On their debut, the Memphis Radio Kings teased us with promise. After the glow faded from the stunning opener, "Givin' Up," the disc took turns fading and reviving in a pleasant, yet uneven set list. However, the Seattle trio's sophomore release, No Band in the Happy Place, offers and fulfills its promise from start to finish. The haunting opener, "Waiting on a Train," as good or better in every respect as "Givin' Up," encapsulates the Memphis Radio Kings - the smart pop hooks, smooth singing, and entrancing Memphis-tinged rumbling guitar - at their finest. And, instead of letting one great song dangle noticeably in front of an average album, the band stretches out its signature songs and musicianship through 12 finely crafted songs. No Band in the Happy Place originally filters all the musical flavors of middle America into smart, thoroughly enjoyable pop rock. Seattle area writer Steve Stav summed up the Memphis Radio Kings' sound perfectly in writing, "the Kings have produced a record that has roots somewhere between Minneapolis and Mississippi - between the Replacements and Lightnin' Hopkins." It's more bluesy than early 60s British Invasion pop, more pop than the Replacements, and more punk than Sun Studio rockabilly. And, as the playful riff from "Purple Rain" in "Wasted Years," suggests, the Minneapolis influence springs from more than just The Replacements. No Band in a Happy Place sits comfortably in between all of these influences, letting the band pick what suits them best from each style. Highlighting their connection to Southern roots music, the Memphis Radio Kings guide these songs without a bass. On their debut, without the crutch of a solid bass line, several songs gamely drifted about not hitting the listener with the impact they should have. Since then, the band's songwriting has progressed dramatically, writing tunes specifically to showcase their talents and their instrumentation. On No Band in the Happy Place, you hardly notice the bass is gone. Tony Leamer's drums power and skip playfully through the set, keeping the music frantically ahead of conventional pop-rock beats. Charlie Beck's voice finds a home in each of these songs. His slightly scuffed-up tenor perfectly balances between sugary pop and urgent, emotionally-charged post-punk rock. But these songs belong to Tim Jones' guitar. Whether he's behind these scenes playing off Leamer's drums in a two-step boogie, or if he's in front bending notes in effortless quick country-blues solos, his stamp is all over this music. He leaves the listener an impression that he's some grizzled session guitarist, who's seen it all and played it all. His performances never muscle out the rest of the band. Instead, the notes and textures his guitar conjures only increase the atmosphere and overall effect of each song. In No Band in the Happy Place, the Memphis Radio Kings have an exceptional, confident collection of country-flavored power pop. With any luck and justice, the work they've given us will gain them much more attention than this review. They certainly deserve it. If not, they should be proud that in this album, they've added several fresh gallons to the Mississippi River's musical legacy. - John H., 1/20/03

Merely as a fan and not a critic, I want to give you what I find to be the most engaging aspects of the songs from No Band In The Happy Place. I particularly enjoy of the songs Wind Song, Wasted Years, Twenty Seven, and Which Side Are You On. The things I like about Wind Song are the jumpy, hard driving nature of the riffs Charlie (rythem guitar/ vocals) and Tim (lead guitar) have put together complemented by the tempered vocal harmonies of a number about alcohol fueled, entangled passion. The mournful lyrics of Wasted Years recall the greatest of spiteful country ballads. Tim’s guitar on this track purposefully accompanies the reflective lyrics of Wasted Years. As twenty-seven rises on the crafted licks of Tim Jones, I recall that the number twenty-seven has many connotations in the music world and the symbolism of that number is well represented in the metaphoric lyrics sung by Charlie Beck about lost love. Lastly, the questioning lyrics of Which Side Are You On, call into account the spiritual allegiance of the subject. Furthermore, the lyrics recall the difficult decisions we face in remaining true to ourselves, in my estimation. This album is supported by strong tracks like Waiting on a Train, Easy Chair, Same Old Me, Texas and Tennessee all of which highlight the Blues, Country, Southern, Gospel, Post Punk influences of the MRK. With Tony (drummer) to hold it all together and provide harmony the mastery of their work is richer. I remember the first time I saw this band live and I thought “what an interesting sound”. It certainly wasn’t something I was accustoming to hearing in the Seattle scene and I’ve been an avid listener ever since.

The trio has every right to be giddily optimistic, for their soon-to-be-released disc, No Band In The Happy Place, is truly remarkable. By blending a certain blue-collar poignancy with fiery Midwestern bar-band determination and raw-as-an-open-wound, front-porch bottleneck guitar, the Kings have produced a record that has roots somewhere between Minneapolis and Mississippi -- between the Replacements and Lightnin' Hopkins. Of course, the Seattle-based Memphis Radio Kings - individually or collectively - haven't been anywhere near those exotic places...or Tennessee, for that matter. No Band In The Happy Place, a collection of songs written over the past two years, was recorded "over a couple of boys' weekends out" in Vancouver, B.C.'s Mushroom Studios. Produced so well (by Colin Nairne) that it doesn't seem produced at all, the disc has an effortless, rootsy feel to it - the same kind of roots-pop that groups like R.E.M., the dB's, Let's Active, and the aformentioned Replacements revived twenty years ago. Charlie Beck's plaintive vocal delivery and lyrical inspirations are key to that intimate sound. From the chock-full-of-reget "Wasted Years" to the wistful "Same Old Me" and tempered anger of "Arizona," Beck conveys a myriad of emotions in a style similar to heroes Westerberg and Chilton, without being overly emulative. Though their often-sparse compositions spotlight each band member's talent , the star of the Kings' live show has to be Tim Jones, a fantastic sort of Telecaster-savant who is less concerned about the technical aspects of guitar playing and more interested with producing a great sound. The man bends tones so sharply, it often seems as if he's playing an old lap steel. Like his cohorts, he hasn't been playing this kind of music forever; he once played in L.A. metal bands... Realizing that they have something special on their hands, the group (who sometimes perform a cover medley of Judas Priest's "Breakin' The Law," Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," and "The Breakup Song," by Greg Kihn) want to tour in support of the new disc, if given the opportunity. Until their '63 Ford Falcon bus hits the highway, the band will be playing extensively about Seattle. And, though their enthusiasm is catching, this band of thirty-somethings have been around the block enough times to know not to set unattainable goals. "It's like climbing another rung on the ladder...it's our second record, and it's a great record," Beck unabashedly stated, adding, "I can't wait to make the next one."