The Chickasaw Mudd Puppies are an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

, formed by Brant Slay (vocalist, washboard, harmonica) and Ben Reynolds (vocalist, percussion, electric guitar). The band played a major part of the

music of Athens, Georgia The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and New wave music, new wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M., Widespr ...

, and were protégés of

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Poss ...

(

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

Career

The Chickasaw Mudd Puppies recorded two albums, ''White Dirt'' (1990) and ''8 Track Stomp'' (1991), working with producers Stipe,

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

and John Keane. The band broke up soon after. Reynolds has since played guitar and sang with the band Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry and taught photography at the

Lamar Dodd School of Art The Lamar Dodd School of Art is the art school of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia, United States. History In 1927, the University of Georgia’s board of trustees voted to establish ...

at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. Despite their famous producers, who also backed up the duo in the studio, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies received little popular attention outside of Athens. Their use of traditional and "invented" percussion instruments, including the stomp board (invented), washboard,

cowbells The cowbell is an idiophone hand percussion instrument used in various styles of music, such as Latin and rock. It is named after the similar bell used by herdsmen to keep track of the whereabouts of cows. The instrument initially and traditio ...

, and even cans, combined with the occasional dobro and lap steel guitars, gave their music an

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

sound. Their reunion after a 20-year hiatus was sparked by recent interests in their music including songs in the films, The Mechanic and Tracing Cowboys. Alan Cowart, drummer of the Jacksonville band, The Beggar Weeds (also Stipe-produced), joined the band in early 2011. The three musicians appeared together at the 2011 SXSW Music Festival in Austin Texas.

Discography

Albums

Promotional singles

References

External links

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Rock music groups from Georgia (U.S. state) {{US-rock-band-stub