Let us introduce you to the "Bluesiest Texas Style Hard Rock and Southern Outlaw Country, with a little Red Dirt on top - Lynard Skynard meets Zakk Wylde" you've ever heard (I call it "Texas Outlaw Metal"). Check out myspace for an in depth look at who we are.
To quote a local music critic-
["Smokin' Joe's] No Good Frens provide detours into hard-edged shredding and impressive solos, but [Smokin' Joe's] musical framework comes from a Southern Rock perspective. Guitar heavy melodies create a grinding, driving wall of sound. [Smokin' Joe] also reveres the lyrical message and story quality of his original music as commentary humorous and otherwise recounts tales of things on a Southern boy's mind; things like personal freedom, over regulation by Uncle Sam and common social activities such as hunting "The Wild She-Beast" as Unknown Hinson would term it."
-Anthony Davis-
Smokin' Joe Thunder
"Smokin' Joe" was born in Beaumont Texas, the land of Johnny and Edgar Winters. He grew up in Lufkin and Nacogdoches, two towns in East Texas that are separated by the Angelina River, where he would go to hear Johnny play "across the river".
Anyone who knows Joe, will agree that what you see is what you get. He rarely meets a person he doesn't like and while he appreciates the many genres of music, his own music expresses the influences that the classic rock and southern blues music he listened to growing up in East Texas had on him.
To those that know him, he is bigger than life and whether he is singing, speaking or laughing, once you hear his voice, you always know it. His voice has a resonance and power that is as strong as Joe's love of life.
Joe paints a lyrical masterpiece in every song he writes and composes and arranges his own music. He is a perfectionist when it comes to his music with meticulous detail concerning every word in the lyrics, every note, every sound or effect that goes into every song he records. He will put more hours into recording one song than a lot of bands put into recording a whole cd..... it takes him many hours to get one song exactly the way he "hears" it.
The 12 song "BORN IN THE COUNTRY" project is in the works and there are 12 more songs already written for a follow up CD some of which are as comedic as they are smokin'.
The current title cut, BANG BANG addresses Joe's particularly "southern man" view of the threat of the loss of our rights as Americans, to bear arms, fly the historical stars n' bars that many of our southern forefathers and brothers died under, and own our land.
Special thanks to blues brother, MARK KERR for his smokin' hot guitar work on Lone Star Angel and the second solo on Bang Bang!
Joe's arrangements are geared toward showcasing the very talented guitarists that are a part of his 'no good frens'. The musicians that play Joe's music are anything BUT 'no good'.
Dearl Guest, Josh Pinkham, Richard Redfearn and Bum White are some of the hottest players in the northeast corner of Texas. We are primarily and foremost a guitar show band featuring the deadly duo, the guitar maniacs, Dearl Guest and Josh Pinkham.
Josh is a true prodigy and a natural performer. Words cannot describe the power and creativity by which he plays.
Dearl Guest is a master of his craft and an accomplished guitar instructor. Having dedicated his life to guitar, he plays with great passion and fire, that can only be understood when you hear him.
Both Dearl Guest and Josh Pinkham were born to play guitar and will put on a guitar show that will rock the freckles off a red headed kid.
Bum White is an undisputed heavyweight champion on drums and percussion. The man is a clock. His roots run deep through solid rock and have grabbed metal. He is an absolute powerhouse.
Richard "Killer" Redfearn, also a fine guitarist, is a bassist personified.
I do the writing, arranging, vocals and play the acoustic electric guitar and my name is Joe and I'm an East Texas Country Boy.
But you can call me Mr. Thunder.