stonecoyotesreviews

Barbara Keith’s a tough woman who sings with soul, anger, and commitment and slings a noisy guitar; if you’re a real rocker, your heart’s gonna soar when you hear her ask for “a BC Rich, maybe a Warlock, maybe a Bitch” for her birthday in “The First Lady of Rock.” She even bravely tempts disaster by being the second artist in the recent past to take on Dolly Parton’s eternal “Jolene,” and doesn’t emerge completely battered and bruised (which is more than I can say, though I’m in the minority, about the White Stripes’ version). The music--foursquare rock with some acoustic changes of pace--isn’t always as there as it needs to be to carry her when she blands out or gets a bit corny, which she does occasionally, but anyone who likes both Joan Jett and Bonnie Raitt is gonna dig this. You have to root for someone who scoffs at “new boys” needing “three days to get the drum sound right” while she scans the horizon in vain for a Jerry Lee or Joey Ramone! To check Keith and her band out, visit www.stonecoyotes.com.

THE STONE COYOTES are a "family rock" band from The USA. Huh! Did they invent a new style? Not exactly. Read on to find out. Their new CD is called "Born To Howl". The answers are very short "due to the recent events". So I won't add any mean comments about laziness etc and just hope that the band and their relatives are ok. God bless America!

{PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately, we can't give the time to these questions that we would like to give - This is stripped down version - Thanks for your interest. More information on our website, including extensively detailed magazine articles.}

Barbara was signed to Warner Brothers, quit, started over with husband and son to find their own sound.

One critic said "AC/DC meets Patsy Cline" - fair assessment - rock, spare, American.

All songs written by Barbara Keith, except for a few with husband Doug Tibbles... All music produced and largely recorded in our home studio.

Doug used to be a situation comedy writer - wrote scripts for "The Munsters", etc. and with Barbara's songwriting royalties, we get by.

Not often - We are radical in our very ordinariness - a family band with a lifetime commitment to rock.

The band doesn't tour too much... some in New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, etc. going to Texas in October.

Success - being picked by author Elmore Leonard for his novel "Be Cool", the sequel to "Get Shorty"... 5 songs (lyrics) included in text.

The opening of "Torn Asunder" recalls the Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash"; indeed, Barbara Keith's debt to the hoary four is evident throughout Born to Howl. She doesn't mind incorporating punk elements into the band's songs, either. If her sunglasses aren't clue enough, the chorus to "American Child" might be a hint: "He's a little bit bored / And a little bit wild / I'm looking for an American child / Give me Jerry Lee Lewis, / Give me Joey Ramone"...

Born to Howl, the Stone Coyotes' third offering, is also their shortest to date -- but it may also be their most polished album. Each song dovetails neatly into the song that follows it, as country pop mixed with hard classic rock melts into the signature Coyote sound.

Barbara Keith, the group's songwriter/chanteuse, combines the vocal stylings of Nancy Wilson, Nancy Sinatra (minus the kitten part of her act) and Dolly Parton, with odd bits of Tanya Tucker thrown in for good measure. Her admiration of Ms. Parton becomes most apparent (obviously) on the band's cover of Parton's smash country hit "Jolene", long a favorite of rock bands. Keith's "Jolene" sounds far less apologetic and supplicating than Parton's own, especially when backed by the steel-riveted power chords of stepson John Tibbles. Nevertheless, Keith perfectly captures Parton's trademark vibrato warble while maintaining her own rocker-chick persona. Her Joan Jett/Chryssie Hynde-like desire to rock like Dr. Spock is the other half of her country side (listen to the probably autobiographical "The First Lady of Rock" if you don't believe me).

The opening of "Torn Asunder" recalls the Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash"; indeed, Keith's debt to the hoary four is evident throughout Born to Howl. She doesn't mind incorporating punk elements into the band's songs, either. If her sunglasses aren't clue enough, the chorus to "American Child" might be a hint: "He's a little bit bored / And a little bit wild / I'm looking for an American child / Give me Jerry Lee Lewis, / Give me Joey Ramone".

As frontwoman and songwriter, Keith dominates the group, but Doug Tibbles' drums and Steven Tibbles' guitar and bass clearly hold their own; the instrumentation is the core of this music, not merely pretty accompaniment.

Stone Coyotes play with the grit, soul and raw intensity of a typical bar band, but their style and lyrics transcend the usual middle-of-the-road talent that the "bar band" tag implies. The band's family-size rock is worthy of anyone's Saturday night dive -- whether it's the Viper Room or the family room.

A noir novelist fan (Sir Elmore Leonard, a mom singing, dad on drums, a son on bass guitar, former television writer for Bewitched, I Dream of Jeanie – christ, this fucking bunch has more stories than the city. Ahh, but the real story here has got to be the glorious mellifluous vocals of Barbara Keith. The tunes are tight three-piece rock and roll, the lyrics literate as hell, and Keith’s voice is as savory as honeydew on a miserable Midwest summers day. Evidence: "Lucky Day". Ms. Keith is a vocal amalgamate of PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, and Lucinda Williams – yeah, yeah, yeah, heady fucking company, I know, but shit, she sounds so damn good. Not to take anything away from the tight rhythms that pops and his boy are pounding out (which is workmanlike, no frills stuff), but, hey man, ya gotta dig where the diggin’s good. There’s definitely something here. - KH

The Stone Coyotes
" Situation Out of Control "
Genre: rock
reviewed by Alise Gruttadauria 04/01

Excellent CD!!! Every tune moved me! I love good trios and “we gots a winner here”! Awesome melodies and changes. The beats are rock steady and the lyrics are alluring and uplifting. Great guitar work, Barbara! You fucking rock! And so do all 14 tracks on this MUST HAVE 4 ROCKERS! (I’m hooked!)

As The Stone Coyotes set up, the entire crowd got out of their seats and gathered tightly near the stage. Coolly charismatic front woman Barbara Keith and hubby/drummer Doug Tibbles wore their trademark shades and looked as relaxed as a couple preparing dinner together. And cook they did, opening with the wimmering Shake, the lead track from their just completed third record "Born To Howl' that had the patrons bobbing and dancing. Three more new numbers followed as bassist/stepson John Tibbles stalked the stage, adding thunder to Keith's roaring, rhythmic leads and sneering, staccato vocals.

The autobiographical "The First Lady of Rock", the story of a 9 year-old girl hitting her parents up for an electric guitar and dreaming of ruling the rock world, has all the earmarks of a Coyote concert classic. The crowd hooted and howled as Keith spouted: "Mommy said to Daddy, "Did you hear what she said? She said, 'I like Black Sabbath and Motorhead"'. Before launching into a boiling version of "Lucky Lady" from last year's "Situation Out Of Control", with a ferocious six string attack, especially on the speed-metal set closer Hammer On The Nail and for the night's encore "I Wanna Rock", two performances that supported Keith's claim to the title of "First Lady Of Rock".

Live Wire: Picking the top releases by local (Western, Ma) bands in 2000
Thursday, January 18, 2001
By DONNIE MOORHOUSE (Springfield Union News)

The Stone Coyotes - "Situation Out Of Control." You can't enter lightly into an association with The Stone Coyotes. Casual music fans need not apply. If rock 'n' roll is important to you, this CD will move your soul. Barbara Keith is a romantic, desperate, willful and rebellious songwriter. She is backed by the most honest rock band in the business. Anthems, ballads, and battle cries. Bass, guitar, and drums. It's as simple as that. (www.thestonecoyotes.com)

This album from Massachusetts trio The Stone Coyotes proves that good things come in small packages. Guitarist /vocalist Barbara Keith is the focal point of the group having written the bulk of the tracks here as well as playing some hard-toned (and attention grabbing) guitar chunks alongside her tough vocals. Lyrically, Keith writes in essentially a folk music style - personal and poetic in equal parts. With any other instrumentation this would be nice and pretty stuff. Of course this is not the case, thankfully. The Coyotes are a mixture of Raging Slab styled uptempo grinding and Bare Jr. wailing evocations to lost loves and the peaks and valleys of relationships. Keith could hold her own with a cat like Wayne Kramer for her ability to string out a single emotion for the length of a song. Her tension-filled guitar style sometimes make you wish she would let loose and solo more often, but in the end you realise the whole reason for the success of her songs is in her ability to leave the listener craving more. Father and son rhythm section Doug and John Tibbles do much more than offer a back beat, instead opting to play with Keith (wife and step-mom) rather than behind her. This deserves to be heard. (64:05 playing time. 14 tracks.) www.stonecoyotes.com .......(Jeff Monk/Mohair Sweets)

Metal Maidens -The Ultimate Magazine Dedicated to Women In Hard Rock & Heavy Metal

This CD will find its way to the fans real easy, I think. This band sounds very solid and plays some high quality music. The sound ranges from rock and roll, through pop music to country and blues. Music with a lot of variation. Sometimes it sounds right in your face, while at other times they slow down and present a bit more laid back sound. Who's responsible for all this? I can almost hear you think. The rhythm section consists of John Tibbles on bass and Doug Tibbles on drums. Barbara Keith plays guitar and sings. Barbara and Doug are married and John is their stepson. And you can easily notice that these people stand behind the music they play for a full 100%. It comes straight from the heart. Barbara is a real talent. I think she sounds very much like a rocking version of STEVIE NICKS, and I mean this as a compliment. Fourteen songs are on this CD. Thirteen new tracks and one live version of "Saw You At The Hop", which was on their previous album "Church Of The Falling Rain". Like I said already, the album also has a few slower songs and moments where they turn back the gear. But Hey, every good rock album has its ballads. And most of the time they become the hit singles, so the choice seems to be obvious here. On the other hand, there's a lot to enjoy on this album. The guitar of Barbara is very much upfront. Besides singing and playing, she's also the songwriter of this threesome. In the seventies, she already wrote songs for people like BARBARA STREISAND and LOWELL GEORGE, to name but a few. They may not be the most heavy singers around, but you can imagine that these people just refuse to go for second best. They only want toe best, and I guess that explains the great songwriting on this CD. I think she'll explain where she gets her inspiration from in an upcoming interview. Doug was a TV writer before, and John played bass from the time he was eleven years old. Reason enough to see that we're dealing with pros here. Highlights were opener and title track "Situation Out Of Control" and "I Want To Rock". Maybe you can refer to TAKE IT FOR GRANTED to give you an idea, in which way this band goes. Sometimes they rock, sometimes they slow down a bit. But they always produce high quality music, although you can't call this metal.

The Stone Coyotes
Situation Out Of Control
Red Cat Records

Barbara Keith (Lead guitar vocals, mom), Doug Tibbles (drums, dad) and John Tibbles (bass, son) are The Stone Coyotes. Yes, it's a family affair. Oh no, this is no casual picnic in the park folks. This is burn the house down rock-alternative-country that will set your soul on fire. Barbara's scorching lead guitar and wailing and reach-out-and-grab-you vocal style will endear you to their cause. Think of Jason and The Scorchers without Jason, then put Keith out front conducting the show. That's a good example of what this group sounds like. Then add dabbles of blues, and there you have it. Of course, having a totally kickin' rhythm section never hurt any lead singer/guitar player either.

When I heard the first song I wasn't to sure what I felt, as the album progressed it grew on me. When it was all over, I wanted to hear it again. I was hooked. Mission accomplished. The sound created by these three people is quite amazing. They sound as if there where five people in the band opposed to three. There's something about the quality and sound of an exceptional power trio, when it works it's like magic. The family ties are surely a plus when it comes to artistic chemistry. You can feel the power and emotion come flying off the disc.

The situation may be out of control in regards to music and lyrics, don't' let that mislead you. This group has their act together and sound as if they are ready to take on the world of rock and roll head on. So dust off those dancin' shoes, grab a partner and get down and dirty, bump and grind, and work up a good sweat. Let this group be your rock n' roll doctor. They have the right prescription. Remember that name...The Stone Coyotes.

Keith Hannaleck June 22, 2000
MuzikMan's Sound Script

Heres an album that will renew your faith in rock and roll. There's plenty of raw emotion, primal crunch and gritty soul in the awesome trio of drummer Doug Tibbles, bassist John Tibbles and singer-guitar slinger Barbara Keith. If Patsy Cline and Buddy Holly hadn't crashed before their time, they would be making music like this. "I want to rock" captures the spirit of the music and shows that the Coyotes roots run deep with the line, "What have you been doin' all these years? We've been cryin' ninty six tears," and makes references to rock pioneer Bo Diddley and Angus Young of ACDC - one of the few bands still rockin'with the kind of intensity the Stone Coyotes have. Keith's guitar matches the intensity of her voice on "The Black Atlantic," grinding salt into an open wound. "Noah's Ark" is an armageddon love song with truly inspired writing in the Dylan tradition. Keith sings in an off-hand, laid-back Dylan style with a little Dolly Parton warble on the beautiful "My Horse Has Wings" stretching out the "sss...' at the end of lines like "There will be no more tears or lamentations..." Keith's effortless and graceful singing complements the hard-rocking grunge and roots-rock power of songs like "Lucky Day," "Situation Out Of Control," and "Where The Old Oak Grows," which features Keith's ripping, gritty slide guitar. But Barbara Keith isn't just a heartland rocker, she shows her soulful and sensitive side on the beautiful and moving "Highland Boy," a tribute to her father. The song opens with Keith's over driven guitar playin "Amazing Grace," and sounding like choked bagpipes rising up from a granite tomb. The imagery is worthy of the great poets like Burns or Keats: "I am reminded of him, here, where rain on heather falls..." and "The field shall be his blanket warm, the stars his diadem. The hills shall stand his honor guard, and the pipes his requiem." With "Situation Out Of Control," The Stone Coyotes have produced a hard-rocking set of classics that puts them back on top of the western Mass. music scene.

"The Stone Coyotes' tangily hefty sound melds AC/DC's charging power chords with a country troubadour's literate observations." - NEW YORK MAGAZINE -

"... The Stone Coyotes crank out unpretentious rock that has grime on its fingers and transcendence in its heart." - THE NASHVILLE SCENE -

"If one thing is clear, it's that Elmore Leonard has superb taste in music...it doesn't get any more real than this." ... - THE SUNDAY REPUBLICAN

"...gritty and powerful with just a hint of sweetness and sorrow" ... - REAL DETROIT WEEKLY

"Poised to be the coolest husband-wife-and-son rock and roll trio ever...Those wary of a hype short on substance should rest assured - this family has the chops to back it up..."- THE L.A. WEEKLY

"Likely one of the festival's best discoveries...The Stone Coyotes rocked and shocked the Horseshoe audience Saturday night...with their AC/DC meets Patsy Cline sound" - TORONTO NOW

"Their sound has a rootsy flavor overall, but the influence of bands like the Rolling Stones and X are undeniable....Multi-million selling author Elmore Leonard is going to be releasing a book about the music industry that uses lyrics from four Stone Coyotes songs." - CM

"...Simply stunning rock and roll - stripped to the bones and full of passion...ringing electric guitar and the band's patented bass/drum sonic attack will have you dancing around the room." - THE VALLEY ADVOCATE

The boom-crack, boom-crack of kick and snare drive a clean, steady groove. Suddenly, space opens up, creating palpable tension. Through it all, Keith's voice rings out like a warning bell, dancing on a single note forever, skimming across the music like a skipping stone. Words twirl upon a tightrope: you don't want her to drop that note." - ELLA MAGAZINE

"It was music I could understand..It's straight ahead rock and roll with a twang. And there are good stories going on in the songs." - ELMORE LEONARD