Joe Ely on J. Charles & the Trainrobbers: "I ain't heard country like that... y'all got some gravel in your gut!"

J. Charles and The Trainrobbers' debut album Upon Leaving is available now!

J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS’ DEBUT ALBUM UPON LEAVING AVAILABLE NOW

The Band Is Nominated For “Best Americana/Roots Act” and Is Slated to Perform
at the 2012 Dallas Observer’s Music Awards

“Upon Leaving is a Drive-By-Truckers-inspired song cycle chronicling [Jeffrey] Saenz’s musical and personal journey from Los Angeles to Dallas. The six-member group finds sonic salvation in three chords and the truth.  Country and punk music are both built around those same creative parameters.  [The band] revel in that intersection between twang and bang.”  – The Dallas Morning News

Los Angeles, CA, October 16, 2012 – Dallas, TX, Alt-Country outfit J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS released their debut album, UPON LEAVING, today, October 16, in stores and online through End Sounds. The album is available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon, in addition to select indie outlets such as Waterloo, Good Records and Amoeba Records. With punk grit, classic bravado, and country honesty, the quintet roars to life unlike anyone out there.

Boasting a collective resume that includes genre stalwarts Sangre Sangre, The Strays, Death on Wednesday, The Queers, Slowride, and Eleven Hundred Springs, the group's impressive chops shine through on every one of the record's 13 tracks. They enlisted the talents of producer/engineer Matt Pence, of Americana greats Centro-Matic, as well as four-time Grammy Award winner Gavin Lurssen (Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett) for mastering. 

In the music on UPON LEAVING, the band relays the tale of J. CHARLES' life as he left Los Angeles for Dallas, with every gritty detail intact. It’s a pensive, potent story fueled by a pulsating rhythm section, the unparalleled melody of a steel guitar, and unabashedly confessional lyrics, as expressed in the first single, "Something Wrong," which is already receiving college airplay from KGLT (Bozeman, MT), KUMD (Duluth, MN), WBWC (Cleveland, OH), WCNI (New London, CT), WMUA (Amherst, MA), WPUB (New York, NY), WRUW (Cleveland, OH), and WUSB (Stony Brook, NY).

The band is nominated for “Best Americana/Roots Act” and is set to perform at the 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards on Tuesday, November 13, at the House of Blues, Dallas.  For more information on the Awards and to vote, please visit: www.dallasobserver.com

J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS is Jeffrey Charles Saenz (guitar, vocals), Steve Visneau (drums), Danny Crelin (pedal steel guitar), Justin Young (bass, vocals), Linc Campbell (guitar) and Taylor Rea (vocals). The band has shared the stage with everyone from Lucero and Deer Tick, to Shovels & Rope, Lydia Loveless, Dawes, and Scott H. Biram. They're currently playing in and around Texas, recently played to a packed album release party at Club Dada in their hometown, and are slated to appear at Dallas’ Good Records on Thursday, October 18, for an acoustic in-store performance, followed by two full band appearances at Magnolia Motor Lounge on Friday, October 19, in Fort Worth and at the Goldwaite Music Fest in Goldwaite on Saturday, October 20. For more details, please visit: http://www.thetrainrobbers.com.

J. Charles and The Trainrobbers outline the Upon Leaving release party on October 13, 2012 at Club Dada in Dallas, Texas.  Dan Phillips from True Widow and Slowride will also be playing a solo set.

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We have been busy masterminding one hell of a party to celebrate the release and give everyone a chance to get ahold of it before it is in stores. Here's the details:

Inside Stage:
Tthe Will Callers - 9:30
Dove Hunter - 10:30
J. Charles and The Trainrobbers - 12:00

Outside Stage:
Dead Birds (members of Whiskey Folk Ramblers) - 9:00
Corey Howe & Vince Tuley (of Dead Flowers) - 10:00
Dan Phillips (of True Widow/Slowride) - 11:15

We will also have all of the album artwork, which consists of 6 2'x2' acrylic on canvas paintings and every single lyric hand painted by Wooly Bully himself, Clay Stinnett, on display in the venue.

Doors are at 8:00, live music starts at 9:00 and goes non-stop alllll night long. Tickets are only $5 for pre-sale, and $8 at the door (tag an extra $3 on to that if you are under 21).

Here is the link for presale tickets:
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/166991

The Dallas Morning News has a great feature on J. Charles and The Trainrobbers.  Read it here: http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/columnists/mario-tarradell/20121010-country-music-j.-charles-and-the-trainrobbers-find-sonic-salvation-in-three-chords-and-the-truth.ece

J. Charles and The Trainrobbers have been nominated for the Best Americana / Roots Act in the 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards.  Let's make sure the band brings home a win! 

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2012/10/and_the_nominees_are.php

Vote here: http://polls.dallasobserver.com/polls/dal/doma2012/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS TO UNLEASH DEBUT ALBUM
"UPON LEAVING" OCTOBER 16

Los Angeles, CA, September 13, 2012 – Dallas, TX Alt-Country outfit J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS will release their debut album, UPON LEAVING, October 16 in stores and online via End Sounds. With punk grit, classic bravado, and country honesty, the quintet roars to life unlike anyone out there.

Boasting a collective resume that includes genre stalwarts Sangre Sangre, The Strays, Death on Wednesday, The Queers, Slowride, and Eleven Hundred Springs, the group's impressive chops shine through on every one of the record's 13 tracks. Enlisting the talents of both producer/engineer Matt Pence of Americana great’s Centro-Matic, as well as four-time Grammy Award winner Gavin Lurssen (Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett) for mastering, the band signed a distribution deal with Austin based End Sounds. Now, they're ready to let it out.

In the music on UPON LEAVING, the band relays the tale of J. CHARLES' life as he left Los Angeles for Dallas, with every gritty detail intact. It’s a pensive, potent story fueled by a pulsating rhythm section, the unparalleled melody of a steel guitar, and unabashedly confessional lyrics. As expressed in the first single, "Something Wrong", J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS come out of the gates with all guns blazing. “Here is the story of two people meeting before they are ready to be anything, followed by the good times when they fall in love, and ultimately the bad times when it all falls apart.” explains J. Charles.  “This song has such strong mental imagery to me. The scenarios are very much literal situations that happened over the course of a 6-year relationship, and every time I sing it I can see the places, facial expressions, and even feel the seasons of when and where they took place.”

These fine gentlemen have already shared the stage with everyone from Lucero and Deer Tick, to Shovels & Rope, Lydia Loveless, Dawes, and Scott H. Biram. Now, they've lined up some special shows surrounding the release.

Get ready to meet J. CHARLES AND THE TRAINROBBERS. Rest assured… they won't be leaving again anytime soon.

UPON LEAVING Track Listing:
1. Upon Leaving 1
2. Mercy Killing
3. Letter to a Thief
4. Something Wrong
5. Three Shades of Black
6. Million Reasons
7. My Year           
8. Anthem of a Stranger
9. Blood on the Wind
10. Ain’t So Blue
11. Darling, Can’t You Hear Me?
12. Tennessee Roads (No Moon)
13. Upon Leaving 2

Upcoming Tour Dates:
Fri, 10/12 -- Urban Outfitters Grand Opening -- Fort Worth, TX               
Sat, 10/13 -- Club Dada -- Dallas, TX ("Upon Leaving" Album Release Party)
Thurs, 10/18 – Good Records – Dallas, TX (in-store appearance)
Fri, 10/19 – Magnolia Motor Lounge – Fort Worth, TX
Sat, 10/20 -- Goldthwaite Music Fest -- Goldthwaite, TX

Please vote for J. Charles & The Trainrobbers in D Magazine's Reader's Choice Poll here.

Watch a live recording of J. Charles & The Trainrobbers performing "Something Wrong" on The Local Yokel show here.  You can download the full version of "Something Wrong" for free from Amazon.com on the End Sounds Ten Year Anniversary Sampler here.

J. Charles & The Trainrobbers hit the studio to record their debut album.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

END SOUNDS NEWEST SIGNING J. CHARLES & THE TRAINROBBERS  
HIT THE STUDIO TO RECORD THEIR DEBUT ALBUM 

Los Angeles, CA, June 14, 2011 – Austin, TX indie label, End Sounds has announced their newest signing to their diverse roster, J. Charles & The Trainrobbers The Dallas, TX-based band have entered The Echo Lab studio with producer Matt Pence (Centro-Matic, Midlake) to record their debut album, Upon Leaving, which will be released in Fall 2011. 

“After watching a two-song live video stream of J. Charles & The Trainrobbers, I found myself watching the recording over and over, and after 45 minutes of repeat, I knew then what I know now…that End Sounds and J. Charles and The Trainrobbers’ were destined to be together,” said End Sounds co-founder, Jonathan Gill.   

At the intersection where cowboy boots meet Converse, where twang ties into tough-minded rock riffs, and country collides with the power of punk, you’ll find J. Charles & The Trainrobbers. The Dallas-based band’s insistent, urgent sound thrives within the continuum of true American originals that includes everyone from Black Flag to Billy Joe Shaver, Tom Waits to Willie Nelson. The band started in early 2010, when J. Charles Saenz, former front man for recently disbanded Southern rockers Sangre Sangre, as well as ex-lead guitarist for punk rockers the Strays and Death on Wednesday, decided to make a long and permanent drive from Los Angeles to the great state of Texas.  Armed with a batch full of new songs, Saenz teamed up with longtime friend, drummer Steven Visneau (The Queers, Slowride).  Something special started happening right off the bat, and from there it was a matter of putting the pieces together, adding in Omar Yee Foon (The Mag Seven) on bass and pedal steel guitarist Danny Crelin (Eleven Hundred Springs), forming J. Charles & the Trainrobbers.

The band will be in the studio through mid-July and will performing in and around Texas before mounting on a major tour in 2012.  Having already gigged alongside an impressive array of artists including Lucero, Deer Tick, Dawes, Middle Brother, and Shovels and Rope, J. Charles & The Trainrobbers are eager to spread their music as far and wide as possible.  

For studio updates, please check out:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Charles-the-Trainrobbers/148617485162472