This week we bring you the music of Trainwreck Riders, a San Francisco band blending elements of country, rock and punk into a tight melodic rock and roll sound. The three primary Riders, brothers Andrew and Steve Kerwin and Pete Frauenfelder, met in high school, bonding over a shared love of the Meat Puppets and country and classic rock. Over the past eight years, they’ve grown from playing house parties and basement shows to touring nationally with friends Two Gallants and appearing at the Treasure Island Music Festival.
When you see them live, as we first did several months ago, you’ll understand why this band is receiving well-deserved attention. Without taking anything away from their recorded output, Trainwreck Riders’ songs thrive when you see the band up close, as Andrew’s finger picking and Steve’s drumming can reach a frenetic pace during some of the band’s rocking uptempo numbers, while Pete sings stories with an engaging melodic lyricism. While a drunk driver derailed the band’s last tour, they’re currently working on a new album and have plans to tour extensively behind it.
We sat down with Pete and Steve last week, discussing the band’s origins and musical influences as well as their touring experiences and thoughts about San Francisco as city natives. We’ve also included four songs from the band’s two albums–last year’s Lonely Road Revival and 2005’s Where The Neon Turns To Wood.
The Riders have two upcoming shows, including a free one this weekend!
Sunday, October 21st
Cafe du Nord
with Grayceon and Ovens
8pm, FREE, 21+
Friday, November 9th
Rickshaw Stop
with American Music Club and Sonny Smith
8:30pm, $10 (advance tix here)
For more information about Trainwreck Riders and to hear more music, visit the band’s web site and MySpace page. You can purchase Lonely Road Revival from Alive Records. The band also did a Daytrotter session earlier this year that’s well worth checking out.
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