The Aces - No One Rides For Free

Formed in 2000, The Aces have attitude and a different idea of how to play Blues. They reduce the Blues to pounding riffs and a distorted wall of sound topped by wailing harp. They were among the first to absorb and recast the drone riff-based Hill Country Blues style, and The Aces do that their own way.In March 2009, The Aces signed with El Toro Records. Hailing from California (USA), their debut album No One Rides For Free is a collection of 10 original songs which fans of the band call punk trance blues or pounding riffs and a distorted wall of sound topped by wailing harp. The bands goal was to capture that raw primitive sound which is present at their live shows. The record was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs utilizing old fender tweed tube amps pushed to the brink of exploding captured with 1940's and 1950's microphones. What makes the band unique is that there is no bass player. Instead The Aces opt for a lead and rhythm guitar combination which has a fresh old reminiscent sound. Listen to the lyrics and you will hear streams of poetic consciousness sung from real life experiences. The songwriting of the band shows that they are not trying to sound like anyone, but are moving tradition forward. The Aces are Sky O'Banion on Harp/Vocals, Derek Irving lead guitar, Mike Gutsch on drums and special quests on rhythm guitar.