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Even though Nine Pound Hammer disbanded in 1996 and guitarist Blaine Cartwright moved on to work with the band Nashville Pussy, members still reunited for a short series of live performances. Bandmates first got back together in Georgia in 2000, and repeated the reunion event with another show three months later in Kentucky. The following year, Nine Pound Hammer reunited again and headed to North Carolina, where the band performed at that summer's Sleazefest in the city of Chapel Hill.
The band formed in 1985 in Evansville, IN, when singer Scott Luallen and Cartwright pulled together the lineup of Brian "Forrest" Payne on bass, Toby Myrig on drums, and David Epperson. Soon, however, Payne and Epperson dropped out, and bass player Bart Altman took Payne's place. Gigs followed in Kentucky and Indiana before the group re-christened itself Raw Recruit and headed to Lexington, KY. Another name change ensued, with the band ending up as Black Sheep and landing a regular gig as a local nightspot's house band. Drummer Darren Howard soon stepped in to take over for Myrig, and the group reverted to the name Nine Pound Hammer. The lineup continued to evolve, with bassist Altman dropping out and Kathy Lewellyn stepping in. Before the 1988 release of The Mud, the Blood, and the Beers for the Wanghead label, the band also included bassist Brian Moore and drummer Rob Hulsman. Moore soon left, his shoes filled by Matt Bartholomy. In 1992, Crypt Records put out Smokin Taters. A two-month European tour followed, but the lineup still hadn't settled down. By the time a second tour of the continent rolled around, Hulsman was out and Johnny Evans was in. By 1994, when the band recorded Hayseed Timebomb, Bill Waldron had become the group's drummer. Nine Pound Hammer embarked on another European tour, and a recording of the band's performance in Sweden was issued as a double live album three years after the group officially disbanded. Another change in drummers took effect that same year with the addition of Adam Neal, who came aboard in time for the band's North American tour. An appearance at Sleazefest followed in 1995. The following year, Waldron came back for the band's Japanese tour. Cartwright and spouse Ruyter Suys, along with Nine Pound Hammer drummer Neal, pulled together a new group called Hell's Half-Acre. The group evolved into Nashville Pussy.
from Wikipedia:
Nine Pound Hammer is an American cowpunk band formed in 1985 by vocalist Scott Luallen and guitarist Blaine Cartwright (later of Nashville Pussy) in their hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky. Though not recorded until 1988, the band were one of the initial wave of acts to combine the roots sound of country music with punk rock, and became a foreruner to subsequent roots-punk artists.
History
Nine Pound Hammer first played at The Ross Theater, opening for the Xtian rap group, The Disciples Of Decadence, in nearby Evansville, Indiana, with drummer Toby Myrig, David Epperson, and bassist Brian (Forrest) Payne, in 1984. David and Brian left, and Bart Altman, thunderstick man from The Disciples Of Decadence, joined on bass. This lineup played locally in Owensboro, Kentucky and Evansville Indiana, garnering a very loyal following before relocating to Lexington, Kentucky as the Raw Recruits. The band then changed their name to The Black Sheep and became the house band at Great Scott's Depot. Darren Howard replaced Toby, and the band became Nine Pound Hammer again. The name of the band is taken from the Merle Travis song Nine Pound Hammer.
Brian Moore (Active Ingredients) and Rob Hulsman (Tarbox Ramblers) joined on bass and drums in 1988, just before recording the band's first LP, The Mud, The Blood, and The Beers.
The band has six full length albums and several EPs.
In 2005, Nine Pound Hammer was asked to pen a theme song and lyrics for 12 oz. Mouse, a new Adult Swim animated series showing on America's Cartoon Network. Singer Scott Luallen also appears in the series as the voice actor for the character Roostre. More recently, they were featured on Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Colon the Soundtrack with the track "Carl's Theme," in which the lyrics play off of the character "Carl" and one of his lines in ATHF.
