Armed with his granddad’s tenor banjo and an obvious passion for old-time rag tunes and bittersweet ballads, Alex Battles plunks out catchy, musically upbeat ditties laced with the sort of infectious syncopation and deadpan wit you’d usually hear only at 78 rpm. Live, Alex accompanies himself with a guitar, ukulele, banjo ukulele, harmonica and washboard, as well as the tenor banjo. (Although not, it should be mentioned, all at the same time.) He's also been known to appear with a backing band, The Whisky Rebellion, though the exact nature or lineup of the band seems to change with the weather. Vocally, he spins out a sweet, unassuming  Buckeye baritone that, like his lyrics, veers back and forth in the soft, hazy place between aw-shucks comedy and sincere, quiet sadness.

As if that wasn't enough, Alex had to go and start Brooklyn Country Music, another Brooklyn-based country music site that, depending on our mood, is either the best source for New York country events or the dumbest ripoff since Coy and Vance.

He's also the twisted mastermind behind CasHank (an open acoustic jam of Hank and Johnny songs), Jugfest, The Johnny Cash Birthday Bash, and The Brooklyn Country Music Festival, and--along with Dock Oscar of Sweet William--is a co-organizer of The Brooklyn Winter Hoedown and, most recently, The NYC Opry. He's a busy boy, and we all thank him for it.

Band review by Uncle Leon.

Download "You Broke My Fucking Heart"  (mp3 file, 1.4 MB)

Contact: 718-208-6703

E-mail Alex Battles

Visit Alex at www.whiskyrebellion.com

and be sure to check out his site, www.brooklyncountrymusic.com

Performers     Next >>>