Long before many of today�s up-and-coming �Americana� artists were even old enough to hold a Telecaster, Bill Kirchen was driving them through the wall as a singer, songwriter, and most notably as a lead guitar player in the 1970�s trailblazing group Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, whose now famous re-working of the 1950�s classic �Hot Rod Lincoln� went to No. 9 on the charts in 1972.  It was during this stint with Commander Cody and crew that Kirchen came into his own as a guitarist, mixing together an array of different musical styles and backgrounds from blues, rock, country, and rockabilly.  With Telecaster always in hand, Kirchen would become known for his �dieselbilly� sound, a sound for which he is now the undisputed king.
Now some thirty years removed from those days of outlaw rock n� roll, Kirchen has been building a solid solo career that began years later in 1994 with the release of his debut solo album Tombstone Every Mile.  That was followed by the critically acclaimed release Have Love Will Travel in 1996, and together the two records showcased Kirchen�s vast range of musical tastes and further established him as a touchstone artist in this world of �Americana� music long before any such label every existed.  The line of artists that have praised Kirchen�s work or point to him as an influence ranges from the likes Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and the Allman Brothers Band, to Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys, Junior Brown, and a whole host of artists whose music does not fit neatly into one category or distinction but whose sound is rooted in the rich history of rock, country, and hillbilly blues.  With the release of Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods, Kirchen continues to beat a path through the wide world of sound, once again showing the way forward for future artists to follow.
Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods kicks off with a blast in the form of the album�s title track, a song that pays tribute not only to Kirchen�s trusty Telecaster but also to the host of musicians that have slung the straight driving �honky tonk hammer� as Kirchen lists off the likes of Buck Owens, Keith Richards, Muddy Waters, and Bruce Springsteen just to name a few.  Tightly wrapped around a stomping beat and plenty of string bendin�, this is just one of five new tracks that Kirchen wrote or co-wrote for the new record.
True to his diverse musical background and tastes, Kirchen jumps from straight ahead roots rock to Gram Parsons-tinged country as heard on another of the album�s brand new songs �Get A Little Goner� as Kirchen trades classic country guitar licks with special guest Cindy Cashdollar who sits in on steel guitar.  The best of the new songs comes along just before the album�s mid-point with a blue collar do-wop rocker Kirchen wrote called �Workin� Man�.  With a shuffling, deep drum beat, a catchy back chorus of ditty ditty wops, and a double shot of organ and piano from band members Austin DeLone and Geraint Watkins, �Workin Man� bounces and grooves while Kirchen voice is strong and convincing as he delivers the song�s underlying message:  �Now a workin� man won�t understand, how a company man became a hired hand / Now a workin� man can�t understand how he can�t afford a ticket to the promised land�.
As Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods moves from displaying Kirchen�s songwriting talents into celebrating the music he loves, we find him tapping into his Michigan Motown roots with a soulful, bluesy version of �Devil With the Blue Dress� (made popular in 1967 by Motor City rockers Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels), as well as celebrating one of his songwriting heroes on the lonely roadhouse blues of Blackie Farrell�s �Skid Row in My Mind�.  And just for good measure Bill and his band kick it up with a taste of Memphis rockabilly that would make Mr. Sam Phillips smile and tap his toes on the hopping, piano pounding number �Heart of Gold�.
In the end I don�t think Bill Kirchen cares if you call his music Americana, roots driven country/rock, or a big ol� slab of burning love.  In the end, he has made a career out of ignoring labels by playing and writing music that has a story to tell or that simply feels good or sounds good to his ears and his heart.  As for Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods?  � I�m reminded of an interview I heard with James Mangold, who director the Johnny Cash biopic �Walk the Line�.  Mangold said that Johnny Cash initially had but one concern when casting the role of who would play the Man In Black.  �Whoever plays me, make sure they don�t hold the guitar like a baby�.  Then Johnny preceded to pick up his guitar by the neck with one hand and swung it into his arms�the same way a carpenter would a hammer�to illustrate that the tools he used were the same any man might use.  Much like Johnny Cash, Bill Kirchen hits the nail right on the head.