Nine Pound Hammer

Nine-pound Hammer
Guitarist Blaine Cartwright at performing in November 2012
Guitarist Blaine Cartwright at performing in November 2012
Background information
OriginOwensboro, Kentucky
GenresHardcore punk, cowpunk
Years active1985–1997, 1998-present
MembersScott Luallen
Blaine Cartwright
Earl Crim
Brian Pulito
Mark Hendricks

Nine-pound Hammer is an American cowpunk band.[1][2] They were formed in 1985 by vocalist Scott Luallen and guitarist Blaine Cartwright in their hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky.[3] They experienced their initial success with Crypt Records.[4]

Nine-pound Hammer was one of the first rural hardcore punk bands to substantially incorporate rural blue collar motifs into the minimalistic hardcore sound. Their lyrics (suggestive of outlaw country) featured themes such as alcoholism, rural poverty, and violence, and included references and homages to the likes of Jesco White and Dale Earnhardt. In contrast, most of the urban, experimental cowpunk bands of 1970s/80s Los Angeles and the UK were roots rock, folk rock or New Wave bands incorporating country music instruments and influences as a secondary (sometimes temporary) aspect of their sound.

Following the breakup of the band in 1997, guitarist Blaine Cartwright formed the band Nashville Pussy,[5] which shares many of Nine-pound Hammer's musical and lyrical conventions with the addition of a lead guitarist and a more hard rock/Southern rock-focused format.

  1. ^ "Nine-pound Hammer biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  2. ^ Terlesky, John (1 Sep 1995). "Nine-pound Hammer to bang out cowpunk in Bethlehem". The Morning Call. p. D8.
  3. ^ Davidson, Eric (2022). We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001. Backbeat. pp. 100–103.
  4. ^ Tunis, Walter (Aug 9, 1996). "Nine-pound ready to hammer out tunes, tour again". Weekender. Lexington Herald-Leader. p. 4.
  5. ^ de Luca, Dan (7 Nov 1997). "Nashville P.". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 16.