The Dirty Guv'nahs to release album

Knoxville’s favorite sons, The Dirty Guv’nahs, voted Best Band—three years in a row—by the readers of that city’s alternative weekly, Metro Pulse, are poised to break nationally with the release, on July 20, of their second CD, Youth Is In Our Blood. The band will embark on tour in July and hit the high seas over Labor Day on the Sailing Southern Ground Cruise, hosted by Dirty Guv’nahs fan Zac Brown Band.

Youth Is In Our Blood was produced by two-time Grammy-winner Justin Guip (Levon Helm, The Black Crowes) at Helm’s renowned barn/studio in Woodstock, NY. It follows the band’s self-titled 2009 debut, which drew accolades across the southeast: "…a passionate, jubilant slice of rock-meets-Americana," proclaimed The Daily Times in Maryville, Tenn, while the Louisville Eccentric Observer described it as "Stones gone southern raucousness.” The Metro Pulse simply declared, “Rock the way God intended.”

OnYouth Is In Our Blood, The Dirty Guv’nahs serve up a hot, roiling stew of gritty, soul-heavy rock ‘n’ roll, infused with hefty portions of funk, gospel, roots, blues and country. It’s all powered by a three-guitar onslaught, piano, Hammond organ, horns, a little fiddle, harp and pedal steel, and James Taylor Trimble’s soulful growl.

“Our main purpose is to encourage people toward community and not pursue a secluded life,” Guvs front man Trimble says of the music.

It’s a notion their growing legion of fans has clearly embraced, as the band’s rollicking live shows are practically a religious experience, as raucous as an old-time tent revival.

But it’s not just the energy the band exudes on stage that draws fans in. The deft songwriting, primarily a collaborative effort between guitarist Michael Jenkins and Trimble, who clearly have a knack for a good hook, is supported by the ensemble’s tight but free-form musicianship, derived from a wide swath of influences ranging from Elvis to Oasis, with nods to The Rolling Stones, The Band, James Brown, Prince, My Morning Jacket and Ryan Adams.

The disc kicks off with “Baby We Were Young,” a battle cry to the idealism and freedom of youth that sets the tone for what ensues. The first focus track is “We’ll Be The Light,” a joyous rock and roll ode to lasting love and the perfect balance to “The Country,” a lilting ballad about love lost, which features a hauntingly beautiful guest vocal by Jill Andrews (of the Everybodyfields).

Other highlights include the cinematic “Wide Awake,” inspired by a George Orwell quote, and the roof-raising rockers “Walk With Me,” “It’s Dangerous” “New Salvation,” and “Blue Rose Stroll.” On more introspective tracks such as “Song For My Beloved,” and “Courage,” The Guvs show lyrical depth and a more vulnerable side.

The Dirty Guv’nahs, all grads of UT, Knoxville—they hold five master’s degrees and one BS in nuclear engineering between them—have built a strong following throughout the southeast and have appeared at a number of high-profile music festivals including Bonnaroo, CMJ, Wakarusa, Bele Chere in Asheville, NC and their hometown’s Sundown In The City. They’ve shared the stage with Blues Traveler, Robert Earl Keen, Drive By Truckers, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Levon Helm Band and Zac Brown Band, and were invited to perform on the Southern Ground Cruise, hosted by the Zac Brown Band during the upcoming Labor Day holiday. The cruise sets sail from Tampa and heads to the Cayman Islands.

The Guvs also are producing several videos to accompany the release of Youth Is In Our Blood including the brand new clip for “We’ll Be The Light,” filmed recently in front of a capacity crowd at Knoxville’s Preservation Pub. Plans are underway for the next cut, “Baby We Were Young,” for which the band asked fans to submit ideas and received more than 200 responses. More clips can be viewed on The Dirty Guv’nahs own channel on YouTube.