From the Tusk Magazine (August 14, 2009):

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090814/NEWS/908139925/1242/ENTERTAINMENT04?Title=Blaine-Duncan-looking-for-more-than-just-a-label

By Trey Irby

From the Tusk Magazine:

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090814/NEWS/908139923/1242/ENTERTAINMENT04?Title=Self-titled-album-reveals-Duncan-s-dark-humorous-songwriting

Self-titled album reveals Duncan's dark, humorous songwriting

By Cory Pennington

After three years of playing shows around Tuscaloosa, Blaine Duncan and the Lookers have finally recorded an album. Recorded by Lynn Bridges in Tuscaloosa and mastered by Alex McCollough in Nashville, the album revolves around Duncan's songwriting. A high school English teacher by day, Duncan sings a unique Southern prose that is both dark and sharply humorous.

The result is a collection of songs that will never ride the waves of radio or garner attention from any big-time record executives, but that won't bother Blaine and the Lookers; they would need auto-tune and hair gel for that.

Duncan's voice is an unorthodox one. The virtue in the vocals is the sincerity with which they are delivered, both lyrically and physically, not in the singer's vocal range. Duncan distances himself from the mainstream on the album with lines such as 'those people on ‘American Idol' don't look anything like me' and 'they try to convince me Kenny Chesney's a big star/I don't listen to country radio anymore.'

Duncan jokingly describes his music as 'country-rock power-slop,' which is actually a pretty good description. Although it is far from sloppy, the banjo, pedal steel guitar and heavy power chords create a sound that The Drive-By Truckers might resemble if they were a little brighter and used fewer minor chords.

The string bends and catchy hook on 'I've Got Nothing' makes it an immediate favorite and the pedal steel on 'Pills' will please even the most fundamental country music fan.

You may have noticed on our calendar that we are playing on the famed Bama Belle.  For those of you who are members of the Tuscaloosa community or have visited the city a few times, you know that is the riverboat that you see so often on the Black Warrior River, the river that separates Tuscaloosa and Northport.  Usually, the Bama Belle offers a nice dinner and boat ride for a reasonable admission.  However, for the show that we are so lucky to have been asked to play, it's going to be a little different.  

First of all, as far as I know, it is still an all-ages event, just as all things are on the Bama Belle.  For us, it's kind of rare to play an all-ages show.  I suppose that it's even more rare in that we're doing it on the Bama Belle.  If you've never been on it, let me tell you, it's pretty neat.

Anyway, the show features a taping of Well That's Cool, Tuscaloosa's podcast for the people, performances by The Bangtail Cats, us, and The Dexateens.  It's going to sell out, so we thought we would give you the first heads up about the show way before it happens.  We also wish to thank Well That's Cool and Bo Hicks for putting it together.  You can find out more information about it by using the following link.  You can also use that to order your tickets, which we highly suggest:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76501

Thanks.  We're going to be taking a break for a just less than a month, but we'll back at Egan's for Nick Rymer's going away party on August 21st.  Hope to see you then or at the shows that we have lined up in the future.

Lastly, just thanks for reading and supporting us.  We notice it, and we appreciate it very much.

Taken from the blog Livin', located here:

CD Review


"Thank the lord for Blaine Duncan & The Lookers. Because, finally, I have a reason to be excited about new music.

Let's face it: there ain't much to get excited about in the country/Southern rock music scene these days.

Mainstream radio hasn't put out anything that can even remotely be called country since Shania Twain burst on the scene in the '90s and with the ever-graceful presence of the angel of death. Yeah, there are a couple of mainstays that you can't deny (Alan Jackson and George Strait, namely); but, it ain't country anymore -- it's pop, plain and simple. The Nashville suits are always looking for the next Rascal Flatts or Taylor Swift. Shooter Jennings said it best: "They built Music City by sacrificing soul."

And rock radio... well, has there ever really been a place for Southern rock in the mainstream? Quick, name me five Southern rock acts who really transcended boundaries and rose above the regional biases. Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, ZZ Top... umm, that's it, right? Maybe there's not room for simple songs about life. Or maybe if you don't wear eyeliner and shirts four-times too small with a scarf you don't get played. I don't know the rules, I just know they're stupid.

So we're forced to look beyond what's given to us. We're forced (although a good number of us, like myself, go willingly) into smoke-filled, dimly-lit bars to hear real music.

And it is there that you find Blaine Duncan & The Lookers, as sure and dependable as any band out there.

Their live shows are unmistakable. The three-guitar melodic attack of Duncan, David Phillips and Ham Bagby leads the way, striking a fine balance between boogie-down licks and rock-fist thrusting solos. The rhythm section of Kendall Rich on bass (a spot formerly filled by Ryan Akers, who appears on the album as both bassist and co-songwriter) and Mikey Oswalt on drums pounds out toe-tapping beats one after the other, with the steady ferocity of coal miners doing their jobs day in and day out. Then there's Duncan, who leads them all with his "aw-shucks" charisma -- always starting out shows looking almost nervous on stage, then erupting into a flurry of Pete Townsend-esque guitar strums and rally-leading shouts.

But the translation from live performance to CD is where the band's magnificence really shines. The songs are put together with an intricate tightness, something you can really appreciate as a music fan -- especially when Nathan Pitts lends a hand on pedal steel and banjo. But at the same time they have a carefree attitude, almost as if there's a subliminal message hidden somewhere that tells you to crank your stereo, roll down your windows and rock into the breeze.

The songwriting is absolutely superb. It's simple and thought-provoking without tripping over itself trying to be too complex. There's no pandering to any formulas, just an honest freshness. There are no stereotypical "I'm from the country" anthems, no cookie-cutter love songs.

There's just the boys in the band and their music. Boys who don't take themselves too seriously -- as evidenced by songs like "I Don't Smoke Dope With Satan (Since He Left Me at the Mall)" -- but still know how to settle in and delve into heartfelt efforts like "The Death" and "Virginia (State Park)" with a seamless ease.

In the end, you won't want to take this one out of your CD player until you wear it out. The play count on your iPod will climb and climb until you know every word by heart. You'll eagerly anticipate their every show until you realize the soul Shooter Jennings was talking about may have been sacrificed in Music City, but it still lives strong in bands like Blaine Duncan & The Lookers."


Thanks for reading.  If you're interested in obtaining a copy of the album, you can here it here, digitally:

DigStation

Or, if you desxire to have a physical copy, you may order it at this site:

CD Baby 

And as always, you can find us all over the internet.  We're on facebook, twitter, and our homepage:

Blaine Duncan & the Lookers


Lastly, you can find the original review posted here:

Livin'
 

Dear friends and lovers:

We have been very busy preparing for our CD release show on May 9th. We'll be at Little Willie's with Mansfield and Lauderdale. We're lucky to have two great bands on the bill slap full of our friends. It's a cool thing, and we always feel great when the show is one we really would go to, even if we weren't playing. But, we'll be posting a lot more about that show in the next week and a half. Stay tuned for that business.

In the meantime, we've got a few new shows added to our dates. You can check those on our myspace for them, but we also have a facebook page.  If you would like, search for us on there.  It's not hard to find. 

Add us on there if you haven't already. We keep it updated quite a bit.

We've also gotten ourselves involved with the amazement that is Twitter. I honestly am a bit confused, but I was lucky enough to find a friend or two on there. Maybe it will come to me after a few tries. You can follow the band on there by going here (I think):

http://twitter.com/bdandthelookers

Lastly, we will soon have a working site of our own. Maybe it will happen sooner than you think. And it will be full of goodies:

http://www.blaineduncanandthelookers.com

So, be on the lookout for the album, the website, the tweets, and the upcoming shows. We'll soon be bombarding all the media outlets, so you should be able to get the album on CD Baby, iTunes, and Digstation when it is released on May 9th. Keep your eye out on the different things!

See you all soon!

As far as people go, Ryan is tops. As far as musicians (and bass players) go, Ryan is as sturdy as anyone, if not ten times better than the great bass players on some nights. He had more than talent. He had "it."

As of now it seems as though the Lookers have a tentative bass player to replace Ryan.

However, if something happens in the next coming days and things do not work out, the Lookers will be holding auditions, as lame as that sounds. If you know of a good bass player or you, yourself, are a bass player please let me know.

I came up with a lot of ideas of what the next member of the Lookers should embody and basically when I looked at the finished list, I simply wanted Ryan Akers. He is easy to get along with, works well with everyone, keeps smiling through it all, is talented, lets us know his ideas backed with encouragement, plays like every show is his last, feels the music both when playing and after, loves to play or just practice, and is talented. Yeah, that last one is worth saying twice.

I can't say enough great things about him.

I feel sorry for the next guy, whomever that permanent position may go to in the end. Because that person is going to have some very large shoes to fill, both literally and figuratively.

Late one night several months ago during a show, I looked at Ryan and he wasn't himself. He was distant, danced absolutely none, and barely moved. It wasn't normal of him. In fact, it brought us all down a bit. When I found out he was leaving immediately after the show, I guessed something was wrong. When I asked him, he said he was just sick. When prodded, though, I found out that he was pretty much playing in a small, smoked-filled bar with the flu. He never asked for money or pity. He showed up, played, and went home smiling, even though he felt ten times worse than any of us.

So, go ahead. Let me know if you'd like to be a Looker.

If you love music that much, we want you on board.

This Friday night we are playing on the largest bill since the inception of our band.  And we’re getting to play on that bill right here in town. It’s an incredibly impressive line up, with only a few notables missing.  I would be there if I wasn’t playing, I’m sure.

As you can scroll down and see, it’s non stop fun on both stages from 3:00 P.M.--3:00 A.M.  And it’s all ages.  Yet, they sell beer. 

This is an amazing world we live in.

The Greensboro Room:

Reigning Nails   3:15pm-4:00pm

22 Short Street   4:15pm-5:00pm

Mr. Satan’s Terribly Awesome Band   5:15pm-6:00pm

Themwarcrymommas   6:15pm-7:00pm

PH Delicious   7:15pm-8:00pm

Uri   8:15pm-9:00pm

Pat, Owall, Caucasian    9:15pm-10:00pm

Elliot Davis   10:15pm-11:00pm

Ominous Castle   11:15pm-12:00am

The Sore I’S   12:15am-1:00am

Callooh! Callay!    1:15am-2:00am

Crunksaures Sex   2:15am-3:00am

The Main Theatre Stage:

Sons of Thunder 3:00pm - 3:45pm

Ahead Band 4:00-4:45pm

The Ackleys 5:00pm-5:45pm

Alyson Greenfield 6:00pm-6:45pm

The National Trust 7:00pm-7:45pm

Druid City Rockers 8:00pm-8:45pm

Skullduggery 9:00pm-9:45pm 

Baak Gwai 10:00pm-10:45pm

The Universe 11:00pm-11:45pm

The Hypsies 12:00am-12:45am

Blaine Duncan and the Lookers 1:00am-1:45am

Squirrelhouse & The Bonky Bonks 2:00am-2:45am

It has been a long time since I stood on a stage alone and played an acoustic guitar.

I had one of the best times on stage tonight simply because I had the absolutely, best crowd for which to play. 

Tonight's show with Elliott McPherson at the Bama Theatre was phenomenally awesome.  Not only did I get to sit and enjoy one of my all-time favorite singers and songwriters, but I got to open for him.  Add that with the excellent crowd that was there and I could not have asked for a better evening. 

It's odd, as I told many of my friends, it took a year of playing loud, rock music before people wanted to hear the acoustic versions that I'd been playing before for years.  But, that's okay and fine because it was a nice change of pace. 

Don't get me wrong: I missed the Lookers tonight.  There were times when I would want to just turn to someone onstage and smile really big in that way that we in the band all know; it's that smile that tells one another that we're not only doing something that sounds right, but feels incredibly fun.  Playing with the Lookers is a blast.  But tonight was special and I'm so thankful.

I've always wanted to play the Bama, too, and I finally got to do that. 

Thanks goes to David Allgood, the excellent audience, my friends, my band (for helping me realize that these songs existed on two or three different levels), and, of course, Elliott. 

But maybe Elliott said it best when he said, "Thanks to Walt Maddox for not tearing this place down."

Support local arts, especially the Bama Theatre.  What a great venue. 

Much love,
-Blaine of the better group of guys called the Lookers