Truckstop Souvenir profile picture

Truckstop Souvenir

About Me

CD available at Miles of Music and CDBaby and iTunes
"This is an amazing duo ... Both of them are incredibly gifted and accomplished musicians and song writers. ... the total project is extremely well done ... it's kind of bluesy, a little bit folky, a lot original mountain style country, and certainly unique combinations of togetherness and sharing. ... I've heard a lot of duos working today, writing, recording, performing, and this couple is certainly among the top, if not number one that I've heard recently. ... They are stunning. ... buy their CD." Bob Everhart - National Traditional Country Music Association, Tradition Magazine
Truckstop Souvenir plays the music of the American landscape. Traveling the rural roads of the heartland to the wide open interstates that connect us all, this duo plays original songs drawing on the sounds of the past. From rousing fiddle-guitar leavin' songs to sparse takes on the darker side of life, Truckstop Souvenir is about pure and honest music: two voices, two acoustic instruments, and songs that are best taken straight up, no chaser.
Husband and wife song writers, Dennis and Lauyrn also host their own radio shows on KRUU-LP FM. Dennis hosts Gravel Road Radio every Tuesday from 2 pm to 5 pm and Lauryn hosts The Crooked Sisters Radio Hour on Thursdays from 10 am to 12 pm. You can listen on line at KRUU FM .
"Their voices and instruments ... intertwine with and ease that evokes both the showbiz polish of the Everly Brothers and the rustic charm of the Carter clan ... " Kurt B. Reighley, The Stranger
" ... count the album 'Leave Nothing Behind' amongst the better albums of 2006 ... very much in touch with the Everly's, Buddy & Julie Miller and even the better work of the duo Harris/Parsons ... both are from the better breed of singer/songwriters ... " SWA, Rootstime (Belgium)
"Their sparse country-folk tales of love, cheating, regret, and murder showcase Lauryn Shapter's songbird of a voice ... and husband Dennis James's easy going delivery ... Together James and Shapter provide an earthy sound even when there are moments when the music is heavenly." Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music
"Steeped in the old school of country that even hipsters enjoy, Truckstop Souvenir provides a big dose of twang in a convincing, endearing manner." David Brantley, Seattle Sound Magazine
" ... a vivid, soul-stirring journey ... 'Leave Nothing Behind' is a smashing debut for Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter, a husband and wife duo that has a sound all its own. The two have written absolutely terrific songs, all of which they perform with their spare but chillingly effective guitar and lonesome fiddle accompaniment." Tom Petersen, Victory Review
" ... Hank Williams looms large over this record. The songs take us into the heart of the country ... it's a sparse stripped down sound ... and you feel better for listening ... story telling at its very best ... " Andy Riggs, Americana UK
" ... could have been resurrected from the mists of time ... pure rural storytelling ... " Alan Cackett, Maverick
" 'Leave Nothing Behind' is one of my favorite albums of the year, because it doesn't sound like anything you've heard on the radio, not since they took the tubes out anyway. While I'm certainly no expert on the music of the depression era, their music is. Actually, they seem to draw on a number of influences, and they all add up to a really fine album. Buy this entire album, you won't regret it." eleven100miles, iTunes
CD available at Miles of Music and CDBaby and iTunes

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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/20/2006
Band Website: www.truckstopsouvenir.com
Band Members: Lauryn Shapter-Vocals, Fiddle, Guitar, Piano
Dennis James-Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin
Influences: Influences are drawn from the deep and storied well of American music through the balladry of wandering travellers.
Sounds Like: A dry dusty road that ends with the spring-loaded slam of a wood screen door. Like boots on a plank board porch against the hum of a neon sign. It's a whisky soaked tale around a campfire or the clanking of empties in the chilly dew of morning's dawn.
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

CD Release Party!!!!

We're dangerously close to completion on the new CD (the title of which is being kept secret  ).  Mastering is scheduled for September 25th and we're having the CD Release Party on November ...
Posted by on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:02:00 GMT

Ballard Dennys gains "Landmark" status!!!

To celebrate the preservation of the Denny’s in Ballard (a neighborhood in Seattle for you non-mossbacks), we’ve posted the song Lauryn wrote which features our favorite post-gig hangout. ...
Posted by on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:24:00 GMT

Recording, not hibernating

Well, we've been chipping away at arranging all of the new songs in order to put out the next album.  Lauryn's new guitar arrived (it's beautiful!), the mandolin returned from extensive TLC (than...
Posted by on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 07:22:00 GMT

Host a House Concert with Truckstop Souvenir

After touring all over the country in the first half of this year, we came to the conclusion that there's just nothing can hold a candle to a House Concert.  If you're interested in hosting a Hou...
Posted by on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:33:00 GMT

Gravel Road Radio/The Crooked Sisters Radio Hour

If you're a musician visiting our site, please be sure to check out Gravel Road Radio and The Crooked Sisters Radio Hour (see friends below).  Dennis and Lauryn both host weekly radio shows on&nb...
Posted by on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:28:00 GMT