vanessa boyd

introducing femo rock : vanessa boyd has gone electric with her new band the yes men : the sound line-up includes vanessa on vocals and acoustic guitar, grizz on electric guitar, slim john on electric bass, and thompson on percussion

“This is no chopped liver” – Host Kim Clark, WNCW (Mar 06)

vanessa boyd & the yes men are playing original music that kicks ass for an adult audience : friends describe the music as ranging from ethereal to savage, a wide-ranging mix of musical emotion utilizing melodic dissonance : if Ben Harper, a lo-fi Joni Mitchell & Hüsker Dü had genetically engineered children, they would have vanessa boyd & the yes men ::

vanessa boyd vanessa has been performing original live music for over 5 years, previously focusing on acoustic music : this new sound has been in the mental make for a while, and its embodiment in the yes men is very exciting : vanessa has participated in musical theatre (Celtic Christmas and Stand by Your Man: Women in Country Music both based in New Orleans, LA) and has given live interviews and performances for radio stations such as wncw, wets, wutk, wtul & wwoz : she has performed on cable television and has put in countless stage hours : vanessa’s songs are equal parts lyrics and music and she believes in producing a sound that engages the listener

Band Members:
band member bios

Slim John has lived in the southern Appalachians his whole life: Greeneville, TN - Spartanburg, SC - Erwin, TN - Greeneville, TN. He grew up singing gospel music with his family and has played in several different musical projects since including symphonic, jazz, rock, country, bluegrass and old time. Currently John also plays bass fiddle in the old time group, Lost Mountain String Band. Being someone who avoids musical pigeonholing, he especially enjoys playing with the Yes Men because it gives him the opportunity to draw from all corners of music to generate a new sound. His hopes for the Yes Men are to rock out as long as possible and see the band continue to expand their sound.

Percussionist Dale Thompson is a true child of the ‘60’s, having been born in ’69. He was raised conventionally in upper East Tennessee. Eventually, though, Dale found himself dissatisfied with convention, and things got freaky. It was at a Rainbow Gathering in 1994 where he first heard the sound of masses of people playing drums and percussion; life was different thereafter.

Dale met his future wife Shannon in January 1999, and their child was born in January 2000. They met Vanessa Boyd via mutual friends in 2003. With Vanessa’s music, Dale saw a venue for his talents and has happily been her “back-up band” for over two years now.

When listening to music, Dale favors far-out horn jazz or radical progressive soul from the ‘70’s. Dale and his wife are health-food nuts and Jesus freaks. Other interests include sustainable/alternative building and gardening. They’re also in the process of growing a home business, Peace & Plenty, producing therapeutic salves and balms with essential oils.

Grizz (electric guitar) was born in St. Charles, Illinois to musical parents. He grew up with acoustic guitars in the house that he learned chords on from his brother, and he also learned to play piano. By age 13 he had begun writing arrangements for original songs and in Jr. High he started his first band with friends, moving from guitar to bass since no one else played. In high school he expanded to the upright bass for two years in Jazz band and continued to play bass and guitar in both acoustic and electric formats in local bands after graduation. Grizz moved to Tennessee at age 20 and kept his chops up in basement bands. He enjoys playing by ear, according to the vibe, and he is glad to be playing with some cool musicians in Greeneville.

Pictures:
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“Lyrically, Boyd shows an independent spirit that is refreshing to me in this genre.” -Christy Smith, Johnson City Press, Johnson City, TN

“Long-known in the East Tennessee region as a Celtic diva with wit, grit, and a hint of twang…” -Laura Blackley, Asheville Citizen-Times, Take 5, Asheville, NC

…“unkept woman, shows off Boyd’s unique, slightly edgy voice (one that, in some weird way, recalls 4 Non-Blondes lead singer Linda Perry). Boyd’s music, however, is miles removed from the rocky pop of the Blondes: She evokes her own purer rock formula on the path of the introspective songwriter. “ - Stuart Gaines, Mountain Xpress, Asheville, NC

“Boyd is not afraid to experiment with different sounds…” -Brenda Lee Kozuch, OffBeat Music Magazine, New Orleans, LA