"If the solar system seems a little out of sync in Little Rock, one needs only to look to hometown grassers Runaway Planet. No worries however: These four longtime friends have charted a course of contemporary bluegrass and launched a dynamite debut – No Part of Nothin'.

                                                - Bluegrass Now - June 2006 

   "Local rock bands come and go, but bluegrass groups are not quite as prolific in arriving on the central Arkansas scene, so it was worth noting when Runaway Planet arrived in our music galaxy. This quartet has now released its first CD and it's a collection of sad songs played in happy fashion, at 98 mph, more or less. The dozen original songs are book-ended by two similar versions of "St. James Infirmary Blues," both of which are less than a minute in length. Though the original songs were all written by members of Runaway Planet, some have a timeless feel, such as "Who's Gonna Work The Farm?" and "Long Way To Memphis," while "Red Barn" is one of those murder ballads that gives one the creeps even as it continues to fascinate. Steve Brauer's banjo skills are the highlight, although bassist Michael Proveaux, mandolinist Ben Ellis and guitarist Greg Alexander are almost as flawlessly exceptional. Alexander does the majority of the singing, although Proveaux sings on a couple and Brauer does the honors on three cuts. The way this Planet has launched its orbit is a promising development in local music and fans of the sort of bluegrass music played by the legendary outfit Old and In the Way, will want to grab a copy of this. B "

                                              - Jack W. Hill - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    "DEBUT CD HITS A HOMERUN By: Mark Bee   Let me start out by saying there is a problem with this CD. The problem is this. Once your debut of mostly original music comes out, it is well above average; and is at the top of the list of several DJs and critics, how do you follow it up? Runaway Planet is the name of the group, and you will hear of them. They are one of those unique bands that has the capability of pleasing fans of traditional bluegrass and fans of 'newgrass' alike.  The group, made up of Greg Alexander (Guitar and vocals), Steve Brauer (Banjo and vocals), Ben Ellis (mandolin), and Michael Proveaux (Bass and vocals), has the makeup up a traditional bluegrass band. Their sound is dead on. The name of the project is "No Part of Nothin'", and this is one of those CDs that makes you proud of the fact you are a bluegrass fan, and it makes your dad proud too.  The talent of these musicians runs deeper than just picking and playing. Alexander, Ellis, and Proveaux all wrote songs for the project. The CD opens (and closes) with 45 second reminder of their roots. A mando/banjo version of "St. James Infirmary Blues". Then it jumps right into the up tempo "Here I go"' . The song is lyrically pleasant, but the playing is superb. Here's the best part, it's just a preview of what's to come. Track 2 is the lead single from the CD called "Who's Gonna Work The Farm" and it is as near perfect as any bluegrass song cares to be. While listening to the CD, I had to keep reminding myself that this was indeed, a debut recording. The harmony vocals are perfect and the sound was amazing.  For bluegrass fans who like a newer sound, there are tracks for you as well. Track 5 "Herbal Tea" sticks out as my favorite of the newgrass selections, followed closely by "Long Way to Memphis". The other track I wanted to be sure to mention, was the song titled "Movin' On". It's bluegrass meets ballad rock.  It conjures up images of the Eagles, but with a banjo. Oh yes, in my minds eye, I can see Henley singing this song. Yup. It's just that hard to classify. If I were managing this group, I would release this song as a single to soft rock/top 40 stations. It is nice to hear bluegrass musicians who can expand their horizons and stay true to their roots at the same time.  Over all, this is a must have CD for any collection. Some day these boys will be a household name, at least in bluegrass circles, and it will be nice to own their first release. My suggestion? Go out and get this CD."  

                  - Mark Bee (Program Director and Host of the internationally syndicated bluegrass radio program 'Blades of Blue"   Independent Country Universe Blades Of Blue Syndicated radio productions of Boulton Beach Studios www.greenmountainmusic.com & www.bladesofblue.com)

    "Runaway Planet may not be a household name in bluegrass right now, but one day they could possibly be known worldwide. Their album “No Part of Nothin’” showcases 4 great new artists who have endless talent. This album starts off on the Irish sounding side of the coin with ”St. James Infirmary Blues” which doesn’t last long and sets the listener up for an exciting bluegrass album. “Here I Go” shows that Greg Alexander has powerful lead vocals and the catchy lyrics have lots of energy. “Who’s Gonna Work the Farm?” showcases Steve Brauer on lead vocals and Ben Ellis on mandolin. Every bluegrass album needs a good solid gospel style medley and this is just that song. Alexander shows his amazing guitar talent on “Burn the Clutch Out” and again shows his lead vocals. Ellis on mandolin in this song fits perfectly and his performance shines yet again. “Herbal Tea” isn’t exactly a traditional sounding song, but somehow fits very well into this album. The vocals are a bit rough, but it works for this song. “Long Way to Memphis” starts out sounding like it could be completely instrumental but then the vocals come in at the perfect time. Brauer plays a very bright sounding banjo, while although not the only instrument being played it stands out greatly and sounds amazing. “Walkin’ Blues” is that song of despair that bluegrass listeners really respond to. A song of heartbreak blends into any bluegrass album and this did just that. “Red Barn” is a definite dancing song, a song to kick your heels up to! All musicians shine on this song. “Happy Man Blues” shows Michael Proveaux as a vocal talent on this song and much better than “Herbal Tea”. This positive “the Lord will set me free” message works well into this song. “Lonely Drifter” isn’t the best song on this album, but by far still a great song. “Don’t Be a Stranger” again shows Brauer on lead vocals and again shows the endless possibility for Ellis on mandolin. This is a great jam song for any occasion. “West IO” has such a Texas feel and sound. Although taking a special listener to enjoy this it’s a song that grows on the new “Texasgrass” listener. A great gospel song! “Movin’ On” has almost a depressing sounding start, sorrowful and full of emotion. You can almost feel the emotion of the players through this song. This song is pure heartbreak and just about anyone can relate to this song. The perfect ending to this album is “St James Infirmary Blues” (Reprise). It started the album on a great instrumental note and ends it on one too.
This group Runaway Planet can’t be compared to any other out there at the moment as they are in a league of their own. Hopefully they can outlast and stick together to create more music to warm peoples hearts and put a smile on their faces."

                                                         - Samantha Sturm-Orange, Virginia

    “From the school of Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs comes bluegrass combo Runaway Planet from Little Rock, Arkansas. “No Part of Nothin'” (independently produced) is their first album and it has make quite an impact. On fourteen songs Greg Alexander (guitar, vocals), Steve Brauer (banjo, vocals), Ben Ellis (mandolin) and Michael Proveaux (bass, vocals) demonstrate that they understand the laws of bluegrass quite well. This means that the genre lover can enjoy cutting songs with the sounds of many strings - the solos on banjo, guitar and mandolin follow each other very quickly - with superior vocal harmonies. Although deeply rooted in the history (of the music) this quartet sounds considerably contemporary, yet not as alternative as The Hackensaw Boys, but much less harsh. An extra compliment for Runaway Planet, is that aside from the short, instrumental, traditional piece “St. James Infirmary Blues”, which starts and ends the album, the band wrote all the song material themselves. Therefore no covers and public domain-stuff such as is common in bluegrass-land, but a completely original repertoire. A dramatic song - concerning the destruction of the farmer’s lifestyle (tip: Who’s Gonna’ Work The Farm?), a road song (Long Way To Memphis, with the point of the song: “Long way to Memphis if you ain't from Arkansas”) and even a love song (tip: Red Barn, girl goes into a barn with another guy) The drama, road and love songs are characterized with a lot of speed and edgy tones. Not until Movin 'On does the band slow down which makes the song unusual compared to the rest of the album. But the musicians swing their sorrow away just like their heroes once did.”

                                                            - Bart Ebisch, altcountry.nl