Those Poor Bastards

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Those Poor Bastards
Background information
OriginMadison, Wisconsin, United States
Genres
Years active2004 (2004)–present
LabelsTribulation Recording Co.
Members
  • Lonesome Wyatt
  • The Minister

Those Poor Bastards are an American gothic country band based in Madison, Wisconsin.[1] Since 2004 they have released twelve full-length studio albums and seven EPs,[2] and have toured in both North America and Europe.

The band is composed of Lonesome Wyatt (vocals, guitar) and The Minister (banjo, bass, percussion, backing vocals). They are secretive and reveal very little information about themselves.[3]

Background

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Lonesome Wyatt vaguely described his childhood as very isolated,[4] having few friends at school and "going the whole summer" without seeing them, and that his parents "were insane".[5] He attended Stoughton High School (Wisconsin),[6] graduating in 1997. Inspired by Nick Cave and Johnny Cash, he began to record music in his parents' basement, where he began a solo gothic folk project called Lonesome Wyatt and the Holy Spooks before disbanding it in 2002,[7][5] although the group was revived in 2010.

History

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While looking for a band name in the early 2000s, Wyatt discovered the phrase "those poor bastards" in a book, and decided to use it as the name for his band formed with another unidentified member known as The Minister.[8] In late 2005, his father was alleged to have contacted him for fear that he was a werewolf because he could not remember where he had gotten mud on his shoes. Wyatt has been questioned about the incident in various interviews.[9][5] The Minister veils his face in all official band photography, does not perform live and has not revealed his identity.[4] He has, however, played live before as seen in this footage as well as older official photos.[10] He also does not wear a veil here. For live performances, Wyatt performs with a third musician, Vincent Presley, on drums, Moog, and keyboard. At live shows, Presley is known to play the Moog or keyboard with drums simultaneously.

Their song "Pills I Took" was covered by Hank Williams III on his landmark 2006 release, Straight to Hell.

Musical style and influences

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Those Poor Bastards has been described as gothic country.[1] The band performs a style that derives from gothic rock and traditional Americana, often with themes in the genre of murder ballads. Their lyrics focus on themes of sin, damnation, misery, religion and death.[1][11][12]

Discography

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Studio albums
  • Songs of Desperation (2005)
  • Hellfire Hymns (2007)
  • The Plague (2008)
  • Satan Is Watching (2008)
  • Gospel Haunted (2010)
  • Behold the Abyss (2012)
  • Vicious Losers (2014)
  • Sing It Ugly (2016)
  • Inhuman Nature (2018)
  • Evil Seeds (2019)
  • Old Time Suffering (2021)
  • God Awful (2022)
  • Back to the Primitive (2024)

EPs

  • Country Bullshit (2004)
  • Pills I Took (2006) (split with Hank Williams III)
  • Black Dog Yodel (2009)
  • Abominations (2009)
  • Gospel Outtakes (2010)
  • Is This Hell? (2011)
  • Necrosphere (2016)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Thanki, Juli (7 February 2008). "THOSE POOR BASTARDS: HELLFIRE HYMNS". PopMatters. Retrieved 2022-11-20. This band makes Gothic Country at its apocalyptic best. [...] Those Poor Bastards can stand on their own as pioneers in the fast-growing Gothic Country subgenre.
  2. ^ "Official Website Discography". 25 January 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  3. ^ "Those Poor Bastards". The Swedish Institute of Gothic Country. March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Kody Dayish (October 31, 2014). "Halloween Is Here... So Are Those Poor Bastards" (PDF). Navajo Nation News. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "The Mick 25" (PDF). 2006. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "Wyatt Hellickson from Stoughton High School - Classmates". Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "LONESOME WYATT AND THE HOLY SPOOKS - Reggies Chicago". Reggies Chicago. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "Interview time with Lonesome Wyatt". April 11, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "An Interview With Lonesome Wyatt of Those Poor Bastards". August 8, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "<--= Those Poor Bastards =-->". 2007-01-24. Archived from the original on 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  11. ^ April Snellings (November 2012). "West of Hell: A new album and novel from country doom due Those Poor Bastards revels in ole timey grime and gore". Rue Morgue Magazine. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  12. ^ Chris Krovatin (March 31, 2019). "9 Artists Bringing Darkness and Evil to Old Genres". Kerrang. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
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