SOB Mix CD Insert

The Sons of Bill are a five piece rock band whose influences include but are not limited to: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Ryan Adams and Steve Earle. As well as more current acts like Drive by Truckers, and The Hold Steady. It would be easy to put them in the category of Americana, but as a five piece band, in which all band members bring their own unique influence to the table, that label would be missing quite a bit of what they do and sound-like.

As a San Diegan friend/teammate/bartender/barroom adversary of mine (Quinn Rose), you are in the unique position of learning of a great southeast band on the rise, while still being able to live in Southern California, the most beautiful region of the country.  

Sons of Bill are: James Wilson: Vocals/Guitar, Sam Wilson: Lead Guitar/Vocals, Abe Wilson: Keyboard/Vocals, Seth Green: Bass, Todd Wellons: Drums*

*Wellons left the band for a brief time (which included their second CD) to try and make it as a professional paper pushing desk-jockey, after failing at that dream, he rejoined the band in time to be heard all over their very recently released (March 26, 2012) third CD (Sirens). Brian Cuputo filled in on the sticks for the second CD (One Town Away)

The Sons of Bill Formed in the year 2005, when 3 brothers with the last named Wilson (sound familer **cough cough** Beach Boys **cough cough**) teamed up with 2 friends to form a band, based around songs that the group founder James Wilson had been writing in his head, on paper, and with a tape recorded for the past several years. After only a couple months together the band won University of Viriginia’s 2005 battle of the bands, which got them 20 hours of free recording time at a local recording studio and led to their first album A Far Cry From Freedom. Since then the band has gone on to make 2 more albums, while not compromising on who they are or what they want to sound like. In 2007 Sons of Bill played a month’s worth of shows on US army bases in Asia that they did through Armed Forces Entertainment. In 2008-2009 Sons of Bill made their second album: One Town Away with LA based producer Jim Scott when he wasn’t busy producing Wilco: Wilco (the album). When time came to make the third album, the band realized it didn’t have the money to make the album they really wanted to make so they took to the website Kickstarter.com hoping that their fans/friends/and family could help them raise 20,000.00 over a two week period, the band was able to make it in less i than 24 hours and wound up making over $40,000.00. The SOB’s quickly put that money to good use and hired David Lowery (lead singer of the band Cracker) to produce their third album: Sirens, in their home state of Virginia. Sons of Bill have played in several music festivals including: Campout East, Bonnaroo, and several times at South by Southwest. 

Tracklist (album which it comes from)

1.       Santa Ana Winds (Sirens)- Written By Abe Wilson, though it features James on lead vocals, this is the first official single from the band and will be a huge hit, if it gets into the right hands. The official video can be found on youtube. Written while the band was making their second album in LA, the song is relatable to everyone in Southern California.

2.       Take Me Back To The Time (A Far Cry From Freedom)- Part of the original tunes James wrote while digging trenches at Deep Springs School, a twangy tune about the simpler times of high school that Taylor Swift only wishes she could write. I was among the people, he said goodbye too on the football field.

3.       Rock and Roll (One Town Away)- A rock song that pays homage to the old school ethos of Country Music “And you’re the only girl I know/make me think that love/could save my soul/but country songs don’t end that way/and I don’t play rock n roll” Rest assure, Sons of Bill do play Rock and Roll, they play Rock and Roll very good.

4.       Turn It Up (Sirens)-Over 7 minutes in length with some Layla-esque guitar soloing by Sam Wilson, this song quickly earned a place near the top of my favorite SOB songs. Abe takes the vocals lead for this song. The ending of the song is much better than Layla’s if you ask me. The ending has a strong Kings of Leons “Use Somebody” vibe to it.

5.       Texas (A Far Cry From Freedom)-After James graduated high school in Charlottesville, Virginia, he headed west, to Texas, where many of his musical heroes were from, he soon found out, that the Texas melancholy that Steve Earle, Guy Clark, and Robert Earl Keene sing about don’t just apply to people born in the Lone-Star State.

6.       Charleston (One Town Away)-Charleston, South Carolina has always welcomed the Sons of Bill with open-arms, easily making it their home away from home. This song, about a man in the midst of a fight with his girlfriend deciding to take a trip to the beautiful Southwestern city, is as much an endorsement and thank you to “The Holy City” as it is a great song.

7.       Angry Eyes (Sirens)-Another of my favorite tracks off the new album.

8.       Far Cry (Paradise City) (Live 11, 10, 2006)-The studio version of this song is on the album Far Cry From Freedom, however, on these cd’s I’ve included a live version from the band’s one year anniversary. Early on this is the song that really brought the house down, with Sam Wilson’s guitar solo work in the middle. As a extra bonus of this version of the cd, the band covers a bit of Guns and Roses Paradise City as well.

9.       Western Skies (One Town Away)- My favorite Sons of Bill song. Written and Sung by Abe Wilson, this song really showcases that the band’s collaborative effort is much more Beatles than Beach Boys.

10.    Life in Shambles (Sirens) (guest singer: David Lowery of the band Cracker)- For those of you not familiar with Cracker, youtube the songs: Teen Angst, Low, and Euro-trash girl. If you are a fan of Cracker already, then you already know what Lowery’s voice can add to a song, and shouldn’t be surprised at how good this one is.

11.    Radio Can’t Rewind (Late Night’s and Broken Hearts)- A fleshed out version of this song is found on the SOB’s album Sirens. The one on this album, however, is from a Sam Wilson solo album, that, much like Springsteen’s Nebraska, is very bare boned music.

12.    Fade to Black (live at the Paramount in Charlottesville, VA) (Metallica cover)-An extra special bonus for you guys, this is a live cover of Metallica’s amazing song Fade to Black, it also showcases that the Sons of Bill are a band very much meant to enjoy live, and that their influence goes far beyond Americana music.

13.    Virginia Calling (Sirens)-As a native son of Virginia, I couldn’t end this album with any other song. James love of our home state is often obvious; this is a song that would make Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Alonzo Morning, Amie Mann, Missy Elliot, and Dave Ghorl very proud.

All Sons of Bill albums are available on Itunes, and are all worth purchasing. There are many great songs, I couldn’t include on this album. They can also be purchased on Amazon or at the bands official website, (found at the bottom of this page). As great, as the bands studio albums are, the band is really meant to be enjoyed live and the more fans of Sons of Bill we can get in Southern California the better chance we can get them to put on many live shows here. So please, tell any and all your friends about the band, burn this CD for them if you have too.  

More info about the band can be found on all the social sites of today’s youth

Like them on Facebook, Sons of Bill fan page. Send them a message when you do, tell them, Quinn Rose sent you, that they need to play shows in San Diego and/or other Southern California cities.

Follow them on Twitter @sonsofbill

Go to the bands main website: Sonsofbill.com, where you can see all the lucky East Coast and Midwest places they’ll be playing, you can also buy their albums on vinyl as well as tshirts, cozies, hats, bumperstickers and so much more.

Also visit and like the facebook pages of the band member’s side-projects:

Sam Wilson (Think Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and Beck’s Sea Change), Modern Medication (Bassist Seth Green’s side project, self-produced)

You can also listen to and like facebook pages of Friends of Sons of Bill

Luke Wilson(younger and extremely talented brother…not the actor), The Honey Dewdrops (married folk duo and the lady is a high school class-mate…The duo has played on A Prairie Home Companion, among other shows), The Wheeler Brothers (Tour mates), American Aquarium (tour mates)  

Let me know what you think of the album by emailing me qrpats@yahoo.com and/or friending me on facebook or following me on twitter @gobiasindsqvr.

I made these albums as a labor of love for these guys as a personal friend of the individuals of Sons of Bill and as a fan of the band. This was my idea and the band is not giving me any money to do this.

Look forward to hearing your opinion of them,

Quinn Rose.