined to get back together as Scropos left Gloritone and was finally available to play in RCPM.
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers tour all over the United States every year.
Honky Tonk Union was released in 1999 in limited quantities with a bonus live CD, Real to Reel. The CD debuted at #1 on Billboard's Online Album Sales chart prompting a call from Billboard asking RCPM management "Who the heck is Roger Clyne and why is he #1 on my chart!?" The next year, they released an extended version of Real to Reel as a stand-alone album. In preparation for writing the record, Roger Clyne and P.H. Naffah, took a two week long walkabout in the Whetstone Mountains and Santa Rita Mountains of South Eastern Arizona. They trekked from water hole to water hole, camping and talking songs and music and how to proceed in their music careers. The adventure was fodder for Clyne's songwriting and a solidifying experience for the two band mates who have rocked together now for 15 years with unwavering support for one another.
RCPM's second studio album, 2002's Sonoran Hope and Madness, explored questions of what matters most in life in "Better Beautiful than Perfect," that the blues are colorblind in "Colorblind Blues" and housed the haunting song "Buffalo;" a lamenting song that was written from the perspective of Apache chiefs watching their way of life fade away. Clyne's childhood influence from his father's records of Sons of the Pioneers are evident in his inclusion of Old West story songs like this album's "Ballad of Lupe Montosa." The passing of his best friend found its way into a song on this album in the form of "Ashes of San Miguel." This offering could not be called Country nor could it be called Americana, it is yet another example of Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers blazing their own trail and creating their own sound that won't fit into a single music definition. In preparation for writing this album, Roger Clyne did a 10 day walkabout in the Chiricahua Mountains of South Eastern Arizona.
In 2004 the band released their third studio recording, ¡Americano! This album also debuted at #1 on Billboard's Online Album Sales chart as well as #19 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and #17 on Billboard's Top Music Video Sales chart. The album is accompanied by a full length DVD of live concert footage and band interviews. This album was written during the post 9/11 America and in the lead up to the war in Iraq. Some songs raise the question of war or not war and how some religious zealots feel God gave them a gun. Other songs address love and the benefits of paying full price for your love's name on a grain of rice.
In March 2005, the Peacemakers recorded their 2nd official live album at Billy Bob's Texas, a famous honky-tonk bar in Texas. The recording sold well enough to make them the only independent band at the time to have five consecutive top-10 albums on the Billboard Internet Sales Chart.
In April 2006, the Peacemakers released a four song EP, Four Unlike Before, as an iTunes exclusive. This EP included 3 alternate versions of songs previously released, as well as a song until then only performed live, "Mexicosis". This EP is now available on the band's digital download page.
The band's fourth studio album, No More Beautiful World, was released on March 20, 2007. No More Beautiful World was produced by Clif Norrell who had previously worked with Roger Clyne on The Refreshments album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy. The fun times and pop of The Refreshments' days are back with RCPM's most pop album. Songs like Lemons and Hello New Day come straight from Roger Clyne's Refreshments' roots.
January 4, 2008, the Peacemakers started an eight consecutive day recording session in Rocky Point, Mexico. For that period, they lived, wrote, and recorded together. The idea was to create a new song each day for eight straight days. Each day a video log of the creative and recording process along with the song that was written, arranged and recorded was uploaded to the band's web page. For eight days in a row, fans watched as a new song was unveiled. Traffic on the band's website forced the hosting company to quadruple the bandwidth. On the tenth day, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers debuted the newly recorded songs at a special concert at JJ's Cantina in Cholla Bay, Mexico. This process of writing and recording and allowing the fan to be in the producer's seat listening to each song as it unfolded was a process the band named a "VivaCast." After returning home from the experience, the band prepared to do final mixing on the songs in order to offer them on an official CD release. While going through the songs with their producer, Clif Norell, they decided the songs were great just as they were and no extra mixing was done. The songs stand on "Turbo Ocho" just as they were created those eight crazy days in Mexico.
February 2, 2009, RCPM released one song and a corresponding video per week for fourteen weeks. Songs from both the RCPM and Refreshments catalogs were included. The recording is from a show in 2008 at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, New Jersey. This album is available in digital format only on their website under digital downloads.
RCPM's sixth studio album was released April 19, 2011. It hit #4 on Billboard's Rock Albums chart and #2 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart its first week of release. The CD release concert was held at the AZ Diamondback's/CO Rockies' Spring Training facility under the beautiful desert sky of Scottsdale, AZ. In preparation for the release, the band asked their fans to bring and wear a sombrero for an attempt at breaking the world record for the most sombreros worn in one place on planet Earth. They handily beat the record as almost 1,000 sombreros were worn and rocked in to shatter the record of 489. Writing for "Unida Cantina" began after Jim Dalton had entered the band. He collaborated with Roger on many songs and his tell-tail searing guitar hooks are all over the record. From Clyne's traditional addition of an old West story song in,"Marie," to the pop/rock tune "All Over the Radio," Jim's guitar presence guides the listener on their journey...down the highway, past where the asphalt yields to dust, across the borderlands and into Unida Cantina. Swing open the saloon doors and let your eyes and ears adjust to the dark and the din; you'll find strangers, friends and maybe even yourself inside.
The Peacemakers tour all over the United States multiple times a year. Every record is supported with heavy touring to all of their strong markets and beyond as a headlining band. RCPM have also opened for many National acts like Kid Rock, Johnny Cash, Blues Traveler and more; they have enjoyed touring for national acts such as Sammy Hagar and John Fogerty. In the Spring of 2010 they made their first foray into the U.K. touring scene with a three week tour schedule across the British Isles.
Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers are known for their concerts in the Mexican beach town of Rocky Point, Mexico (Puerto Peñasco) called "Circus Mexicus." This concert used to be held semi-annually, with a concert in May and another in October. In 2009, RCPM consolidated the two shows into one yearly Circus Mexicus concert, held each year in June. The event is three days long, the first night is Hot Dog and a Smile, with the drummer, P.H. Naffah. Hot dogs are enjoyed by all for a donation and fans bring used toys, clothes and linens for transport to the local orphanage, Esparanza Para Los Niños, along with the monetary proceeds from the cookout. Bands play and the libations flow at JJ's Cantina for this Friday night event. Saturday morning is now the Rock and Soccer Beach Soccer tournament from 9am to 3pm. Fans that have pre-registered for the tournament play on the beautiful Sandy Beach competing in the double elimination contest for the championship. Roger Clyne plays on his own team and took the championship the first year. 2011 saw the second year of the tournament and a new team won the top spot. Proceeds from the tournament go to the Larry Large Foundation benefiting the local children of Rocky Point. After the fun at the beach, it is time for the big concert. After only one opening band, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers step onstage and perform epic concerts for roughly four hours of music. The next day is a late-morning/afternoon party back at JJ's for more live music while all the bands of the festival mingle for a meet and greet with the fans. Members of RCPM log in as many as six hours of autograph signing and fan photo time to show their appreciation to the people who made it to the show. Hundreds tough it out to meet the band members while nursing hangovers. The Sunday event is called the Mañanathon. Thousands of people make the concert every year from all over the United States and many different countries. Circus Mexicus 2011 was the twentieth event.
Roger Clyne wrote and sang about tequila in his songs he wrote in The Refreshments as well as in RCPM. From The Refreshments' "Nada" with "I tip the bottle and bite the lime..." to RCPM's "Mexican Moonshine" in which the double entendre allows you to wonder if he is singing about the moon shining down in Mexico or the spirit of the Agave...Roger has always been a fan of the drink. His best friend and college roommate, Mike O'Hare, would laugh the next day after a show about how the bar ran out of tequila while The Refreshments were playing and he would tell Roger to make his own tequila so his fans could drink it while they sang along to his songs. Although Roger knew Mike was on to something, it would be a decade before he would be able to make it a reality. One summer as RCPM began the preparations for their big Fall concert, someone approached Roger with the possibility of doing a batch of his own tequila. He jumped on it and 1,000 bottles were available at the show and sold out. Four years later and with their own company to properly import it into the U.S., Roger Clyne's Mexican Moonshine finally debuted in the Fall of 2010 in Arizona. Now, it is available in over 100 locations of restaurants and liquor stores across the state and has been imported into Texas, Washington, Michegan and California. A 10 song CD is attached to the bottom of the bottle and the first edition of Roger Clyne's Mexican Moonshine is an ultra smooth Reposado. A silver offering should be released by late 2011 or early 2012.
Following the recording of Turbo Ocho in 2008, RCPM have begun to play an annual show at JJ's Cantina in Rocky Point, Mexico (Puerto Peñasco) in January.
Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers can be found on www.azpeacemakers.com.