Chris Barnes EPK

CHRIS "BADNEWS" BARNES

VizzTone Recording Artist

BOOK NOW!

CHRIS BADNEWS BARNES COVER FEATURE - BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE

Chris BADNEWS Barnes and Grammy Award-winning producer, Tom Hambridge, have teamed up for Barnes’ first ever original blues album, BADNEWS RISING. This is Barnes’ third release with Vizztone Records. All ten original offerings written by Barnes & Hambridge were recorded at Nashville’s Sound Stage Studio with top studio musicians, Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton, Anson Funderburgh) on Piano/B3, Tommy MacDonald (Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter) playing Bass. Pat Buchanan (Cameo, Hall & Oates) on Guitar/Harmonica and Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Roy Buchanan) behind the console and drum kit as both producer and drummer. BADNEWS RISING delivers the same stock and trade ironic, salacious Hokum Blues lyrics that Barnes is known for.

Barnes, a former Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock & Carol Burnett television show performer and writer, has made his mark in the blues community being hailed as The King of Hokum Blues by Elmore Magazine. His first Vizztone Release; Hokum Blues was an homage to The Hokum Boys, i.e .Tampa Red & Georgia Tom, a number one Chart Topper recruiting fellow New York City musicians Will Lee (David Letterman), Jimmy Vivino (Conan O’Brien), Shawn Pelton (Saturday Night Live Band), Bete Sussman (Bette Midler), and Harmonica virtuoso Steve Guyger (Jimmy Rogers). His second Vizztone release LIVE, was recorded aboard the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. Tony Braunagel produced the album which received two Independent Blues Award nominations; Best Live CD and Best Blues Band. LIVE hit number eight on Billboard and number five on Amazon. Keeping the Blues Alive Award Winning Radio Broadcaster, Vincente’ Zummel, writes : “BADNEWS Barnes is in Blues what Frank Zappa was in 70’s underground sound. Great.”

While BADNEWS RISING is an all original album the satiric muses are also punctuated with honest biographical blues driven gems like : When Koko Came to Town, Barnes tells the story of his early Hokum days performing at Tramps in New York City and sharing the stage with legends like Koko Taylor, Pinetop Perkins, Johnny Copeland. I Slow Danced with Joni Mitchell is a powerful juxtaposition of the highs and lows of Barnes’ celebrated career. A dark treacherous slow ballad co-written with John Hahn (Shemika Copeland) entitled, You Wanna Rock, You Gotta Learn The Blues is sure to draw you in. Two other co-writes , Quid Pro Quo with Chicago Blues authority Terry Abrahamson (Muddy Waters) and Chicks Dig Me, with John Murray, Bill Murray’s younger brother. BADNEWS RISING is exactly what we all need to bring us out of the crazy times. The deep driving rhythm combined with Barnes’ witty lyrics will have you singing right along with Texas Weiner, I Like Cleavage and My Baby Be Cray Cray.

**AMERICAN BLUES SCENE - EXCLUSIVE WORLD PREMIERE “CHICKS DIG ME” SINGLE**

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING...

"Bad News Barnes is in blues what Frank Zappa was in seventies underground sound. GREAT." – KBA award -winning radio host, Vincent Zumel

"This guy is not just a comic with a challenging sense of humor, he’s also one helluva singer/songwriter with an at times decidedly jaundiced eye on the skewed social and political world of modern America." – Iain Patience, Elmore Magazine

"This is a wonderful combination of Traditional Hokum and Comtemporary Satire made by mighty fine musicians with a love of both. It is Tight Like This, enjoy." – Bill Wax, Blues Radio Luminary

"This excellent new alblum has been an authentic and amazing revelations. Ireally like Barnes" personal and satrical treatments of blues classics and his original's sharp compositions are so good, delivering a 360 degrees vision of blues, soul and American Roots Music." – Roberto Rossi, European Syndicated Radio Host

"With funky grooves, thunderous rhythmic assault and performing in his blood; the most entertaining Blues albums in recent memory."
– Mark Urichock, Weekender, Northern Pennsylvania's No 1 source for arts and entertainment

"W.C Handy said, “our Hokum Hooked’em”. Well Chris Barnes will Hook you with his latest. “Hokum Blues”. Fourteen songs, steeped in risque’ innuendo and double entendre tomfoolery; that honor the tradition of this great American Art form." – Vinny Marini, Music On The Couch