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Genres:
Country, Rock

Hometown:
Denver, Colorado, United States

Bio:
They've been called "country", "alt-country", and "outlaw country", but the phrase that might best describe the Railbenders is "hard country." This Denver, Colorado band plays unabashed, straight-no-chaser music that pulls no punches and offers no apologies for the love of some of the finer things in life: whiskey, women, song, and good timin' friends. While their songs are soaked in traditional country influence, their various rock and punk backgrounds give them a jagged edge appeal. Their music and dynamic live shows have made them one of the top draws in Colorado, bringing in a diverse fan base of all ages.

Formed in 2000 by Jim Dalton (vocals, guitar) and Tyson Murray (upright bass), the Railbenders took a mutual love of Johnny Cash, Waylon, Hank Williams, rock \'n\' roll, punk, whiskey, and threw it all together to create their own sound. Powered by the steady rollin� drums of Graham Haworth and the blazing guitar picking of Tony Nascar (\"The fastest guitar in the West), the band has garnered local awards, including �Top Country Band� by the Rocky Mountain News (2004 & 2005), and �Best Country/Roots Band� five years in a row (2002 to 2005) in the annual Westword Music Showcase.

With their unique brand of music, The Railbenders have gained fans within the country community � they�ve been invited to open for Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels, and David Allan Coe. In 2007, they were asked to play Stagecoach in Indio, CA, where they opened a stage that featured Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Junior Brown, John Doe, Drive-By Truckers, and Alejandro Escovedo. They�ve made friends with acclaimed country and rock musicians like Jesse Dayton and Eddie Spaghetti (of Supersuckers fame), who were both so impressed with the Railbenders, they�ve both appeared on their CD�s � Jesse lays down the lead guitar on �Black Rose� from 2006�s Showdown, and Eddie lends his pipes on two tracks on 2004�s Segundo. Johnny Hickman of Cracker, who is a frequent special guest guitarist, says, \"I know all of their songs, I\'m a fan.\"

The Railbenders won a sponsorship from Coors in 2004, a relationship that continues today. Their music has been featured on shows such as A&E�s �Rollergirls� television series. Altitude Sports & Entertainment Network (Comcast) produced a show on the band that earned them exposure throughout the Midwestern states. Current airplay on XM Radio�s �X-Country� channel is giving the band exposure to a nationwide audience.