Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys profile picture

Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys

More "Roots" than Chicken George...

About Me


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Austin, Texas-based Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys play music for purists and partiers, punks and potheads.
They sound like a juke-joint combo in a haze from days gone by, loaded with corn liquor and high on country, bluegrass and blues. See them live, and youll hear them channeling straight-ahead rockabilly by Patsy and Johnny.
Then out come their originals, from their debut album Just a Shot o Shine (Truxton Records, 2005). Some songs seem warmly familiar, and you think youve heard them before, until you remember they were written by a couple of old punks in the twenty-double-oughts. (Check out Born to Raise Hell and Death Valley.)
Citing influences that range from the Carter Family to X, Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys delve deep into the roots of American music. Deftly changing styles from the scorching bluegrass of The Stanley Brothers to the two-step shuffle of Loretta Lynn to the 30s swing of Trixie Smith, their sets of mostly original music sweep the listener away to anywhere the music sends them.
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It all started one drunken night in 98 at the Tropicana Motel in Yuma, Arizona. Heather Rae Johnson, Shannon Marino and original guitarist Tom Sanderson (Long Gone Trio) were all three members of Tempe, Arizona rockabilly outfit Exit 56. Nobody got lucky that night, except for teaching Heather Rae a few guitar chords to Blue Moon of Kentucky.
Thus begat the Moonshine Boys. Along with Heather Rae's heartbroke vocals, searing fiddle and solid acoustic guitar, and Shannon Marinos slappin upright bass and hollerin songs, the likes of Mario Moreno (Forbidden Pigs, Varmits, Ramblers) and Kevin Daly (Trophy Husbands, Grave Danger) have been heard laying down tasty jazz licks and finger-lickin pickin on lead guitar. Mr. Daly is also the lead guitar on Just a Shot o Shine. Their current Moonshine Boys lineup features Jeremy Wade (W.T. Special, Flipside Den) as the final third of the trio.
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Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys crept up on the unsuspecting Arizona scene to be nominated as one of the best Roots/Americana bands in the Phoenix New Times Music Showcase in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Their live Opry-style performances and DIY underground tactics have gained them fans from all walks of life.
"Heather Rae and her Moonshine Boys play hillbilly music with a difference, covering everything from rockabilly to dreamy jazz balladry" --Gilbert Garcia, Phoenix New Times, April 2002.
"Heather Rae and her Moonshine Boys--playing with a new guitarist--got one of the best crowd responses of the showcase when they tore it up at McDuffys. Dancing, dazzled fans loved the set so much that they managed to cheer the group back for a one-song encore, a cover of Johnny Cash's Cry Cry Cry." --Michele Laudig, Phoenix New Times, April 21, 2005.
"(Heather Rae's) singing makes me want to eat my ears." --Jeff Pettit
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The band relocated to Austin, TX in August, 2005.
Their debut album, Just a Shot o Shine on Truxton Records, is available now through the website and at local Tempe, AZ and Austin, TX record stores.
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BOOKING THE BAND: Please message us here on myspace, or e-mail [email protected]
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/18/2005
Band Website: heatherraeandthemoonshineboys.net
Band Members: Heather Rae -- Vocals, Fiddle, Acoustic Rhythm Guitar

Shannon Marino -- Upright String Double Doghouse Bass, Vocals

Jeremy Wade -- Lead 'Lectric Guitar, Vocals.

Influences: heavily under it...

Sounds Like: wood and wire soaked in corn squeezins
Record Label: Truxton Records, Tempe, Arizona
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

more things to clicky-clicky

Hey!  So, apparently we've been broadcast (or "podcast") on several Internet radio stations!  Imagine that!  Sometimes it's hard for me to even accept the fact that our music can be he...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 05:04:00 PST

Lovely Photos of our show in Tucson!

Courtesy of Top Cat Photography, these were shot at the Vaudeville Cabaret in Tucson on Nov. 16th.  We played with the Hacienda Brothers that night, and Theresa captured our live show!  ...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:52:00 PST

Infamous Turkey Day Story

The Story of "Lunch" Once upon a time, Heather Rae and Shannon lived in a little house in Tempe they called the Wilson St. Country Club. They had the usual old cars, motorcycles, beer cans stacked wa...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:03:00 PST

TOUR PICS!

...looks like we did a lot of drivin', then a little playin', and in between a bit of drinkin'... SEE!Moonshine photos Many thanks to Jesse Dayton's Honky-Tonk and Hot Rods festival, Hillgrass Blu...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Tue, 18 Jul 2006 02:18:00 PST

Hittin' the road!

Seems like it's been so long since we've left Texas...and it has!  We've scooped up Jeremy Wade from W.T. Special as our guitar man, and within hours will be moonshinin' our way out to Phoenix.&...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Sun, 02 Jul 2006 11:51:00 PST

new song "House Next Door"

This song was recorded live at our friends' record release party, Dollar Dan and the Change, at the Carousel Lounge in Austin..  We didn't know we would be recording until we showed up.  ...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Wed, 17 May 2006 08:49:00 PST

Pssst! Hey, buddy! Wanna buy a CD?

After numerous inquiries as to where our CD's were available for purchase, all you have to do is CLICK HERE. You'll be taken to our glamourous website (heatherraeandthemoonshineboys.net)via the m...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:21:00 PST

Photos from the Hillbilly Hoedown at the Continental Club Houston

March 11, 2006 Here we are with Johnny Falstaff and the Pinesmen, and Sean Reeferand the Resin Valley Boys! What a honky-tonkin', hillbilly SWANGin' night! Photos courtesy of grandpasdotcom .&nb...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Mon, 13 Mar 2006 06:12:00 PST

Whoopsy! Magazine hearts us.

From the February, 2006 issue : CD Reviews "Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys recently moved to Austin from Arizona.  It's a good thing too, because...hot damn!  She writes and sings the ...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Fri, 24 Feb 2006 07:05:00 PST

HEATHER RAE SHOOTS HER MOUTH OFF--AGAIN!

Our friend in the UK, Trash & Twang, asked Heather Rae 8 easy questions.  Find out what she said, and check out the web fanzine, at Straight 8!...
Posted by Heather Rae and the Moonshine Boys on Wed, 18 Jan 2006 08:10:00 PST