Happy Talk Band Explained

Happy Talk Band is a seminal alt country/rock band from New Orleans^[1] featuring the songwriting of Luke Allen.^[2] The band pulls influences from traditional country and early rock. The band's music contains themes including the joys and pitfalls of booze, fist fighting, bank robbery, murder, religion, dope, exotic dancing, and family values.^{[3] [4]} Happy Talk Band's discography is available on the New Orleans-based label Piety Street [Files and Archaic Media], which is the in house label of Piety Street Recording.^[5]

Band members

Original

• Luke Allen - vocals, guitar, songwriter
• Bailey Smith - lead guitar
• Mike Lenore - upright bass
• Andy Harris - drums

Current

The current lineup of the band contains former members of the disbanded New Orleans rock group Morning 40 Federation. Accomplished solo artist Alex McMurray has also joined the most recent lineup.^[6]

• Luke Allen - lead vocal, guitar, songwriter
• Bailey Smith - guitar, vocals
• Alex McMurray - guitar, banjo, vocals
• Steve Calandra - bass guitar, vocals
• Mike Andrepont - drums
• Casey McAllister - pianos, organ, theremin, guitar, banjo, vocals^[7]

Discography

• Total Death Benefit (2004) ^{[8] [9]}
• There there (2007) ^[10]
• Starve a Fever (2010) ^{[11] [12] [13] [14]}

External links

• happytalkband.com

Notes and References

1. http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2010/06/new_starve_a_fever_documents_h.html Nola.com
2. http://liveneworleans.com/detail.php?id=161 liveneworleans.com
3. http://www.offbeat.com/2010/07/01/musician-bartenders-at-work-at-play/ offbeat.com
4. Web site: http://www.happytalkband.com/showsFrame.htm . www.happytalkband.com . July 5, 2010.
5. http://www.cdbaby.com/Search/aGFwcHkgdGFsayBiYW5k/0 cdbaby.com
6. http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A73430 bestofneworleans.com
7. Liner notes from Starve a Fever. Happy Talk Band. 2010. Piety Street [Files and Archaic Media]
8. http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A32271 bestofneworleans.com
9. Brown, Charlie. "Happy Talk Band Total Death Benefit Record Review." Six Ten Split May–June 2005: 14. Print.
10. http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A38847 bestofneworleans.com
11. http://www.offbeat.com/2010/07/01/happy-talk-band-starve-a-fever-piety-street-files-archaic-media/ offbeat.com
12. http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A76779 bestofneworleans.com
13. http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2010/06/new_starve_a_fever_documents_h.html nola.com
14. Welch, Michael P. "Happy Talk Band Starve a Fever Record Review." Antigravity [New Orleans, LA] July 2010: 21. Print.