Superhorse

Formed on a lark by moonlighting members of such legendary Georgia alternative and Americana groups as City of Lindas, GAM, Redneck GReece Delux, The Stretch Marks, The Judge & The Jury, and Splitfinger, Superhorse has since quietly established itself as one of the foremost examples of loose and swaggering pre-punk beneath The Mason-Dixon Line.

Despite infrequent live appearances and a paucity of DIY product, the band has earned a rabid following for their cathartic, over-the-top concerts and their knack for penning instantly memorable tunes whose hooks and melodies shine through a bludgeoning wall of sound that can only be produced by an (almost) ludicrous lineup of 4 lead guitars, bass, drums and vintage keyboards.

Since the band’s inception, they’ve intentionally avoided both publicity and promotion – much to the bewilderment of more than a few besotted major label toadies.

“I don’t get it,” one Sony VP exclaimed after a typically sweaty and unhinged club date. “It’s like you don’t care whether you get signed or not…”

And he was right.

With a trashy-yet-soulful vibe reminiscent of such iconoclastic rock avatars as The MC5, The Stooges, Crazy Horse, The New York Dolls, Sonic Youth, The Velvet Underground, The Replacements, Rocket From The Tombs, The Music Machine, Husker Du and The Patti Smith Group, Superhorse is that rarest of bands: sincere acolytes of the promise of raw power with no aspirations or agendas save giving the people what they want.

Since long before corporate product-pushers like The Strokes, Jet and Kings of Leon latched onto Chuck Taylor’s, ripped jeans and stringy hair (like some sort of anti-hero Halloween costume), Superhorse has secretly been making passionate, retro-rock music in a small coastal town that’s known worldwide as one of America’s last true counterculture meccas.

Bereft of college radio and in the absence of anything resembling a thriving club scene, Superhorse has forged their own path, fueled by 7 very different personalities (and 7 very different record collections). Despite an almost perverse aversion to live shows (sometimes they’ve played as little as 2 gigs in a given year), they’ve toured with Velvet Underground (and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) member Maureen “Moe” Tucker – an early fan who also helped name the band – and seen esteemed indie rock fixtures (like Dexter Romweber of The Flat Duo-Jets) and buzzworthy sensations (like Tiger! Tiger! and Jimmy & the Teasers) open for them.

Much like the work of Athens’ own critically-acclaimed songwriter Jack Logan, what was once a private stash is now on public display.

Watch and learn.

- Gordon Cole