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Spotlight

The Greenhornes

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The Greenhornes know a thing or two about eggs and baskets: In recent years members of this Cincinnati, OH, three-piece have played on Karen O’s forthcoming solo record, appeared onstage with country outfit Blanche, and served as Loretta Lynn’s rhythm section on her critically-acclaimed Van Lear Rose. Bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler will be featured on the imminent debut album from the Raconteurs, the Jack White/Brendan Benson collaboration. Keeler fancies himself as something of a photographer as well — his portfolio includes the terrifying White Stripes publicity photo that accompanied nearly every review of Get Behind Me Satan.

In spite of all their musical infidelities though, the Greenhornes found the time to record an EP. And a good one at that: The four songs on East Grand Blues would probably be enough to put them on the map, even without an endorsement from Jack White (or producer Brendan Benson). The band’s influences are not nearly so diverse as their resumes; the Byrds and the Kinks provide the template. But in between the Ray Davies and Roger McGuinn worship they manage to stake out a bit of their own territory. “I’m Going Away” and “Pattern Skies” split the difference between Nuggets and Nevermind with impressive results.

Until recently, the Greenhornes’ membership included five musicians. The biography on their website says the band “cut its extra fat and trimmed down to a lean 3 piece.” This strikes us as rather cold, especially in light of a recent Google image search. Regardless, East Grand Blues moves with an energy lacking in the band’s three previous albums and in most 21st century garage rock. East Grand Blues is available now on iTunes and will be in record stores in August on V2 Records. The Greenhornes will support the White Stripes on most dates later this summer:

7/30, Cincinnati, OH (The Comet) 8/6, George, WA (The Gorge)*8/7, Vancouver, BC (Orpheum)* 8/8,Vancouver, BC (Orpheum)*8/9, Portland, OR (Keller Auditorium)* 8/10, Portland, OR (Keller Auditorium)* 8/12, Berkeley, CA (Greek Theatre)* 8/13,Berkeley, CA (Greek Theatre)* 8/15-18, Los Angeles, CA (Greek Theatre)* 8/19, Phoenix, AZ (Dodge Theatre)* 8/22, Denver, CO (Red Rocks)* 8/23, Kansas City, MO (Starlight)* 8/24, St. Louis, MO (Fabulous Fox)* 8/26-27, Minneapolis, MN (Orpheum)* 8/29-31, Chicago, IL (Auditorium Theater)* 9/8, Milwaukee, WI (Eagles Ballroom)* 9/9, Indianapolis, IN (The Murat Theatre)* 9/10, Columbus, OH (Ohio Theatre)* 9/12, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Music Hall)* 9/13, Louisville, KY (Palace Theatre)* 9/14, Cleveland, OH (Playhouse Square Center — State Theater)* 9/16, Toronto, ON (Molson Amphitheater)* 9/17, Montreal, QUE (Bell Center)* 9/19, Providence, RI (Providence Performing Arts Center)* 9/20, Boston, MA (Opera House)*9/22, New York, NY (Mercury Lounge) 9/23, Hoboken, NJ (Maxwell’s) 9/25, New York, NY (Shout) , 9/27, Philadelphia, PA (World Cafe Live)# 9/28, Annapolis, MD (WRNR Boat Cruise)# 9/29, Washington, DC (The Black Cat)# 9/30, New York, NY (Irving Plaza)# 10/2, Detroit, MI (Masonic Temple Theatre)* (* with White Stripes; # with Brendan Benson) Link: The Greenhornes official site