The band was formed almost five years ago by Mike Eli, who grew up just outside of Houston, and James Young, who hails from Irving, Texas. After playing together as a duo, they were later joined by drummer Chris Thompson and bassist Jon Jones, who all met while students at the University of North Texas at Denton, about 50 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth. After graduating the group decided to stay in Denton and to this day make their home in the town.

Late in 2003 producer Frank Liddell (Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Chris Knight) attended a show at the Gypsy Tea Room where EYB was playing on the bill with Miranda Lambert. He was impressed with their live show and wound up signing them to Carnival Recording Company soon after and released their debut, Level.

Level has drawn comparisons to The Jayhawks on the plaintive “When It Rains.” The band members, all in their early 20s, have proven to be adept at blending their musical influences into a cohesive sound on this effort. You can hear the heartland rock of John Mellencamp in the autobiographical “Small Town Kid” and the crying-in-your-beer band on the road saga “Highways and Broken Hearts.” There’s the grinding blues of The Black Crowes in “Bring It On Home,” and the romantic lament of “That’s the Way” and “Everything Is You.”

“Our sound is a blend of all of our influences. For example, I was raised on blues and rock, guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Perry, Jimmy Page… all the greats.”

You can hear a bit of James’s early influences on Level’s title track, a blues-rocker that lends itself to the sound of Lenny Kravitz, ending with a rave up guitar riff that sounds like a tribute to one of Young’s guitar heroes, Jimmy Page. You can also hear that he was inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan when listening to the solo in “So Close Now.”

‘Musically speaking we all come from different places,” says Eli. “I grew up on singer/songwriters like Rodney Crowell and Paul Simon. Jon’s major influences on bass were Jaco Pastorius and Stefan Lessard, while Chris studied drummers like John Blackwell, Matt Chamberlain and Steve Gadd,” he adds. “Whether we’re playing ‘When It Rains’ or a track like ‘Bring It On Home,’ the blend of my vocals and James on guitar mixed with Chris and Jon laying down the rhythm makes each song sound distinctly like EYB.’

“We really wanted to stretch and push ourselves,” says Eli about the band’s approach to recording the album, co-produced by Texas native Erik Herbst in his Denton studio as well as JJ Lester. 

Indeed, Level is a search for higher ground after years of playing before larger and larger audiences, both on their own and opening for bigger acts. In five short years the Eli Young Band has gone from small club dates to playing in front of 6,000 people at a time opening for the likes of Jack Ingram, Pat Green and Cross Canadian Ragweed.

Songs like “Small Town Kid” and “So Close Now” capture the frustrations of being trapped in a small town and wanting to get out ("I’ve got the streets memorized/I see the faces in my mind… I have nothing in common with the town I’ve come to know").

“Oklahoma Girl” and “Girl in Red” deal with the titillation of love at first sight. “When It Rains,” “That’s the Way” and “Everything in You” capture the downside of relationships, the loneliness after they end, while “I Call The Tune” is a lighthearted track written in a tongue and cheek manner that has become a crowd favorite.

“Whether I’m having a bad day or going through a difficult time, writing has become a way for me to deal with my frustrations and work through my emotions,” says Eli. “Music is a great outlet; most of the songs on ‘Level’ are a reflection of the bands personal experiences over the last few years.”

In the end, the Eli Young Band is about going out on the road and playing their music for their fans.  You can hear that in the lonesome twang of “Highways and Broken Hearts” and the undaunted optimism of “Bottom Line.”

“There are a lot of ups and downs being on the road in a working band,” says James, adding with a laugh. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

“We love getting out there and exposing new people to our music. That’s why we play four and five shows a week. We’re in this for the long haul, building up our fan base one audience at a time…and that’s our bottom line.”

View the ACL Photo Slideshow

BMI sponsored one of eight stages at the event, showcasing 15 artists whose sounds reflected the stylistic hodgepodge so responsible for much of the festival's international acclaim. From introspective singer-songwriters to jam band theatrics and a rousing throw-back to vaudeville, the BMI stage boasted a charged cross-section of the country's musical landscape. Whether kicking off the day or serenading fans just before sundown, artists Claire Small, The Greyhounds, Joy Davis, Daniella Cotton, Trish Murphy, Melissa Reaves, Troy Campbell, Eli Young Band, Elvis Perkins, South Austin Jug Band, Peter Dawson, Robin Ludwick, Rodney Hayden, the White Ghost Shivers and New Monsoon made the BMI stage a must-see.]]> 2006-10-18T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334964 Eli Young Band, Black Crowes, The, Dawson, Peter, Keen, Robert Earl, Murphy, Trish, Nelson, Willie, Perkins, Elvis, Robison, Bruce, Strait, George, Country, Pop, Rock, Austin Austin City Limits Music Festival for the fourth consecutive year in Austin, Texas. Produced by Capital Sports & Entertainment and Charles Attal Presents, the ACL Festival evolved from the PBS award-winning televised concert series Austin City Limits. Held in Austin's sprawling Zilker Park, the festival is undiluted aqua vitae for lovers of live music. BMI's stage proudly spotlights some of the country's best, from nationally touted songwriters and performers to promising up-and-comers.

Single-day passes for the festival are still available, while three-day passes are only up for grabs through the festival's VIP and travel package options. For more

FRIDAY
11:15 a.m.
CLAIRE SMALL Claire Small was born and raised in Nashville (and still lives there, too), but don't make the mistake of judging her or her music by any prejudices you might have against that town's rep for churning out mainstream country radio fodder. The looser "Americana" tag doesn't really do her justice either, even though Small was running with a hip crowd of anti-country-music-establishment mavericks like Greg Garing and BR549 when she was still in her teens. While there's certainly a rootsy, acoustic singer-songwriter layer to her impressive full-length debut, Ledger, the album also finds her exploring elements of bossa nova, klezmer and gypsy melodies. What it all adds up to is a promising new artist unafraid to color outside genre lines - and talented enough to pull it off.

12:40 p.m.
THE GREYHOUNDS From Tyler, Texas, comes the Lone Star State's latest contribution to the jam band scene, Greyhounds, who can kick out the jams like the best of them and also bring some deep, old-school grooves into the mix from the funk, soul and blues legacy. This three-piece outfit features organ and guitar upfront weaving a melodic spell and paving the groove with ear candy, and their frequent touring has won them rabid fans across the nation through their club and festival appearances. This will be their first appearance at the Austin City Limits Musical Festival.

2:40 p.m.
JOY DAVIS Texas native Joy Davis comes by her dedication to music honestly, having grown up surrounded by the craft. Davis' father, uncle and sister are all performers, so when at 13 Joy decided music was her path, she was met with little resistance and loads of encouragement. The singer-songwriter has supported fellow artists on various studio albums and live shows, but only began work on her own debut album this year. Davis has called upon friend and Vallejo frontman AJ Vallejo to produce her EP, which promises to introduce a delicate songstress now emboldened, ready for the spotlight.

4:40 p.m.
DANIELIA COTTON As one of only seven black children in rural Hopewell, N.J., Danielia Cotton grew up an outsider. So like many an outsider before her - but maybe not so many young black girls - she turned to rock 'n' roll. After she got her guitar and vocal chops together - the former self-taught, the latter no doubt picked up in part from her jazz-singer mother - Cotton moved to New York City, began gigging at intimate rooms like the Bitter End, and released her self-titled debut EP in 2004. But it was the following year's Small White Town album that launched her career in full, with Philadelphia's WXPN picking her as one of its "artists to watch" in 2005 and putting her song "It's Only Life" into heavy rotation. With a powerful, bluesy voice reminiscent of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner, and tunes that carry the "swagger of Let It Bleed-era Rolling Stones" (as the Philadelphia Daily News put it), Cotton is anything but just another "chick singer with a guitar." Which of course means she's still an outsider - and a proud one, too.

6:40 p.m.
TRISH MURPHY Trish Murphy began her music career in her native Houston, performing with her brother Darrin Murphy as the popular duo Darrin & Trish, but she really took off after moving to Austin 10 years ago and launching her solo career with her debut album, Crooked Mile. A sparkling mix of rootsy, singer-songwriter fare and killer pop hooks, the album netted Murphy a major-label deal for her follow-up, 1999's Rubies on the Lawn. But her strongest work was yet to come, after she returned to the D.I.Y. route for 2001's live Captured and 2003's ultra-assertive (and catchy) Girls Get In Free. Live, Murphy comes off like a natural-born rock star, whether she's fronting a rock band on a or playing unplugged. Outside of her solo career, Murphy divides her time between working with GenAustin, a non-profit outreach program that helps middle-school girls develop strong self-esteem, and cranking out the best AM pop tunes of the '70s as part of Austin's rockin' all-star covers band, the K-Tell Hit Machine.

SATURDAY
11:15 a.m.
MELISSA REAVES North Carolina's Melissa Reaves has been delighting audiences throughout the U.S. for more than a decade with her rock, funk and rhythm & blues-based sound. Reaves is a powerful vocalist and guitar player whose style ranges from driving rock 'n' roll to a funk and groove sound that lends itself to a diverse repertoire of originals as well as some occasional choice covers. With four independently released CDs under her belt - including 1999's Sentimental Anthem and the recent Rough Cuts - Reaves has built up a loyal fanbase both nationally and internationally, which she maintains by performing more than 200 shows per year. Whether touring as a solo act or with members of her band, the Willys, the response is invariably the same; as Charlotte, N.C.'s Creative Loafing put it, "Reaves will electrify any audience and send chills down your spine."

12:40 p.m.
TROY CAMPBELL Possessed of arguably one of the finest male vocal instruments in the live music capital of the world (and beyond), Troy Campbell is one of the rare singer-songwriters who can genuinely sing their butts off. He's no slouch of a writer, either, as proven both on his three superb solo albums (Man vs. Beast, American Breakdown and this year's Long in the Sun) and on the trio of albums the Ohio-born, Austin-based artist made with his old band of shoulda-been-a-contender, Loose Diamonds (an outfit that also featured a fledgling guitarist named "Scrappy" Judd Newcomb who grow up to be one another of Austin's finest). Solo acoustic, Campbell casts a helluva spell; backed by a killer band (in his case, a talent-seeking-its-own-level guarantee), he's a revelation - and a riveting reminder of American rock 'n' roll at its finest.

2:40 p.m.
ELI YOUNG BAND With roots firmly planted in the fertile musical soil of Texas, the Eli Young Band is a little bit country and a lot of guitar-driven rock 'n' roll. The band was co-founded by namesake members Mike Eli and James Young (lead vocals and lead guitar, respectively), who met while attending the University of North Texas in Denton and initially performed as a duo before bringing bassist Jon James and drummer Chris Thompson into the fold. After independently releasing their self-titled debut, the band landed a deal with the Nashville-based Carnival Recording Company, which recently issued the band's sophomore effort, Level. Drawing on influences ranging from classic country to the Jayhawks to the Black Crowes to Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Eli Young Band is poised to bust out of the Lone Star State and bring their brand of music to a wider audience.

4:40 p.m.
ELVIS PERKINS Singer-songwriter Elvis Perkins grew up surrounded by celebrity: his father was actor Anthony Perkins (of Psycho fame), his mother was model/photographer/actress Berry Berenson, and his older brother, Oz Perkins, is also an actor. His family has also been marked by tragedy - his father died of AIDS in 1992, and his mother was one of the airplane passengers killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. So it's little wonder that his debut album, Ash Wednesday, is a document of intense mourning and profound beauty - both of which are conveyed live with the help of his band, Dearland.

6:40 p.m.
SOUTH AUSTIN JUG BAND Since appearing at the debut Austin City Limits Music Festival as the latest buzz band from the Live Music Capital of the World, the five-man South Austin Jug Band have gone on to conquer North America and Europe with a sound that San Francisco's East Bay Express describes as "a joyful noise that seems made of pure sunlight and moonshine." With two albums of sly and witty country-folk songs mixed with zesty bluegrass-style breakdowns to their credit, SAJB has won such honors as Best New Band at the 2003 Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Best Bluegrass Band at the 2005 Austin Music Awards. Playing some 200 shows a year, the boys return to their home turf to deliver some of the most charming and eclectic acoustic music to ever emerge from this city.

SUNDAY
11:15 a.m.
PETER DAWSON Though he's still a relatively fresh face on the regional country scene, Dallas-native Peter Dawson has already scored a No. 5 hit on the Texas Music Chart with his debut single, "Willie Nelson for President." He recorded that song and the rest of his first album, Do You Don't or Do You Do, while living in Nashville (where he attended Belmont University), but his burgeoning success on the Texas dancehall scene prompted him to return back to his home state. Now based in Austin, Dawson and his band recently released their second album, Coupland Live - the perfect snapshot of a rising Lone Star caught halfway between promising newcomer and certified next-big-thing.

12:40 p.m.
ROBYN LUDWICK It's almost extraneous to mention that Robyn Ludwick comes from what has become the First Family of Texas music. The sister of Charlie and Bruce Robison and sister-in-law of Dixie Chick Emily Robison and Kelly Willis, Ludwick has proven herself a talent of the same order and made her own name for herself with her debut album of last year, For So Long. Produced by master of anything with strings Danny Barnes, it marks Ludwick as a truly poetic songwriter with a luscious and loamy voice carving out her own brand of Lone Star back road country. Her debut appearance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival will introduce music fans to a talent sure to make her mark in years to come.

2:40 p.m.
RODNEY HAYDEN Rodney Hayden is nothing less than what the title of his 2001 debut CD seemed to boast: The Real Thing. That record, released when Hayden was just 21, made it clear that the young artist wasn't just another rabble-rousing yahoo, but rather an honest-to-God country singer. Country, as in cut from the same classic-country cloth as fellow Texans George Jones and George Strait. Moreover, ratio of originals to covers proved he was already a compelling writer, too - not the kind of tunes typically traded on Music Row, but songs either of the aforementioned legendary Georges could really sink their teeth into if given the chance. Hayden's second album, 2003's Living the Good Life (produced by long-time Robert Earl Keen guitarist Rich Brotherton), proved that his first volley of straight-up honky-tonk perfection was no fluke.

4:40 p.m.
WHITE GHOST SHIVERS Ever wonder what was so great about the Great Depression? Not a damn thing, really, except for maybe the music. You know - campy Vaudeville, hokum blues, hillbilly swing and all that sexy hot jazz? That was fun stuff. Given that the state of the country and world as a whole can be kind of depressing these days, too, don't we deserve some of that good stuff, too? Austin's White Ghost Shivers sure seem to think so, which is why the talented young band has spent the last six years dishing out their wildly inventive take (through both covers and cheeky originals) on the music that rocked their great-grandparents' world. With lead vocal duties split between a 7-foot-tall, banjo-playing beanpole named Shorty Borgasm and the sultry, ukulele-packing Cella Blue (likened by Fort Worth Weekly to "a one-woman burlesque revue"), well, you just know you're in for a good time at a Shivers show.

6:40 p.m.
NEW MONSOON If you thought the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead, both with a pair of drummers, were lacking in percussion, New Monsoon is your band. The San Francisco-based septet brings the drum and then some with a trio of percussionists who help the band craft its groove-centric, improvisational sound. Founded in 1997 by former Penn State classmates (and guitarists) Bo Carper and Jeff Miller, New Monsoon quickly began to define itself as a band without definition. Using an inclusive jazzy foundation, the group is a multi-cultural extravaganza, incorporating elements of African, Indian, Latin, Australian and other international sounds into a soulful funk groove with nods to blues and bluegrass. New Monsoon has issued a pair of studio albums - 2003's Downstream and last year's The Sound - that capture the tighter aspects of their songcraft, but the group shines brightest live, where the varied sets have become a favorite among fans and tapers in grand jam band tradition.]]> 2006-08-25T05:00:00-05:00