Album Notes

Fifty Fifty Music recording artists 5 Chinese Brothers aren't Chinese, they're not brothers, and there aren't five of them... their music incorporates the best of all types of roots music: country music that's smart, city music with heart.

Five Chinese Brothers have some major-league fans. That's why their first album, Singer Songwriter Beggarman Thief, received glowing reviews in CMJ, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Stereo Review, CD Review, and Esquire. That's why their second album, Stone Soup, rode the Gavin Americana chart for more than three months, spending six weeks in the top ten. And that's why they were invited to appear on VH-1's Country Countdown with Travis Tritt and NPR's World Cafe.
Five Chinese Brothers incorporate the best of all types of roots music. That's why they are welcome at rock clubs, listening rooms, coffee houses, and outdoor festivals. That's why such diverse publications as Dirty Linen(folk), New Country(country), and Option(alternative) have recommended them. That's why critics have recognized in their music the influences of Gram Parsons, John Prine, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams Sr., the Band, Woody Guthrie, and Tom Petty.
During the past several years, Five Chinese Brothers have toured extensively, visiting Europe and the West Coast and playing frequently in the Northeast and South. They have appeared at the Midtown Music Festival (Atlanta). Summer Lights (Nashville), the Riverbend Festival (Chattanooga), City Stages (Birmingham), and the Winnipeg Folk Festival, among others.
After recording two singles on Brooklyn's Diesel Only label and several tracks for Fast Folk Music Magazine, Five Chinese Brothers released Singer Songwriter Beggarman Thief on the PRIME CD label in January of 1994. In July of 1995, they followed it with Stone Soup. The band takes it's name from a children's book. Five Chinese Brothers are: Stephen B. Antonakos, lead guitar; Paul Foglino, bass; Tom Meltzer, guitar and lead vocals; and Neil Thomas, accordian and keyboards.