"The first thing you have to deal with...is singer Ted Horrell's wide open, seemingly guileless vocals." - Danny Alexander, Pitch Weekly, Kansas City
"There's a touch of early R.E.M. or the Wallflowers on songs like "Waking Up Is Hard To Do" and "Tension in This Town." But make no mistake: This is still very much contemporary rock-and-roll, even if there are other genres mixed in." - Chris Shaw, Memphis Flyer
For nearly 20 years, Ted Horrell has written compelling, memorable songs and collaborated with talented musicians to record them. His current band, The Monday Night Card (named after the once-weekly professional wrestling matches held at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis when he was growing up), blends complex harmonies and tasteful, creative instrumentation to make new music and interpret songs from Horrell's repertoire of original songs.
About
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Ted Horrell has been a voice in the Memphis music scene for two decades. His five-piece backing group, The Monday Night Card, features Casey Smith on bass with long-time Memphis music fixture David Twombly on drums. Background vocals from local talents Natalie Duncan and Amy Gunnell add texture and soul to Horrell’s original songs and the band's choice covers, while violinist Anna Pearson weaves rich musical lines into the mix. The result is a harmony-laden sound influenced by Laurel Canyon bands like The Byrds, The Mamas and the Papas, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young with hints of Stax-era soul and new wave thrown into the mix. Horrell’s songwriting and performance style have evoked comparisons to Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw, and early R.E.M. The band’s tight, punchy sound, layers of harmony, and Horrell’s compelling and memorable songwriting combine for engaging performances of thoughtfully constructed songs.
Recordings
Ted has released seven collections of original music since 1999. He currently records and performs with The Monday Night Card, but previously sang, wrote songs, and played lead guitar with the Memphis band The Central Standards, as well as with the the Kansas City band Resident Clark before that. All of Ted's recorded albums are available to sample or purchase and download through the CDBaby music player below.
Ted's previous band, The Central Standards, played in Memphis between 2001 and 2007. Ted shared songwriting and singing duties with Jeffrey C. Capps who now writes and performs in Iowa City, IA. Current Monday Night Card bassist Casey Smith and drummer Marty Christopher rounded out the four-piece band that recorded three albums and earned the opportunity to perform at the 2006 Beale Street Music Fest.
Ted played with the four-piece Kansas City band Resident Clark in the late 1990s. The band included Jeff McGinness on drums, his brother Joel McGinness on keys, and Sam Dominguez on bass. They recorded their sole album, Horseshoes and Handgrenades, at Big Time Studio in 1999 and issued this deluxe re-release 18 years later.
Contact Us
Ted & the MNC are available for private parties, festivals, and club or restaurant bookings and can play in a variety of line-ups (from solo acoustic to acoustic trio to full band electric) to suit space, needs, and budget. For more information or for booking, please contact Ted Horrell at (901) 569-0485 or by sending an e-mail through the link below.
Farmhouse Record Company
Bryan Hayes
bryan@bryanhayesmusic.com