Watch Reigning Sound live in Birmingham!

Here's Greg Cartwright's Reigning Sound gettin' busy in Birmingham along with an interview. 

That time the Reigning Sound backed Mary Weiss on Late Night with Conan

Mary Weiss performed a great version of "Stop and Think It Over" accompanied by Greg Cartwright and crew in 2007. 

Greg Cartwright's album with The Hypos is out now on vinyl!

Greg Cartwright's album with The Hypos is now available on vinyl wherever cool records are sold. Catch 'em on tour!  

Two For The Weekend: The Hypos feat. Greg Cartwright

Hear "Heartbroke Town" & "All Summer" off the new LP by Greg Cartwright's new band The Hypos out today. Get it right here.

Midweek Mixdown: The Songs Greg Cartwright Taught Us

Check out the Outsider Oldies special on NTS Live "The Songs Greg Cartwright Taught Us" right here. See the full track list below. 

Track list

THE GENTRYS  Brown Paper Sack

TRIO Ja Ja Ja

YOUNG JESSIE, MAXWELL DAVIS & ORCH.  Mary Lou

BROWNIE MCGHEE Christina

THE CONTOURS Whole Lotta Woman

CYRUS ERIE Get The Message

THE LEATHER BOY On The Go

MONKS Oh, How To Do Now

TRIO Sunday You Need Love Monday Be Alone

NOLAN STRONG & THE DIABLOS I Want To Be Your Happiness

BO DIDDLEY Road Runner

LIGHTNING HOPKINS Vietnam War

MAHALIA JACKSON I'm Going To Live The Life I Sing About

LOVE Alone Again Or

THE TORNADOES Telstar

SAM THE SHAM & THE PHARAOHS Black Sheep

THE MONKEES So Goes Love

GEORGE JACKSON Tender Love

GLASS SUN Stick Over Me

DILLARD & CLARK So Sad

Check out two songs off the new album from Greg Cartwright's band The Hypos right here.

Greg Cartwright announces the end of Reigning Sound

After 21 years and 10 solid albums, Greg Cartwright decided it was time to end Reigning Sound.

Reigning Sound releasing live album for Record Store Day

Reigning Sound's limited-run RSD album cleverly titled Memphis In June is out Saturday, April 23. 

Here's the scoop...

Greg Cartwright and his rock 'n' roll holdouts in Reigning Sound are putting out the limited-edition Memphis In June album recorded at Harbor Town Amphitheatre in their hometown back in June of 2021. Merge is said to have pressed 2.970 copies of the 12-song LP on neon orange vinyl for release on Saturday April 23. 

Check out the track listing below followed by a live clip of Reigning Sound performing "Make It Up." 

Reigning Sound – Memphis In June

Let's Do It Again / Make It Up / Never Coming Home / Drowning / On and On / She's Bored With You / Time Bomb High School / Funny Thing / Reptile Style / Just Say When / I'll Be Your Man / Moving & Shaking

One For The Weekend: Reigning Sound

"Make It Up" is from the Reigning Sound At Harbour Town concert being broadcast on Sept. 10 at 8 pm. Get tickets right here. 

Watch the Reigning Sound's video for "Let's Do It Again"

"Let's Do It Again" is off A Little More Time With Reigning Sound out May 21st. Watch the clip below. 

LINKS

Velvet Sheep Greg Cartwright talks about his current vinyl obsessions here

One For The Weekend: Reigning Sound

Here's "Oh Christine" from the forthcoming album, A Little More Time with Reigning Sound out May 21st. Pre-order it here. 

Reigning Sound previews new album with "A Little More Time"

Memphis rockers Reigning Sound are releasing "A Little More Time" b/w "Lonely Ghost" on March 5. New album out May 21. 

Reigning Sound 

Greg Cartwright – Vocals, Guitars, Percussion 

Alex Greene – Vocals, Keys, Percussion 

Greg Roberson – Vocals, Drums, Percussion 

Jeremy Scott – Bass, Vocals 

Graham Winchester – Drums, Percussion 

With guest players 

Coco Hames – Vocals 

John Whittemore – Pedal Steel Guitar 

Elen Wroten – Cello 

Krista Wroten – Violin 

River Records owner Jerry Gibson killed during robbery

Sadly beloved record dealer Jerry Gibson was killed Thursday night at River Records in Memphis. 

According to Action News 5, gregarious Memphis record dealer Jerry Gibson was shot and killed around closing time last night at River Records on South Highland, apparently the victim of a robbery. Police are currently looking for witnesses and combing through security camera footage to identify possible suspects. Anyone with information should call CrimeStoppers in Memphis at (901) 528-CASH.

Today music fans everywhere are mourning the loss of Gibson, the outgoing and uproariously funny music man who ran the popular collectibles shop packed tight with vinyl curios for decades. Longtime River Records customer Greg Cartwright (of Reining Sound) is paying tribute to Gibson by playing the music Jerry loved on 103.3 Asheville FM's "In The Box" from 11am to 1pm this afternoon which you can stream here.

Wrote Cartwright:
Today's show is dedicated to legendary record shop owner Jerry Gibson who died tragically yesterday during a robbery at his store in Memphis, TN. My home town. Perhaps legendary seems too grand an adjective for a man who ran a record store, but he was known the world over. On a personal note, he afforded me the pleasure of sharpening my ear and my taste for music on the best collection of used inventory I've ever had the pleasure of digging through. To this day, the best. Thanks Jerry. 
There are two themes for today's show. Part 1 will be Teen 45's from the late 50's and early 60's. Part two will be bubblegum pop from the late 60's and early 70's.

Much like Cartwright who now lives in North Carolina but would still stop by River Records whenever he was back home, just about every serious digger I've known who has passed through Memphis over the last 25 years has made a point of visiting Jerry at River Records. And after crawling on hands and knees for hours sifting through thousands of unpriced, unsorted soul, R&B, funk and gospel 45s piled floor to ceiling, they would then have to deal with store's wisecracking owner.

Jerry would astutely size up his customers and their prized discoveries to arrive at a price based on current market value and his own personality assessment using key information gleaned from his checkout interview. Your chat with Jerry could last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour beginning with a discussion of your place of origin, employment status, family situation, travel plans or the weather and ending with why you're interested in the records you've brought to the front desk. "Well, well, well, I can't say this one looks familiar to me," Gibson would chuckle, "but since you've got four more copies here, you must think pretty highly of it, son!"

For all those who scored big at River Records over the years, there's a way to give back.
Regular River Records customer and Gibson pal Parker Hays has started a Go Fund Me campaign to help out Jerry Gibson's family during this very difficult time. Jerry had no life insurance so any contribution would help with funeral costs.   

LINKS
Commercial Appeal River Records Owner Killed Thursday
WMC Action News 5 Beloved business man killed inside Memphis record store

Reigning Sound @ The Horseshoe, Saturday

Check out Reigning Sound's stellar performance at Soda Bar in San Diego on July 2. 2014. 

Set List:
1. Stop and Think It Over (0:00)
2. North Cackalacky Girl (3:38)
3. Never Coming Home (6:46)
4. Debris (10:12)
5. Starting New (13:04)
6. My My (16:27)
7. Reptile Style (19:40)
8. I'm So Thankful (23:15)
9. Falling Rain (26:17)
10. Your Love is a Fine Thing (29:29)
11. I'll Cry (32:30)
12. We Repel Each Other (35:06)
13. Bound to Let Me Down (38:50)
14. Once More (41:42)
15. Drowning (44:53)
16. You Got Me Hummin (48:33)
17. Stormy Weather (51:22)
18. Bad Man (53:47)
19. You're So Strange (56:35)
20. I Don't Care(1:00:08)
21. Trash Talk (1:02:57)
22. Straight Shooter (1:05:30)
23. If You Can't Give Me Everything (1:07:25)
24. What Could I Do (1:10:31)

Reigning Sound's "Shattered" out Tuesday

Shattered will be Reigning Sound’s first album for Merge and the first full album by the group since 2009’s Love and Curses (In The Red).

The band’s principal songwriter/member is Greg Cartwright, who’s been leading the shifting cast of characters since 2001. You may be familiar with some of the band’s work, as this album is preceded by five studio efforts as well as numerous EPs and live records. Or perhaps some of Greg’s other projects have been on your musical radar: The Oblivians, Parting Gifts, Compulsive Gamblers, 68 Comeback, Deadly Snakes, Detroit Cobras.

As far as Reigning Sound is concerned, this is as good a place to start as any because through many line-up changes and mood swings, the central, constant feature is the way Greg writes songs. This particular embodiment of the band includes longtime keyboardist Dave Amels, who joined the band seven years ago when Reigning Sound recorded an album, consisting mostly of Cartwright’s songs, with former Shangri-Las lead singer Mary Weiss.

Dave proved to be key in putting together the current line-up as well. About three years ago, Greg was asked to make a promotional EP for Scion. Recordings were set to take place in Nashville where he had lined up two local friends to round out the band, but as fate would have it, both had to bow out at the last minute. Luckily, Mike Catanese, Benny Trokan, and Mikey Post—Dave Amels’ bandmates in Brooklyn soul group The Jay Vons—were up for the task. The four flew to Nashville, learned the songs, and recorded them with Greg in a couple of days. Thus was born the group that you hear on Shattered. They’ve been touring and playing together ever since, and Shattered proves that the musical union is both exciting and consistent.

The album was recorded at Daptone’s Brooklyn studio (where drummer Mikey works in the office) and masterfully engineered by Wayne Gordon. The recordings are warm and punchy, a mixed bag of rockers, ballads, and something in between. There are only 11 songs on the album, but the band reckons it’s just right. Check out the track "My My" below.

Vinyl copies of Shattered and the recent repress of  Reigning Sound Live At Goner Records 6-26-2005 LP will be available at Goner (2152 Young Avenue at Cooper) in Memphis on Saturday (July 12) where Greg Cartwright will be playing a solo in-store. Be sure to arrive before 5 pm and yes, it's BYOB.